1935-05-04 — Page 17

1935.

KING'S VISIT TO HONGKONG

AS YOUNG NAVAL CADET

MAGNIFICENT WELCOME BY ALL SECTIONS OF COMMUNITY

In commemorating the Silver Jubilee of the reign of His Majesty King George, this Colony can claim to have a special interest, for the King visited Hongkong in his youth, and we may be sure recol- lects the occasion and retains pleasant memories of his stay of about ten days.

1

The Colony did all it could to make the young Prince George and his elder brother, Prince Albert Victor, welcome; and although they came as very junior officers on a warship-they were Midship- men on H.M.S. Bacchante and elaborate functions in their honour would have been out of place, there were frequent manifestations of loyalty and respect by all sections of the community. Hongkong right- ly felt that it had been honoured by the visit of two grandsons of Her Majesty Queen Victoria.

For data relating to that early visit, which took place at the end of 1881, we cannot do better than turn to the newspaper files of the time. The following account la extracted from various issues of the Hongkong Telegraph, which was not bohind any of its contem poraries in bidding the Royal Middies welcome..

In Its Issue of December 20, 1881, the Telegraph reported the engerly awaited arrival. We rend:

The Detached Squadron hove in sight in the Ly-ee-moun Pass shortly after noen to-day, and steaming slowly into the Turbour anchored in line outside the Iron Duke and the Victor Emanuel,"

Then follows a reference to the Princes, who were aboard ons of the ships In the squadron. Of our present King and, his brother It was stated:

HIGHLY POPULAR

Rome

"The Princes received preliminary education in the train- ing ship Britannin, and then foined the Bacchante as easels. During their first voyage to the West Indies they were promoted to the position of midshipmen, and they still occupy that rank in the Ranie vessel. In their cruise with the squadron they have mixed a good den! with the officers of all the vessels, with whom they seem to be highly popular. They have to perform their share of the actual duties of the ship. They also receive rißo and cutlass drif, and Instruction in navigation, steam and seamanship. Thoy have to mess with the midshipmen and endets in the gun-room, and according to report their birth and station have not protected them from practical jokes and the customary horse-play. Prince Albert in represented as a qulot, pleasant, and unassuming young gentleman, And hla younger brother, Prince George, as a more vivacious youth, and both as

with keen apprehension."

Princes did not come ashore until December 21, landing quietly in the afternoon, at the Naval Yard, going along past the Cricket Ground for a stroll down Queen's Road, returning along the Praya.

puph

The paper sald of them: "Wo

POST &

TELEGRAPH

learned on very good authority that there is a likelihood of the young" Princes turning up at the Race Course to witness training operations on Saturday morning. In the boller that the presence of Royalty will attract en unusually large number of patrons of aport to the Happy Valley, Taylor has Jald in extra supplies of choice Mocha and fragrant Bohen. The famous Salgon teapot Intely freshened up with a new coal of white wash will also be produced In honour of the occasion."

GOVERNMENT HOUSE BALL'

SILVER

JUBILEE SUPPLEMENT,

hardly have done themselves fustion. at an examination the day follow- Ing a ball lasting until the early hours.

CITY DECORATED

In its issue of December 23 the paper stated:

"Yesterday afternoon; in connec ion with the preparations, for the illumination of Chineso portions of the town, și curious ceremony took place at the Manmo Temple. It was that of inspiring life to the gold and silvor dragons presented. respectively, by the Butchora and The two representatives of the Fish lans of the Colony, Both the Royal House moved about strictly dragons were over a hundred and Incognito, and unfortunately nonfly feet in length, covered with opportunity was afforded residents coloured silk and painted with all of meeting them personally at a the colours of the rainbow. At grand hall at Government. House night they were lighted with given to the officers of the visiting candles. The bearers of each of function by the most brilliant and squadron on December 22, Of this them numbered over fifty, and were

It is stated: it

all dressed in costly coloured silk most successful hall ever held nt in turn taken to the Maums Temple, garments. The dragons were then Government House, was that given where the coremony of inspiring last night by His Excellency the the monsters was carried on in the Governor and Lady Hennessy to following manner: The dragons the general community, and the were Infit out in the compound while naval and military services at pre- the principal bearers paid homage sent in Hongkong, in honour of the to the Idols: this done they returned arrival of the Princes Albert Vic and carried the head of the dragon Royal Highness the Prince of tor and George, Rong of lia Into the porch. At this moment a Wales: The only regrettable cir- from the cloister with a brush and honze in yellow garments came cumstance in connection with the pot of vermillion powder and princely celebration provided by placed himself in front of the unavoidable absence of the young standers to join in, in prayers, Excellency, was the apparently principal jaws, invited the by- Princes, whose duties on board the during which he drew blood from which the Admiral deemed advisa comb; this he mixed with the Bucchante were of a character three different places in a cock's ble should not be neglected.

vermillion and wrote five claructers

fis

**⠀⠀⠀ 21 17-21 1111 13 23 13 13 12 12 12 12 11 12 13 12 112231 £115.61 CHENKE KYKSEN TY

A chief paying homage to the King-Emperor at the Coronation Durbar held at Delhi in 1911.

on two slips of yellow paper which were then pasted on the dragon's head. With the same mixture he dabbed the eyes of the dragons and the ceremony ended with the

retired, prancing with great anl- mation as they paraded Queen's Road and Praya West. On return from this preliminary trial they were lodged in the quarters provid- ed, where they remained, until dusk.

"The company was a very large and brilliant one, including the officers of the garrison, and from all the British and foreign men-of- war in the harbour-French, Ger- man, Spanish and Portuguese-aring of crackers, and the dragons members of the Consular services, the civil officers of the local Gov- ernment, and the entire general community. The whole of the lower portion of Government House was thrown open, the two large drawing rooms, affording ample space for dancing and the general "The Chinese quarters were arrangements were simply perfec- brilliantly illuminated from shortly. tion. His Excellency the Governor before seven o'clock last night until and Lady Hennessy courteously morning. Several bamboo sheds received their guests without any had been erected at various points unnecessary fuss of coremony, as for the musicians, who up till a they arrived in the ante-chamber. Inte The decorations throughout Gov ernment House were on the most :magnificent - scale. Every possible arrangement that could be devised for the comfort and convenience of guests had been provided. In a. style never before seen in Hong kong.

hour discoursed theatrical songs and musfe. All the entrances to the Public Market were illu- minated and presented a brilliant effect. The Nam Pak Hong mor chants Huminated Bonham Strand, with lamps of various descriptions, and adorned the whole of the street with garbed and illuminated pictorial grups representing theatrical, scenie, and the various stages of supposed society in the Great Unknown.

CHINESE PROCESSIONS

Dancing commenced about ten o'clock and was carried on until an early hour in the morning, the music being provided by the Bands of the French Frigate Themis and' the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.The dragons, preceded with At supper the only toast proposed lanterns, shes lighted with candles, by the Governor was the health of flags and the usual Chinese proces- the Queen Empress, which was slon paraphernalia,paraded. drunk with the usual honours, the through the streets in detachments band playing the National Anthem" hour. The three Chinese Theatres from eight o'clock up to a late

had been thoroughly washed and cleaned out, and theatrical per

Continued on Page 10.)...

Doubtless it was felt that the two Princes, who were 17 and 16 yours of age, respectively, could

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