Chief interest in the Diocesan Female School building shown on the map, however, lies in the fact that it was also the original Diocesan Boys' School, which is explained thus: founded in 1860 only for Chinese girls, and used later for Eurasians as well, it was thrown open in 1868 to children of both sexes and any nationality, including Europeans. It was not until 1890 that a distinct girls' school was again formed, and the Diocesan Boys' School as it is known to-day came into existence. Its removal to the fine elevated site on the mainland is a matter of recent history, taking place in 1926.
The old site of St. Stephen's Church is also worth noting, on what was known as Gap Street, a thoroughfare which has since passed out of our ken. Immediately below that is Possession Point, which has already been referred to in some detail (see 25-7-33) being the place where the Colony of Hong Kong, as it afterwards came to be termed, was taken possession of by the naval landing party under Commodore Bremer on January 26, 1841, though an "unofficial" landing took place at this spot, termed in the old chronicles "Possession Mount" the previous day, January 25, when Her Majesty Queen Victoria's health was drunk with three cheers. As already stated, it seems a pity that no definite memorial marks the spot.
The various old markets are worth noting; their history might be dealt with briefly in a future note.
The location of the old Harbour Office also merits further comment; as does the Mohammedan Cemetery. The significance of Pound Lane and Castle Road, and the very name of Taipingshan district itself, deserve to be considered as fully as possible.
I find that the name indicated in Rutter Street, shown on this map, has not yet been noted. It commemorates Mr. Henry Rutter, an exchange broker of those days, and a well-known figure in the Colony. I quote the following from a contemporary record of May 1856, referring to Mr. Rutter's "Calculations of Exchanges between England, India and China";
"The work gives considerable information in a condensed form, and will, we doubt not, be much appreciated by all in the China trade, both here and at home. The Comparative Tables of Exchange between Canton and Shanghae - of Rupees and Sterling - are particularly well adapted to the requirements of the Mercantile Community, and are, we believe, the first of the kind that have been compiled and published."
It was stated in yesterday's comments that something might be given about the markets shown on the map of the west-central district of Victoria City sixty years ago. We find the Western Market and Taipingshan market, the former of which is in use to-day, while the latter has gone out of existence. The roadway running past the old Taipingshan market, named Market Street, has also lost this designation, the area being now Po Hing Fong. It will be recalled that a serious collapse occurred here in the summer of 1925, following heavy rains, when a retaining wall gave way and the high bank demolished a row of houses, many Chinese losing their lives.
20.
Chief interest in the Diocesan Female School building shown on the map, however, lies in the fact that it was also the original Diocesan Boys' School, which is explained thus: founded in 1860 only for Chinese girls, and used lauer for Eurasians as well, it was thrown open in 1868 to children of both sexes and any nationality, including Europ- eans. It was not until 1890 that a distinct girls' school was again formed, and the Diocesan Boys' School as it is known to-day came into existence. Its removal to the fine elevated site on the mainland is a matter of recent history, taking place in 1926.
The old site of St. Stephen's Church is also worth noting, on what was known as Gap Street, a thoroughfare which has since passed out of our ken. Immediately below that is Possession Point, which has already been referred to in some detail (see 25-7-33) being the place where the Colony of Hong kong, as it afterwards came to be termed, was taken possession of by the naval landing party under Commodore Bremer on January 26, 1841, though an "unofficial" landing took place at this spot, termed in the old chronicles "Possession Mount" the previous day, January 25, when Her Majesty Queen Victoria's health was drunk with three cheers. As already stated, it `seems a pity that no definite memorial marks the spot.
The various old markets are worth noting; their history might be dealt with briefly in a future note.
The location of the old Harbour Office also merits further comment; as does the Mohammedan Cemetery. The significance of Pound Lane and Castle Road, and the very name of Taipingshan district itself, deserve to be considered as fully as possible.
I find that the name indicated in Rutter Street, shown on this map, has not yet been noted. It commemorates Mr. Henry Rutter, an exchange broker of those days, and a well known figure in the Colony. I quote the following from a contemporary record of May 1856, referring to Mr. Rutter's "Calculations of Exchanges between England, India and China";
骨
"The work gives considerable information in a condensed form, and will, we doubt not, be much appreciated by all in the China trade, both here and at home. The Comparative Tables of Exchange between Canton and Shanghae - of Rupees and Sterling - are particularly well adapted to the require- ments of the Mercantile Community, and are, we believe, the first of the kind that have been compiled and published."
It was stated in yesterday's comments that something might be given about the markets shown on the map of the west- central district of Victoria City sixty years ago. We find the Western Market and Taipingshan market, the former of which is in use to-day, while the latter has gone out of existence. The roadway running past the old Taipingshan market, named Market Street, has also lost this designation, the area being now Po Hing Fong. It will be recalled that a serious collapse occurred here in the summer of 1925, following heavy rains, when a retaining wall gave way and the high bank demolished a row of houses, many Chinese losing their lives.
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