CO129-086 - Sir Robinson - 1862 [5-6] — Page 407

2.

3.1

403

endeavoured to induce the Military Authorities

accommodation ~

to erect the temporary required by them upon another site,

the

one selected - Napier's Range- in its- unimproved state, being in my opinion and that of the Surveyor General almost-

Surveyor-General

the worst situation in the whole Peninsula

for a temporary Cantorment.

The grounds upon

2.

which this

opinions

αυτ

based were

fully stated at

to

Your Grace

I there

the time in my Despateti

N: 40 of the 26th March 1861

observed:

I

May

"

"

mention also an instance

"of what is now taking place to shors how

it is, before deciding upon the unhealthiness of a site, to ascertain that at-

Mecessary

· least the most obvious sanitary precautions

"have been adopted. The Surveyor General. hav "recommended Napier's Range at- Kowloon as

4

"a place fitted for permanent Barracks, and "the medical men of the Island

Island agree

with

• him that with proper improvements (i.c. draining "the Paddy Fields befe

before

and behind the Range

excercise

" and Converting them into es

grounds for "the men) which can be effected at a small:

• Cost, the situation would be found as heallting

in the Peninsula. In this opinion, I believe, any

4

*

7 as

"the Military Medical men do not concur, and to test the healthiness of the place, temporary barracks have been erected to enable 200 men to be the Summer. But the Paddy fields

quartered

and

d there

for

gardens around remain undisturbed; and: "in it's present condition I do not think there is a

• much more

unfit situation in the whole

gardens

over

"peninsula for a temporary Cantonment. Every

breeze that reaches it from whatever quarter will "be impregnated with the Miasma hovering "these Swamps, and with the liquid manure with

which these

dens are saturated morning and. - evening. The result of such a trial can be forcloth certainty. The percentage of Richness wilt be "greater than in other localities on the peninverla, and the place will, like West Point, be condemned. But "such a result after such a trial will I conceive in, no degree

gree impugn the correctness of the opinion

and the medical i "expressed by the Surveyor General

a to a