POPULATION
(Contd.)
instance) who must have formed the fisherfolk (and pirates) of early Hong Kong.
The dialect of the Stanley villagers is Punti.
L822
It has been mentioned in this column from time to time that there was a large influx of Chinese from Canton when the Colony was founded. These were welcomed, and helped to form the Colony; they were merchants, tradesmen, and artisans; and within a few years were building fine big stone and brick houses, making roads, and supplying bread, footwear, and clothing (though one old commentator complains of the execrable cut the tailors gave him) to the foreign residents. The eastern part of the town, known as the Bazaar, was largely given over to Chinese shops.
But this did not imply that the authorities welcomed everyone with open arms, nor that there was plenty of land to be given away for nothing: the chronicles show us that the Government took steps early in 1844 to disperse squatters who erected temporary buildings without permission. It was intimated that as a large number of Chinese had settled along Queen's Road and other parts of the waterfront and erected matsheds and wooden houses without permission, and without paying rent to the Crown, the Surveyor General had been instructed to give them notice to remove themselves and their structures within a reasonable time, otherwise they would be evicted.
Since then, the problem of squatters has gone beyond the city limits, and remains a bugbear of the Land Office in most of the Colony's suburban areas.
In a brief survey of the various types of Chinese who have settled in the Colony from time to time, reference was made to the Puntis, Hakkas, and Hoklos. (See 15-8-33). One section of the Chinese population that deserves special mention, however, is that comprising the Tan-ka, or boat people, the so-called sea gypsies of South China. It may not be generally realised that these humble people were largely instrumental in aiding the British to consolidate their founding of the Colony of Hong Kong. The Tan-ka have a most interesting history, and their exclusion from the true Chinese clans, and restrictions imposed on them almost from time immemorial, have tended to keep them together. Compelled to adopt and retain a maritime life, they have for generations been born, married, and died on their ancestral boats, so to speak, and their burial customs have also been necessarily of a somewhat primitive nature. About eight years ago, I witnessed a burial off Chinese territory, just across the border at Shautokok: the coffin was brought by boat, carried ashore, placed in a shallow grave not far above high-water mark, incantations were said, joss-sticks were burned, a packet of crackers was fired, and the wailing female relatives departed, after a few minutes, the way they had come.
Last week, this paper published a resume of a lecture delivered at Canton by a learned Chinese, who dealt with the Tan-ka. Speaking particularly of the group of these people on the upper reaches of the Pearl River, he traced their efforts to found colonies ashore, despite the opposition born of the rooted tradition that these water gypsies must stay afloat. He pointed out that the Tanka people have been able to survive and remain intact as a racial, cultural group because they have been left severely alone by the Government and by the land people; they have remained to this day a distinct anthropological unit and have been free to develop according to their genius. As a group, their endurance, health, and physical strength are much above the average city residents. Their vitality and perhaps also their fecundity enable them to hold their own, whereas
POPULATION
(Contd.)
instance) who must have formed the fisherfolk ( and pirates) of early Hong Kong.
The dialect of the Stanley villagers is Punti.
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L
822
It has been mentioned in this column from time to time that there was a large influx of Chinese from Canton when the Colony was founded. These were welcomed, and helped to form the Colony they were merchants, tradesmen and artisans; and within a few years were building fine big stone and brick houses, making roads and supplying bread, footwear and clothing (though one old commentator complains of the execrable cut the tailors gave him) to the foreign residents. The eastern part of the town, known as the Bazaar, was largely given over to Chinese shops.
*
*
*
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But this did not imply that the authorities welcomed eceryone with open arms, not that there was plently of land to be given away for nothing: the chronicles show us that the Government took steps early in 1844 to disperse squatters who erected temporary buildings without permission. It was in- timated that as a large number of Chinese had settled along Queen's Road and other parts of the waterfront and erected matsheds and wooden houses without premission, and without paying rent to the Crown, the Surveyor General had been instructed to give them notice to remove themselves and their structures within a reasonable time otherwise they would be evicted.
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Since then the problem of squatters has gone beyond the city limits, and remains a bugbear of the Land Office in most of the Colony's suburban areas.
In a brief survey of the various types of Chinese who have settled in the Colony from time to time, reference was made to the Puntis, Hakkas and Hoklos. (See 15-8-33). One section of the Chinese population that deserves special mention, however, is that comprising the Tan-ka, or boat people, the so-called sea gypsies of South China. It may not be generally realised that these humble people were largely instrumental in aiding the British to consolidate their founding of the Colony of Hong Kong. The Tan-ka have a most interesting history, and their exclusion from the true Chinese clans, and restrictions imposed on them almost from time immemorial have tended to keep them together. Compelled to adopt and retain a maritime life, they have for generations been born, married and have died on their ancestral boats, 30 to speak, and their burial. customs have also been necessarily of a somewhat primitive nature. About eight years ago I witnessed a burial off Chinese territory, just across the border at Shautokok: the coffin was brought by boat, carried ashore, placed in a shallow grave not far above high-water mark, incantations were said, joss-sticks were burned, a packet of crackers was fired, and the wailing female relatives departed, after a few minutes, the way they had come.
Last week this paper published a resume of a lecture delivered at Canton by a learned Chinese, who dealt with the tan-ka. Speaking particularly of the group of these people on the upper reaches of the Pearl River, he traced their efforts to found colonies ashore, despite the opposition born of the rooted tradition that these water gypsies must stay afloat. He pointed out that the Tanka people have been able to survive and remain inact as a rucial, cultural group because they have been left severely alone by the Government and by the land people. they have remained to this day a distinct anthropological unit and have been free to develop according to their genius. As a group their endurance, health and physical strength are much above the average city residents. Their vitality and perhaps also their fecundity enable them to hold their own, whereas
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