After occupying the New Territories, a survey of the area was conducted, using staff from the Indian Survey of the army. This mapped every field and house, and took some 3 years to complete (1899 - 1902). These plots of land were classified into Demarcation Districts or Survey Districts and numbered in sequence. A Land Court was also set up in 1899 to confirm land ownership and adjudicate disputes. The findings were summarized in schedules and were attached to a Block Crown Lease issued for each Demarcation District/Survey District in 1905.
