THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPHI, MONDAY, AUGUST 8, 1988.
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So This Was Old Hongkong!
AN ARID.
BROILING
FETID SPOT
Those who complain of the high
THE approaching centenary of this Colony three years hence seems pecu- cost of living in the Colony will be
liarly appropriate for delving into the half-forgotten history of an earlier day. The occasion is even more fitting on account of the pheno- monal progress accomplished within the period of less than a contury; for within some nine decados this Island which was once described as "an arid, fetid, broiling spot" has been so marvellously transformed that it now ranks as one of the fairest of His Majesty's colonial possessions.
Although Hongkong has been described time and again in either terms of the most cloying praise or of the most vitriolic abuse, scarcely any one has attempted to show "why Hongkong should not be a success," unless it was Mr. Charles Henry Sirr, an English barrister who came out to the Colony in 1844, and left it four years later in disgust preferring, as he was alleged to have bluntly stated, "to rather die a pauper in any other part of the world than to become wealthy and be compelled to leave his bones in Hongkong."
VALLEY OF DEATH
Wonguelchong, or Happy Valley.
Of course. Mr. Sirr was an inexact impressionist, and al- though he departed from here to experience what historians say was certainly a chequered carcer in the Government service in which might with more propriety be In present valled the valley of death, is the Ceylon, he was apparently honest in his convictions.
Hongkong Telegraph day estimates, however, he was sadly lacking in vision. Like must picturesque part of the Island:
MONDAY, August 8, 1938
BRITAIN AIR-RAID
CONSCIOUS
amazed that this was an identical grievance in the first years of settle-
ment. The rent ramp was even then: apparently in existence; for it is re- that day that a "decent dwelling"
corded by more than one resident of
cost. $150 Spanish Currency per month, whilst even a moderate sized one was let at what was then regarded as an * montli "enormous rental" $00 Prices for foodstuffs, however, were
considered especially dear and were in the light of to-day's charges, much more expensive than even now, as
for the most part, If we view them
for instance:
"English bacon, one Rupec to half
a dollar per Ib. Ham, from 15 to 28 per lh.
one Rupee Cheshire cheese,
ta
half a dollar per ib. Dutch cheese, 18/0d to 2s per 1. Butter. 2 per lb.
Mutton, 1a/Bd to 25 per lb.
"ABOMINABLE BEEF"
The beef sold in the markets of to be stated the Colony was
the price was "abominable" and many others who have sojourned in this portion of the East, csendes, which dush down from the arld grey fime-worn rocks, nicander either before or since, Mr. Sirr felt that it was his express duty
nearly as dear as that prevailing in in a pelle stream through the to write a book detailing his impressions, and so accordingly he vathy, and as the waters meet with England. Bread, too, was expensive, published in London in 1849, a two volume work entitled "China resistance in their enurse, from frag- although there were in existence, a and the Chinese: Their Religion, Character, Customs, and ments of rocks which acts as nature's number of bakeries which entered to the local demand. Wines and necumulate. until overflowing the spirits, however, were much cheaper than they were at Home, and writers INAUSPICIOUS BEGINNINGS aud in the harbour of Victoria, within opposing obstacles, they dash down in
a stream of white creamy foam. The of the day rather glorled in the fact; Its description of Hongkong ta sught of our men of war
for in view of the Impalatable water "A rond extends from the east to Chinese cultivate these barren rocks. your that he "sulled for mure
and the lamentable lack of sanitation, the west point, the whole length of carrying up earth to form terraces, the julee of the vine and grain, shores" {༢ especially the harbour, and throughout the manuring and irrigating the artideinl
Manufactures."
dams OT Locken,
accumulate and
it is xarcely con- whole extent many handsome and soil, from which they procured paddy afforded, whether for good or ill, the
020 Lee,
beverage
the exquisite, bright
JT
excellence
of
the
"Animals as well as human beings of from the waters produce fever and cannot endure the insalubrity of Chinese ague, which too frequently terminate Hongkong: horses which are Imported there from India, the Cape of Good Hope, or Australia, are frequently ill, and too often die; and the climate is peculiarly Intai La thoroughbred English dogs.. The only Ilving
By T. PAUL GREGORY
origin or
To those who profess the doc- the trines of the "Prince of Peace" | hospitable the piling up of armaments and interesting
ceivable that our present Bourishing commedious dwellings, Godotons, or the spectacle of two bloody wars
private Colony and its modern metropolis warehouses, and
wharves brilliant green of the growing paddy majority of the foreign community. most beautiful contrast Some of the author's statements, in two hemispheres are far from should have had such innuspicious luve been built by the merchants; presented a
These, together with Government to the aged rocks; pleasing alike to moreover, seem in the light of modern heartening.
store-houses,
barracks, an hospital, the artist or admirer of the hundworks conditions, almost improbable, as for It is apparent that beginnings.
and a club house, all bear honourable of bounteous nature-Alas! sickness example, when he says: every effort in being employed
"Hengkong is one of that cluster of testimony to English perseverence, and death lurk amidst this picturesque to make people more and more
The extreme scenery; for the exhalations arising Islands, called by the Portuguese the industry, and energy
and Western parts "war-minded," and the conse-
Ladrones, or Piratical Islands, and eastern
Victoria are composed ut quences of this extensive propa-
is a barren region, which although ganda may be onerous in the In many parts cultivated with extreme. There is, however, in persevering Industry by the Chinese Inhabitants, scarcely repays the apite of all the constant en-
agriculturalist for his labour,
5 streets and bazaars, where merchan- fatally, and some individuals uttracted creatures which appear to defy the denvour of certain nations to
vegetation will not thrive 171 thia dise and curiosities essentially Chinese by the beauty of the scenery, crected climate, are vermin of all descrip- glorify war as an instrument of
Insalubrious coluntal possession of are to be found, as well as those of some apparently desirable residences, tlons; these thrive, and multiply to manufacture, the successive inhabitants of ench of the ruin and destruction of every national policy, a very encourag the British.' A rocky sterile moun- European
Some few villages are distributed them were seized with fever and died. description of property." ing note in the active prepara-tain rises from the shore, the height over the Island, but Ch'ek-chu, a The goodly dwellings are now all
Nature lovers, too, will he shocked tions being planned and execut- of which is 1,000 to 2,000 feet above military station on the southern side, deserted and falling into decay; doors
to learn that "the cheerful note of ed by Britain to counter-act the the level of the sea, on whose side the is the largest, the population of which and venetian blinds are dropping off
a singing bird, in the full enjoyment hinges, whilst rank dense
of existence, is never heard in Hong- of threatened attack. town of Victoria is built, where houses does not amount to seventeen hun- their
Sal-wan, a smaller village on tropical weeds are springing up in kong, and their tuneful notes, except No longer can she depend upon of every variety of form have sprung dred.
up, with continuous ranges of build- the cast, is also occupied as a military what had been laid out as flower as imprisoned pets, never glad the
withering sonso station and sanitorium for our troops, gardena; the
of the natural boundary of her son-
Ings, interspersed with detached and the native population of which does desolation and death, which flickera girt coast and her powerful fleet, enclosed villas, where lately revelled not amount to five hundred." before the mental vision of the In short, this early resident of the but must anticipate the advent the
Happy Valley, morcover, which is spectator, is overpowering, when he Colony was not only a convinced of an enemy from another quar-poisonous centipede. The Island has now so greatly favoured as a residen- fazes on those tenanfless dwellings, pessimist, but unfortunately, a most in the early days The mind reverts to the occupants pronounced "calamity howler." One ter the air.
Consequently, been held in ill repute by the tial district was mock air raids of such a scale Chinese natlon from time immemorial, of the Colony a far from ideal locality, who arrived in this distant clime full could scarcely conceive his astonish- Inself the splendours of this great then a subject of remark. But let now?-Tenants of the cold grave, as were carried out on Friday as one most unhealthy, and from be- although its natural beauty was even of health and hope. Where are they ment if he were permitted to see for are most opportune; for now ising the resort of pirates, thieves, and Mr. Sirr give his Impressions and where no kindred dust commingles commercial emporium as it is some
dey then let us desperate characters of every
compare that populous with their own, their earthly remains ninety years subsequently from the the time to bring home to the cription; and when falten possession section as it is to-day with what it being devoured, before decomposed, date that he wrote these lines:
by the disgusting land crab," people the lessons of modern or by us, the whole population was was at the time when he saw it: warfare as exemplified by the under
thousand, consisted powerful bomber and its cargo principally of this disreputable class;
menace
Venomous
eight
serpent and
the
of death. It is not enough to and although many have left, still the insecurity of property in Hong- depend upon the despatches from Spain and China to arouse the kong is proverbial, and during acts of piracy occur continually near to, population to consider for itself the necessity of adequate pro- tection if and when hostilities
China will bo enhanced occur. That time will be too late; for in these days when hundred-fold, and in order to with such formidable there is an obvious disintegra-cope
weapons of offence, it is impera- tion of international morality, a: possiblo enemy might not wait tive that adequate measures be
શ
taken, The splendid efforts
for the formalities of declaring that a state of war exists, but being expended by the British would actually send its fleet of Government in order to accom plish this herculean task call for bombing planes to deliver a
the highest praise. What is "knock-out blow" without warn- ing. Those who aver that such moro, the initiation of such prac
tical demonstrations as mock air a contingency is improbable, need only to turn to the "un-raids, black outs," the training declared war" that has been of anti-aircraft gun crews, and raging in the Far East more the like will go a long way to
than a year.
assure that in case of emer- gency, the population will react without fear of panic, and thus
It is an undisputed fact that all wars of the future will be nullify what to the enemy would fought largely in the air. The be the greatest desideratum- prominent part played by the collapse of civilian morale.— bomber squadrone in Spain and T.P.G.
GRIN AND BEAR IT
car."
"We deem it a duty that we owe our fellow man to speak truthfully und plainly of the insalubrity of China (generally, but especially of Hong-
By Lichtyogi for had we but one sincere
"I said 'low bridge' very distinctly, Lady! And now my duty la done!"
friend, who would have told us the honest, truth concerning that charnel house Hongkong, not all the wealth of the East would have lured U13 thither Many who have expended much capital in Improvements upon the Island, endeavour, naturally possibly but assuredly, knowing what they do of the unbealihiiness of the Island, most unfairly, to in- create the number of colonists by mis-representation--hence the local press, under their influence, never reveal one title of the deaths which
uccur.
"If any man, therefore, have a mind to vialt China, from curiosity, let him turn his time and his money to better account. If any man be allured to it by the love of guilh, let him think that health, 13 better than wealth; and it any unfortunate enlisted in either of ́ Her"Majesty's services ̈bo' coin- pelled to come, by duty, just let him have a stout heart and a lively fulti In God's mercy,' which latter may spare him to curso the place, as it has done the writer of these few lines; and it, after his term of service here, he leaves it for Đ moro kospitable shore, after having es- caped fevers and typhoons, he may say and think to himself that verlly Providence has watched over him.'" -Hongkong. Sept. 28, 1040.
1