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18. With regard to the remarks in column i, it will be seen that the appearance of the Taitam water on the whole was scarcely so satisfactory as that from Pokfulam. This will no doubt continue to be the case until bye-passes, similar to the one in operation at Pokfulam, are constructed round the reservoir to intercept practically clear water from the streams after a heavy fall of rain. In point of fact, to the absence of this provision may be attributed the turbid or whitish appearance of the water in May and some of the succeeding months. To demonstrate the usefulness of the bye-pass constructed round the Pokfulam reservoir in 1890 it is only necessary to compare the results of the examination of unfiltered samples from both sources in May. The Taitam water contained 13 grains per gallon of solids in solution and suspension against 2.5 grains the amount contained in the Pokfulam water.

19. On the 3rd July a report was called for on the whitish appearance of the Taitam water, public attention having been drawn to the matter at a meeting of the Sanitary Board.

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20. During my absence in Australia an investigation was conducted by Mr. E. W. LUCAS, the Acting Government Analyst. The interesting report he submitted to Government on this subject, dated the 11th of September, will be found in full in the section of the Blue Book returns for 1891 devoted to the Resident Engineer of the Water and Drainage Department.

21. In view of the fact that there has been during the past year a feeling of uneasiness in the public mind with regard to the Government water supply, I should be wanting in my duty if I refrained from recording my conviction that such uneasiness has been wholly without foundation.

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22. In an important commercial centre like Hongkong too much publicity cannot be given to the fact that no exception on hygienic grounds can be taken to the quality of the public water supplies. is no exaggeration to say that never in the previous history of the Colony has such a good water in every respect been supplied to the City of Victoria as was the case last year. From a point of view of either inorganic or organic purity, the Hongkong water supplies will compare favourably with the best water supplies of Great Britain. Indeed I cannot point to any water supply at home yielding such admirable results as those found in tables A and B in this report. And what to the mind of any sanitarian is a matter of still greater importance are the exceptional conditions under which the waters are collected. In the Taitam water-shed pollution with animal excreta is out of the question; and in the case of the Pokfulam gathering ground elaborate precautions have been adopted to divert into other channels any sewage from houses situated therein.

23. Neither the Pokfulam nor Taitam waters are as bright as I should like to see them, and, in this respect, their appearance is not so good as that of many well waters. This ought not, however, to induce residents to have recourse to shallow wells for a supply of clear and bright water for table purposes. I have good reason to believe that this practice largely prevails. In 1887 I reported to the Sanitary Board on the quality of the water from 328 wells in the City of Victoria. Of these 199 or 60 per cent. contained an excessive amount of free ammonia and 223 or 68 per cent. afforded evidence of the existence of nitrites, in many instances in considerable quantity. In waters of this type the occurrence of nitrites is regarded as unmistakable proof of the presence of fresh decomposing sewage. Only 51 or 15 per cent. contained less than 2.0 grains of Chlorine per gallon. In the absence of chemical evidence as to purity the extreme desirability of residents abandoning the use for dietetic purposes of water from shallow wells in the City would therefore appear to be very evident.

24. The other waters alluded to in par. 9 of this report do not call for any special remarks.

25. In concluding this the eighth annual report I have had the honour to submit to the Government of this Colony I am glad to be able to state that the make shift arrangements which I have hitherto been compelled to put up with will in the course of two or three months be a thing of the past.

26. The construction of the new building at the corner of High Street and Eastern Street, which includes, in the wing at the western end, a spacious laboratory, is now practically completed. The preparation of the drawings for the internal arrangements is in progress; and if sufficient time is placed at my disposal it will be possible before the close of the present year to undertake several important investigations of Chinese poisons which have been so long delayed.

27. I avail myself of this opportunity to convey to Mr. E. W. Lucas the assistant apothecary of the Civil Hospital my best thanks for the conduct of the Government analytical work during my absence or leave.

I have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your most obedient Servant,

W. EDWARD CROW,

Government Analyst.