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The total area surveyed amounted to 35,257.77 acres comprising 226,588 fields. These figures, which refer to the whole area of cultivated valleys, including streams, waste land and hillocks surrounded by cultivation, are rather misleading when compared with the total area given in the statement on page 7, which deals with demarcated and claimed land only. The field season closed in July, 1900, and up to November, 1900, the men were employed in office in inking up the maps and estimating the areas.
During those four months a survey, on the scale of 64 inches to the mile, was made of Kowloon City and its surroundings. The demarcation of New Kowloon, comprising Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 9, was carried out under the Land Court and surveys on the 32-inch scale were made of the Islands of Mah Wan, Peng Chau and Cheung Chau.
2. In November, 1900, I made Tai Po my headquarters and started the new field season.
The staff was increased by 6 Surveyors from India, but these new arrivals were not successes; four of them were old men, well over 50, and quite unfit for hard work. We were further handicapped as one Inspector died, 2 Surveyors had to be invalided and one dismissed for incompetence.
As the cultivation in the hilly Districts remaining to be surveyed, consisted of small terraced fields running up hillsides and narrow valleys, the average size of field was so small that it was found impossible to represent such minute detail on the 16-inch scale with any degree of utility; the Government therefore decided to increase the scale to 32 inches to the inile.
It was also decided to carry on the Demarcation and Survey operations together, so the contract system of payment had to be abandoned and the Surveyors were placed on salaries.
These changes considerably reduced the outturn of work for the season, which amounted to 11,087.35 acres and 174,677 fields.
The following Districts and Sub-Districts were surveyed :—
(a.) Sub-Districts Luk Keng, Nam Yeuk and Hing Chun of the Sha
Tau Kok District.
(b.) Sub-Districts Shun Wan, Tsoi Hang, Lam Tsun, Hap Wo and a
portion of Lung Yeuk Tau of the Sheung U District.
(c) A portion of Sub-District Kau Yeuk of the Kau Lung District. (d.) A portion of Sub-District Cheng Muk Tau of the Tung Hoi
Districts.
(e.) The Islands of Peng Chau, Kat O and Donble Island in Mirs Bay. (f) Portions of Lan Tao Island near Tung Chung and Mui Wo.
In August, 1901, the demarcation of the 16-inch surveys of the previous sea- son was started. Ten Surveyors were told off to do it and they completed the work early in 1902. They were supplied with traces of the maps on which they marked the various holdings as pointed out by the tenants; the Chinese demarcators enter- ing the record of owner's names, etc. The area thus dealt with was 35,257.77 acres with 226,588 fields comprising 100,972 holdings.
In July, 1901, four incompetent Surveyors were dismissed and, as the staff was insufficient, an Inspector was sent to India to recruit more men. He returned to the Colony in November, 1901, bringing one new Inspector, 28 Surveyors and 48 trained Indian coolies.
3. With this addition to staff the field season 1901-1902 was commenced in November and by June the following Districts and Sub-Districts were surveyed :—
(a.) Remainder of Sub-District Kau Yeuk of the Kau Lung Districts. (6.) Sub-District Luk Yeuk of the Kau Lung District.
(c.) The whole of the Tung Hoi District.
(d.) Sub-District Tai Lam Chung of the Un Long District.
(e.) The greater part of Sub-District Tsun Wan of the Kau Lung District.
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