[ { "id": 360673, "series_id": 27, "series_slug": "histsyn-co129-engine", "series_title": "CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案", "series_use_hku_proxy": false, "document_key": "CO129-272 - Governor Sir Robinson - 1896 [5-9]", "page_number": 164, "title": "CO129-272 - Governor Sir Robinson - 1896 [5-9]", "content_text": "the past and been forgotten. Yet will this Statue remain, to impress upon those who follow us the rights and privileges which, under British laws, they will ever enjoy, the security which the British Constitution throws over those who live within the sphere of its protection, and above all, Sir, the freedom, the greatest benefit perhaps that mankind has ever known, which exists to-day, and always must exist, beneath the Royal Standard of Great Britain. I now ask your Excellency to unveil the Statue.\n\nHis Excellency said- Mr Chairman and Gentlemen, I have accepted with great pleasure the invitation of the Jubilee Committee, and of the loyal community of Hongkong, to unveil this statue of Her Majesty Queen Victoria. I feel highly honoured at having to take so prominent a part in this interesting function, and am glad to think that my name will for all time be connected with it. This immense concourse of Her Majesty's loyal subjects, and of the Representatives of other Powers with their fellow-countrymen, is a sight which will never be forgotten by those who are witnessing it. Mr Chairman and Gentlemen, This statue is to commemorate the Jubilee of Her Majesty in 1887. Let me therefore for a moment compare the past of Hongkong with the present. Fifty-nine years ago Hongkong was a barren rock inhabited by 200 or 300 persons,\n\nThe harbour was unfrequented by vessels. At the present moment the Colony presents a remarkable object lesson to the newly arrived resident or traveller, unequalled, I believe, in any other part of the world. He sees before him large and, in some cases, magnificent Banks, City Halls, and Houses of Business stretching for several miles along the sea front. Inland he sees rising tier above tier hundreds of fine houses built by and for the thriving merchants of the City. The harbour which fifty-nine years ago was nearly empty of shipping is now filled by steamers and sailing vessels which represent an aggregate capacity of some 15,000,000 of tons per annum. This wonderful growth has taken place during the reign of Her Most Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria. And in the place of a few hundred people, Hongkong has now a population of over 250,000 souls. Of these about 240,000 are Chinese. They live here under no compulsion. They are freemen, and are attracted by our liberal institutions and by the equitable treatment and justice of Her Majesty's rule. Mr Chairman and Gentlemen, Of the future prosperity and growth of Hongkong I have not the slightest doubt. Her geographical position, her importance as a great emporium of trade and a strong Military and Naval Station in that girdle of British Colonies which encircles the world is fully recognized by Her Majesty's Government. The opening of the West River, and of additional freeports in China, will give a further impetus to trade between Great Britain and that enormous and undeveloped Empire. Such measures which can be regarded as certain of fulfilment in the near future will be of inestimable value to millions of the subjects of the Emperor of China as well as to the able and energetic Community of Hongkong. In conclusion, Mr Chairman and Gentlemen, I congratulate you on the selection of this fine site for Her Majesty's Statue, and I also congratulate you heartily on the excellent arrangements which you have made for giving to this auspicious and unprecedented event an importance and significance which it alone could deserve. With the words on my lips of 'God Save the Queen' I now unveil this Statue.\n\n## THE MILITARY REVIEW\n\nThe statue having been unveiled, amidst the applause of the assembled thousands, the troops gave a general salute, whilst the massed bands, under the conductorship of Bandmaster Peachey of the Rifle Brigade, played God Save the Queen. The Asiatic Artillery and the Field Battery of the Hongkong Volunteers then fired a salute of twenty-one guns from the seven-pounders on the Cricket Ground, the infantry firing a feu de joie. This over, the order for fixed bayonets was given, and the whole of the forces on the ground gave a Royal Salute, the bands again playing 'God Save the Queen'; the unveiling ceremony being brought to a close by the troops and spectators raising three lusty cheers for Her Majesty.\n\nWith wonderful alacrity and exactitude, the troops were then marched off to various points preparatory to the march past. Nothing could have exceeded the smartness with which this movement was executed. It provided an object lesson to the Chinese of what it is possible to do with British troops under the discipline of British officers. That everything was carried through without the slightest approach to a hitch reflects the greatest credit on officers and men alike, British and Asiatic.\n\nThe march-past was equally well managed. Owing to the evolutions having to be performed in somewhat restricted compass, the troops were formed into double sections of fours, with officers leading and the non-commissioned officers on the flanks. This was the best formation for the ground, and while, judged from a military point of view, the movements did not have the same grandeur as a proper review, they were at least sufficient to display the careful drilling and excellent discipline of the men. The spectacle presented as the closely-compacted masses of men moved along towards the Statue from the direction of the new Club is not likely to be soon forgotten by those who witnessed it. Larger bodies of troops have doubtless been witnessed elsewhere, but this was the largest parade ever assembled in Hongkong, and the varied and picturesque uniforms combined to add to the splendour of the spectacle. For the time being the squalor of the Chinese was obliterated. In the Grand Stand, the somewhat sombre dress of the civilian community obtained colour from the few uniforms sprinkled about, and the Consular Corps, with their gaudy decorations, presented a veritable blaze of colour in the vicinity of the platform. Wherever one looked, nothing was to be seen but one huge sea of living faces. Every coign of vantage was occupied. From every verandah the proceedings were watched by interested onlookers; even the unfinished edifice which is to be the new habitat of the Hongkong Club was covered by Chinese, who, sat-like, crawled and squirmed from place to place wherever they thought the best view might be obtainable.\n\nThe following was the order of the march-past:\n\n| Unit | Commanded by |\n| --- | --- |\n| Royal Navy | Commander W. F. Tunnard, H.M.S. Victor Emanuel |\n| Royal Marine Light Infantry | Capt. Trottman. Major Thomas, D.A.A.G., and Capt. Hunt, Acting A.D.C. to Colonel Anstey |\n| Royal Artillery | Lieut. Colonel The O'Gorman, D.A.A.G., and Major Hanham, C.R.A.; Capt. Burney |\n| Royal Engineers | Capt. Carey |\n| Hongkong Regiment | Major Retallick |\n| Rifle Brigade | Major the Hon. E. Noel |\n\nWith almost incredible expedition the bands of the Rifle Brigade and the Hongkong Regiment had taken up a position on the ...\n\nPage 161", "txt_file_path": "txt/2diw2n4r2/CO129-272 - Governor Sir Robinson - 1896 [5-9].txt", "external_url": "", "rank": 0 }, { "id": 372103, "series_id": 27, "series_slug": "histsyn-co129-engine", "series_title": "CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案", "series_use_hku_proxy": false, "document_key": "CO129-292 - Governor Sir Blake - 1899 [6-8]", "page_number": 98, "title": "CO129-292 - Governor Sir Blake - 1899 [6-8]", "content_text": "96\n\nbeing the senior Military Officer assumed command of the troops\n\n**Lieut Keyes, R. N. Commander of the Pine, brought ashore**\n\n- an armed party of Blue Jackets.\n\nAbout this time it became evident that offensive\n\naction must be taken because darkness was approaching and the\n\nenemy closing in and threatening an attack on our camp and\n\npossibly a rush during the night.\n\nThe dispositions, under Captain Long's orders appear to have been admirably conceived and carried out, the result being that the camp was left in peace during the night.\n\nArrangements had been made to establish signalling\n\ncommunications between Head Quarters and the Kowloon Pass,\n\nand at about 8 p.m. a message reached you from Captain Berger\n\ncommunicating the circumstances of the situation, and asking\n\nfor re-inforcements. Shortly afterwards I, as your Chief Staff\n\nOfficer, proceeded to Kowloon to order out 300 soldiers of the\n\nHong Kong Regiment under command of Lieut Colonel Retallick,\n\nwith directions to be at Shatin by daybreak on the 16th, and\n\nexpeditiously to push on to Taipo. Retallick started at 2 a.m.\n\narriving there at midday on the 16th. The route over the Kowloon Pass was bad marching and thence to Shatin also bad, but\n\nit was known to Colonel Retallick and his officers so that no\n\nserious difficulty was to be anticipated.\n\nCaptain I.", "txt_file_path": "txt/2diw2n4r2/CO129-292 - Governor Sir Blake - 1899 [6-8].txt", "external_url": "", "rank": 0 }, { "id": 381050, "series_id": 27, "series_slug": "histsyn-co129-engine", "series_title": "CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案", "series_use_hku_proxy": false, "document_key": "CO129-305 - Governor Sir Blake - 1901 [5-7]", "page_number": 578, "title": "CO129-305 - Governor Sir Blake - 1901 [5-7]", "content_text": "COPY.\n\nENCLOSURE/\n\nC. O.\n\n$197\n\n18.\n\n00148\n\n573\n\nFrom the Chief Staff Officer, Hongkong.\n\nTo the Colonial Secretary, Hongkong\n\nSir,\n\nHONGKONG, 30th May, 1901.\n\nI shall feel much obliged if you will kindly read the enclosure and give me the benefit of your opinion on the matter.\n\nThe case is as follows:-\n\nAbout a year ago, Lieut.-Colonel Retallick proceeded to Great Britain on 12 months' leave of absence, Mrs. Retallick accompanying him.\n\nAbout two months after his arrival in England, the troubles in North China broke out and Colonel Retallick received orders from the War Office to return at once.\n\nAbout six to eight weeks after his arrival in Hongkong he was sent to North China with the Headquarters of the Hongkong Regiment, and Mrs. Retallick came out to Hongkong about 30 days later.", "txt_file_path": "txt/2diw2n4r2/CO129-305 - Governor Sir Blake - 1901 [5-7].txt", "external_url": "", "rank": 0 }, { "id": 381051, "series_id": 27, "series_slug": "histsyn-co129-engine", "series_title": "CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案", "series_use_hku_proxy": false, "document_key": "CO129-305 - Governor Sir Blake - 1901 [5-7]", "page_number": 579, "title": "CO129-305 - Governor Sir Blake - 1901 [5-7]", "content_text": "Days ago, taking a house at the Peak, on rent.\n\nIt seems to me, that, by the Rating Ordinance of 1888, application for refund of rates might be made by Mrs. Retallick with good reason to expect favourable consideration by the Colonial Government of Hongkong.\n\nDo you concur?\n\nI have the honour to be,\n\nSir,\n\nYour obedient servant,\n\n(sd.) N.V. O'Gorman,\n\nColonel,\n\nChief Staff Officer.", "txt_file_path": "txt/2diw2n4r2/CO129-305 - Governor Sir Blake - 1901 [5-7].txt", "external_url": "", "rank": 0 } ]