96
Sun Shing had clusters of lanterns hanging in the arches, and the Medical Hall had strings of lanterns. The Pacific Mail Company's office was tastefully decorated with rows of lanterns, with the American flag and the Union Jack floating at each end, and small flags of the two nations crossed in the centre. Crossing over the street and proceeding eastwards, passing the Victoria Hotel, already described, we come to Messrs. Turner and Co.'s hong, where there was a pretty arrangement of Chinese lanterns. The China Fire Insurance Company had banners hanging from each window, and "God bless our Queen" worked in small oil lamps in front of the verandah. Acbee's furniture store had small coloured oil lamps along the balustrading of the verandah, and strings of Japanese lanterns. Messrs. Framjee Hormusjee & Co. had large clusters of coloured lamps hanging in each of the verandah arches, five on each floor, with stars of small coloured oil lamps on the pillars of the upper floor with spear heads of the same description of lamps on the end pillars, the whole forming a very beautiful display. Rose and Co. had a row of lanterns in front and Messrs. Wotton and Deacon a double row. Messrs. Lane, Crawford and Co.'s premises were tastefully decorated with two "V. Rs." worked in flowers on the top of the porch, lanterns hanging in the porchway underneath, and clusters of lamps on the pediments.
Westward of Pottinger-street one of the most striking illuminations was that of the Stag Hotel, which had a gilt framed oil painting of Her Majesty, with lamps round the arches of the verandahs of all four storeys, and a good display of lanterns on the side of the house. The Man On Insurance Co. also had an effective display, a large number of lanterns being used, many of them of unusual patterns. The Ko Shing Theatre had a "V. R." in glass transparency over the door and the year "1887." Lai Hing and Co. had a gaudy illumination, "1887" in the middle with the "V" on one side and "R" on the other. Other houses illuminated were The Land We Live In tavern, the Rose, Shamrock, and Thistle, the London Hotel, W. Peterson's boarding house, the German Tavern, and the Grand Hotel. The Fire Brigade Station had on the front face of the tower a design in small oil lamps - "1837-1887" in the middle, with the "V" and "R" on the right and left respectively. The Queen's-road side of the building had coloured lanterns. On Chinese establishments which had lit up we read the names of Ses Woo, tailor, Wang Hing, jeweller, Wing Hing, dealer in porcelain, Yu Chong, also dealer in porcelain, Tang Cheong, tailor, Kum Kee, Chinese shipping agent, E. Sing, printer, Fuk On, "Agent in Sailors and Fireman," Yip Sang, dealer in curios, Woo Choong, compradore, Hung Shing, curio dealer, King Wo Shing, Him Wo, Ah Nam, tailor, Yee On, tailor, Yen Sing, curio dealer, Nam Hing Loong, compradore, Achan, photographer, Nam Shing, tailor, Yong Heng, dealer in Chinese goods, Aping, tailor, Ahing, tailor, Song Yuen, photographer, Sun Shing, curio dealer, whose show was considerably above the average; Wah Loong, dealer in Chinese goods, who also made a good show; Fung Hing, tailor, Teen Seng, printer, Seng Yuen, portrait painter, and Sam Hing Street, who had quite a brilliant display. Our enumeration, however, gives the names of only a small fraction of those who took part in the illumination and includes none of the large native hongs who have not their name in English on their signboard. The Chinese participation in the illumination as regards shops and houses, was very general, and in almost every street the Kai fong had done something in the way of erecting arches or sheds for the numerous entertainments and exhibitions of marionettes.
Going up Ice House Street, we noticed a square of white lanterns at the top of the Ice House, and at Afong's studio lanterns in clusters. Both Messrs. Gibb, Livingston and Co.'s and Messrs. Carlowitz and Co.'s hongs were brilliantly illuminated with rows of lanterns, and looking down Duddell-street steps the illuminations of the same houses on their other side were seen, as were the lanterns which lighted up the front of Messrs. Reiss & Co.'s premises. A fine gas illumination at Messrs. Noronha and Co's, in Zetland street, also showed up well from this neighbourhood. The design was "Q. V., star, R. I." with the figures "50" beneath. The Masonic Hall had the square and compasses on its northern face, and the Masonic Club a similar design in red and white framed in blue lamps on the north, and on the south side the monogram V. R. in red lanterns above the entrance. Going along Albert-road the Public Offices were found in darkness, but the top of St. John's Cathedral tower was illuminated with blue lanterns and formed a conspicuous object from many points of view. St. John's Place was almost covered with lanterns, chiefly white and red, which had a most effective appearance standing out from the surrounding darkness from the few points from which they were visible.
Government House had on its northern face the motto "Domine salvam fac Reginam," illuminated by gas in globes in 4ft. letters; a 6ft. crown, two 7ft. stars, "V. R.," two masonic stars, a half star of 10ft. diameter in the centre of the top cornice, two half-stars at the corners of the cornice, and a line of jets up the sides and along the top cornice; the effect of all this light artistically arranged was very fine. The other side of Government House was not illuminated, but the roadway, with numerous lanterns dotted about in the trees and on the bank of the Public Gardens and the small oil lamps running along the walls, was like a picture in fairy land. The entrance to Government House was decorated for day effect with imposing shields and trophies of flags. The Royal Artillery Mess in College Gardens was well lit up with lanterns and had a device springing from the roof.
In Stanley-street Messrs. Rozario and Co. had a gas illumination showing "R. & Co." and the Oriental Dispensary, and Messrs. Dunn, Melbye & Co.'s and Mr. Brandt's establishments were illuminated with lanterns. In D'Aguilar-street Messrs. Gilman and Co. had a transparency over the door with the name of the firm and a large mass of lanterns. Messrs. Grossman and Co.'s hong was also lit up with lanterns, and amongst the occupants of Club Chambers on the opposite side of the street lanterns were hung out in profusion by Messrs. Justus Lembke & Co., Mr. Naudin, the Telephone Exchange, and the Punjom Mining Co. Messrs. Guedes and Co., at the corner of Wellington-street, had red and white lanterns on the top floor. Messrs. D. D. Oflia and Co. had lanterns arranged in the arches of the verandah and in lines below, and Mrs. Heymans, dressmaker, hung out the red ensign grouped with two French flags in the centre, and lanterns along the verandah. A large proportion of the Chinese in this street had also illuminated, amongst them Kwong Shing, contractor, Bing Shing, bootmaker, Chan Hang, printer, Yee Hing, contractor, Ling Atin, contractor, Wah Suo, picture frame maker, Hung Qua, portrait painter, who showed a specimen of his skill in a portrait of the Queen; Pow Chin, contractor, Sang Cheong, and Chee Sing, printer.
In Lower Wyndham Street the Club Germania was very tastefully illuminated with Japanese lanterns. The entrance was lined out in red and white lanterns, with one bearing the Union Jack in the centre and at the doorway the German and British flags were draped. Above was the red ensign with the German flag on each side. The remainder of the building was covered with white lanterns. The opposite buildings, occupied by Messrs. Raedecker & Co. and the China Mail, showed strings of coloured lanterns on the verandah of the upper storey, and many of the houses further up the hill were similarly decorated, one Chinese house occupied by Europeans, however, having flags and lamps stretching far across the road. The parapet of the tower of St. Paul's College was fringed with coloured lanterns, and from the summit rose a lofty cross formed by white Japanese lanterns, which from its commanding altitude was very conspicuous. Darkness reigned at the corner of D'Aguilar-street, but a very showy and well-designed arch was erected to form the entrance to Glenealy.
This was of imperial yellow picked out with leaf decorations and with green pediments. Over the archway were the words in scarlet on a blue ground "Salve Imperatricem," and the face of the structure was ornamented with gilt stars and the arms of the three kingdoms on shields. Numerous coloured lanterns were suspended, and when illuminated it proved exceedingly effective. The road up Glenealy was lined throughout with various coloured lanterns, and the rockery in the centre half way up was covered with a pyramidal structure of lanterns. Mr. Bottomley's house and grounds at the foot of Glenealy were most tastefully lit up with lanterns and little glass lamps; the latter glittering among the trees had a very charming effect. Upper Wyndham Street and Hollywood Road were partially illuminated, but without any general design. Messrs. B. Mijran & Co., S. J. David & Co., Messrs. Kaw Hong Take & Co., and Messrs. Mirza Ebrahim & Co. were among the most brilliant, and further on several Parsee firms, Messrs. B. N. Mehta & Co., Tata & Co., Mehta & Co., and others, had quite a large display of lanterns in various designs.
535
9.