New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-02-20
CHINA.
FIRST VIEW OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
OF TIE TOwN-A CHINESE GAMBLING HE'LL
TRADE OF THE COLONY.

| OF THE TOWN. CHINESE GAMBLING HELL
| TRADE OF THE COLONY.
| IRON OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
| HoNG-KoNG, March, 1s6s.-Hong- Kong, or Victoria
as the city itself is properly called, presents
much more the appearance of European than
Chinese city, The best streets resemble, on some
what inferior SCALE the best streets of London Lv-
erpool Berlin or Vienna. The lower town has some
thing the appearance Of Madeira, and still more of
Quebec, Victoria Peak rising abruptly behind it
| very much as Cape Diamond does behind the Amer-
can Gibraltar. But walk through the city serves
| to dispel this fancy. The streets are much wider
and generally better built, and the business houses
or "hongs" as they are called are much larger and
| more imposing than in the Lower Canadian Capital
You perceive at once that you are in British
Colonial city. Al nationalities seem to be repre-
sented, but the Anglo-Saxon predominates over all
save the Chinese, the majority of whom, however
occupy quarter of the city by themselves. -
| The public buildings of Victoria are rather COM
modous and comfortable than INTELLECTUALLY beau
| tiful. The Protestant and Roman Catholic Cathe-
drals the Central Prison or Jail. the Governors
| House and Garden the new City Hall and Fountain
the English Club the Post-Ofi and Mint the Orr
entail Bank and one or two spacious bongs or bust
ness houses of the leading merchants and steamship
companies afford marked contrast to the small. in
signilcant-looking one and wOsfory tenements OF
the native inhabitants. And all this you assured
has been accomplished in the space of few years
Indeed the growth of Victoria has been scarcely less
| remarkable than that of Melbourne San Francisco.
| or Chicago. The rapidity with which barren rock
has been converted into Of the most important
commercial depos in the East has Deeh so startling
| that few even among Americans are pIep"eo W
credit the fact that in ls40no single foreign
existed on the island Mr. Fortune. VIII" Vsitcu I" III
zee
o,.l;,os az n citv Now it cnnt"i"s poP"iatloh OF
% nno ~ - s,,v are Europeans and Americans
'',, an annual export and import trade valued at
$a0O,OO0.000.
Beside the buildings and institutions which
have briefly enumerated, and which, with the LOFTY
Peak and Happy Valley, constitute the so-called
| Lions of Victoria the city boasts a commodlons
| Supreme Court House, Presbyterian Chapel, and
Mohammodan Mosque; q Chamber of Commerce, ono
English, one German, and two Portuguese Clubs
two extensive printing offices from which Tie China
Mail and Press and a German and Portuguese paper
are daily issued; Founding Hospital, NavyYard
and barracks, and the usual other Government offices
TO be found in British Colonial towns. II possesses
also twelve government schools. At these schools
native Chinese only are taught. In addition 10 these
there are Roman Catholic, private native, Church of
England and London Mission Schools which are all
! we'll attended. The average number OF scholars at
tending them during the year 1850 was nearly 200
There are also well constructed and well conducted
theater and concert room attached to one of the
Portuguese Clubs. and two Masonic Lodges. The
city also possesses two public libraries the larger Is
known rs tho Victoria Library and Reading
Rooms, and the other is attached TO the Portuguese
| Club IN Gough-st These ISLANDERS are not a reading
people, however. or if they arc they conine their
literary studies or pursuits to their quarters FOR
seldom found any one in them, though visited The
| one or the other almost every day.
From my observation in the third story OF the hotel
and in nv desultory walks and wandernRs under the
SPACIOUS colonnade in front, nothing had interested
so much as the Coolie chaT-bearers. Fair weather
foul, ram or Shine, u,sy were stridng hack arh
forth with their heavy burdens standing IN groups
or squattng and taking their accustomed smoke out
| of their little brass-bowled and bamboo-stemmed
pipes and chatting all the while in their unpronouno-
able and unintelligiblc jargon like SO many crows
Sometimes. during very heavy rains, some OF the
private and better class chair Coolies protect them
selves with their umbrellas, but general rule
they dispense with these useful appendices, and
pursue their arduous and often ilrequited calling
bareheaded and barefooted, wonderful examples OF
patient and perseverng industry. My irst visit was
| TO the American Consulate and as this is place
| which ali the chair Coolies in Victoria know had
| no difficulty in reaching il. ] found Mr. Consul
Allan occupying quarters in small house on one OF
the back raised streets, from which good view
Of the lower town can be had. After a short time
spent in conversation about the Consulate and the
growing trade of the port with the United States
parted. / dismissed my Coolies, whom | found
quietly squatted just outside the Consulate door,
| handing each small silver coin known as Hong
| Kong sxpence equal in value to United States ten
cent piece; with which they expressed themselves
most profoundly satisfied. Their service had lasted
one hour, and one dime would have been their legal
fare. The chair is undoubtedly the cheapest me-
dunn of locomotion regulated by law in the world
Indeed throughout China il is cheaper far to he
ried in q chair than TO use ones own limbs and
walk; and there are so many Of these poor but good
| natured fellows always ready and waiting for the
6nqui to step in and be carried that never could
find it in my heart to disappoint them.
"Sir" said Dr. johnson, TO a friend in London
:" let us take walk down Fleetst" The Queens
road is the Fleetst. OF Victoria So reader let us
take a walk down Queen's-road
Starting from the Club, and facing northwsrd, We
at once find ourselves in the heart OF the foreign
trade surrounded by banks steamship and insurance
Offices spacious hongs and wellsocked stores Here
at our elbow is a window, Respondent with Blrnnng
ham and Sheffield plated ware and next TO IT another
filed with the products Of Manchester, Paisley and
Coventry Under the spacious portco OF that build
! ing on the opposite side group OF Cinnamon are
| squatted, each with huge pile Of what appears TO
| be coin before him. Let us watch them monenr.
| These men, in their wide, baggy trousers sleek
| shaven heads, shining countenances, and long
oueues are professional shros." These piles rep
resent thousands Of silver dollars, and these men are
engaged in shroffing' them. Watch how that
shafYt IAN fallo