1
Review
THE PORT OF HONG KONG
THE need for a port where, in the words of Article III of the Treaty of Nanking, British subjects 'may careen and refit their ships, when required, and keep stores for that purpose' had become increasingly obvious in the years leading up to 1842. As early as 1793 Lord Macartney had attempted to secure either commercial concessions at Canton or an island where the British could reside and, though the Chinese had received him hospitably, he had failed to persuade them to agree to either of his requests. A second attempt by Lord Amherst in 1816 also ended in failure. Tension increased during the eighteen-twenties as the Chinese became progressively more alarmed about the financial and moral con- sequences of the opium trade, and it was their embargo against this trade in 1839 which led to hostilities and the Treaty of Nanking.
For more than 18 months before the signing of the Treaty, how- ever, the British had established themselves on Hong Kong Island, having taken possession under the Convention of Chuenpi which was agreed between the British and Chinese plenipotentiaries, Captain Charles Elliot, RN, and! Commissioner Keshen, in January 1841 but subsequently rejected by both governments. The impor- tance which Captain Elliot attached to the port, as opposed to the settlement, is indicated by the fact that he appointed the first harbour master and marine magistrate within five months of raising the British flag. He was Lieutenant William Pedder, RN, who had been the navigator of the 660-ton paddle steamer Nemesis, the first iron-built ship to round the Cape of Good Hope. His assistant, Mr A. Lena, has been described as 'an Italian gentle- man who had spent many years in the English merchant service'. As far as can be learnt from sketches the first harbour office and marine court, probably a matshed, was sited on the waterfront