"The new town of Victoria is situated on the north side of the island, along the shores of this splendid bay, with the mountain chain rising precipitously and majestically behind it. When viewed from the sea in 1843, it had a curious and irregular appearance; but as the plan of the town becomes more developed, and better houses are built, it will really be a very pretty little place. When I left China, at the end of December, 1845, it had made most rapid progress; houses and even new streets had arisen, as if by magic. Some noble government buildings were nearly completed, to be used as barracks for the soldiers; excellent and substantial houses were erected, or in the course of erection, for the merchants; and a large Chinese town had been built to the westward, for the principal part of the Chinese population. A beautiful road, called the Queen's Road, has been formed along the shore for several miles; and this was lined with excellent houses, and many very good shops....The bazaar or market is also a most excellent one.
Fortune gives a very early use of the name Happy Valley. He continues: "There is very little flat ground on the Island capable of being brought under cultivation, indeed the only tract of any extent is the "Wang-Nai Chung," or as the English call it, the "Happy Valley," about two miles east from the town; and even that is not more than twenty or thirty acres in extent.
He comments at some length on the usual topics of scenery and climate. Then, unprophetically enough, he declares that he fears Hongkong would prove a failure as a place of trade. In those days of shallow draft ships, the importance of a deep-water harbour had not been realised, nor perhaps the considerable value of continued security; though, significantly enough, Fortune ends his discussion with a reference to the fact that, for the Britons trading here, "it is of no little importance to know that their lives and property are safe under the British flag....
And so we find it still, ninety years afterwards.
2.
}
new
"The new town of Victoria is situated on the north side of the island, along the shores of this splendid bay, with the mountain chain rising precipitously and majestically behind it. When viewed from the sea in 1843, it had a curious and irregular appearance; but as the plan of the town becomes more developed, and better houses are built, it will really be a very pretty little place. When I left China, at the end of December, 1845, it had made most rapid progress; houses and even new streets had arisen, as if by magic. Some noble government buildings were nearly completed, to be used as barracks for the soldiers; excellent and substantial houses were erected, or in the course of erection, for the merchants; and a large Chinese town had been built to the westward, for the principal part of the Chinese population. A beautiful road, called the Queen's Road, has been formed along the shore for several miles; and this was lined with excellent houses, and many very good shops....The bazaar or market is also a most excellent one..
Fortune gives a very early use of the name Happy Valley. He continues: "There is very little flat ground on the Island capable of being brought under cultivation, indeed the only tract of any extent is the "Wang-Nai Chung," or as the English call it, the "Happy Valley," about two miles east from the town; and even that is not more than twenty or thirty acres in extent.
體
"
he comments at some length on the usual topics of scenery and climate. Then, unprophetically enough, he declares that he fears Hongkong would prove a failure as a place of trade. In those days of shallow draft ships, the importance of a deep-water harbour had not been realised, nor perhaps the considerable value of continued security; though, significantly enough, Fortune ends his discussion with a reference to the fact that, for the Britons trading here, "it is of no little importance to know that their lives and property are safe under the British flag....
And so we find it still, ninety years afterwards.
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