Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-06-26
MISCELLANEOUS.
HONG KONG.

hoNU.
Since the breaking out Of hostlites in China, the
British possession which bears the sonorous name
Hong Kong has gained great notoriety. lis there
tina, the British keep up colonial form Of govern
Iueut. administer police and issue sucn coastng IL
cens-s "a made the Of quarrel in Canton river
In one OF our foreign journals We find a condensed
description of the geographical pecuafites OF the
place which presents 1t in the most unlnvtng fes
!res |. is an island of about sight miles long, from
two TO four miles bread, and separated from the mail
land by strait varying from three miles 20 half g
a nile in width. 1t is y mountainous ridge, rising
s,eepy TO height of 900 to 500 feet above the leve
OF he sea- and furrowed by gues and ravines There
il little level ground that the houses scattered
about on isolated hills, and it is with difficulty roads
cou;d be made to connect tue struggling town o.
wnich ia called Victoria There is scarcely sign Of
vegetation on the island.
After a heavy rain the soil hes greensh hue, de.
scribed as like decaysd Stlton cheese" The geo.
logical Structure is described to be coarse decom
posad granite. This granite Is rotten, and passing
ike dead animal and vegetable substances into pu
trascect state" This 10 evident from "the noisome
vapor which it yields when the Gun strikes fervidy
on Vt after rain" Ia the town Of Victoria the found
stoas of The houses excavasd in the sides OF the
hills and emit fetid o6or, especially at night These
noYious masnata, with the sterty acd drearness OF
,hs soil. make il extremely undesirable and UNIV hole
some. Morally, it is described as &c convenient re.
equitable for the ofscouIDgs and loose rascaldom OF
sl CErs'erdom
sine the place becaule civilized. having rebed ts
nr,.n.r IA about eight years. Hong Kong has cost
the British government millions of sterling money
stree into their possession. and the result as
ous Of their writers relates, of establishing
G.erDa of the .1aero, ios.hsons in its social fea-
lures, politically useless, and tor al! higher purposes
!a!u-s aud Disgrace"
Tie place serve. no purpose but to shelter and fos
Ter the traffic in opium.
T Sry Z Y wv
During D.. Livingstone descent along the river
2.uhese he came chiefly in contact with the Boon-
do neeroes. On gaining more intimate acquaiu-
.anes with thsr social state traveller special
" struck with prevailing peculiaritythe posi-
;ica. aud even power Of the women. As rule, it
has beef found thai heatheasm deprives woman OF
her rigaiful stntns in society, and dooms hGi to
iruds-ry and d,gradstion lie wac not prepared,
therefore 10 fad amongst this heather and very
perstitious lsuple the relative position Of and
woman reversed. That the woman should Sit 10 the
councils OF the nariop that young man on entering
tn matrimonial state should be compelled to remove
from his village TO that of his wife and in form
~: toe .eation he should bind himself to provide
her mother with frewood long a. the old lady
lived; that the wife alone could divorce the husband.
and hat in the eveut vi ther separation, the chill
den heccine the property OF their mother; and that
the lord Of creation should be unable to enter into
the most ordinary Contract TO perform the sim
p,et srr-:ce for another, without the sanction OF
'ine lady superIor'-were ceftainy indications o.
female supremacy, which II was passing strange to
iai it i, be hoped for the first time and the last
IN ha history Of G.sooveriasl amongst the den-a1s
OF Central Africa. But yet il must be allowed that
.he reciprocity was" not .'only side, for, in
-.nrn for the husbands Difference, his wives are ex.
p.cted To provide him with food Thls. possibly,
may account for the fact which friend states, that
the ladies never lack husband, and that an old
mad lie not TO be found from the Cape to the Equa-
tor
Occasionally, however. there will come hitch In
their domestic arrangements aud while traveller
supplies instance of rebellion the part of the
hU>bands, he shows that conspiracy was not unusual
amongst wives. Ii at any time the former is 80
fortunate to offend the ladies, they resolve to wound
hun in the most tender part-the stomach. Return
iny home. therefore, at the usual hour he calls upon
his 6rst wife and asks TOR dinn-r but she sends him
10 a second whom he loves better;" and she again
t a third until he has the gauntlet through them
AL with the same result. Having nothing left but
10 avenge himself of the wrong, faint and hungry be
Climbs tree in some popuous part Of his village
and proclaims aloud, with piteous intonatons, Lis
t.n o, ii.tSr: bought [ had married women, but
they are only witches. am bachelor. has moi
single wife! Is that right for gentleman like me1"
Eu, the ladies, not always satisfied with showing
.h-r lspleasuro "a the negative form will sometimes
even dare enforce their authority over their hus.
;,u,is wi-h cuffs and blows. This, however, is car
ryng matters little too far aud the public sentimeut
b-ins against suvn conduct, the poor sufferer gets
more substantial revenge; for the authorities OF the
village then interfere. aud his tyrannical wife Is sem
t.Lc-i III. tho assault to carry him upon her back
from the Gotta an enclosed court Of the chiefs pre-
misses TO his own house. tainted, as che goes along
with the sueers and gibes OF men on the one hand;
but sias ON the other, chee-d By the sympathy ant
Uy such eIhorratiOns as " Serves him right,
Give IL to him again." from members Of her own
Geut,e SEX British Banner.