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HONG KONG AND
as compared with a large, fertile, salubrious, healthy, and richly-culti- vated island, yielding abundance of food and produce -- admirably adapted for a commercial entrepôt with Japan, Corea, Mantchouria, Northern and Central China, &c.-commanding the entrance of the great Yang-tze-kiang-contiguous to the richest and most civilized and densely-peopled districts of China-containing a numerous, peaceful, civil, industrious, thriving agricultural population-and most advan- tageously situate at the central part of the coast-line of an empire 2000 miles long.
III.
I am quite sure, to have retained Chusan would have been a heavy expense to Great Britain."-Chusan, if not burthened with an unnecessarily large civil establishment, would defray all its expenses the first year. 100,000 fixed agricultural and trading inhabitants could easily contribute 2s. 6d. per annum, or even 5s. per head-12,000l. to 25,000l. a-year. Hong Kong has not one respectable Chinese inha- bitant, out of 15,000 to 20,000; they are coolies, pedling traders, and thieves. Even with the aid of enormously high land-rents from Europeans, and with an immense Government expenditure for the last four years, at least, for building, it is difficult, if not impossible, to raise 12,000l. or 15,000l. a-year revenue; and of this, the expected rent from building-lots constitutes more than two-thirds. The police and police magistrates' expenses, alone are about 10,000l. a-year, although there is a large garrison, European and native, and a fleet of ships of war in the harbour. At Chusan, the whole police expenses are not 5001. a-year.
The civil cost of Hong Kong alone is about 50,000l. per annum, the military about 150,000%, and the naval about 100,000. On a low computation, this useless rock drains from the British exchequer a quarter of a million sterling, without being of the slightest benefit to England.
IV. "Chusan would have brought Government into constant unplea- sant discussion with the Chinese; for it is needless to deny that, though the people are quite obedient to their own mandarins, yet with strangers they are extremely troublesome."-The advantageous distance of Chusan from the main land removes the possibility of collision with the Chinese Government; whereas Hong Kong, being within one mile of the main land, is better calculated to lead to this apprehended but very remote contingency.
CHUSAN COMPARED.
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The people of China are not obedient to their own mandarins, as is supposed. In Canton and Foochoo the mandarins acknowledge they cannot control the populace; but at Chusan, the inhabitants are attached to our rule, anxious for its continuance, submissive and civil wherever we go-scrupulously honest*. Not a homicide has been committed in the island since it has been in our possession; but very few petty larcenies, and the property generally recovered; not a row, a tumult, or the slightest symptom of discontent or of dissatisfaction. The English residents are much pleased with the inhabitants. At Hong Kong, robberies and piracies are of nightly † occurrence; and after five years' residence on the island, and with the protection of a large police and military and extensive naval force, no European retires to rest without pistols under his pillow or on his toilet table.
R. M. MARTIN,
• The following is an extract from the letter of a traveller in the East, dated October 17, 1844 :-
"I left that pleasant spot (Chusan) with many feelings of regret. As my first abode, there were many pleasing associations connected with it, and I shall always look back to my long residence there as one of the most happy periods of my life. We continued on the best possible terms with the people; no community could be more peaceable than that of Chusan, and nowhere could life and property be more The whole island presents one scene of honest industry, and the happiness of well-requited labour." Times, London, 17th December, 1844.
secure.
+ The Hong Kong newspapers teem with descriptions of robberies almost nightly. To this is now added incendiarism. The following extract from the "Hong Kong Register," is a fair specimen of the daring character of the attacks :—
"About half-past one this (Monday) morning a room in the hospital was broken into, and money and goods to a considerable value carried away. The thieves in this, as in most of the robberies that have occurred, must have been well acquainted with the premises. Mr. Cowan, the assistant, was wakened by the crash of the venetians being wrenched off; after which fire-balls were thrown in to illuminate the room, which was immediately filled with robbers, and stripped of everything portable, after which they made off, without disturbing the adjoining apartments. On making his escape, Mr. Cowan endeavoured in vain to attract the attention of the sentinel stationed at the foot of the hill; and failing in this, gave the alarm at Dr. Anderson's; but so expeditious were the parties, that by this time all trace of them was lost. The watchman at Dr. Hobson's saw about fifty take to a boat on the small piece of beach lying between the two hills.
"The almost nightly occurrence of such events, call loudly for a more efficient system of police. One of the first requisites of a Government is to afford protec- tion to the life and property of the subjects. No lengthened dissertation is required to show how completely, in this latter respect, we are here left unprotected. We should like to know how many Europeans on the island sleep every night without loaded fire-arms either under their pillow or within their immediate reach--and the answer, if obtained, would prove sufficiently the degree of confidence placed in our policemen,"
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