Directory_and_Chronicle_1895 — Page 628

HONGKONG

211

Kowloon, and there is a small export of this stone. In 1889 a galena lode was found in the nullah above the Tytam Service Reservoir in Victoria, but after a trial did not promise sufficiently to justify further working. A reef bearing traces of tin has also been discovered near Stanley. A bed of fire clay exists at Deep Water Bay, and bricks and earthenware pipes are manufactured from it. The forests now growing up and in course of being planted may one day become a source of revenue. In British Kowloon a lode of tin has been discovered, but so far has not been worked.

The approaches to the port are fairly well lighted. A lighthouse on Green Island lights the western entrance of the harbour, the light being a fixed dioptric one of the 4th order, visible at a distance of fourteen miles; and the eastern approach is indicated by a powerful light (dioptric, 1st_order) on Cape D'Aguilar, visible at a distance of twenty-three miles, while a smaller one on Cape Collinson, visible at a distance of eight miles, assists navigators to make the Ly-ee-mùn Pass. A lighthouse on Gap Rock, about thirty miles to the south, was completed and first displayed its beacon on the 1st April, 1892; it is connected with the port by a cable, and the ap- proach of vessels is now signalled from it to the Post Office. A lighthouse has been erected by the Chinese Government on Waglan Island, near Cape D'Aguilar, which it in some respects supersedes; the light was first shown on the 6th May, 1893.

The harbour of Hongkong is one of the finest and most beautiful in the world, having an area of ten square miles, and, with its diversified scenery and varied shipping, presents an animated and imposing spectacle. It consists of the sheet of water between the island and the mainland, and is enclosed on all sides by lofty hills, formerly destitute of foliage, but the slopes are gradually becoming clothed with young forests, the result of the afforestation scheme of the Government. The city of Victoria is magnificently situated, the houses, many of them large and handsome, rising, tier upon tier, from the water's edge to a height of over four hundred feet on the face of the Peak, while many bungalows are visible on the very summit of the hills. Seen from the water at night, when lamps twinkle among the trees and houses, the city, spreading along the shore for upwards of four miles, affords a sight not to be forgotten.

it

Nor on landing are the favourable impressions of the stranger dissipated or lessened. The city is fairly well built, the roads and streets are for the most part admirably made and kept, and many of the thoroughfares delightfully shaded with well grown trees. The European business quarter occupies the middle of the city, from Pottinger Street to the City Hall, but with the exception of this limited area almost all the lower levels, especially the Western District, are covered by a dense mass of Chinese shops and tenements, The Botanic Gardens are situated just above Government House, and are beautifully laid out in terraces, slopes, and walks, with parterres of flowers. A handsome fountain adorns the second terrace, around which the European children and their amahs resort daily, and the community gather there in throngs when the Regimental Band plays. There is a band stand, presented by the Parsee community, some aviaries, orchid houses, and ferneries, and seats are provided in every spot where a view is obtainable or shade afforded by the varied foliage. A fine bronze statue of Sir Arthur Kennedy, Governor of the Colony 1872-6, erected by public subscription, stands above the second terrace looking down on the fountain. It was unveiled in November, 1887, by Governor Sir William Des Vœux. The chief public building is the City Hall, erected in 1866-9 by subscription; contains an elegant theatre, numerous large rooms used for balls and public meetings, an excellent and valuable Library, and a Museum yearly increasing in importance. In front of the main entrance is a large fountain presented in August, 1864, by Mr. John Dent, a merchant of the Colony. Eastward of the City Hall is a fine open space or lung in the shape of the Parade Ground south of the road and of the Cricket Ground on the north. The latter is furnished with a neat Pavilion, and the turf is kept in perfect order. The Government Offices, Supreme Court House, and Post Office are plain but substantial edifices. Government House occupies a commanding situation, in picturesque grounds pleasingly laid out, in the centre of the city. The Gaol is a large and massive structure, but the accommodation afforded by it is not in excess of the large demands made on it, owing to the inroads of the criminal population of Kwangtung being so constant and persevering. The Police Barracks and Central Station adjoin the Gaol, as does the Magistracy, a small and inconvenient structure. The Police Force numbers about 700, of whom 120 are Europeans and 230 Indians, the remainder being Chinese. The Lunatic Asylum consists of two small buildings, one for Europeans and the other for Chinese, below the Bonham Road. The Government Civil Hospital is a large and well designed building affording extensive accommodation, situated in the Western part of the town. The Alice Memorial Hospital, situated at the corner of