Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-08-28
VIEW or HONC-KONC.
Virtually nm English Colony situated on
Chinese Island.
Xori. r.rll,.nnA

(New York Tribune)
may kill Hong-kong as a great mart OF
commerce its history Is interesting
Hong Kong. or az 1t Is properly spelled
in Chinese, Hiag Kiang. which means the
place of sweet streams is the most I'm
portant British possession on the eastern
coast Of Asia. IL Is an island situated
off the southeast coast Of China, on the
east side OF the estuary of the Canton
river. IL is thirty-eight miles east OF
Macao, and seventy-fiye miles southeast |
OF Canton. IL is one OF a small cluster OF |
Islands called the LadrOnes. and came INTO |
the possession of the British In ls4l. IL
is now Il regular British colony. AZ - |
the prize that England gained from hsr |
war with the Chinese. known az the opium
war, and is one of Immense Importance |
TO her from a military and commercial |
standpoint
Tie town is situated at the northwest |
extremity Of the island, ana the Euro |
pean portion Is laid out In me, wlde |
streets and terraces, rising up 10 the |
mountains, which tower above the mar
Dor The harbOr Is a most excellent one |
with deep water everywhere, ana Is cap |
able OF sheltering large fleets. The whole |
island * mountainous The Chinese por- |
ton OF Hong Kong il. and always has |
been i'm a most filthy condition, while !
the English have devoted themselves TO |
the sanitation OF THEW own part OF the |
city They have made only spasmodic at |
tempts to put the Chinese quarter IN a |
condition in which 1t would not breed |
pestilence. The Chinese town has been |
for years-in fact, always since 1t was |
a hot IL Tod a n
gerous plague spot. 1t is from this Chinese
quarter thar the plague first sprang. and
from It IL now seems to have swept over
the European town.
TO BE CLEAN.
In nearly every country upon which
England has placed her hand she has I'M
mediately gone to work TO force the ma
tives to be moderately clean, and TO inn
prove the sanitary condition OF the ma
tive quarters. whether the natives liked II
or not Such an attempt could not nave
been made in Hong Kong, or. " II was
made the Chinese were found such din
cult subjects TO deal with in that respect
that the British gave IL up
The city OF Hong Kong IS officially
known as Victoria. and. including the
Chinese town. extends for three miles
along the harbor The English portion
is lighted with gas and supplied with |
water from the reservoir in the noun |
tains. There are public gardens and "A
massive sea wall along which the main |
thoroughfare runs. Before thu English |
settled Hong King il had acquired the |
name OF an extremely unhealthy place. |
OF late years, however. it has been found |
that mortality is high only In certain |
seasons of the year. There Is certain
peculiar malaria in Hong Kong, which |
according to some authorities, Is thrown
of from the decomposed rocks that have
been baked b. a strong sun during the
day. The change nom the heat and rain
in the summer 10 the temperature Of the
cool season produces for some reason a
peculiar form Of kidney disease.
The southern coast or the island or
Hong Kong IS deeply ndented with bays,
There are two bold peninsuars extend
ing for several miles into the sea, ana
forming two capaciouS natural harbors-
| a deep-water bay, on which Is The VII
lage of Stanley TO the east and Titan
bay, which has safe well-protectel
| entrance 10 the depth Of sixteen fathoms.
Aberdeen harbor 10 another good an
chorage in which there is a large craving
| dock. Opposite this part OF the coast
but nearly two miles distant. rises the
| largest of the surrounding Islands, the
| I.amma. whose mountain peak rises 70
height Of lilo feet, and Is d landmark
for local navigation.
4 WATERING PLACE.
The town OF Victoria is on Victoria
bay directly across the island from
| Aberdeen bay. The town, standing on
| the south side Of the island, IS II water
| ing place for the Hong-K Kong people. All
| along the high shores OF the island coast
| are scattered numerous pretty villas
| which have been built by English resi-
| dents for their summer homes. From the
sea. and especially from Victoria bay,
| the general aspect OF Hong Kong IS one
| OF great beauty. While IL Is rugged IN
outline. there IS a certain softness about
| the landscape which reminds one Of the
| Italian coast about Amalh. Most Of the
mountains and hills have been SO bare
| OF recent years that there has been an
| effort made to plant trees in the English
| plantations on the hills. In looking a t
| the island from the sea, the course OF
the numerous streams down the noun
tains can be traced by the Struggling
brushwood and rank herbage which
grows along their borders in profusion.
The loftest point in the island is Vic
torla Peak which rises 10 a height of
l,s25 feet This mountain ii just south
west of the capital. The land has been
placed under cultivation more and more
| each year and rice, sweet-potatoes. and
yans are raised in abundance. The man
go pear and orange grow wild. and many
other fruits have been introduced by the
English. There are large quarrles Of
buildng-stone OH the island but they are
worked mostly by Chinese labor, and are
a source OF considerable income. In win
ter Il is sometimes cold enough 10 freeze
water i'm Hong Kong. The summers are
exceedingly hot. and are accompanied
with frequent rains. The summer lasts
| from May TO October. Hong-koug is the
| great centre Of the British Chinese trade
| and in the harbor OF Victoria there can
always be seen at anchor vessels Of every
mercantile nation In the world.
The colony OF Hong Kong not only com
prises the island OF ong-Kong. but the
opposite peninsula OF kOwloon, a part OF
| the mainland Of China. which WAS ceded
| to Great Britain by a treaty entered into
| In 1861 The last census OF Hong Kong
was taken in 1891 and gave population
| of 22i, Al OF which only sos were white.
of the colored population. 1901 were In
| dams. and 2l0,S5 Chinese. one third OF
| the Chinese were British subjects By
| birth. Of the resident white population.
| exclusive OF the military, police. and
| naval establishments, almost one half are
| Portuguese by origin. and only one third
are English or English descent. There
| is a constant flow OF emigration passing
| through Hong-Kong. The British Cow
| ment keeps a garrison Of about 2sJ0 men
constantly there. and there is also yo-
lunteer artillery corps OF small size. Hong
Kong is the headquarters OF the China
| squadron OF England. and there are usu-
! ally several war-vessels present In the
| harbor OF Victoria. Usually, the British
| China squadron consists OF twenty yes
| sells.
OTHER STATISTICS.
| In 1892 4.4ge vessels, of an aggregate
| tonnage OF 5.l66.93S tons, entered In ports
at Hong Kong Besides these, 22,1J5 junks,
of an aggregate tonnage OF l.6O6Z5l tons.
arrived. Great Britain sent 10 Hons-k KONG
in 1882 goods to the value OF n1ss,N2
Germany, the United States. France,
Spain. and Italy also have extensive com
mercial relations with Hong Kong. Great
| Britain absorbs about one half the total
imports and exports. There being no Gus
tom-house, there are no official returns OF
imports and exports OF the colony, and
the foregoing figures are only mercantile
| estimates. Hong Kong is the centre OF