Directory_and_Chronicle_1908 — Page 1119

Directories & Chronicles 香港指南 All

986

HONGKONG

in a small bay on the south-east of the island, was once the site of a military station, but the barrack buildings have been pulled down, and the village is now stationary. A cemetery on the point contains numerous graves of British officers and soldiers. One of the places most in favour with pedestrians who are not afraid of a good long tramp is the little village of Tytam Tuk, nestling among trees at the mouth of the stream of the same name, which here enters Tytam Bay, the most extensive inlet on the southern coast. There are good carriage roads from Victoria both to Aberdeen and Shau-ki Wan and bridle roads to Stanley and Tytam, and as a memorial of the Jubilee of Queen Victoria a new road round the body of the island was constructed. Saiwan is a small village picturesquely situated in Saiwan Bay, just outside the Ly-ee-mun Pass, and is also much frequented by picnic parties. In the belief that it was a healthy locality, small barracks were erected there early in the forties, but the experiment proved most disastrous, for in five weeks out of a detachment of 20 English soldiers five died and three more were removed in a dangerous condition. The buildings were therefore soon abandoned. Shek O is a small but prettily located village occupying a small valley shut in from the water on the eastern coast, not far from Cape D'Aguilar.

KOWLOON AND Other Dependencies

Across the harbour is the dependency of British Kowloon. The peninsula was first granted in perpetual lease by the Kwangtung Government to Sir Harry (then Mr.) Parkes, but was definitely ceded to Great Britain in 1860 by Article VI. of the Peking Convention. It has an area of four square miles, and has latterly made considerable progress. Yau-ma Ti, the principal village, has increased in population, and bids fair soon to become an important town. There is a considerable Chinese junk trade at this place, and amongst other industries is a preserved ginger factory. Gas Works were erected here in 1892, and the settled portion of the peninsula is lighted with gas; electricity is also now largely used, the generating station being at Hunghom. Waterworks were established in 1895, but the supply has become wholly insufficient for the rapidly growing

growing population, and a new scheme, providing for the supply of a million gallons daily, is now being carried out. Three regiments of Indian infantry are stationed at Tsim-tsa Tsui, where barracks and officers' quarters are located and a Mahommedan mosque has been erected. At Tsim-tsa Tsui, too, a number of European houses have been erected and numerous gardens laid out, and this portion of the peninsula, which faces Victoria, is gradually developing into a European residential settlement. A fine bund, with a massive granite wall, has been constructed there, and an extensive range of godowns built and several fine wharves made for discharging cargo and coaling. During 1905 and 1906 extensive reclamation works were carried out extending eastward from the godown company's property to Hunghom. A large site on the reclamation was acquired by Messrs. Butter- field & Swire who are erecting estensive godown accommodation. The same period will also be remembered by the building of two churches at Kowloon St. Andrew's in Robinson Road, being the gift of the Hon. Sir C. P. Chater, C.M.G., and the Roman Catholic- Church in Des Voeux Road, the gift of Dr. S. A. Gomes. There are two hotels, one possessing large accommodation." The Kowloon British School was erected in 1901 on Robinson Road at the expense of Mr. Ho Tung. The Navy maintains a small naval yard, subsidiary to the principal establishment on the Hongkong side. A well equipped Observatory is situated on Mount Elgin; and a large and handsome Police Station for the Water Police occupies an eminence just above the Praya. A steam ferry plies regularly between Tsim-tsa Tsui and Victoria; ferry boats also run between Victoria and Yau-ma-Ti and Hung-hom, where the principal docks of the Hongkong- and Whampoa Dock Co. are situate. The Cosmopolitan Dock and works, also belonging to the same Company, are situated at Fuk Tsun Heung, formerly known as Sam Shui Po. At Hok-un are also situated the extensive works of the Green Island Cement Co., Ld., the patent slip and shipbuilding yard of Messrs Bailey and Murphy, and a large Match Factory. The flour mills of the Hongkongʻ Milling Co. are in Junk Bay.

In 1898 an agreement was entered into whereby China ceded to Great Britain for ninety-nine years the territory behind Kowloon Peninsula up to a line drawn from Mirs Bay to Deep Bay and the adjacent islands, including Lantao, the extent of the New Territory being about 376 square miles, namely, 286 square miles on the main land and 90 square miles on the islands. The ceremony of formally taking over the terri- tory was fixed for the 17th April, 1899, when the British flag was to have been hoisted at Taipohu, and the day was declared a general holiday. Attacks, however, having been

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