ABSTRACT
Before the War the Colony supported an excellent publication, the Hong Kong Naturalist, which, like the English Field, contained something of interest to everybody. Unfortunately, practically all copies were lost during the occupation, and complete sets must be exceedingly rare. In the 1930's several articles under, the title of "Legends of the New Territories" were published by Mr. Sung Hok-p'ang (*•• ) who devoted much space to the "walled villages of Kam Tin", The defences, consisting of a brick wall and ditch, are believed to have been erected in the reign of K'ang Hsi (1662-1721) when the new Manchu Dynasty had only a tenuous hold on the southern coast line, as they possessed no navy, and were threatened by the famous pirate Cheng Ch'eng-kung ( .n)(.~), better known as Koxinga (I~t-), who had inherited his father's business, and a formidable fleet. To prevent him effecting a lodgement on the coast the new ruler adopted a scorched-earth policy and withdrew all the inhabitants sixteen miles inland, leaving the fields uncultivated. Interlopers from time to time crept back and annexed unoccupied ground, granting wholly unauthorised squatters' rights to their successors, Land titles consequently were in a state of unutterable confusion when the Territories came under British administration.
