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THE FRIEND OF CHINA AND HONGKONG GAZETTE.
THE FRIEND OF CHINA, AND HONG-KONG GAZETTE.
HONG-KONG, THURSDAY, APRIL 13ru, 1841.
fore done) to the expediency of a monthly Steam Communication with England, or rather with Signapore, which would be
tantamount thereto.
Mr Wise of Allonby, has, in an Article which recently appoared in the Colonial The Article which appears in our | Magazine, urged the necessity of this measure very co-gently, Nationally, his columns, on the Product of Precious. Metals, is translated from a late Lima recommendation, to have a line of Steam paper. We much regret the compiler had Vessels from England to China, via Sal not increased the value of his communica-danha Bay, Cape of Good Hope, has tion, by adding thereto the stores of his strong claims on the Honie Government. own knowledge, and recent experience, We must, however, confine ourselves which, we assure him, would have made the within more circumscribed limits, and document more interesting, besides adding would only require that a monthly com- munication, by steam, to and from Singa- to its practical value.
pore, should be established; our compatri- ots there would do the rest, and establisli the communication with Point de Galle and Suez. By this route, we should be brought Metro- within two months distance of the polis.
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of South America; but may mention that the flat- tering accounts of Lord Valentia and Mr. Salt, with regard to the products and commercial pros- pects of such a barbarous country as Abyɛinma, led London merchant to send a large cargo of goods to that anarket, which venture resulted in an almost entire loss.
From the foregoing may be inferred the spirit and extent of mercantile expectation and adven- ture which
stimulated)
imaginative
the highly coloured statementBruce, by descriptions, which have been so widely promul gated with regard to China, and its teeming and industrious millions.
We hold it to be our duty to combat these false
your the memorable instances of commercial infatun- impressions, and by our admonitory reference to tion, we endeavour as far as possible to avert the recurrence of similar calamities...
An Edinburgh Reviewer has well remarked, what we can confirm by our own experience, that "The spirit of romance may walk in the homeliest attire as well as of silk of tissue. Men dream about pounds, shillings, and pence, as well as of feats of chivalry-there are Quixottes.upon'Change as well as in the mountains of La Mancha. Ro-
According to the Mining Journal, the following statement of the produce of the precious metals appears,-In forty years, from 1790, to 1830,-Mexico produced £6,436,453 worth of gold, and £139,817,032 || of silver, Chile, £2,768,488 of gold, and || £1.822,924 of silver. Buenos Ayres, Mr. Wise goes into a lengthened detail, mance is the buoyant spirit of enterprise unchecked £4,024,895, of gold, and £27,182,673 of to prove that, via the Cape, the steam voy-by the realities of life; it can run riot in schemes of I could be per-mercantile aggrandizement, as well as in the vis- silver. Russia, £3,703,743 of gold, and age from England to China, £1,500,971 of silver. Total, 1880 millions formed in sixty days. His intimacy with ions of a higher ambition.”
In connexion with this subject, it would be sterling, or forty-seven millions per annum. the navigation of these seas entitles his opi- curious to publish a list of novel articles now on
Dr. Ure, says the Mines of America nions,
the special wants of the inhabitants of the Célestial Empire. Many very singular items are named; among the most notable are Dutch drops, parasols, Jews harps, and credat Judæus, temperance medals.
have sent into Europe, three and a-half shortesuch respect. He points out the their way from England, sagaciously destined for....
times more gold than those of the ancient Continent. The total quantity of silver, was to that of gold, in the ratio of fifty-five to one; a very different ratio from that which holds really in the value of those two metals, which, in Europe is one to fifteen. Before the discovery of America, the value of gold approached nearer to that of silver, and in Asia, the proportion is held to be only one to eleven, or twelve.
route that can be taken from Eng- land to Saldanha Bay, to be 5,650 miles, which voyage can be made in twenty-six days, at the average rate of speed which the Atlantic ocean steamers perform at pre- about nine miles per hour. From sent say a Saldanha Bay, to Hong-Kong, by the nearest route, is 7,000 miles, which may be performed in thirty-two days, at the same rate.
There is much force in the following
The French frigate Erigone, Command-
from Macao, saluted the British Flag, flying on ant Cecille, on arriving here (the last time) the Island: the battery at the fort of the artillery barracks returned the salute. This is, we believe, the first official acknowledgment bya foreign power of the cession of Hong-Kong to Great Britain. As yet, the American Commodore, we
Major Lowe, in his Dissertation on Pin-observation of Mr Wise with which we are declined to make a similar recoge told, has
·
Hence
We do not the less value the significant courtesy of the steam voyage between England galant and much esteemned French officer in com- and China, tia Saldanha Bay, Cape of Good Hope, mand in these waters, hor do we take umbrage at can be performed in sixty days, allowing two days the different conduct of the American Commo- to take in coal, at the average rate of speed per- dore, who (if we may judge by Lord Aberdeen's forming at present, all the year round, in the reply to the East Indian and China Association, stormy Atlantic Ocean; it is, therefore, only rea-published in our No. 54) has acted strictly correct sonable, that a very considerable higher rate of
in refusing to salute the British Flag on the Island, speed will be obtained on the comparatively VERY
till the ratification of the Treaty had been ex- FINE weather voyage from England to China, via changed and officially communicated. the Cape of Good Hope.”,
ang, remarks, that- the differenee in value compelled to close our remarks of this week. of gold, betwixt the Straits and England, is ordinarily seven per cent., in favour of the former; the market value of pure silver, he adds, may be stated at 124 dollars per
lb." Gold is widely disseminated through t Malay Peninsula, and Eastern Archipelago, but we know of no Silver Mines.
Borneo is most famed for its product of gold, of the amount of which annually, we have no correct data accessible.
the
will hereafter assume important rank; still, until
we obtain more certain
We would advise our friends at home to be Dr. Earle, in his Eastern Seas, says-
very cautious in any experimental Shipments they "the amount of Gold Dust imported at
make to China. We have not the slightest doubt Singapore, from the Western Coast of that many articles both of Import and Export, now Borneo, averages three thousand eight hun-unknown to our co rce with this country dred ounces Troy," which he estimates at about one-tenth the produce of the mines.
It is Chaptal, we think, who states, the annual product of gold in the Indian Archi- pelago at 4,700 kilogrammes, or about one- eighth of the total production, which is calcu- lated to be nearly 36 tons per annum.
and capabilities of the
Jedge of the wants ern Ports, we would counsel the shipment only of those articles which are well known as of ordinary and large consump- tion, and which the very low rates of cost at home cannot but induce an increasing demand in these parts; now that peaceable relations are re- established wholly irrespective of what may is- sue from the probable de bouche Northward for our manufactures.
In saying thus much we would not discounten- ance the attempts introduce new articles: the trade, capacity of the Chin
take which, can only
for musters or be tested by sett terns would be
xity useless in eliciting auything like acc
Gold is known to be produced in many parts of China and Thibet; we much mis- take if it does not hereafter become of im portance as an export. We are told that it is often offered in the but the Shroffs on board, are very reluctant to take it in lieu of silver, at the proportion- ate rate, owing to the fear of its being adulte rated. We have heard of China Gold so taken, having realized at the Calcutta Mint, barely the price of silver.
The gold, when seen here, is of various forms; it is called leaf gold, when about an eighth of an inch thick. This sort is gene- rally esteemed among the best, and gold in the form of Bangles among the worst. gold is not currency in China, it is to be presumed that the Emperor will view with more complacency its oozing out, than he formerly did that of Sycee, Silver.
At a future time, we shall return to this
conclusion,
mental small scale, the 1088
the
in
We ho very grave der from these inflake
- subject, in connection, especially, with the ferrible rather
Empire of China.
rous articles of of shipmar
tiem
er
We published, by request, on the 8th inst an Extra, containing the intended the Post Office regulations, on which, at another time, we shall have occasion to remark. At the present time, we would claim the atten- tion of our readers (as we have often be
country
trade which
to armye at a mic hjerts. Hance What
should
ated for this market
let for Brush known instance of the establishme
ses rema
We regret to hear that several burglaries have of late been commiited, and nocturnal visits from the
om the marauders at Kowloon, have much in- creased of late. More than one landing has been made by an armed body of miscreants, at the POINT, but on the last occasion, without succeeding in obtaining any booty.
From another Correspondent, who signs himself "A Constant Reader," we have received a glowing critique of the theatrical performances. at Koo-lang-800. He says "the House was crowded to excess, and the Company were hon- oured with the attendance of the most of the ladies on the Island, and all the magnates of our little garrison The performnce of Mr Marryat as Galo- chard, in the King's Gardener," elicited unbound- ed applause, and Mr Campbell, as Madame Galo- chard was unanimously admitted to be a per- fect rustic divinity. Mr. Wardop as Lord Potterly,
After piece of the "Unfinished Gentleman," excited much amusement. The length of the following letter, precludes our publishing the com- hon of A Constant Reader" as we ori-
intended.
ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.
KOOLANGSOO.
To the Editor of the Friend of China, and Hong. Kong Gazelle.
MR EDITOR, Allow me, briefly to trespass, and to solicit the favour of a little space in your interesting periodical, for the purpose of recording passing events, as they from time to time, franspire in the pigmy Island of Koolangsoo,
You will perhaps, be at a loss to conjecture what
to rem
well sign the republics conversa
happer
any way calculated to nfined as it is within about two and a half
reasonable supposi
that we have