ECHOES OF 1859
43-WHY VICTORIA COULD NEVER GROW AND PROSPER!
(Yesterday we gave an account of the mischief caused to Governor Davis in Hongkong by a former Colonial treasurer, Mr. Montgomery Martin, who forwarded some "observations" on Hongkong to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Below is the continuation of the article).
Now for a few extracts from the enlightened, impartial, patriotic "observations". In physical aspect the island is described "as rising abruptly from the ocean; particularly on the North face there are a few narrow valleys and deep ravines, through which the sea occasionally bursts, or which serve as conduits for the mountain torrents; but on the North side of the island, especially where the town of Victoria is built, the rocky ridge approaches close to the sea, and it was only by hewing through the ridge that a street or road could be made to connect the straggling town of Victoria. Here and there on the tops of some hills, or along the precipitous slopes of the mountains, some houses have been constructed; but the rugged, broken and abrupt precipices, and deep rocky ravines, will ever effectually prevent the formation, at Victoria, of any concentrated town, adapted for mutual protection, cleanliness and comfort.
"After heavy rains the hills assume somewhat of a greenish hue, like a decayed Stilton Cheese - the mountain cops and sides presenting the appearance of a negro streaked with leprosy."
2
The Geological characteristics of the Island contain the following:- "The structure may be briefly described as consisting of decomposed coarse granite, intermixed with a red disintegrating Sandstone (1) crumbling into a stiff ferruginous looking Clay (11). Here and there are huge boulder stones which gunpowder will not blast. The granite is rotten and passing into a putrescent state, as evidenced from the crumbling of the apparently solid rock beneath the touch, and from the loathsome vapour which it yields when the sun strikes fervidly on it after rain. This strata quickly absorbs any quantity of rain which it returns to the surface in the nature of a pestiferous mineral gas. Vast quantities of silt from the hills are being deposited along the shores of the Harbour, which, owing to this circumstance and the rapid receding of the tide from this Coast, is becoming shallower every day. The greater extent of the bay has only four or five fathoms, and in the depth of the stream there is only six to seven. In no great interval of time the harbour of Hongkong will be too shallow in many places for large vessels.
As for the Climate, Mr. Martin's "observation" runs to the effect that "in the interval of rain, the vertical sun acts as an intense evaporating power, and a noxious steam or vapour rises from the fetid soil, yielding a gas of a most sickly and deleterious nature" which he describes can only be equalled on the coast of Africa, whilst at Macao, only forty miles West of Hongkong, Europeans may walk about the whole day in the month of July, when to do so at Hongkong would be attended with almost certain death. Neither Sepoys nor Chinese can endure the climate even so well as Europeans, whose stamina they do not possess. The Chinese deem it dangerous to experiment to prolong their abode in the island beyond a certain time."
45!
ECHOES OF 1859
43-WHY VICTORIA COULD NEVER GROW AND PROSPER!
(Yesterday we gave an account of the mischief caused to Governor Davis in Hongkong by a former Colonial treasurer, Mr. Montgomery Martin, who forwarded some "observations" on Hongkong to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Below is the continuation of the article).
Now for a few extracts from the enlightened, impartial,. patriotic "observations". In physical aspect the island is described "as rising abruptly from the ocean particularly on the North face there are a few narrow valleys and deep ravines, through which the sea occasionally bursts, or which serve as conduits for the mountain torrents; but on the North side of the island, especially where the town of Victoria is built, the rocky ridge approaches close to the sea, and it was only by hewing through the ridge that a street or road could be made to connect the straggling town of Victoria. Here and there on the tops of some hills, or along the prepicitous slopes of the mountains, some houses have been constructed; but the rugged, broken and abrupt precipices, and deep rocky ravines, will ever effectually prevent the formation, at Victoria of any con- centrated town, adapted for mutual protection, cleanliness and comfort.
"After heavy rains the hills assume somewhat of a greenish hue, like a decayed Stilton Cheese - the mountain cops and sides presenting the appearance of a negro streaked
ith leprosy."
2
The Geological characterics of the Island contain the ollowing:- "The structure may be briefly described as consisting of decomposed coarse granite, intermixed with a red disintegrating Sandstone (1) erumbling into a stiff ferruginous looking Clay (11). Here and there are huge boulder stones which gunpowder will not blast. The granite is rotten and passing line dead animal and vegetable substances into a putrescent state, is evidenced from the crumbling of The apparently solid rock beneath the touch, and from the Loisome vapour which it yields when the sun strikes fervidly ʼn it after rain. This strata quickly absorbs any quantity ? rain which it returns to the surface in the nature of a pestiferous mineral gas. Vast quantities of silt from the hills are being deposited along the shores of the Harbour, which owing to this circumstance and the rapid receding of the tide from this Coast, is becoming shallower every day. The greater extent of the bay has only four or five fathoms, and in the depth of the, stream there is only six to seven. In no great interval of time the harbour of Hongkong will be coo shallow in many places for large vessels.
As for the Climate, Mr. Martin's "observation" runs to he effect that "in the interval of rain, the vertical sum acts as an intense evaporating power, and a noxious steam or vapour rises from the fetid soil, yielding a gas of a most sickly and deleterious nature" which he describes can only be equalled on the coast of Africa, whilst at Macao, only forty miles West of Hongkong, Europeans may walk about the
hole day in the month of July, when to do so at Hongkong would be attended with almost certain death. Neither Sepoys nor Chinese can endure the climate even so well as Europeans, whose stamina they do not possess. The Chinese deem it dangerous to experiment to prolong their abode in the island beyond a certain time."
45!
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