His death was reported on page 7 of The Hong Kong Telegraph, 1934-08-29:
OLD RESIDENT'S DEATH
MR. JAMES DALZIEL PASSES AWAY
OVER 40 YEARS IN HONGKONG
It is with deep regret that we have to announce the death, which occurred in Dumfrieshire on Sunday, of Mr. James Dalziel, who was one of the oldest residents of the Colony.
His connection with Hongkong dated back to 1891, forty-three years ago, and he had a long store of reminiscences about life in the Colony in the nineties and the early part of the present century.
The news will come as a great shock to a wide circle of friends, for he left with his family for a holiday in Scotland in March in good health and had intended returning at the end of this year. The late Mr. Dalziel first saw Hongkong when he joined the staff of Messrs. Butterfield and Swire in 1891 and was for many years chief engineer on many vessels registered of the company trading up and down the China Coast.
In 1907 he left the sea and joined the staff of the Taikoo Sugar Refinery Company, later building the house known as "Seven Sisters” in the Quarry Bay District. On his retirement from the Refinery in 1924, he built a house "East Tinwall" in Dumfrieshire.
Mr. Dalziel has written many books, the best perhaps being “High Life in the Far East” and “The First Watch". He was a member of the Authors' Club. He also dabbled in economics and another of his publication was a treatise on silver and the Hongkong dollar, published at the time of the stabilisation controversy.
He was also a member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and the Institution of Marine Engineers.
A keen yachtsman he was a member of the R. H. K. Yacht Club and at one time owned the yachts “Lady Godiva" “Lady Joan" and "Plover". During his last stay in the Colony he owned the motor yacht, "Lady Luck."
During the Great War Mr. Dalziel was an enthusiastic volunteer and proved himself to be a crack shot.
He leaves a widow, one daughter, Miss Jean Dalziel, who for some years was Hon. Secretary of the H. K. Ladies' Hockey Club (both of whom are now at home) and a son, Gray Dalziel, who is a member of the staff of the Dairy Farm. The deepest sympathy will be felt with them in their bereavement.