DR. ROBERT MORRISON (Contd.)
THE MORRISON LIBRARY
220-707
reposed in the City Hall, and prior to that occasion between Canton and Hong Kong. Something of its earlier history might usefully be given here.
I take the following from an old newspaper comment dated April 16, 1869, about the time the City Hall was completed:
"After many vicissitudes the library founded by the great pioneer of Protestant Missionary work in China, Dr. Morrison has found a resting place and accommodation suitable to its scope and the intention of its founders. While the name of the "Morrison Library" is familiar enough to most Hong Kong residents, but few of the present generation know aught of its history, and a few details may not be uninteresting.
"It was originally opened to the public at Canton in 1838, but in consequence of the threatening aspect of political affairs was in 1839 removed to Macao. Thence it was transferred in 1842 to Hong Kong, when the previously imperfect catalogue was amended and corrected by the removal of works deemed unsuitable; and the private library of the Hon. J.R. Morrison (Dr. Morrison's son) having been added to the collection, a fresh and well-arranged catalogue was issued.
"Re-transferred to Canton, the interest at one time taken in its fortunes by the foreign community seemed to have subsided, and the books once shelved in a room at Honam, pervaded by the moist exhalations from the river, were left pretty much to take care of themselves. Few, except students of the languages or manners of China ever consulted the decaying volumes. A partial effort at renovation was, however, made; and some 1,500 volumes were neatly and strongly bound these constituting at the present day the now "useable" portion of the library.
"Again were the books transferred to Hong Kong, and unfortunately, still permitted to remain in the state in which they arrived. Unable or unwilling to undertake their repair, the trustees decided in placing the now half worm-eaten collection in air-tight cases a sensible disposition, had it not been forgotten that whole colonies of insects were enclosed with the books in cases which though air-tight, had not been exhausted, and consequently permitted the worms to flourish unmolested. Large numbers were found alive when the cases were opened, and no inconsiderable labour has been necessary to get rid of them.
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"The contents of the library thus, we cannot help saying, wantonly given up to decay, are surprisingly various and valuable in proportion to their number. In 1845, when the last printed catalogue was issued, a list was given of 4,140 volumes remarkably rich in language Biblical literature, geography, voyages, travels and history, 438 volumes bearing exclusively on China and the Ultra-Gangetic countries. Many volumes have, however, been added to the collection since that period, of which no record is to be found in the Catalogue, and it is unfortunate that the oriental, philological, historical, and scientific sections furnish so large a proportion of the number of volumes which require renovation though...
DR. ROBERT MORRISON (Contd.)
THE MORRISON LIBRARY
220-707
reposed in the City Hall, and prior to that occasion between Canton and Hong Kong. Something of its earlier history might usefully be given here.
I take the following from an old newspaper comment dated April 16, 1869, about the time the City Hall was completed:
"After many vicissitudes the library founded by the great pioneer of Protestant Missionary work in China, Dr. Morrison has found a resting place and accommodation
suitable to its scope and the intention of its founders. While the name of the "Morrison Library" is familiar enough
to most Hong Kong residents, bub few of the present generation know aught of its history, and a few details may not be uninteresting.
"It was originally opened to the public at Canton in 1838, but in consequence of the threatening aspect of ploitical affairs was in 1839 removed to acao. Thence it was transferred in 1842 to Hong Kong, when the previously imperfect catalogue was amended and corrected by the removal of works deemed unsuitable; and the private library of the Hon. J.R. Morrison (Dr. Morrison's son) having beed added to the collection, a fresh and well-arranged catalogue was issuded.
"Re-transferred to Canton, the interest at one time taken in its forturnes by the foreign community seemed to have subsided, and the books once shelved in a room at Honam, pervaded by the moist exhalations from the river, were left pretty much to take care of themselves. Few, except students of the languages or manners of China ever consulted the decaying volumes. A partial effort at renovation was, however, made; and some 1,500 volumes were neatly and strongly bound these constituting at the present day the now "useable" portion of the library.
"Again were the books transferred to Hong Kong, and unfortunately, still permitted to remain in the state in which they arrived. Unable or unwilling to undertake their repair, the trustees decided in placing the now half worm-eaten collection in air-tight cases a sensible disposition, had it not been forgotten that whole colonies of insects were enclosed with the books in cases which though air-tight, had not been exhausted, and consequently permitted the worms to flourish unmolested. Large numbers were found alive when the cases were opened, and no inconsiderable labour has been necessary to get rid of them.
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In
"The contents of the library thus, we cannot help saying, wantonly given up to decay, are surprisingly various and valuable in proportion to their number. 1845, when the last pringed catalogue was issued, a list was given of 4,140 volumes remarkably rich in language Biblical literature, georgraphy, voyages, travels and history, 438 volumes bearing exclusively on China and the Ultra-Gangetic countries. Many volumes have, however, been added to the collection since that period, of which no record is to be found in the Catalogue, and it is unfortunate that the oriental, philological, historical, and scientific sections furnish so large a proportion of the number of volumes which require renovation though
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