383
2*
"Heung kong" is popularly supposed to mean "Fragrant Steams," but the origin of the name is subject to much argument, and probably will never be settled definitely.
The name was first spelt Hong Kong, but an official proclamation in June, 1843, made it one word, Hongkong. It was only a few years ago that the two-worded name "Hong Kong" was officially re-adopted. It is also worth noting that the city was originally known as Queenstown, but was changed to Victoria by the same proclamation of 1843.
There was a brief reference yesterday (24-7-33) to the reclamation work which gave the city the area of seafront from Des Voeux Road Central to the Praya wall. Further reclamations on a smaller scale were also made a long time ago in the East Point neighbourhood, and the big Praya East (Wanchai) reclamation is a matter of recent history, having been begun about twelve years ago and completed a few years back, the area being still under development. It is of great interest, therefore, to visualise the harbour coastline as it was in the early days of the Colony, and for this purpose a reproduction is given, on this page, of the seashore as it appeared in 1843-4. The reproduction is from an old map, completed in 1844, and the sparse nature of the city, with its narrow belt of flat land at the foot of the hillside, is well indicated.
The line of coast should be compared with a modern map of the harbour, and the differences caused by the reclamations in the neighbourhood of what we now know is Kennedy Town, the central Praya, Wanchai, and East Point up to Quarry Bay, will be seen immediately. Several of the names in this old map are of great historical interest, and are worthy of explanation.
4
To begin with we have Possession Point. As might be surmised, this is held to mark the exact spot where the British officials landed when they took formal possession of Hongkong as a territory of the Crown. The point is not definitely marked and it is worth marking, if with nothing more than an inscribed granite slab in a small concrete monolith. The suggestion is passed on to those whose concern it really is. However, the ordinary man-in-the-street can easily arrive at the approximate spot where the landing took place; it may be assumed, as we know nothing of a pier, that the officials landed on the beach that fringed the seafront in those days. The guide we still have to this interesting point is the roadway known as Possession Street, running from Queen's Road Central up to Hollywood Road. It probably marks at its lower end, now crossed by Queen's Road, the place where that historic landing took place.
Then there is Sulphur Channel. Many people nowadays who take the trouble to think of such things will probably wonder how it came to be named. Perhaps someone might even be wondering whether there is any suggestion of volcanic springs in the neighbourhood! Actually, it is named after H.M.S. Sulphur, which was the warship on which, in 1841, Captain Belcher, R.N., carried out the first survey of Hong Kong Harbour, on which the old map reproduced today was based.
383
2*
"Heung; kong" is popularly supposed to mean "Fragrant Steams," but the origin of the name is subject to much argument, and probably will never be settled definitely.
The name was first spelt Hong Kong, but an official proclamation in June, 1843, made it one word, Hongkong. It was only a few years ago that the two worded name "Hong Kong" was officially re-adopted. It is also worth noting that the city was originally known as Queenstown, but was changed to Victoria by the same proclamation of .1843.
There was a brief reference yesterday (24-7-33) to the reclamation work which gave the city the area of seafront from Des Voeux Road Central to the Praya wall. Further reclamations on a smaller scale were also made a long time ago in the East Point neighbourhood, and the big Praya East (Wanchai) reclamation is a matter of recent history, having been begun about twelve years ago and completed a few years back, the area being still under development. It is of great interest, therefore, to visualise the harbour coastline as it was in the early days of the Colony, and for this purpose a reproduction is given, on this page, of the seashore as it appeared in 1843-4. The reproduction is from an old nap, completed in 1844, and the sparse nature of the city, with its narrow belt of flat land at the foot of the hillside, is well indicated.
The line of coast should be compared with a modern map of the harbour, and the differences caused by the reclamations in the neighbourhood of what we now know is Kennedy Town, the central Praya, Wanchai, and East Point up to Quarry Bay, will be seen immediately. Several of the names in this old map are of great historial interest, and are worthy of explanation.
4
To begin with we have Possession Point. As night be surmissed, this is held to mark the exact spot where the British officials landed when they took formal possession of Hongkong as a territory of the Crown. The point is not definitely marked and it is worth marking, if with nothing more than an inscribed granite slab in a small concrete monolith. The suggestion is passed on to those whose concern it really is. However, the ordinary man-in-the-street can easily arrive at the approximate spot where the landing took place it may be assumed, as we know nothing of a pier, that the officials landed on the beach that fringed the seafront in those days. The guide we still have to this interesting point is the roadway known as Possession Street, running from Queen's Road Central up to Hollywood Road. It probably marks at its lower end, now crossed by Queen's Road, the place where that historic landing took place.
Then there is Sulphur Channel. Many people nowadays who take the trouble to think of such things will probably wonder how it came to be named. Perhaps someone might even be wondering whether there is any suggestion of volcanic springs in the neighbourhood! Actually, it is named after H.M.S. Sulphur, which was the warship on which, in 1841. Captain Belcher, R.N., carried out the first survey of Hong Kong Harbour, on which the old map reproduced topday was based.
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