Nanking Treaty. This town is fast springing into importance, and a fifty-foot road (Queen's Road) runs through it for more than three miles to the valley of Wong-nai-chung, when it becomes narrower, and, diverging, crosses over the range of hills by the ravines already described, to Tai-tam Bay, and from thence to Chek-choo (Stanley) on the south side of the island.
"The village of Chek-choo is the largest and most important one on the island; and a large detachment of European troops are stationed there. The population of this village amounts to 800, of which 500 are men, about 100 women, and the rest children. There are 180 houses and shops at this place, and the average value of a house is 400 dollars. The people are employed in trading, in farming, and in curing fish. There are about 60 mows of land under cultivation, which the owners value at $40 a mow of rice ground, and $15 a mow of land for the cultivation of vegetables.
The people of the place cure about 150 piculs of fish a month, for which purpose they use from 30 to 40 piculs of salt, which they buy at one Spanish dollar for five piculs: 350 boats, large and small, traffic with the place, but not more than 30 are owned by the people there; most of their boats are used for fishing in the vicinity, and the fish, when cured, is exchanged at Canton and other places for the necessaries of life.
The houses at Chek-choo are very inferior to those in an ordinary Chinese town on the mainland of China, although on the other hand, some of them are much superior to houses in any of the other villages of Hongkong; but the quality of land cultivation, as well as the quantity, is not equal to that in Heong-kong, (Little Hongkong), Wong-nai-chung, Soo-kun-poo, and Pok-foo-lam, which are places that may be strictly denominated agricultural villages.
"I should estimate the whole land under cultivation on the island at less than 1,500 mows; and about two-thirds of that are under rice cultivation. Allowing, as a liberal price, $45 a mow for the rice-land, and $15 for every other description, the value of the whole land under cultivation may be estimated at $52,500.
"The other villages on the island, besides Chek-choo, are:
"1st. Heong-kong, from whence the island derives its name. (This is worth noting). The village is prettily embowered in trees, and has a good deal of cultivated land about it. Its population does not exceed 200.
"2nd. - Tai-tam is situated at the head of a deep bay, where a good deal of flat land may be reclaimed, and a good boat harbour formed. A few ships may find protection from the weather in particular parts of the Bay of Tai-tam; but, as a whole, this bay is much exposed to both monsoons. The inhabitants of the village do not exceed 50.