CO129-289 - Individuals - 1898 — Page 209

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Shatian

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for that portion of the She-Tau-division, which will most probably be included in the" new area, amounts in round figures to one hundred thousand (100,000).

Map VI., giving the population and divisions of the area to be leased, shows how this population is spread over the mainland and islands.

The population is contained in six main divisions, inhabiting 423 villages. These villages vary population from 10 to 5,000 persons.

The eastern portion of the district, being more mountainous and less fertile, is not The Un Long Tung, or the division in- so thickly populated as the western portion. cluding the fertile valleys and plains of Pat Heung and Shap Pat Heung, is the most populous, its population, amounting to 23,020, being distributed among 59 villages." The Sheung U Tung or western division, though much larger in area than the Un Long, division, contains a population of only 20,870 distributed among no fewer than 182 villages.

The total area of the territory to be leased being 376 square miles, the population mile. Though by no means at present thickly square is about 266 persons to the populated, it is anticipated that when the new territory comes under British occupation its population will rapidly increase.

VILLAGES.*

The houses in these villages are, as a rule, well and solidly built. The foundations and lower courses of their walls are, in many cases, of granite masonry, the upper courses being made of blue or of sun-dried bricks. The door posts and lintels are of dressed grauite slabs with tiled roofs on rafters made of China fir. The floors are generally concreted, and frequently paved with red brick or with granite. Well built and handsomely decorated temples exist, in all the important villages, and in many places large and expensively constructed build- ings, in which the ancestral tablets are kept, were seen.

The total number of villages amounts to 423.

As usual in China the streets are narrow and paved with large slabs of stone. Such drainage as exists is on the surface, underground drains never being used in Chinese villages.

رة

There are several walled villagest in the territory, which are invariably inhabited by the members of one clan only. They are rectangular or square in shape, and are enclosed within brick walls about 16 feet in height, flanked by square towers, and They have one entrance, protected with surrounded by a moat some 40 feet in width. iron gates.

Within the walls, houses of the usual type are found, built with great regularity. There is one main street from either side of which small lanes branch off in parallel rows. The object of these villages being walled is to afford the inhabitants greater security in case of attack, and to place them in a stronger position of defence in the event of clan feuds, which were formerly very common, and are still not infre- quent. In one of the villages visited was found a temple specially dedicated to the memory of those members of the clan who had fallen in the fights against a neighbouring village. The feud between these two villages, the inhabitants of which are descended from a common ancestor and possess the same surname, extended over many years, Peace has now been restored, and we had during which great numbers were killed.

the pleasure of being entertained at the same table by the heads of the two villages, which were so long at enmity with each other.

Those who are able to express an opinion on the subject state that the villages in the territory compare favourably with those of Southern India and Ceylon.

Appendix 5 contains a list of the name and population of each village in the area to be leased.

INHABITANTS.

The inhabitants are composed of three races of Chinese, the Puntis, the Hakkas, and the Tankas.

The Puntis, or Cantonese, as they are termed by Europeans, belong to the race which is supposed to have come from the provinces bordering on the south of the Yang- tsz river. The term Punti means "Natives of the soil"; but the existence of aborigines

* See Photographs, Album I., Nos. 1, 4, 6, 11, 13, 16, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 27, 30.

II., 6, 7, 8, 15, 19, 21, 22.

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† See Photographs, Album I., No. 25.

II, No. 8.

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in many parts of the Kwong-tung province shows that the Puntie were not the aboriginal inhabitants.

It is not improbable that they commenced to find their way to the south of China

I during the early periods of Chinese history. At any rate they were firmly established in the south during the time of the Southern Sung Dynasty, which reigned from A.D. 1127 to A.D.1278. Most of the Punti inhabitants easily trace their descent from ancestors who were settled in the Saf Of district in that period. The Puntis speak/n/n the dialect commonly known as Cantonese. The population amounts to 64,140, and is contained in 161 villages. They chiefly inhabit the valleys, especially those drained by the Sham Chun and Un Long rivers. Their main pursuit is that of agriculture; but they are also excellent traders, and full of that enterprise for which as a race the Cantonese are so justly famous.

The Hakkas, or "Strangers," as the term signifies, are supposed to be descended from the Mongols, and to have reached the southern provinces of China when the Mongol Dynasty was overthrown, about the middle of the 14th century, They are regarded by the Puntis as aliens, and speak a dialect quite distinct from Cantonese. The villages occupied by the Hakkas are 255 in number, containing a population of 36,070. As a rule their villages are inhabited solely by members of their own race/just as the Punti villages are inhabited only by Cantonese, though there are a few villages in which both races are represented. The Hakkas are a hardy and frugal race, and are generally found in the hill districts, their chief pursuits being agriculture and quarrying. The Tankas, or boat people, form the floating population, of which it has not been possible to obtain even an estimate, except in the case of the islands when they have been included in the general population. They form a class by themselves and are looked down upon by the land population. They inhabit the creeks, harbours, water- ways, and the islands, and make excellent sailors, being very clever in the handling of junks and smaller craft. They are also largely engaged in fishing.

Pariv

Appendix 3 shows how the various races are distributed throughout the area. Taken as a whole the inhabitants may be regarded as an industrious, frugal, and well-behaved people. During the inspection of the territory they gave us an excellent reception except in two instances, one of which was so marked that it was necessary to bring the conduct of the villagers concerned to the notice of the Viceroy of the two Kwong who will, it is hoped, deal with the matter in a proper manner.

There are, of Provinces course, bad characters and rowdies to be found among the population, and one or two villages have earned an unenviable notoriety for lawlessness, but there ought to be no difficulty in bringing such characters and places under proper control, and putting an end to the present state of affairs.

The inhabitants, though by no means wealthy, seem to be, as a rule, comfortably well off, and able to earn au honest livelihood without difficulty. Few signs of anything approaching destitution were seen, and only a few beggars were met. From informa- tion received it appears that there are only 1,600 beggars throughout the whole of the Sa O district, the majority of whom are said to be outside the new territory.

INDUSTRIES.

The population is chiefly occupied in the cultivation of the soil with the various crops produced. But in addition to agricultural pursuits there are large fisheries in which many persons are engaged in the bays surrounding the territory on the east, south, and west, fishing being carried on chiefly by means of stake-nets.* The fish are sorted, salted and sun-dried, and exported to various markets. The trade in salt fish is one of the most important, and employs a large number of persons.

l'earl fisheries exist in Tolo harbour, where pearls of value are said to be sometimes found.

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In addition to salt-water fish the rearing of fresh-water fish in ponds for the Hong Kong market and elsewhere occupies the attention of the villagers of the Un Long division.

The cultivation of oysters is also carried on to a large extent, especially in Deep Bay. Lime burning is an important industry, coral and oyster-shells being burnt in the place of lime-stone. The largest lime-burning works seen were near Castle Peak Bay, where coal obtained from Hong Kong was being used as fuel. Lime was also being

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* See Photographs, Album II,, No. 6.

↑ See Photographs, Album I., No. 5.

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