Car. IL] ITS CAUSES. 27 
has taken place in the houses of the merchants, and 
in the barracks of the soldiers, and the results have 
been most satisfactory. But the colonists must not 
stop at this stage in their improvements. Let the 
Government and the inhabitants use every means 
in their power to clothe the hill-sides in and 
around the town with a healthy vegetation; let 
them plant trees and shrubs by the road sides, in 
gardens, and in every place available for such pur- 
poses ; and then I have no doubt that Victoria 
will be quite as healthy as Macao. No one can 
approve of the selection of Hong-kong as a British 
settlement; but that part of the business being 
irremediable, we must make the most of our bargain. 
The native population in Victoria, consist of 
shopkeepers, tradesmen, servants, boat-people, and 
Coolies, and altogether form a most motley group. 
Unfortunately there is no inducement for the re- 
spectable Chinese merchant to take up his quarters 
there, and until that takes place, we shall always 
have the worst set of people in the country. The 
town swarms with thieves and robbers, who are 
only kept under by the strong armed police lately 
established. Previous to this, scarcely a dark 
night passed without some one having his house 
broken into by an armed band, and all that was 
valuable being carried off or destroyed. These 
audacious rascals did not except the Governor even, 
for one night Government House was robbed; and 
another time they actually stole the arms of the 
sentries. These armed bands, sometimes a hun- 
