The history of the newspapers in the Colony is an interesting one, and Hong Kong had its regular periodicals within a few years of being founded. In looking up files and records of the early Forties, or of the "formative" years of British contact with China before then, recourse has to be made to books and pamphlets, as well as old documents remaining to us to-day. A valuable book that has already been mentioned in these notes is W.C. Hunter's "The 'Fan Kwaè' at Canton" which was published in 1882 by Kegan, Paul and Co. In this, reference is made to a still earlier record, probably the first British "newspaper" to be produced in the Far East which was named the Canton Register. Its value as a record to-day can well be imagined, for it first appeared one hundred and six years ago. Hunter gives the following note on this old periodical, and it will be seen that the associations with certain personalities of that period make the Register a Journal of unusual interest:
"The first foreign newspaper published at Canton was in 1827; it was called the 'Canton Register' and was printed on a small hand press lent for the purpose by Mr. Alexander Matheson, of the then house of Magniac Co. (subsequently Messrs. Jardine Matheson & Co).
"The size was but little more than that of a large sheet of foolscap. The Editor, who himself was the first compositor, was a young American named Wood of Philadelphia, and son of the celebrated tragedian. Afterwards having ceased to be connected with the 'Register,' he entered the office of Messrs. Russell & Co. about the same time with young Irving, a nephew of Washington Irving."
One of the most interesting publications in the Colony is the Government Gazette. Few members of the general public read it, and most of us are content with absorbing such extracts, relating to appointments and so forth, that the local newspapers choose to republish. Yet it remains the official means of communication between the Government and the people, and has been so for a good many years. The Gazette has a long history - going back to the earliest years of the Colony and a somewhat chequered career. On looking up the records, we find that this organ (or more correctly its forerunner) was published originally in Macao; later it went practically out of existence as a separate issue, and notifications appeared in first one and then, for a good many years, in another of the local newspapers; and only in 1853, a Chinese edition was also inaugurated, and was published for some years, though it seems that the translations were not always happily made: but of that more anon.
Taking the original Government notifications as being official gazettes, and thus the parents of the later periodical organ, we find that as early as the spring of 1841, shortly after Hong Kong was founded, publication commenced at Macao of such proclamations as the authorities desired to issue. The reason for Macao being the centre of publication is probably easily enough explained by the fact that this was immediately prior to the cession of Hong Kong the place of residence of the British officials and merchants who had left Canton, and no doubt such amenities as printing presses had not made their appearance in Hong Kong during the early months of the Colony's existence. I take the following reference from an earlier comment on the subject: