CO129-331 - Public Offices - 1905 — Page 62

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This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.j

C. O.

21484

SOUTH-WEST CHINA.

CONFIDENTIAL.

No. 1.

[June 5.1

TRECH

REGE SECTION 15

(No. 128.) My Lord,

Sir E. Satow to the Marquess of Lansdowne, -(Received June 5.)

Peking, April 17, 1905. I HAVE the honour to transmit to your Lordship herewith extracts from an Intelligence Report which I have received from His Majesty's Acting Consul at Tengyueb, regarding a proposed light railway to Tengyueh and the reported presence of gold in the upper waters of the Irrawaddy.

I have, &c.

(Signed)

ERNEST SATOW.

1

i

Inclosure in No. 1.

Extracts from Tengyueh Intelligence Report, January 30, 1905.

Light Railway-A naturalized British subject, German by birth, now a resident merchant in Bhamo, is, I learn, anxious to take up a railway concession to Tengyueh to be worked by electricity. I have advised him--`

1. That he should get the support of the Government of Barmah;

2. Draw up a precise statement of what he proposes and how to do it, after a careful inspection of the whole ground;

3. Apply for a concession through the Government of Burmah and His Majesty's Minister at Peking direct, not going in the first instance to the Yinuan Viceroy; and

4. That for a narrow gauge line he would have to see his way to nearly 1,000,000L before he could hope to see trains actually running.

As the Government scems anxious to press for a railway to Tengyuch this scheme of Mr. Koha might be worth considering, if Burmah views it with favour.

It has been suggested that a line might ultimately be continued from Tengyuch to the Shweli and down that river to fertile districts near the frontier; in view of a possible survey between Bhamo and Tengyueh, I examined the valley of the Shweli from a point some miles north of Tengyueh down to the point where the main Tali road crosses it, one stage east of Tengyneh. I found the country exceedingly difficult; on both banks a series of precipitous spurs come down from high ranges straight to the river. There are a number of violent water-courses which would present great difficulties in the rains. In fact, nearly all of a railway line would have to be cut out of the hill-side or consist of bridges. Owing to the great fertility of the soil along the gorges of the Upper Shweli the terraces and folds in the hills are densely cultivated, and there is a considerable though scattered population of Chinese farmers.

Gold in the Irrawaddy.-Referring to my Report on the presence of gold in the Chin River or upper waters of the Irrawaddy, I may mention that a company of New Zealand dredgers have been granted a large concession on the Irrawaddy between Mytkina and Bhamo; the first operations with a small dredging machine have given. most encouraging results and heavier machines have been sent for. It is quite possible that the partial administration of the Upper Irrawaddy would soon pay its way in licences for winning the precious metal.

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