MILITARY
(Contd.)
In the world of sport, we might note that the officers were an exceptionally fine lot of polo players winning the local polo tournament every time they participated, and also went north and beat Shanghai. They won many trophies on the race course as well, including the Hong Kong Derby in 1901.
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I am indebted to the present Adjutant of the 2nd Battalion for the loan of regimental records, which have enabled me to give many of these details of the battalion's previous connection with Hong Kong.
V
We have seen that Murray Barracks, which were constructed during 1844, were named after General Sir George Murray (vide 16-11-34). It is interesting to find that, owing to the unhealthiness of the Colony in its early years when malaria, the cause of which was then unidentified, decimated the garrison these newly erected barracks came in for considerable criticism: while an unkind reference was made to General Murray (who died in 1846). There was also an interesting mention of the 59th Foot who are now the 2nd Bn. East Lancashire Regiment, and are back in Hong Kong to-day.
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I take the following extract from the Friend of China and Hong Kong Gazette of June 26, 1850.
"There is a considerable degree of sickness in the garrison, during the past week or ten days several of the Soldiers have died, and upwards of 100 of the 59th have been in the Hospital at one time. The prevailing disease is fever, in most cases not of a violent type, but latterly, we regret to hear, that it much resembles the fever of past years and has carried off several of its victims in a short time. Civilians are tolerably healthy; the deaths which have occurred among them are old cases, invalids with impaired constitutions. We will not attempt to account for the mortality among the Soldiers almost every summer.
"Our opinion of the site chosen for the much lauded 'Murray Barracks' was recorded before the walls were many feet high, and procured for us an abundance of ill feeling from the military Chiefs who then were in power; but the experience of six summers affords a painful testimony to the correctness of that opinion. We have read many learned dissertations upon the subject, but there is one fact which in the estimation of nearly every man of common sense is a true fact, and that is, Had the 'model Barracks' been built on either of the ridges which form their eastern and western boundaries where they would have escaped the influences of a pestilential swamp in the rear the inhabitants should have enjoyed better health, at all events they would have slept in a purer atmosphere, However, apart from mere habitation; there are many causes for sickness among the troops exposure on guard, inability to obtain many comforts essential to health in this climate, and, in some degree, the too common recklessness of the military character are all prolific of disease.
With regard to the 'Murray Barracks,' if they are built in an unhealthy place as many agree with us in thinking the sooner they are abandoned and new quarters provided for the troops the better. The military papers in London, to flatter the vanity of a vain old man, were induced to speak highly of these buildings, but even a military Editor is open to conviction."
Strong criticism of Murray Barracks was contained in the Friend of China and Hong Kong Gazette, one of the earliest newspapers published here, but long since defunct. In yesterday's article I gave an extract from that paper, dated June 26, 1850, which condemned the site of these barracks and referred to the epidemics of fever which took such heavy toll of the garrison in those