NOTES AND QUERIES
159
Nothing is known of the buildings themselves in 1842 but in the following year there was further activity on the site, partly to provide a roof for the Chinese Imperial Commissioner, Keying during his visit in the summer of that year. In April 1843, Woosnam (Pottinger's secretary) requested Gordon to draw up plans for a new Government House which would serve as temporary accommodation until Hong Kong's future was settled (ratifications of the Treaty of Nanking had not at that time been exchanged and it was thought locally that Hong Kong would be given up if they were not; in fact, the Colonial Office was disposed to treat the Colony as belonging to the Crown by right of conquest). The accommodation was to consist of two bungalows, one of three rooms and the other of four bedrooms. Gordon's return of his departmental expenditure reveals that he cut a site "for the residence of the head of the Government," built a carriage road to "Government House," and built a bungalow without offices.
8
These buildings must be those which appear on both the maps referred to, along with earlier structures. But, though this conclusion seems beyond doubt, Sayer attempts to identify these buildings with another structure altogether: the Albany. He quotes a description of Government Hill given in the Chinese Repository which says that Government House was "further westward and higher up the hill" than Johnston's House. Sayer "unhesitatingly" identifies the reference with the Albany, a building which used to stand within the area of the Botanical Gardens at the foot of Old Peak Road. It was erected in 1843-1844 as a residence for Government servants at a reasonable rental at a time when rents on the open market were extremely high. There is no record of the Albany ever having been used for anything other than residential purposes. In view of the undoubted presence of other buildings in a place consistent with the description, it is difficult to see why Sayer confused them with the Albany.
But what of the established fact of Governor Davis's residence in Johnston's house? There is positive evidence that Johnston's house was so used: there is on record a letter from Pottinger to Johnston concerning its hire during the latter's absence on leave,10 and Martin, sometime Colonial Treasurer in Hong Kong and the Colony's most virulent critic, made a specific point of the expenditure on renting the house for the Governor. Some years later, the Friend of China commented acidly that "the Governor, if he has
NOTES AND QUERIES
159
Nothing is known of the buildings themselves in 1842 but in the following year there was further activity on the site, partly to provide a roof for the Chinese Imperial Commissioner, Keying during his visit in the summer of that year. In April 1843, Woos- nam (Pottinger's secretary) requested Gordon to draw up plans for a new Government House which would serve as temporary ac- comodation until Hong Kong's future was settled (ratifications of the Treaty of Nanking had not at that time been exchanged and it was thought locally that Hong Kong would be given up if they were not in fact, the Colonia! Office was disposed to treat the Colony as belonging to the Crown by right of conquest). The ac- comodation was to consist of two bungalows, one of three rooms and the other of four bedrooms. Gordon's return of his depart- mental expenditure reveals that he cut a site "for the residence of the head of the Government," built a carriage road to "Government House," and built a bungalow without offices.
8
These buildings must be those which appear on both the maps referred to, along with earlier structures. But, though this con- clusion seems beyond doubt, Sayer attempts to identify these build- ings with another structure altogether: the Albany. He quotes a description of Government Hill given in the Chinese Repository which says that Government House was "further westward and higher up the hill" than Johnston's House. Sayer "unhesitatingly” identifies the reference with the Albany, a building which used to stand within the area of the Botanical Gardens at the foot of Old Peak Road. It was erected in 1843-1844 as a residence for Govern- ment servants at a reasonable renta! at a time when rents on the open market were extremely high. There is no record of the Al- bany ever having been used for anything other than residential pur- poses. In view of the undoubted presence of other buildings in a place consistent with the description, it is difficult to see why Sayer confused them with the Albany.
But what of the established fact of Governor Davis's residence in Johnston's house? There is positive evidence that Johnston's house was so used: there is on record a letter from Pottinger to Johnston concerning its hire during the latter's absence on leave,10 and Martin, sometime Colonial Treasurer in Hong Kong and the Colony's most virulent critic, made a specific point of the expendi- ture on renting the house for the Governor. Some years later, the Friend of China commented acidly that "the Governor, if he has
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