64
it is
Post. Capt. Sir Thomas Herbert
In forwarding this Correspondence, perhaps it is proper I should explain to Your Lordship, that, previous to my arrival in China, a committee of captains, as per margin, had, with Captain Elliot's sanction and under the direction of Commodore Sir Gordon Bremer, fixed a location on the shore of the Harbour, which has been since carefully reserved, and is known by the name of Navy Bay:
When I was last absent with the Expedition to the Northward, Rear Admiral Sir Thomas Cochrane caused some temporary Stores to be built on the spot Government having assigned to the Navy a piece of ground lying in front of "Government Hill" which I particularly described in my first letter to Lord Saltoun as being in my opinion well suited for the "Place of Parade" of the Colony, and Sir William Parker formally applied to me not long ago to be allowed to retain it permanently as a Navy depôt, but as it is situated in the centre of the City, and as it's being occupied with Naval Stores, Houses, &c., would entirely shut out in the future Public Buildings from view even as far as of the Harbor, and would greatly interfere with the Circulation of fresh air and the other important desiderata alluded to in extract of a letter from the Colonial...