14 TOWN OF VICTORIA. [Cuav. IL. 
The new town of Victoria is situated on the 
north side of the island, along the shores of this 
splendid bay, with the mountain chain rising pre- 
cipitously and majestically behind it. When viewed 
from the sea in 1843, it had a curious and irregular 
appearance; but as the plan of the town becomes 
more developed, and better houses are built, it 
will really be a very pretty little place. When 
I left China, at the end of December, 1845, it had 
made most rapid progress; new houses and even 
new streets had risen, asif by magic. Some noble 
government buildings were nearly completed, to be 
used as barracks for the soldiers ; excellent and 
substantial houses were erected, or in the course of 
erection, for the merchants; and a large Chinese 
town had been built to the westward, for the prin- 
cipal part of the Chinese population. A beautiful 
road, called the Queen’s Road, has been formed 
along the shore for several miles ; and this was lined 
with excellent houses, and many very good shops. 
Many of the Chinese shops are little inferior to 
those in Canton, and certainly equal to what used 
to be in Macao. In fact, a very large proportion of 
the Macao shopkeepers have removed their esta- 
blishments to Hong-kong; the former place being 
now useless for the purpose of trade since the 
English left it. The bazaar or market is also a 
most excellent one. Here we find all the natural 
productions of China, which are brought regularly 
from the main land; such as the fruits and vege- 
tables indigenous to the country; fowls, ducks, 
