Great Britain equally beneficial with those now granted to France. Among such concessions, the mercantile community at Hong Kong would certainly give the foremost place to the opening to foreign trade of the affluent of the Chu-kiang, i.e. the Pearl, or Canton river.
I shall not fail to continue to keep Your Lordship informed from time to time, of the progress of events with regard to the above-mentioned questions and to other kindred questions. It will be remembered that while Hongkong is at once the Gibraltar and Malta of England in the Far East, this Colony is also an emporium of immense value; one of the forecast bases of British trade in the entire Empire. Indeed, as the official statistics show, the amount of shipping which already enters the Port of Hongkong is now surpassed only by the amount of shipping which enters the Port of London.
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