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Hong Kong Annual Administration Reports, 1841-1941

REPORTS EXHIBITING THE PAST AND PRESENT

summary and speedy disposal of minor offences before a bench of magistrates, and already submitted to your Lordship, will, I have no doubt (if confirmed), materially tend to remedy this very serious evil.

The Right Hon. Earl Grey,

I have, &c.,

(Signed)

S. G. BONHAM.

&c.

&c. &c.

Enclosure 1 in No. 38.

Surveyor-General's Office, Victoria, February 9, 1849.

SIR,

I HAVE the honour to submit my annual report upon the works that have been ext- cuted during the year, also upon the general state and repair of all civil roads and works in

the island.

1. Roads and Bridges, district of Victoria.-The Queen's-road and all the streets in the town have been kept in a tolerable state of repair during the year, by the employment of convict labour thereon, the only actual expenditure having been for the cutting and removal of some rocks in Wyndham-street, Req. No. 2, of 1848, which was executed for 102 16s. 8d.; and in the Wongneichung Valley repairs, to the extent of 211. 13s. 4d., were paid for under Reg. No. 9, of 1848.

The estimated value of convict labour expended in repairs has amounted to 3291. 17s. 8d. The new bridge at the Nullah North Barracks was opened during the year, which has rendered that portion of the road safe and serviceable; the expenditure thereon during the year amounted to 4431. 15s., leaving a balance unpaid upon the estimate of 67. 11s. 112. One of the small wooden bridges (Stewart's) in the Wongneichung Valley being in a precarious state, I was directed to build a stone arch in lieu thereof, which was done for the sum of 451. 16s. 8d. Req. No. 42, of 1847. I have examined as closely as possible the three other wooden bridges in the valley; the main timbers are apparently sound; some of the lower sheathing-boards of the large bridge are partly decayed, but as the upper course is perfectly sound I do not think it unsafe, or that repairs are demanded at the present moment. An expenditure of 2857. 16s. 10d. has been made for the construction of stone-surface drains (Rep, and Est. 13, of 1845), mostly in the Chinese Town, which is very much improved thereby; and the drainage and streets in that district may be said to be quite finished, with the exception of a small portion of Hollywood-road, from thence to the Queen's-road, which it is difficult to keep in order; it, therefore, would be advisable to complete the proposed service for that reason; besides, the road would be rendered safer for carriages than it is at present, for a portion of the road is an embankment which has no parapet thereto; and the stone drain, with a raised footpath, obliges both horsemen and carriages to keep the centre of the road. The same may be said of some of the other roads and streets in the town, some of which are much frequented, and very dangerous from the want of some protection. Upon this service there is a balance unappropriated of 5301. 2s. 92. Of the under-ground drainage little required to be done; the balance, 791. 14s. Id., unexpended (Rep. and Est. 11, of 1844) was applied to the formation of two drains; one across the Queen's-road, centre of Parade-ground; the other at junction of Albert-road with the Albany-road. A brick sewer to join the Ordnance sewer, east of the Nullah Bridge, was authorized under Rep, and Est. No. 8, of 1847, amounting to 891. 13s., but it is not yet completed, in consequence of the extreme difficulty of excavating the rock, which must be burned before it can be quarried out, which is a tedious and expensive opera- tion. Under the authority of Rep. and Est. No. 10, of 1844, I expended the sum of 371. 6s. 2d. for work in the West District, to complete the services undertaken originally, and have closed the account, leaving the sum of 247. 10s. 6d., which is not required. The Queen's- road, from the Ice House to the Nullah Bridge, had a double row of trees planted along the footpaths, which have thriven very well indeed, considering the nature of the ground, the service having been completed for less than the estimate. (Req. No. 28, which was only authorized to the amount of 150%) I was directed to expend the balance in planting such parts of the town which might be improved thereby. I therefore planted a portion of Albert-road, Arbuthnot-road, a portion of the Queen's-road near the Gap, and opposite the Post Office, &c. The sum expended during the year amounted to 1021. 17s., the remainder being due to the contractor, and for the purchase of straw bands, with which I have been obliged to protect each tree to preserve them from the goats. There are several other roads and streets in the town, and some unoccupied or impracticable building lots, which if planted would be a vast improvement to the town, not only as to its appearance, but, I understand, equally so in a sanitary point of view. The harbour-master's pier (Rep. and Est. No. 6, of 1847) it was found necessary to extend (in consequence of the great deposit of silt) to a distance of 57 feet, as that distance is entirely dry at low-water spring tides during the south-west monsoon; and as I anticipate that the mode of construction I have adopted for the extension (by forming an opening or archway for the passage of the water) will prevent, in a great measure, the accu- mulation of silt, no further extension will be necessary. "The tides during the north-east mon- soon being very high, I have been unable to get in the foundations at the extreme end, which I proposed to do without any coffer-dam; the arch, however, has been keyed in; and when the paving is finished the work will be suspended until April: 2004. was expended thereon up to the end of the year, leaving a balance on the estimate to complete it of 1641. Os. 10d. The total expenditure during the year in the three districts of Victoria, exclusive of buildings,