CO129-329 - Governor Nathan - 1905 [7-12] — Page 574

571

these points, and I have directed the Chief Surveying

Engineer to proceed at once with the marking out on the

ground of the selected route North of the Kowloon Hills.

The final location of the whole line will be completed by

the end of this year.

13.

I propose that the actual con-

-struction of the Railway from Kowloon to the frontier of

British Territory at the Lo Fu Ferry should be put in hand

with the least possible delay. I have little doubt that

arrangements will eventually be made with the Chinese

Authorities for the construction of the Chinese section of

the Canton-Kowloon Railway and for its joint working with

the Hongkong section. The Chinese section presents no con-

-siderable engineering difficulties while the piercing of

the tunnel in our territory is a work which must require a

long time and so is likely to delay the completion of the

whole project. Even should the construction of the Chinese

section be long postponed I am satisfied from the statis-

-tics which accompanied my Despatch of January 11th. and

from the brilliant success with which the short Canton-

Samshui branch of the Canton-Hankow Railway has competed

with the neighbouring water communication in the short

period