HONGKONG
941
tlement. In a despatch dated 6th May, 1839, Captain Elliot wrote to Lord Palmers- :-"The safety of Macao is, in point of fact, an object of secondary moment to the rtuguese Government, but to that of Her Majesty it may be said to be of indispensable acessity, and most particularly at this moment"; and he urged upon his Lordship “the ong necessity of concluding some immediate arrangement with the Government of s Most Faithful Majesty, either for the cession of the Portuguese rights at Macao, of the effectual defence of the place, and its appropriation to British uses by means a subsidiary Convention." Happily for the permanent interests of British trade in lina this suggestion came to nothing, and Great Britain found a much superior
gment at Hongkong.
The unfortunate homicide of a Chinaman during a riot at Hongkong between itish and American seamen and natives precipitated events, and, in view of e measures taken by the Chinese in reference to Macao, Captain Elliot felt that ought no longer to compromise the safety of that settlement by reniaining there. accordingly left for Hongkong on the 24tlı August, 1839, Mrs. Elliot and her ild having previously embarked. It was hoped that his own departure, with the icers of his establishment, might satisfy the Chinese, but it soon became evident that ey intended to expel all the English from Macao. It was accordingly determined that ey should leave, and on the 25th August the exodus took place. The whole of the itish community (with the exception of a few sick left behind in hospital) embarked, d under the convoy of H.M.S. Volage arrived safely at Hongkong. At that time there as, of course, no town, and the community had to reside on board ship. The next easure of the Chinese was to stop supplies of food; the water also was reported to be bisoned, a placard being put up on shore warning Chinese against drinking it. This d to a miniature naval battle in Kowloon Bay. On tlie 4th September Captain Elliot, the cutter Louise, accompanied by the Pearl, a small armed vessel, and the pinnace of e Volage, went to Kowloon, where there were three large men-of-war junks whose resence prevented the regular supplies of food. A written remonstrance was sent off the junk of the commanding mandarin. After six hours of delay and irritating asion a boat was sent on shore to a distant part of the bay with money to purchase pplies, which the party succeeded in doing, and they were on the point of bringing their urchases away when some mandarin runners approached and obliged the natives to ke back their provisions. The English returned with this intelligence, and Captain lliot, greatly provoked, opened fire on the three junks. It was answered with spirit y the junks and a battery on shore. After a fire of almost half-an-hour the English orce hauled off, from the failure of ammunition, for anticipating no serious results they ad not come prepared for them. It was evident, however, Captain Elliot says in his Account of the engagement, that the junks had suffered considerably, and after a delay uf about three-quarters of an hour, they weighed and made sail from under the protection f the battery, with the obvious purpose of making their escape. By this time the English had made cartridges, and they drove the junks back to their former position. Evening was now closing in, and in the morning it was decided, for reasons of policy, ot to renew the attack. A complete relaxation of the interdict against the supply of rovisions followed. Some little time after this event an arrangement for the esumption of the trade was arrived at, and there was a partial return to residence t Macao. The arrangement was of but a few weeks' duration, however, and on the rd November a naval engagement took place off Chuenpee, when the Chinese retired n great distress. The British ships returned to Macao, arriving on the evening of he same day, and arrangements were immediately made for the embarkation of hose of Her Majesty's subjects there who thought it safest to retire, and on the Evening of the 4tli November they arrived at Hongkong.
Captain Elliot considered the anchorage of Hongkong unsafe, as being "exposed to attack from several quarters," and already, on the 26th October, His Excellency had required the removal of the British merchant shipping to Tong-Koo, which he deemed safer. The shipping community did not share this opinion, and on the same day that the notice appeared an address signed by the masters of thirty-six vessels was presented o Captain Elliot requesting that they might be allowed to remain at Hongkong. On the 8th November H. M. Plenipotentiary replied, adhering to his former decision. Thereupon another remonstrance was addressed to him, signed by "twenty firms, the agents for Lloyd's and for eleven insurance offices." Captain Elliot, however, still adhered to his decision, and a few days afterwards the removal to Tong-Koo took place. In 1840 the expedition arrived, and Hongkong became the headquarters of Her Majesty's forces.