RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1961 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/vd6724704 Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong Branch RASHKB and author Vol. 1 (1961) ISSN 1991-7295 54 as a free gift to form a reference library. The books had suffered a good deal in being constantly moved about, the number was now 3800, all of them dilapidated and 3000 were considered worth rebinding. This would cost about $3,000 but the Society had no money for this work. A despatch dated 29 December, 1863 from the acting Governor, W. T. Mercer to the Colonial Secretary quoted the Morrison Education Society's circular and asked for action.1 A City Hall containing a Library and a Museum was eventually built on the site now occupied by the Bank of China and the Hong Kong & Shanghai Banking Corporation in Queen's Road Central and adjoining Statue Square. It was opened by the Duke of Edinburgh on the 2 November, 1869 and during his tour of the building His Grace visited both the Library and the Museum. A printed catalogue of the Morrison Library was issued in 1873 by the City Hall Committee. It contains 1666 entries arranged in alphabetical order of authors or titles, editor, translator, etc., where the author is not known, only eight of which I have been able to identify as belonging formerly to the Royal Asiatic Society. The books are classified, single letters indicating the following groups :- A History. Peerages, &c. B Biographies and memoirs. C Geography including works on various countries. Travels, Voyages and Adventures, D Natural History: Ornithology. E Botany. F Atlas Gazetteers, Meteorology, Guidebooks, Geology, Metallurgy and Mineralogy. Topography. G Mechanics. H Encyclopaedias, I Commercial Statistics. International Law, Jurisprudence, J Complete Works. K Astronomy. L Chemistry. Optics. M Mathematics. N Painting, Music. Science and Art, O Medicine and Surgery. P Biblical works. Q Oriental Societies. Journals. R Classics. Dictionaries. S Novels. T Drama and poetry. U Periodical works. Directories. V Divinity. Law, Treaties and Conventions. W Miscellaneous works. A stocktaking was made in 1956 and of the 1666 titles there are now 1233 remaining (2748 volumes out of 3583). Some volumes were removed during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong and were not subsequently recovered. The condition of the books is poor. Nearly all are worm-eaten to a greater or 1 C.O.129/94, Public Records Office, London. (I am indebted to Mr. G. B. Endacott of the University of Hong Kong for supplying this reference). ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1977 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/np198x23n LIST OF MEMBERS LIFE OVERSEAS MEMBERS: ACORNE, M. J. 505 Broadway, Petaluma, California 94952, U.S.A. ARMERDING, L. E. 2222, Kalakaua Ave., Honolulu, Hawaii 96815, U.S.A. BAKER, Dr. H. D. R. School of Oriental & African Studies, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HP, England. BAKER, W. E. Old Quarry, Blackberry Road, Felcourt, East Grinstead, Sussex RH19 2HL, England. BALL, J. M. Thanya Building 11th Floor, 62 Silom Road, P.O. Box 1923, Bangkok, Thailand. BARNETT, K. M. A. "Bishops Nympton", Devonshire Avenue, Amersham, Bucks, England. BENNISON, L. L. Honam Oil Refinery Co. Ltd., C.P.O. Box 2467, Seoul, Korea. BERTUCCIOLI, Dr. G. Lungotevere delle navi 30, Rome, Italy. BLACKMORE, M. "Baytrees", Padleigh Hill, Bath BA2 9DW, Somerset, England. BLAKER, D. J. R. 80, Eaton Square, London S.W.1., England. CAPLAN, M. Memamdrou 1, Kifissia, Athens, Greece. COLLIN, P. H. 31, Teddington Park, Teddington, Middlesex, England. COSTANTINI, Mrs. G. 19, Boulevard de Montmorency, 75016 Paris, France. COSTANTINI, Dr. G. 19, Boulevard de Montmorency, 75016, Paris, France. CUMMING, Mrs. D. M. Inverwick House, Nairn, Scotland, UK. DUNCANSON, J. D. 26, Leinster Mews, London W.2., England. EWING, Miss E. 25, The Meadows, Old Portsmouth Road, Guildford, Surrey, England. FABER, Mrs. G. A. G. Inveroak, West End Lane, Stoke Poges, Bucks, England. FEHL, Prof. N. E. 685 Shawnee Drive, Nashville, Tennessee 37205, USA. GALVIN, J. A. T. Loughlinstown House, Co. Dublin, Ireland. GEORGE, T. J. B. c/o Foreign & Commonwealth Office, King Charles Street, London SW1A 2AH, England. GIEDROYC, M. J. H. 31, Richmond Way, Fetcham, Surrey, England. HAYDON, E. S. Old Castle Farm, Buckland St. Mary, Somerset, England. HENSMAN, Prof. B. St. Anne's College, Oxford, England. HILSDALE, Mrs. K. H. 1105, Armada Drive, Pasadena, California 91103, U.S.A. HOWARTH, R. H. 1585 Inlet Court, Reston, Virginia 22090, U.S.A. 245 ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1979 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/2801w5938 254 OVERSEAS LIFE MEMBERS ACORNE, Capt. Michael J., 505 Broadway, PETALUMA, California 94952, U.S.A. ARMERDING, Mr. Ludwig E., P.O. Box 1349, HONOLULU, Hawaii 96807, U.S.A. BAKER, Dr. Hugh D. R., BLACK, Sir Robert, Mapleton House, Ashampsted Common, Nr READING, Berks, ENGLAND. BLAKER, Mr. D. J. R., 80 Eaton Square, LONDON, S.W.1. ENGLAND. CAPLAN, Mr. Michael, c/o School of Oriental & African Studies, Malet Street, London, W.C1 ENGLAND. 3 Margalit Street, Haifa, ISRAEL. BAKER, Mr. William E., Old Quarry, Blackberry Road, Felcourt, EAST GRINSTEAD, Sussex RH19 2LH, ENGLAND. BALL, Mr. John M., Thanya Building, 11th Floor, 62 Silom Road, P.O. Box 1923, BANGKOK, THAILAND. BARNETT, Mr. K. M. A., "Bishops Nympton", Devonshire Avenue, AMERSHAM, Bucks, ENGLAND. BENNISON, Mr. Larry L., Honam Oil Refinery Co. Ltd, C.P.O. Box 2467, SEOUL, KOREA. BERTUCCIOLI, Dr. Giuliano, Lungotevers Delle Navi 30, ROME, ITALY, BLACKMORE, Mr. Michael, "Baytrees", Padleigh Hill, BATH, BA2 9DW, Somerset, ENGLAND. CLARKE, Rev. Cyril S., "Farthings", Highlands Avenue, UCKFIELD, Sussex, TN22 5TD., U.K., COCKELL, Miss June V., 1 Compton Court, Upper Edgeborough Road, GUILDFORD, Surrey, UNITED KINGDOM. COLLIN, Mr. P. H., 31 Teddington Park, TEDDINGTON, Middlesex, UNITED KINGDOM. COSTANTINI, Dr. Giulio, Via del Tiglio, 13, 6900 LUGANO, SWITZERLAND. COSTANTINI, Mrs. G., Via del Tiglio, 13, 6900 LUGANO, SWITZERLAND. CRANMER-BYNG, Prof. J. L., M.C., 190 Glengrove Avenue W., TORONTO, 12, CANADA. CUMMING, Mrs. Dorothy M., Orchard Cottage, Inveresk Village, By Musselburgh, EAST LOTHIAN, EH21 7TE, SCOTLAND. U.K. ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1980 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/kh04md207 NOTES AND QUERIES A HAKKA WEDDING IN HONG KONG, MAY 1979 During our visits to the market in Sai Kung, we had made the acquaintance of a lady in charge of a haberdashery shop, a Mrs. Ho and her daughter Ling. Knowing of our interest in Chinese customs and culture, they invited Josephine, myself and my husband to attend the wedding of her nephew which was to take place in their village in the Sai Kung peninsula the following Saturday. We met that morning in the market to pick up Mrs. Ho and Ling and then drove out to Tong Ha Yeung, a small village past Pak Tam Au, at 10 a.m. We arrived about 10:30 to find a feast already in progress. A row of five Hakka houses facing the main road had the area in front, which was in previous years used for drying rice, now occupied with square wooden tables with benches on four sides. Above the tables was a canvas awning supported on bamboo poles to keep off the sun, and as it turned out, the rain too. The relatives of the bride and groom, and the villagers from the surrounding 7 villages had already assembled and were in the middle of a sizeable meal of beef, pork, tripe, rice and soft drinks, eaten to the accompaniment of "Grease" played loudly on a cassette player. The food was being cooked in two huge woks which had been built into a clay brick oven with a roaring wood fire going underneath. Several men were tending the fire and cooking the food. The woks, which had been built at the entrance of the village under the awning, had been prepared yesterday, and would be dismantled tonight after the celebrations were over. Richard and I had taken great care in the choice of our clothes, knowing that certain colours are considered unlucky, such as white, the colour of mourning, and blue. ... However, no one else there, at least of the younger generation, had taken notice of this custom as most were dressed in blue jeans, white shirts or tee-shirts, etc. Of the middle-aged women like Mrs. Ho, they were wearing their best clothes, Mrs. Ho in a brown silk jacquard sam fu which had a centre front opening fastening with frogs, and a set of jade earrings, ring and bracelets. The older women were in the customary black cotton sam fu, often with an apron, and a black cotton bau tow. ¦ ! ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1991 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/k356gt84j |17 storey, basically domestic, accommodation in crowded, busy Kowloon, The eldest daughter, in the front seat of the car, carried the enlarged photograph of Mother in her 'spirit shrine' (jing tong), made from coloured paper stretched over a bamboo frame. A short ceremony was held at 'Pine Shade Hall' with two Buddhist nuns in attendance. Pine is an emblem of longevity." It frightens away evil, such as ghouls that prey on corpses. Later, a meal with three tables (about 12 people to a standard Chinese round table) was provided at a nearby restaurant. A place was filled at intervals. It was the first time relatives had eaten meat for two days. It is bad luck to return to the funeral parlour on the same day (to retrieve something left behind, say) and it is not propitious to go straight home. One should 'leave' the bad luck elsewhere. All close relatives, however, were given a piece of bright red cloth, about eight inches square, cut from the shroud. This they still keep as souvenirs. 28 Because of congestion long funeral corteges with pedestrians, some in good spirits, and close relatives and professional mourners weeping unashamedly, are no longer allowed. Up to the late 1960s when these were still common, an elaborately carved, nine-foot high funeral chair with a portrait of the deceased would lead the procession followed by the hearse.29 Large bamboo and wicker frames covered with silver and blue papers and flowers, with characters reading, for example, ‘Funeral of Wong Family', and describing the dead person's outstanding characteristics, would also be shouldered by coolies or transported on tricycles. The names of the three genial Gods of Happiness, Wealth and Longevity, Fuk, Luk and Shau, would also sometimes be displayed as would names of donors. Chinese bands, some engaged by friends to proffer condolences, played western hymns: like Abide with Me, or pop tunes such as Polly-wolly Doodle all the Day. Paper scatterers left trails for souls to find their way back home. 28 The cortege of Kwok Acheong, who died in 1880, was supposed to have taken one hour and 13 minutes to pass. The author recalls a quarter-mile long cortege in 1956, with 16 separate bands and musicians' uniforms ranging from white-waiter-style, to Salvation Army blue, to Confederate grey. The procession completed one circuit of Happy Valley before stopping at the then Colonial Cemetery gate. On such occasions newspapers recorded, "The funeral passed the Monument at such a time." ================================================================================