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Francis Everett
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LETTE FOM HONGKONG.
CITY OF VICTORIA, HONGKONG, Į
14th November, 1859. English China.
EDITOR ALTA: As I promised to post you up in atters, in the course of my travels, I address you "English China," as an earuest of my inten. in to redeem my promise. I use the term "Eog- China" in its broadest sense. Here, in a dis at part of the globe, where a fellowship should ist batween countrymen, no such thing is found. fere, as in London, the Englishman wraps around In his pantle of exclusiveness, and, like the turtle, ades his head within his shell for fear that he wil
contaminated by intercourse.
« Victoria” is cut out of a rock, the streets form- Its barbor is picturesque;
ng beautiful terraces,
he opposite abores consist of high peaks, of a vol- anic formation; the views from the terraces are eautiful, the climate (at the present) being most elicious. The buildings have a permanent and plid appearance, which they do not possess ; they
re not at all durable, but very commodious.
How Business is Transacted.
The great study of the people here is how to keep ool in summer, and transact the every-day business flife with the least trouble. Business, amounting millions, is transacted without the principals in he operations seeing each other. When a merchant esires to purchase a cargo of merchandise, ho ad- resses a note to the holders, who reply in writing and thus bargains are closed, involving millions of ollars. The merchants literally do nothing, but hat which cannot be done for them by their "com- pador" or coolies.
From their residences to the counting-room is the extent of their travel; and then they do not walk, but are carried in sedan chairs" on the Thoulders of a couple of coolies. The servants they mploy in their house will perform po labor, but employ coolies to carry out the orders received from their employers,
A few years residence suffices to use up foreign- rs, unfits them to live elsewhere, and too much broken down to exist here. Last year 15 per cent.
of the English population died off.
Mode of Living in Victoria,
This is owing to their manner of living. Dine! ate-sit late at table drink large quantities of: rines and liquors, and take little or no exercise. The American fares better. Dines earlier, retirea arlier, and drinks little or no liquor. Of course here are exceptions. Among thein will be found the hardest kind of drinkers, but they are the ex- Deptions.
The people who stand this climate best are the Scotch and Germans. Hence you find them at the head of the principal houses in China.
The Tricks of Trade.
The business operations are kept as secrot as possible. After the arrival of the European nails, large operations are made in opium and silk. Ia order to facilitate these speculations, Messrs. Jar- Hine, Mathesen & Co., and Messrs. Dent & Co., have privalo steamers, which leave immediately fter the arrival of the mails for Shanghae, the principal silk port They lie outside until they jean communicate with their agents, who buy or ell nil the opium or silk in the market. That ac- omplished, the steamers enter the port, and the news is disteminated, by which fortunes have been lost and won.
Society in Victoria. Society does not exist in Victoria. The English society consists of the government army and navy ficers a few n merchants. They have a fine club hope, Eut unless you are one of those des- ribed above you are blackballed, be you ever so tepectable or talented. The Germans are less exclusive among themselves, but are equally so ow.rd Americans or English. The uericans have no society whatever; a jealousy appears to ex- st amongst them which prevents any soetal inter- ourse. In all pacts of the world Americans syn- pathize with each her, not so here. With little or no advantages as to bigh (mostly being solt made e) they are reusive than the other for- eiga residenta,
No d
no reading rooms, Do and very little inter- This is not the "Yan- kee characteristio" else cre, but here all is vus- piciun, for four that one sould acquire some buriness idea of his neighbor.
This is most unfor- maate, as the young men.have no means of enjoy. ment; any run into dissipation and mest an early Tave, or become misanthropie sad merely vegetate
mon ground of me
ourse of a social charac
way their existence. "Money" is the only thing ught after, at the expense of comfort and health.
A Field for Mechanics.
Every one prospera here; living and labor is ox- mely cheap, profits large. Here is a fine field for pics au iron founder and machinist would g a fortune. A "dry dock," capable of ng large vessels, would pay remarka- American Cakery would prove profita- ass boarding house would succeed, eud ducted with little or no labor. Gued borsee are in demand, the Native and stralian ponier are the only horses owned here the exception of a few tolerable horses owned private gentlemen.
Public Buildings, Etc. ¿b bi As usual in all English Colonies, the best bites are those occupied by the Government as commissa- riat and other military establishments. The Bar- racks are finely located half-way up the hill, which is said to be 1,700 feet height. The Governor's Houle is beautifully De has a fine view of the harbor The grounds prettily laid out. Within a stone's throw from the centre of business; the man sions are surrounded by trees and shrubbery, which gives them a suburban appearance. Each street forms & terrace, so that the city is a complete amphitheatre. The loction site most beautiful imaginable for a city, and in years will be improved to the summit of the high peak.
Its business location is unexceptionable. Here all the exchanges between India, China, and Eu- rope are transacted. There are two banks that have a large circulation-their bills represent Mex- ican dollars. England and France have an im- mense fleet in these waters-some fifty vessole of war. Russia has some eight or ten, and the Uni- ted States only three, I believe.
A Low Estimate of America.
It is said that the American government is los- ing caste with the Chinese in consequence of mak- ing so small a show of ships-of-war The English authorities here have never been over civil towards our Consuls. A short time since the present Amer- ican Consul appeared in Court to claim, in due form, an American citizen. Instead of respecting the demand, the Judge insulted dur Consul, who turned towards the prisoner's dock, and took the prisoner out of Court to the astonishment of the Judge. The next day our Consul challenged the Judge for the insult offered him, which resulted in an umple apology. If this dignified course was pursued oftener by our officials in foreign counties it would do much to elevate the American characte
A Cas of Libel.”
The Courts have lately passed judgment on du editor for a libel on the late Lieutenant Governor. The trial, it is said, was a one-sided affair, as the Governor bad every indulgence show him, and the poor devil of an editor had no show, (so the papers say.) The result was that the editor was condemned us a felon for one year, and sentenced to pay a fine of fifty dollars and costs of Court, which is so largo a suntbat he will probably perish in prison. He is confined in a small cell with four malefactors." What wou the Sun Fleisco editors do were our Judges as sethe English? It would are bad with some of fi ada
The Chinese Native Population-forest spect
tens of their raco-ill-favored; the women hide- ous. There are none of the respectable class of Chinese residing here, though some of them are wealthy.
The stmets in the Chinese quarter aro narrow and filthy, "number" living in one building. They aro wiggle to trade, and always ask three times as intey ulean to take, They have becu spoiled by the FAEN, WHO IS not beat them down, and the price of labor has cousequently doubled of late. The Fafest plan is to make all purchases through a compader," who cheats you some, but not nearly as much as if you deal with the Chinese direct. The Chinese have acquired all the evil of the Europeans, and none of the desirable qualities. Women and children can be bought of their parents; a fine boy for $25 to $50, and young girls from six- teen to twenty years for $100 to $200. The morals of the Chinese are about on a par with the lowest of them we have in San Francisco. They appear to have no appreciation of virtuo.
Yet a visit to this country is not without interest. The people are now as they were before the Chris- tian era.
They have the same implements to work with they had then-no labor-saving machinery-
everything is done by hand. It is wonderful to ob- serve how much can be accomplished by their snail- like method of working. One good mechanic, car- penter or cabinet-maker, with us, will accomplish as much work as tweny Chinamen, but labor is cheap, they can live on five cents per day well, and enjoy themselves. Their wardrobe is rather scanty. The working classes soldom have more then two shirts, etc., and go without one or the other, whilst their garment undergoes a washing-a hat, and a pair of shoes, completes their whole wardrobe, which last twelvemonth, and costs, perhaps, three dollars; yet few people seen to enjoy themselves more than they. They appear happy and contented. The Police System
of Victoria is most complete-protection perfect. The Chinese are not permitted to leave their houses after 8 o'clock at night.
The roads and streets are opened and kept in re- pair by the "Chain-Gang"-mostly Chinese. The roads are in perfect order; in many places dug out of the rock with immense labor.
Wo have the usual number of churches. The Epicopal Bishop's residence is, perhaps, the finest hors not exepting the Governor's. There are several Catholic establishments, with quite a nu- ber of couverts; one rather fiue Episcopal church, besides a Presbyterian place of worship.
The Pursees have a temple; they are worshippers of the sun, They are very much respected here, are extensively engaged in trade, and appear to be s very superio peuple. Heretofore they have been admitted to the theatre, (such as it is, but lately the English exclusives bare determined to expel them. The papers, have taken it up with much spirit. Too on the part of the English is un- poper as John Bull never recedes, I suppose there apps for the Parsees. They are remark- ably dled and nest are niaturesque in their dress, and are not to be confounded with the Chinese:
I have extended this letter to such a length, that I must cut it short. My next will be from Japan.
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