﻿225 



HONFLEUR. 



HORSHAM. 



2ie 



HONFLEUR. [Calvados.] 



HONG KONG ia one of the group of rocky islands situated at the 

 mouth of the Canton River, about 37 miles from Macao, and 100 

 miles from Canton, in 22° 12' N. lat., 114° 13' E. long. The island ia 

 separated from the mainland of China by a narrow strait, which 

 varies in width from less than a mile to 4 or 5 miles. The length of 

 the island from east to west is about 8 miles ; its breadth varies from 

 2 to 6 miles. The coast-line forms a succession of small bays and 

 headlands. In Hong Kong Roads and Victoria Harbour is excellent 

 anchorage, both opposite the town of Victoria. There is deep water 

 for a man-of-war within a cable's length of the shore. The harbour 

 lies between the mountains of Hong Kong and those of the mainland ; 

 yet ia exposed to the violence of typhoons. The northern side of the 

 island is traversed by a ridge of mountains which vary in height fix>m 

 500 feet to upwards of 1000 feet. They present a steep declivity 

 towards the coast, and their base approaches nearly to the edge of 

 the sea. Mount Victoria is said to be 1827 feet high, and Mount 

 Oough 1575 feet. These two mountains immediately overlook the 

 town and harbour of Victoria. The elevation of Mount Parker, at 

 the other or eastern end of the island, is said to be 1711 feet. The 

 mountains furnish a supply of excellent granite for building ; and 

 there are numerous quarries which are skilfully worked by Chinese 

 labourers. The southern side of the island is much less rugged. 

 The land suitable for cultivation is small, and chiefly in one valley. 

 Deep ravines extend from the interior towards the sea, and furnish 

 a constant supply of good water. The mean temperature of Hong 

 Kong in July is 88°. In October, November, and December the 

 Tariations of the temperature are often from 10 to 20 degrees in the 

 course of 24 hours. The northern side of the island is fully exposed 

 to the north-western monsoon during the winter season. In the hot 

 season the rain falls in torrents, and this is succeeded by a hot 

 unclouded sun, which acts upon the undrained parts of the surface 

 and creates malaria. The south side of the island enjoys the benefits 

 of the south-western monsoon, and is healthier than the northern 

 side; but it is destitute of a harbour of sufficient extent. An 

 excellent road round the island has been constructed by the govern- 

 ment at an expense of about 20,000/. — in many places it has been cut 

 through granite rocks. 



Hong KoDg was taken poooewion of by the British during the war 

 with China. By the Treaty of Nanking, signed August 30th 1842, it 

 was ceded in perpetuity to Great Britain. On the 26th of June 1843 

 Hong Kong was regularly constituted a British colony. It is what is 

 called a crown colony, timt is, it has no legislative assembly, but is 

 governed by orders from the Colonial Office at home. There is a 

 legislative and executive council to aid the governor with assistance 

 and advice. The governor, as superintendent of trade, is head of the 

 consular establishments at the five ports opened in pursuance of the 

 Treaty of Nanking. The offices of the government are at Victoria. 

 There are a chief justice and an attorney-general, with other law- 

 officers, and the usual departments of a colonial administration. All 

 grave offences committed by British subjects must be tried at Hong 

 Kong, The civil, judicial, and ecclesiastical establishments cost 

 28,4152. 2s. lOrf. in 1852; the military expenditure amounted to 

 60,393t The total revenue of the colony for the year ending March 

 31st 1853 was 23,432<. 13s. 5d. 



The popuhttion on December 31st 1852 was 37,058, of whom 

 35,517 were Chinese. The inhabitanU are engaged in trade, in agri- 

 culture, in fishing, and in stone-cutting. 'The number of boats 

 anchored or plying in the harbour and bays of Hong Kong on 

 December Slst 1852 was 1799, on board of which were 7154 men and 

 4675 women and children. The population of the city of Victoria 

 was 14,671, of whom 11,283 were males and 3388 females. There 

 are in Victoria an English Episcopal church, a Roman Catholic 

 church, and four places of worship for Dissenters. The island 

 contains also a Mohammedan mosque, and three Chinese temples. 

 The city contains regular streets and bazaars for the Chinese, nume- 

 rous large store-houses, substantial wharfs and jetties, two European 

 hotels and billiard rooms, and various public buildings. A new 

 government house is in course of erection.. In consequence of the 

 limited space between the beach and the base of the mountains, the 

 town necessarily stretches in a line, which extends about three miles in 

 front of the harbour. The town of Aberdeen and its vicinity had a 

 population of 1208 in 1852. The town of Stanley and its vicinity 

 had a population of 1617. At Aberdeen is a school for Chinese 

 supported by government; and at Stanley are three schools, one 

 connected with the Baptist Mission, one supported by the inhabitants, 

 and the third supported by the government The number of native 

 schools in Hong Kong supported bv government is 5, with 134 

 scholars in alL The number of Chinese coasting vessels which 

 Tisited Hong Kong harbour during 1852 was 492 ; the number of 

 Mlt-junks was 310, importing 173,000 piculs of salt. The number of 

 Teasels which arrived during the year was 1097, of an aggregate 

 burden of 433,383 tons. A large amount of specie is remitted to 

 India, chiefly in return for opium, which is sold to the Chinese along 

 the coast. By the Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamers alone 

 ■pecie to the amount of more than a million and a quarter of i)ound8 

 sterling was remitted to India in 1852. Much is sent also by other 

 vessels, of which no account is taken, as the port is entirely free. 



aaoo. BIT. Toi'. lu. 



HONITON, Devonshire, a market-town, municipal and parliament- 

 ary borough, and the seat of a Poor-Law Union, in the pariah of 

 Honiton, is pleasantly situated on an eminence on the Great Western 

 road, near the left bank of the river Otter, in 50° 48' N. lat., 3° 11' 

 W. long., distant 16 miles N.N.E. from Exeter, and 148 miles W.N.W. 

 from London. The population of the parish, which constitutes also 

 the municipal and the parliamentary borough of Honiton, was 3427 in 

 1851. The borough ia governed by a port-reeve, and returns two 

 members to the Imperial Parliament. The living is a rectory in the 

 archdeaconry and diocese of Exeter. Honiton Poor-Law Union con- 

 tains 28 parishes and townships, with an area of 83,950 acres, and a 

 population in 1851 of 23,793. 



The town consists chiefly of one broad handsome street, running 

 east and west, with a shorter street crossing it at right angles. 

 Through the main street runs a small transparent stream, which 

 supplies the inhabitants with water. The streets are well paved and 

 lighted, and contain many good houses. The pariah church, which 

 stands on a hill about half a mile from the town, was originally a 

 small chapel for mendicant friara. A acreen of curioua workmanship 

 was erected about the year 1482 by Courtenay, biahop of Exeter. 

 St. Paul's church, a gothic structure in the centre of the town, was 

 erected in 1837. The Grammar school, founded in 1614, has a small 

 income from endowment, and in 1850 had 17 scholars, of whom 

 5 were free. There are in the town a Free school, a Girls Industrial 

 school, an hospital, and some parochial charities. The principal 

 manufacture is that of lace, which is a much-admired and very 

 beautiful fabric, and is designated ' Honiton lace,' from the name of 

 the town in which it is chiefly made. In the neighbourhood of Honiton 

 are extensive quarries. Markets are held on Tuesday, Thursday, and 

 Saturday; a fair is held on the Wednesday following July 19th. 



HOO, a hundred in the lathe of Aylesford, Kent, which has been 

 constituted a Poor-Law Union. The hundred contains 6 parishes, 

 with an area of 22,306 acres, and a population in 1851 of 2457 ; it is 

 bounded N. and E. by the Thames, S. by the Medway, and W. by the 

 hundred of ShAmwell, Hoo Poor-Law Union contains 7 parishes, 

 with an area of 20,862 acres, and a population In 1851 of 2840. 



HOOGLY. [Calcutta; Hinddstan.] 



HOORN. [Holland.] 



HOPE, CAPE OF GOOD. [Cape of Good Hope.] 



HOPE TOWN. [Bebbice ; Guyana, British.] 



HORDLE. [Hampshire.] 



HORNBY. [Lancashire.] 



HORNCASTLE, Lincolnshire, a market-town and the seat of a 

 Poor-Law Union, is pleasantly situated at the foot of the Wolds, in 

 53° 12' N. lat, 0° 7' W. long., distant 21 miles E. by S. from Lincoln, 

 and 134 miles N. from London. The population of the town in 1851 

 was 4921. The living is a vicarage in the archdeaconry and diocese 

 of Lincoln. Homcastle Poor-Law Union contains 68 parishes and 

 townships, with an area of 114,068 acres, and a population in 1851 of 

 24,961. 



The town of Homcastle has been of late years much improved, 

 and many of the houses are well built. The church is partly of the 

 time of Henry VII., but the greater part has been rebuilt There 

 are chapels for Baptists, Independents, and Wesleyan Methodists, 

 National and Infant schools, a mechanics institute, two libraries, and 

 a savings bank. A county court is held in the town. Corn and 

 wool are the principal articles of commerce. The market is held on 

 Saturday : there are three fairs in the year ; that held in August is 

 among the largest horse-fairs in the kingdom. At Homcastle there 

 are traces of a fortification in the form of a parallelogram, inclosing 

 an area of 20 acres, and comprehending a considerable part of the 

 modem town. Roman coins and other antiquities have been 

 discovered in the vicinity. 



HORNCHURCH. [Essex.] 



HORNDON-ON-THEHILL. [EssBX.] 



HORNSEA. [YoRKSHiKK.] 



HOBNSEY. [Middlesex.] 



HORNU. [Hainault.] 

 . HORSFORTH. [Yorkshire.] 



HORSHAM, Sussex, a market-town, parliamentary borough, and 

 the seat of a Poor-Law Union, is situated on a feeder of the 

 river Aran, in 51° 3' N. lat., 0° 19' W. long., distant 28 miles N.E. 

 from Chichester, 36 miles S. by W. from London by road, and 37^ 

 miles by the Brighton and South-Coast railway. The borough is 

 governed by two bailifls and a steward, and returns one member to 

 the Imperial Parliament The population of the borough in 1861 was 

 5947. The living is a vicarage in the archdeaconry and diocese of 

 Chichester. Horsham Poor-Law Union containa 10 parishes and 

 townships, with an area of 55,902 acres, and a population in 1851 of 

 14,017. 



The town consists of two streets crossing each other at right 

 angles, with an open space in the centre, occupied by the court- 

 house, a handsome gothic structure, in which the spring assizes for 

 Sussex were held from 1799 till 1830 ; the midsummer quarter 

 sessions for West Sussex are still held in it. The town is lighted 

 with gas. St. Mary's church is a spacious and elegant building, in the 

 early English style, with a lofty tower, surmounted by a ajiiie. There 

 are also a diatrict church, and places of worship for Roman Catholics 



