The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-11-28
GAAGntetEias1resr.
LETTER FROM CHINA.


situated about thirty miles from the main
land OF China, is about q four DAYS steam
journey from Shanghai. The island geo
graphically is one OF the Ladrone group
and is not great distance from the moutl
Of the Canton river Il is on the 22nC
parallel Of north latitude, and the 1l4th o
east Longitude II Is about ten miles II
length and five in breadth, and contains
somewhere about twenty.ninc square
miles, 1t was formally coded TO Greal
Britain in they 1912.
The settlement OF Victoria Is situated OF
the the north side oil the island. Like al
English laid out towns, it Is very irregu
larly built, the streets starting from any
where and taking no particular direction
aud this irrcgularity Is much increased
from the TACT oil the island being extreme.
ly billy, and the most undulating portion
Of the island seems to have been selected
for the site Of the town, LOcomotiOn in
wheeled vehicles Is therefore somewhat
circumscribed, especially in the eastern
part of the city, where you meet flights Of
steps In the streets about every hundred
yards, Consequently in exploring Hong
Kong ono has to walk or use sedan
chair, and ! cannot say that the latter is
at all disagreCable. The chair consists OF
u cane seat supported on bamboo poles Of
about ten feet in length. Tho seat is
covered over, and at the sides there are
movable blinds enabling one to see oil
round. Ordinarily two Coolies, one on
either end bear tho burthen, but some.
times there ore three and even four. The
motion Is extremely easy and rapid-Rs
you can travel at the rate of three miles
day in one OF these chairs and for q very
small price. In fact II Is one of the easiest
and most Inexpensive mode Of travelling
that have ever met with.
The foreign population Of Hong. Kong
numbers about 800, and the native about
10000, 1t Is governed by a Governor and
Council, and rs matter of course there
Is the usual Ministry, consisting Of Post.
master General, an Attorney General,
Secretaries, Sc, In fact n regular vice.
regal establishment The Governor, Sir
Richard e. Mcdonnell, Is at present alb.
sent from his post in England, and have
heard that he Is TO removed TO make way
for Sir Harry Parks, also in England at
the present time, and who has Just left
Japan where he has resided for the last
five years as Minister.
The buildings in the foreign portion OF
the town-ViCtoria Is the name-are very
substantial, and, in some cases, even hand
some and imposing. A great many of
them are built Of granite, which Is quar-.
ried In large quantities on the island,
or Of brick, which arc also made
hero The brick differs from any l
ever saw before, being very heavy and Of
dark blush color. Tho houses arc built
on rather large scale, tho rooms being
very high and wide, which seems to be
necessary for comfort In this rather warm
climate. EN. N'| ".t
Tho Chinese portion of the town does
not present tho same handsome and sub.
stanlial appearance. Although many Of
the houses are OF brick, they arc mostly
built Of bamboo frame work covered
with plaster. Many families live In one
house, and they swarm in larger numbers
than do the poor people of the tenement
houses Of New York and other large cities.
During tho day the streets of Hong.
Kong are very lively and interesting.
Standing ON the pOrtiCO Of the
hotel, ono witnesses perfect pAnOra.
ma constantly passng-represenNtives
Of every cline and Of every nation, and
VI every mode of dress. Here Is the
swarlhy negro and Sepoy, the rather gro.
tesQuely dressed ParsCe and Turk, Malay,
Japs Indians and Europeans OF every
country OF that continent. The Parsees
are quite q considerable and important
element of the population. Many Of them
are extremely wealthy, and conduct
large portion Of the business Of tho colo.
ny. AS n rule, they are rather handsome,
though of dark complexion. But they ere
wonderful in names. How are Rubbabhoy,
SullabhOy, llubbabhoy, or Cumsutjee,
Jimsitsec, Tor namesY They are follow.
ers olTuroash-or flre.worshippers.
Tho climate Of Hong. Hong Is not pleas.
ant at this time. of Year-for l am no
friend to 05 degrees In the shade. They
haye no winters here. II the thermome.
ter ever indicates sixty degrees II Is con-
sidered cold. The Island ID well supplied
with water. 1t runs down In perfect tor.
rents along the hill sides, whence II Is led
into large tanks by means D! several stone
aqueducts, which everywhere intersect
the Island. The water is carried from
tho tanks In buckets, by Coolies. II Is
cool and pleasant and soft.
Of course no one leaves Hong. Kong
without visiting CantOn-the principal
city Of Southern China, and memorable
for the very important part she has played
In the conflicts between the Chinese and
the outside barBarians. II has been
twice captured and loosed (plundereO
by fOreigners-Once by the English In
1S4l, and by the French and English TO.
gether In 1900, think.
Canton Is situated on the river Of the
same name, about fifty miles from its
mouth, covers an area Of about eighteen
SQUARE miles, and contains n population
OF about /, 800 900 souls. A line ofsteam.
boatsplys bstween Hong. Kong,end Can:
ton, a boat leaving each place daily, and
the trip takes from six to seven hours.
The Canton river Is rather wide one,
and for few miles from It's mouth one
would think that he was travelling the
Mississippi, the banks being low and COY.
cred with thick growth OF rather stunted
bushes. But this appearance soon changes
as the river courses through valley
walled on either side by ranges OF very
high hills.
Al the mouth Of The river and at inter.
walls as far al Canton, there are quite ok.
pensive Notifications. They look as II
they had been well built, but during the
last war they received some pretty hard
knocks from the guns ofthe British fldet,
and they have never been repaired since.
Half way TO Canton Is the port Of Whathp.
on, where there are Someayery fine docks,
and where all the foreign ship repairing Is
done. tii.II
On arriving Of Canton one finds as busy
and throngi6g a crowd as Is 70 be met
with anywhere, but the most striking fea.
ture Is the large number Of small Chinese
boats that seem 10 be in imminent peril OF
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