"Old Man.
2.
"Re Lamont and Ross, A few years ago a Ross came out here, son of the old Ross. The son is now over 60. He was enquiring here trying to pick up old threads, and found a Chinese boiler-maker who had worked for his father.
"Lamont and Ross split, I am told. Lamont joined in with Jardine's; and Ross with Russell and Co., now Shewan Tomes.
With reference to the name of Ross (see Lamont 21-7-33 and 22-7-33) and its connexion with the early shipbuilding of the Colony, an old file gives further information. In the summer of 1856 reference is made to the launching of the fore-steamer Squirrel from Mr. Ross's shipbuilding yard. The dimensions of this vessel were: length 103 feet, beam 12 feet. She was of 25 horse-power, her engine being "the English-made one found on board a Russian prize at Ayan last year and brought down by H.M.S. Pique."
One of the Colony's oldest industries is shipbuilding (see 21-7-33) and one of the oldest firms connected with the development of the port of Hongkong as a shipbuilding centre is the Hongkong and Whampoa Dock Co., Ltd., known popularly as the Woon Docks. From an interesting brochure issued by the company some years ago, as well as several old records, it is possible to give a fairly comprehensive survey of the founding and subsequent growth of this well-known dock company.
Before Hongkong became a British Colony, there were mud docks at Whampoa in the Canton River. They were owned by Chinese, and the P. and O. Company, not caring to entrust the docking and repairing of their coast steamers to Chinese without European supervision, sent Mr. John Couper (then a carpenter in their service) to Whampoa as their representative to look after interests when their vessels went into dock. Mr. Couper speedily realised the requirements of the shipping trade, and set about a plan of campaign which brought immense prosperity to the Colony. The docking business was a lucrative one, so his first step was to lease the Whampoa Mud Docks from their Chinese owners. Out of his large profits he built the Couper Dock at Whampoa, and was conducting a prosperous business when the "Arrow" lorcha affair brought about war between Great Britain and China, and involved the Whampoa Docks in temporary eclipse.
The Chinese set about the destruction of the Couper Dock, which was built of granite. The stones on some of the side altars were torn asunder and cast down into the bottom of the dock, and the machinery and working plant more or less destroyed by the Chinese troops. Mr. Couper himself was kidnapped, and his fate was never known. Peace and indemnities followed, and Mr. Couper's son was awarded about $120,000 as compensation. The dock was pumped out, and the Chinese who had been so eager to destroy were employed to replace the granite masonry. In about two or three months, all the masonry had been relaid, and the docking establishment was soon under way again.