In the matter of the forcible stoppage of work, and the repeated closure of a worksite, a joint presentation of further evidence.
We cordially request Your Benevolence to send an official to investigate and clarify the position to avoid the situation of a public bridge being destroyed.
There is a river at Kim Hau (1) which lies between Sham Chun, and Sha Tau Kok and Tai Pang () and so on, and which is on a most important road for anyone travelling from east or west. Everyday thousands of people pass there. The Cheung () clan, living over three li away at Wong Pui Ling (Bai) came in violence and took it for their own, establishing a ferry across the river there for their profit. All this happened years ago.
Everyone coming there, at any time of day, must use the ferry. Bridal parties and funerals have to pay particularly heavy sums. Every Winter the river dries up, and the flow of water reduces, and then people have to wade across with obvious difficulty. Sometimes wooden hand-rails are put up beside the crossing, but these are frequently destroyed, and people are reviled and struck there. Every kind of perverse and unprincipled behaviour can be seen, too frequently to record.
These many years we the gentry and others have donated cash, and rice to sell at low rates. This is because, when they cannot run the ferry profitably they force the coolies to go into the water to cross; several dozen sacks of rice have been lost here as a result, and we the gentry and others cannot bear to see their suffering. We have been thinking of building a bridge for many years.
Last year Cheung Tsan-tai and Lei Chung-chong (*44) both wealthy men, and others, twice gathered material for construction, but it was deliberately entirely destroyed on both occasions. The people really feared we would have to go back to the original position.
---
Page 259
In the matter of the forcible stoppage of work, and the repeated closure of a worksite, a joint presentation of further evidence.
We cordially request Your Benevolence to send an official to investigate and clarify the position to avoid the situation of a public bridge being destroyed.
There is a river at Kim Hau (1) which lies between Sham Chun, and Sha Tau Kok and Tai Pang () and so on, and which is on a most important road for anyone travelling from cast or west. Everyday thousands of people pass there. The Cheung () clan, living over three li away at Wong Pui Ling (Bari) came in violence and took it for their own, establishing a ferry across the river there for their profit. All this happened years ago.
Everyone coming there, at any time of day, must use the ferry. Bridal parties and funerals have to pay particularly heavy sums. Every Winter the river dries up, and the flow of water reduces, and then people have to wade across with obvious difficulty. Sometimes wooden hand-rails are put up beside the crossing, but these are frequently destroyed, and people are reviled and struck there. every kind of perverse and unprincipled behaviour can be seen, too frequently to record.
These many years we the gentry and others have donated cash, and rice to sell at low rates. This is because, when they cannot run the ferry profitably they force the coolics to go into the water to cross several dozen sacks of rice have been lost here as a result
and we
the gentry and others cannot bear to see their suffering. We have been thinking of building a bridge for many
years.
Last year Cheung Tsan-tai and Lei Chung-chong (* 44) both wealthy men, and others, twice gathered material for construction, but it was deliberately entirely destroyed on both occasions. The people really feared we would have to go back to the original position.
"
---
259
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.