BUILDINGS (7)
Continuation.
This building mania received a check from the Government refusing all further grants of land, until they should receive the sanction from home for so doing, as it yet remained to be proved whether or no it would be politic in us to retain this island; a subject upon which many conversant with the state of affairs materially differed in opinion.
It struck me at that time, and the circumstances have since borne me out, that we should never again relinquish this little spot, for however adverse our Government might be to any territorial aggrandizement, it seemed perfectly requisite for us, to possess some portion of land, neighbouring the continent, where our town laws should be enforced, free from the chicanery and grasping insolence of the mandarins, and which, in case of any future trouble might act as a place of refuge to our shipping, and a secure retreat to our authorities, until such force should arrive as would compel the Chinese authorities to respect the laws of civilized nations.
But disease chiefly malarial fever took a hand as well. Mr. Henry Charles Sirr, who was the first barrister to practise in Hongkong, arrived here on June 1, 1844, and in his book "China and the Chinese" published in 1849, he endeavoured to show and prove Hongkong to be an unhealthy, pestilential, barren rock, whilst Chu-san is both productive and salubrious, and from its geographical position, it would be most eligible and advantageous for our political and commercial interests to obtain the latter for a British Colony.
After describing Happy Valley, as one of the most picturesque portions of the island, the author declared:- "Alas! sickness and death lurk amid this picturesque scenery, for the exhalations arising from the water produce fever and ague, which too frequently terminate fatally, and some individuals attracted by the beauty of the scenery, erected some apparently desirable residences, the successive inhabitants of each of these were seized with fever and died. The goodly dwellings are now all deserted and falling into decay. Doors and venetian blinds are dropping off their hinges, whilst rank tropical weeds are springing up in what had been laid out as flower gardens, the withering sense of desolation and death, which flickers before the mental vision of the spectator is overpowering, when he gazes on those tenantless dwellings.
This fever drove the first European settlers away from Happy Valley. On the hillside near the top end of the valley had been erected between 1841 and 1844, a number of bungalows, which the old chronicles tell us were mainly of timber on brick foundations, but had thatched roofs.
As a result of this scourge, the Government shortly afterwards had the Wongneichong Valley drained, the planting of rice there was forbidden (it had been full of rice-fields) and thus the beginning of our present race course came into being.
Page 88
BUILDINGS (7)
Continuation.
This building mania received a check from the Government refusing all further grants of land, until they should receive the sanction from home for so doing, as it yet remained to be proved whether or no it would be politic in us to retain this island; a subject upon which many conversant with the state of affairs materially differed in opinion.
* It struck me at that time, and the circumstances have since borne me out, that we should never again relinquish this little spot, for however adverse our Evernment might be to any territorial aggrandizement, it seemed perfectly requisite for us, to possess some portion of land, neighbouring the continent, where our town laws should be enforced, free from the chicanery and grasping insolence of the mandarins, and which, in case of any future trouble might act as a place of refuge to our shipping, and a secure retreat to our authorities, vatil such force should arrive as would compel the Chinese authorities to respect the laws of civilized nations.
#
But disease chiefly malarial fever took a hand as well. Mr. Henry Charles Sirr, who was the first barrister to practise in Hongkong, arrived here on June 1, 1844, and in his book " China and the Chinese pu- blished in 1849, he endeavoured" to show and prove Hongkong to be an unhealthy, pestilential, barren rock, whilst Chu-san is both productive and salubrious, and from its geographical position, it would be most eligible and advantageous for our political and commercial inte- rests to obtain the latter for a British Colony. "
After describing Happy Valley, as one of the most picturesque portions of the island, the author declared:- "Alas I sickness and death lurk amid this picturesque scenery, for the exhalations arising from the water pro- duce fever and ague, which too frequently terminate fatal- ly, and some individuals attracted by the beauty of the scenery, erected some apparently desirable residences, the successive inhabitants of each of these were seized with fever and died. The goodly dwellings are now all deserted and falling into decay. doors and venetian blinds are dropping off their hinges, whilst rank tro- pical weeds are springing up in what had been laid out as flower gardens, the withering sense of desolation and death, which flickers before the mental vision of the spectator is over powering, when he gazes on those te- nantless dwellings. #
This feverd rove the first European settlers away from Happy Valley. On the hillside near the top end of the valley had been erected between 1841 and 1844, a number of bungalows, which the old chronicles tell us were mainly of timber on brick foundations, but had thatched roofs.
As a result of this scourge, the Government shortly afterwards had the Wongneichong Valley drained, the plant- ing of rice there was forbidden ( it had been full of rice-fields) and thus the beginning of our present race course came into b'eing.
88
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