The Semi-weekly leader., 1922-01-07

prepared by the National Geographic So
ciety, Washington. D. C.l
Among all the far flung possessions
of the British Empire, Hong Kong
might be called the gem. Many Brit
ishers look upon it as their local col
ony; and it is indeed city of super.
/ latives. 1t is the pivot Of British COM
merce, naval power and influence In
the Far East. Travellers acclaim its
terraced city the most beautiful In the
Far East; its deep, commodlous har-
Dor is one of the best in the world;
and in the tonnage of shipping entered
and cleared it is outranked-since the
World war reduced Hamburg's i'm
portance-Only by New York. 1t is
the commercial gateway to the vast
era of southern China and the islands
to the south.
On the military side Hong Kong is
stronger than Gibraltar and is the
base of one Of the most powerful fleet
units in existence, the British Asiatic
squadron. Finally it is one Of the
most prosperous communities to be
round either East or West.
Much of Great Britain's pride in
Hong Kong arises from the fact that it
has been built from nothing in just
four score years. In 1889 Hong Kong
was bare granite island, nominally
part of China, but Inhabited only
by few thousand fishermen and
groups of the pirates who made COM
merce off the Chinese coast a thing of
hazard and uncertainty in those days.
When British merchants clashed with
the Chinese in Canton in 1889 and
found it necessary to leave that city,
they retired first to the Portuguese
settlement at Macao, seventy-five miles
down the Canton river, and then COM
pletely off the mainland to the rocky
island of Hong Kong. War followed
this commercial friction, and when
Great Britain emerged as the victor
In 1841 she demanded, and the fol-
lowing year was given, outright title
to Hong Kong.
Despite the common idea, Hong
Kong is not city, but an island. 1t is
eleven miles long and from two to
five miles wide with an area of more
than thirty square miles. The city,
which to the popular mind constitutes
Hong Kong, is officially named Vic
tOria for the queen who ruled in Bri-
tain during it's greatest growth. But
though the name Victoria Is used in
official documents and on some maps,
to most of the islanders the big COM
munity of half a million souls is
merely "the city,"
Victoria and the matchless harbor
are on the inner side of the island,
and as the ship approaches Hong
Kong only the little developed sea-
ward side is seen. In the distance 1t
seems little different, except for its
size, from the bare granite islands
among which it lies. AS the steamer
draws near differences appear; patch
es of verdure are discerned; the line
of highway stands out on the sides
of its towering hills. an occasional
pane of glass reflects fash of light
from among the trees. Yet there is
little hint of the presence of great
city of half a million souls on the far
side of the island
Has Wonderful Harbor.
When the ship has nosed around
the end of the island at the west or
through the narrow passage near the
eastern end, the great harbor and city
come into view. Due to two peninsulas
which extend from the mainland close
to the island and to the indentations
of the shore of the island itself, the
harbor, covering 10 to 10 square miles,
seems landlocked. 1t has the appear
anee of pond set down in vast
irregular granite bowl. In this deep
narbor ALI the worlds navies and
large part of the worlds combined
merchant fleets might be anchored
without undue crowding. And there
In truth on almost any day of the
year may be seen generous samples
of the naval or civil craft of nearly
every maritime nation, while am0ngs
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