I have every reason to believe that what the Merchants require ground for is for storage of rough goods, of cargoes which require to be temporarily landed when ships are damaged, and so forth.
The business of the Mercantile Community will without doubt continue to be transacted as it would in Hongkong; it would be highly inconvenient to have parts across the water.
Again, I find that Her Majesty's Government are at this moment, when the War pressure is removed, paying about £6000 per annum rent for buildings to hold Military stores.
One great nuisance in Hongkong is caused by the great number of Chinese there, who are people of the worst and lowest description in China; if possible, worse than Cantonese.
From this it results that there are more...