At the Meetings of the Committee inted to enquire and examine into the bunding operations at the mouth of the Soochow Creek, held at H.B.M.'s Consulate on Tuesday, the 8th April, at 2 pan; Thursday, the 10th April, at'10 a.m.; and Tuesday, the 15th April, at 10 a.m.
Present:—Messrs. P. J. Hughes, H.B.M.
Consul and Chairman of the Committee, Delegate for the Consular Body J. G. Purdon, Delegate from Chamber of Commerce R. Mackenzie, Delegate from Municipal Council H. Lester, Delegate from French Council Li, District Magistrate, and Chan; Deputy, attended es representa:
tives of the Taotai A.B, Bisbee, attended at request of the Taotai, without any special instructions; and A Fabris, Secretary to Committee, Before proceeding to take evidence, the matter is explained to the Taotai's Deputy and District ate through Mr, Inter-prefer Fulford, and they are asked whether
line of bunding, as he objects to the line the Taotat is prepared to sanction any other proposed by Messrs. Adanison, Bell & Ca.
The Taotai's Deputy and the District Magistrate mark out on plan handed to them a modified line of bunding, which they state the Taotai is prepared to sanction. This line forms a curve considerably within that of Messrs. Adamson, Bell & Ca.,—about half way between that and shore,—and ends with rather a pronounced bend at north-east corner of Garden Bric 'The Taotai's Deputy and District Magistrate declare that this is the only line the Taotai will allow; he refuses absolutely to permit any bunding at all above the bridge 5 that in front of Mr. Saunders' studio must be removed.
Tt is decided to inform Mr. Bell, as representing the owners of the property, of this determination of the Taotai, and to ask him whether he is prepared to accept the modified line of bunding proposed by the as in such case the labours of the Committee would be materially shortened.
Mr, Bell being in attendance is therefore invited to enter, and the mutter is explained to him. He states that it is one requiring consideration, and that he is not pre] to give an answer without consulting others, who are also in attendance outside, and whose opinion he will ask, He points out, however, that the line they have now taken has been approved by the Harbour Master, and he understood from Ins, Denny, had also the approval of the Mr. Bellthen retirestoconsult with others.
On returning, Mr. Bell says that the line offered by the Taotai it is quite impossible for him to accept; he is advised that it would prove highly injurious to the creek, and the object his line aims at is to improve the water-way, not to injure it. He would like the Committee to hear Mr. Kingsmill, who will give every explanation on the subject, rr. Kingsmill is accordingly invited to attend and give his opinion as to what the effect on the river % creek would be of the different lines of bundings laid down on map.
Opinion of Mr. L. W. Kingsmill, 0.B.
Mr, Kingsmill laid before the meeting the plan of the proposed Bund line from the mouth of the creek to the Szechuen Road Bridge. This plan had been copied from that made by Captain Bisbee, the Harbour Master, and was carefully considered. It approximated very closely to a plan made by himself independently; 80 closely that hie was prepared to accept the plan as the most practicable solution of the difficulty, In company with Captain Bisbee he had assisted in taking a series of accurate soundings of the present water-way of the Soochow Creek within the limits indicated. Those soundings were marked on the plan in violet lines. From these soundings he had prepared a series of sections of the creek bed, which he also laid before the meeting; he had also marked on the sections and plan the medial line of the stream as at present, and also as it would be if the bundings proposed by Captain Bisbee were carried out. This line showed a great improvement on the present irregular curves, and from it he had carefully deduced the new sections of the stream as it would be when the curves were completed, These sections were close approximations, and were calculated on well-known hydraulic laws. Ina yielding alluvial soil where no extraneous causes occurred to alter the natural contour a river's bed took v closely the section indicated, and this ha been his experience inthealluviumof Shang. hai. Thereeultof thocalculations was shown in violet lines on the sections, At present the bed of the ergs was mast irregular
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.