The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-12
HONG KONG AND IT'S ENVIRONs.
Its Beautiful Public Gardens and
Chinese shops.

Hong Kong Letter in Baltimore Sun.
The settlement of Hong Kong was COM
menced in May 1S41. The following
month Hong Kong was declared a free
port, and before the close of the same
year the population had increased to 1900.
But John Bull did not have smooth sail
ing for some years. The Chinese emperor
severely censured the imperial commits
sioner for the cession of Hong Kong, and
war broke out afresh. 1t was not until
after the treaty of Marking in 1912 that it
was definitely settled that the island
should be a British colony, and the char
ter bears the date of April 5, 1913. But dur
ing the coming years the trend of affairs
proved repeatedly that one John yielded
to the other John simply because the one
John was weaker than the other John.
Here as in so many other places where
she has planted her foot, the other John"
acted on the principle that might makes
right"-especially has this been her motto
when she has been in the heavenly bus
mess of introducing the opium trade-fit
harbinger, indeed, to English Christian
In october of 1856 some Chinese sailors
serving on the British lorcha Arrow were
taken from the the vessel by the native
authorities, which led to the lombard
ment and capture of the city of Canton
and the cession of the peninsula of Kow-
loong and the payment of an indemnity
of S,O00,000 taels by the Chinese govern
ment to England. Although ] am told by
the English at Hong Kong that the col
ony is now firmly established, i have it
from the best authority that il is viewed
with hatred and suspicion on the part of
the native mandarins, and the repeated
riots and the wholesale attempt to poison
the entire European community by means
of the bread supplied by a Hong Kong
baker, which occurred some years since,
prove that the situation is not altogether
lovely.
The island, lying off the coast of the
Kwang-tung province, at the mouth of the
oh ut.
the city of Canton, consists of a rugged
mountain ridge, running from east to west
broken into several peaks, the largest of
which attain an altitude of over 1890 feet.
Its greatest length is about eleven miles
with a breadth of from two to four miles
and circumference of about twenty-sev-
en- miles. The word Hong Kong means
fragrant streams and long before the
arrival of the English it was customary
for Chinese vessels to get their water sup
ply from the sparkling springs that abound
throughout the island AS you approach
the city from the harbor you are remind
ed of Naples. The situation is truly a
magnificent one.
Most of the houses near the beach are
/ large and handsome structures built of
| granite and well calculated to withstand
/ the force of the typhoons, which have done
much damage in the past. Broad roads
lined with trees, wind up the hillside from
! terrace to terrace. The private residences
/ are situated principally upon the hills, ris-
4 ing tier upon tier TO the hight of several
1 hundred feet above the sea level and the
| tropical plants and flowers, give the land
scape a charming effect from the sea-
| The public gardens are said not 10 be ex-
| celled by those of any other British col
/ ony, and not only are they admirably laid
/ out and managed, seemingly, with scienti-
! tic skill, but they boast a number of rare
| trees and plants. The palm beds the Aus
| tralian ferns, the Norfolk island pines and
| the ornamental hedge formed of the aloe
| attract at once the attention of the visitor
The most enjoyable excursion on the ISL
and is q trip to Victoria peak. This is
reached by an elevated tramway, which is
/ a work OF great engineering skill, and
from its hight which is 1880 feet above
/ the water, your vision sweeps the full
! circumference of the island, the hiIl-lock-
! ed harbor dotted with every variety ar
| craft, from the ocean steamer and war
i ship to the slipper boat and sampan; ana
| far into the distance on the mainland
! can be seen numerous native villages, built
| down to the waters edge; and still fur
| Their away, with the aid of your glass
| you can count score of islands, washed
! by the blue waters of the bay.
! on the Chinese streets here, as else
/ where, one IS hewildered by the countless
/ numbers Of curioS, for John Chinamam
has studied the whim and fancies of the
outer barbarian" and goods are on ex-
hibiuon to suit every taste. In a walk Of
Two nlocks you see elegant embroideries
on silk and satin; deicately carved ivory
tans, rnaments, chess men and vases
/ walking sticks Of ebony horn, ivory ana
| bamboo, with embossed silver knobs
falry-like bouquet holders and any vari-
! ETY. Of nligree work; goblets. card cases.
AlhSA beShSlSs incense burners and BAN
giles, earrings, scarf-pins and finger rings
OF intricate workmanship; sandal wood
/ boxes, carved most artistically and Gu
4 rlously cut horns of the rhinoceros and
! water buffalo and iniaid ornaments made
! from the large bony beak of the toucan
Some of the work of the Chinese in silver
/ Is exquisite. A chased and embossed SAL
| yer is very attractive, as the design il
| often wonderfully fine and minute in de-
tail Every little figure has its own pecE-
liar expression. The tiles on the roofs OF
the houses and tiny temples are distin-
gulshable one from the other, and eUen
the construction OF the liliputian bridges
Is plainly sibile. As skilled labor is
cheap in China, these fine pieces OF work
manship can be obtained for amounts only
very little larger than the actual cost or
the silver itself.
The hligree work is made somewhat diff
/ Ierenty from that in southern Furone
The silver framework is first cut out.
and gold leaf and mercury are mixed ia.
gether until they form a paste. The
! frame is then warmed and the arnalran
rubbed in, after which il Is made 0ufte
/ hot 20 drive Off the mercury. and me
gliding IS finished. The fligree Is made
/ OF silver Wire, extremely fine In text
! ure. and designs Of every description are