Sessional_Paper_1885-1886 — Page 108

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perforate the rest of the mountain and to connect Tytam reservoir-water with the conduit on this side. Eighty-two weeks are equivalent to one year and eight months, so that the completion of the tunnel may be looked for on or about July 1887.

Conduit.--The masonry surface-conduit which winds along the mountain contours from Wong-nei-Chung to the Albany is intended to convey the water by gravitation from the tunnel mouth to a proposed terminal tank and filter-bed to be built on the hill-side in the Albany Valley. I have already in a preceding page, described the manner in which this water-channel is being built, with a view in case of emergency, to the utilization of its successive compartments as tanks whence to derive relief pending any temporary stoppage of the water at the dam. The conduit is a square red brick culvert 3 feet wide, rendered inside with cement to prevent leakage, and covered with granite slabs to protect the purity of the supply and to keep down the temperature of the water. With the exception of the Wantsai Valley which it is intended to cross with a syphon of iron pipes, the water will be carried over all streams by aquæducts of arched masonry, and these aquæ- ducts will be so paved and concreted over as to enable them and the entire length of conduit to be used as a continuous level road for pedestrians. With reference to the progress of this particular branch of the work, it may be briefly mentioned that it has been divided into two sections, the first extending from the tunnel mouth at Wong-nei-Chung

Wong-nei-Chung as far as the Wantsai Valley, and the second from the Wantsai Valley to the Albany. The first section now rapidly approaching completion will be finished or very nearly so, by the end of the present year, whereupon the Wantsai syphon works and the second section will be commenced and terminated by the end of 1886.

In conclusion, I avail myself of this opportunity of bringing to the notice of His Excellency the Governor, the highly satisfactory manner in which Mr. G. Cook, in direct charge of the tunnelling operations, and the rest of the English officers engaged in the supervision of the various branches of this work are carrying out their duties, but especially I desire to record my appreciation of the valuable public services continued to be rendered by the Resident Engineer, Mr. JAMES ORANGE, to whose marked professional abilities and efficient general management these works when completed, will have in no small measure owed their successful realization.

I have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your obedient Servant,

J. M. PRICE,

Surveyor General.