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the open sea and to the Southerly breezes, and in the hot weather is especially exposed to the South West monsoon. The experience of the Portuguese Colony of Macao teaches us that residents on the sea. front can always live in comfort in the hottest weather when a atrong S.W. monsoon is blowing from the sea, and as Macao is situated in the estuary of the Canton River and some way inland, and is not exposed to the open sea, the advantages to be obtained from living in a new locality similarly exposed and nearer the sea are obvious. It must also be borne in mind that it would be considerably free from the dampness and fogs which prevail in the city of Victoria, and the upper levels. The pleasant surroundings, the gentle undulating conformation of the land which slopes gradually and gently down from the height of Pokfulum reservoir the the sea level at Aberdeen on one side, and which is nearly level with Douglas Castle on the other, would help to make all the houses easy of access to the line, whilst the style of building to be adopted, the gardens, etc., are bound to render the new locality an ideal residential quarter which could in a short time develop into a small settlement not only of great enhancement to the many beauties of Hong Kong, but which will become one of the finest residential quarters in the whole of the East.
It may be suggested that in opposition to the scheme under notice, this locality was at one time considered unhealthy (although the districts formerly considered feverish were located more to the East of the land to be opened up by the railway).
It is submitted that the health of the whole of the locality selected by our client is now beyond dispute, and this is proved by the fact that the few residents who live there do not complain of fever and the French Fathers consider the Douglas Castle and its surroundings an ideal residence entirely free from sickness.
In this regard we would point out that the French Fathers use Douglas Castle and its adjoining buildings as a Sanatorium.
No doubt this hygienio improvement has been greatly brought about by the systematic planting of trees on the Southern slopes of the Island, whilst the health of the district would be further materially enhanced by the opening up of the waste lands into gardens, the drainage of nullahs, streams, etc. etc.
It is of course well known that your Government have had, for considerable time past, a great difficulty to contend with in order to cope with the steady increase of the population (both European and Chinese) of the City of Victoria, a difficulty arising through topographical conditions of the Island which prevent any suitable extension on the north side of same. Kowloon has during the past few years largely benefitted by this concession, and one has only to compare Kowloon of a few years ago and Kowloon of the present day to realise whow any fresh building sites opened up close to the business quarter of the City of Victoria are greedily taken up.
Our client therefore contends that a scheme offering all the advantages of the one proposed should command serious attention.
It may be suggested in opposition to our Client's scheme that there is plenty of building space at Kowloon and in the new territories, but in this regard our client would point out that most of the building space within easy reach of the ferry is already taken up, and that the cost of building at the back of the present residential quarters in Kowloon being considerable, the hope of its being fully exploited must necessarily be very remote.
The want of building areas referred to is likely
to be felt more and more severely with the continuous growth of the population, and consequently, unless new and convenient grounds oan be opened, the European community already suffering from overcrowding of the colony, will in the near future be faced
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