MILITARY - (Contd.)
The Royal Engineers Vol. I and II by Maj. Gen. Porter, the History of the Royal Sappers and Miners, Vol. I and II, by Capt. Connolly, and records in the C.R.E. office:
One sergeant and thirty-three rank and file under Lieut. T. B. Collinson, R.E., afterwards Major General, sailed for China in the ship Mount Stuart Elphinstone, and landed in Hong Kong on October 7, 1843. Lieut. Collinson made the first survey of the Island at a scale of four inches to one mile, and which was again enlarged to eight inches to a mile. The maps at present in use both the Military and P.W.D. are copies from this first survey.
Mr. Collinson also drew a panorama of Hong Kong in 1846 from Shartin on the mainland. This gallant officer carried his life in his hands whilst making this panorama, Shartin then being in enemy territory, and infested by bandits. Both Mount and Cape Collinson are named after this Engineer officer.
A party of variable strength had been stationed here, employed superintending the Chinese artificers in the carrying out of Public Works until July, 1854, when the sappers were called to England. Some of their first services embraced the construction of roads and sewers (Queen's Road was constructed, under sapper supervision, from a rough footpath) the erection of barracks for troops, and quarters for officers, with various military conveniences, such as stores and guard rooms. These barracks and stores were built opposite the H.K. Cricket Club pitch on the present site of the Dockyard Police quarters, whilst the guard room stood on the now rectangular piece of road in line with the Police quarters; behind these two buildings stood the barracks. A residence was built for the General in command this building is still the present G.O.C. residence; and a sea wall of granite to the cantonment on the north shore of the island.
Among the barracks built were those at Stanley.
They also directed the Chinese in the cutting away of a mountain to a plateau, of about eight acres, for a parade ground, now called Murray parade ground, much of which was granite. A company of Madras Sappers also assisted in the superintendence of the coolies, who sometimes exceeded a hundred in number. The working pay of the Engineers was one shilling and sixpence a day until the removal of the East India Company Establishment, when the allowance was reduced to the ordinary payment of a shilling a day.
The party was quartered in barracks. It was housed for a time in a bamboo hut, and afterwards in a bungalow. The smith and plumber were invariably employed at their trade as the Chinese were incompetent in these branches of hand craft.
The first reservoir ever constructed on the island, and filter beds (Pokfulam) were designed by a Royal Engineer, together with the brick conduit carrying the water to Victoria.
In 1844 the party under Major Aldrich R.E., who was the first Director of both Military and Civil Works in 1842 (the latter position being held by an R.E. officer until 1860, when the P.W.D. was formed) were inspected in the Autumn by Maj. General D'Aguilar, C.B., R.E., in command of the troops in China. In his official report His Excellency regretted that a detachment of so much importance, and so well constituted, should have been reduced by six deaths and three invalided home during the half year, and that the men present should, in their appearance, show the effects of the climate. Aldrich
Page 679
MILITARY - (Contd.)
The Royal Engineers Vol. I and II by Maj. Gen. Porter, the History of the Royal Sappers and Miners, Vol. I and II, by Capt. Connolly, and records in the C.R.E. office:
One sergeant and thirty-three rank and file under Lieut. T. B. Collinson, R.. afterwards Major General, sailed for China in the ship Mount Stuart Elphinstone, and landed in Hong Kong on October 7, 1843. Lieut. Collinson made the first survey of the Island at a scale of four inches to one mile, and which was again enlarged to eight inches to a mile. The maps at present in use both the Military and P.W.D. are copies from this first survey.
Mr. Collinson also drew a panorama of Hong Kong in 1846 from Shartin on the mainland. This gallant officer carried his life in his hands whilst making this panorama, Shartin then being in enemy territory, and infested by bandits. Both Mount and Cape Collinson are named after this Engineer officer.
A party of variable strength had been stationed here, employed superintending the Chinese artificers in the carrying out of Public Works until July, 1854, when the sappers were called to England. Some of their first services . embraced the construction of roads and wewers (Queen's Road was constructed, under sapper supervision, from
a rough footpath) the erection of barracks for troops, and quarters for officers, with various military conveniences, such as stores and guard rooms. These barracks and stores were built opposite the H.K. Cricket Club pitch on the present site of the Kockyard Police quarters, whilst the guard room stood on the now rectangular piece of road in line with the Police quarters; behind these two buildings stood the barracks.. A residence was built for the General in command this building is still the present G.0.0. residence; and a sea wall of granite to the cantonment on the north shore of the island.
i
Among the barracks built were those at Stanley.
*
They also directed the Chinese in the cutting away of a mountain to a plateau, of about eight acres, for a parade ground, now called Murray parade ground, much of which was granite. A company of Madras Sappers also assisted in the superintendence of the coolies, who sometimes exceeded a hundred in number. The working pay of the Engineers was one shilling and sixpence a day until the removal of the East India Company Establishment, when the allowance was reduced to the ordinary payment of a shilling a day.
The party was quartered in barracks. It was housed for a time in a bamboo hut, and afterwards in a bungalów. The smith and plumber were invariably employed at their trade as the Chinese were incompetent in these branches of hand craft.
The first reservoir ever constructed on the island, and filter beds (Pokfulam) were designed by a Royal Engineer, together with the brick conduit carrying the water to Victoria.
In 1844 the party under Major Aldrich R.E., who was the first Director of both Military and Civil Works in 1842 (the latter position being held by an R.E. officer until 1860, when the P.W.D. was formed) were inspected in the Autumn by Maj. General D'Aguilar, C.B., R.E., in command of the troops in China. In his official report His Excellency regretted that a detachment of so much importance, and so well constituted, should have been reduced by six deaths and three invalided home during the half year, and that the men present should, in their appearance, show the effects of the climate. Aldrich
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