Captain Sir Edward Belcher, K.C.B., in fact, has left us the only actual record of the landing and taking over of the Colony in the name of the Queen. He wrote a narrative of a voyage round the world performed by H.M.S. Sulphur in the years 1836-1842, which was published by the Admiralty, and his description of the landing at Hongkong, though brief, and apparently considered by him as "all in the day's work", is a pithy summary and of the greatest historical interest. He says in part:
"On the return of the Commodore (to Macao) on the 24th (of January, 1841) we were directed to proceed to Hongkong, and commence its survey. We landed on Monday, the 25th, 1841, at fifteen minutes past eight a.m., and being the bona fide first possessors, Her Majesty's health was drunk with three cheers on Possession Mount. On the 26th, the squadron arrived; the marines were landed, the Union hoisted on our post, and formal possession taken of the island, by Commodore Sir J.J.G. Bremer, accompanied by the other officers of the squadron, under a feu-de-joie from the other marines, and a royal salute from the ships of war.
And Hongkong to-day, 92 years after that event, has not even a stone to mark the occasion. Captain Belcher, however, is commemorated in Belcher's Street, near Belcher's Fort, at West Point, which is one of the oldest military posts in the Colony. In the old map the area is marked as the "West Point Barrack." There is still a Belcher's Bay, just beyond the Kennedy Town hospital. But Sir J. Bremer is entirely uncommemorated!
One or two other interesting points in this old map are worth noting. It will be seen that Queen's Road runs from West Point (opposite what is called Navy Bay) to East Point district (called Point Albert). What we now know as Kellett Island was then called Hong-heong, and possibly points to the origin of the name "Hongkong."
The place marked "Wongnychong" in the map is well to the east of the actual Wongneichong: it appears to have been given incorrectly to the hill where the Taikoo reservoir is now located, above North Point.
Kellett Island (and Kellett Bank) are called after Commander H. Kellett, of the schooner Starling, one of the British warships in these waters in the early Forties. The schooner is perpetuated in Starling Inlet, running in to Shau Tak Kok, near the border of the New Territories. The Commander afterwards became Vice-Admiral Sir H. Kellett, and is also commemorated in Mount Kellett.
In the map Mount Gough is shown, and this perpetuates the memory of the first G.O.C., Major General Sir Hugh Gough.
The naming of Queen's Road, the first highway in the Colony, is also of much interest. The original Chinese name was Kwan tai lou, the literal meaning of which is "petticoat string road", owing to the fancied resemblance of the track to the girdle with which the Chinese women (the labouring class women even to-day) tie their waists. It is not difficult to visualise the Peak as the woman and the road as her girdle, if one makes allowance for Chinese fancy.
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Captain Sir Edward Belcher, K.C.B., in fact, has left us the only actual record of the landing and taking over of the Colony in the name of the Queen." He wrote a narrative of a voyage round the world performed by H.M.S. Sulphur in the years 1836-1842, which was published by the admiralty, and his description of the landing and taking over of the Colony in the name of the Queen. He wrote a narrative of a voyage round the world performed by H..S. Sulphur in the years 1836-1842, which was published by the Admiralty, and his description of the landing at Hongkong, though brief, and apparently considered by him as "all in the day's work", is a pithy summary and of the greatest historical interest. He says in part:
"On the return of the Commodore (to Macao) on the 24th. (of January, 1841) we were directed to proceed to Hongkong, and commence its survey. We landed on Monday, the 25th., 1841, at fifteen minutes past eight a.m., and being the bona fide first possessors, Her Majesty's health was drank (sic) with three cheers on Possession Mount. On the 26th. the squadron arrived; the marines were landed, the union (sic) hoisted on our post, and formal possession taken of the island, by Commodore Sir J.J. G. Bremer, accomapnied by the other officers of the squadron, under a feu-de-joie from the other marines, and a royal salute from the ships of war. 11
And Hongkong to-day, 92 years after that event, has not even a stone to mark the occasion. Captain Belcher, however, is commemorated in Belcher's Street, near Belcher's Fort, at West Point, which is one of the oldest military posts in the Colony. In the old map the area is marked as the "West Point Barrack." There is still a Belcher's Bay, just beyond the kennedy Town hospital. But Sir J. Bremer is entirely uncommemorated!
One or two other interesting points in this old map are worth noting. It will be seen that Queen's Road runs from West Point Topposite what is called Navy Bay) to East Point district (called Point Albert). What we now know as hellett Is- land was then called Hong-heong, and possibly points to the origin of the name "Hongkong."
The place marked "Wongnychong" in the map is well to the east of the actual Wongneichong: it appears to have been given incorrectly to the hill where the Taikoo reservoir is now located, above North Point.
Kellett Island (and Kellett Bank) are called after Commander H. Kellett, of the schooner Starling, one of the British warships in these waters in the early Forties. The schooner is perpetuated in Starling Inlet, running in to Shautakok, near the border of the New Territories. The Commander afterwards became Vice-Admiral Sir H. hellett, and is also, commemorated in Mount kellett.
In the map Mount Gough is shown, and this perpetuates the memory of the first G.0.0., Major General Sir Hugh Gough.
The naming of Queen's Road, the first highway in the Colony, is also of much interest. The original Chinese hame was Kwan tai lou, the literal meaning of which is #petticoat string road," owing to the fancied resemblance of the track to the girdle with which the Chinese women the labouring class women even to-day tie their waists. It is not difficult to visualise the Peak as the woman and the road as her girdle, if one makes allowance for Chinese fancy
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