CO129-086 - Sir Robinson - 1862 [5-6] — Page 410

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9.

Since,

when I visited it a few days, surrounded by the rankiest begetation - The third

Crop since the occupation of the huts.

And an

med me that as

informed

long

Officer of the 99th Regiment -

as he had been quartered in that locality, he had had fever regularly twice each month.

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Napier's Range, as I before

explained, stands surrounded by garden

ground.

or paddy fields - These latter are not natural Swamps,

but

artificial

terraces

over which twater is made to run very. Slowly. They can be drained in an ~

hour at an

outlay of a few shillings,

as, the whole arrangement being artificial by cutting the dams the water returns to-

405

it's natural channel and the fields

are

drained, and at the same time thrown

out of cultivation. But these

grounds belong to Chinese whose claims are recognized by the Convention of Betting, and thereine, the cultivation of them, as I pointed out to Sir John Michel, could only, without a direct breach of good faith,

be prevented by

of live

Courses- Either the claims of the Proprieters must be purchased; or the cultivators Compensated for the loss of their growing Crops pending a final

Settlement.

8.

one

The Military Auttumities have been deterred by the heavy Expense from

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