G36 
THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S CHALLENGED 
in character, rising to heights of 4000 feet, and the clear weather so frequently experienced 
shows to advantage the wild mountain scenery, which offers a coup cToeil that can 
hardly be excelled. 
The city of Victoria, on the north side of Hong Kong Island, extends for upwards of 
3 miles along the coast at the base of the hills. Owing to the nature of the ground, 
which rises abruptly from the sea, the streets are built in terraces, rising one above the 
other, nearly a third of the way to the peak, which renders the view of the town from 
the sea exceedingly picturesque. Along the coast, in front of the city, some land has 
been reclaimed, embanked, and formed into a handsome esplanade, 3 miles in length, 
from which a few wharves extend to facilitate landing merchandise. A good military 
road, 22 miles in length, encircles the island, and other roads cross the mountains, 
the principal being the road to Victoria Peak, on the summit of which is a signal 
station, and near it a sanatorium and a few bungalows. The city of Hong Kong is 
remarkably well built and laid out. Besides several handsome Government Buildings 
there is a cathedral and bishop’s palace, several good hospitals, extensive barracks, and 
club houses. At the back of the town, near Government House, on the slope of the hill, 
are the botanical gardens, from which a fine view of the harbour is obtained, and at the 
eastern extremity of the town is the only flat piece of land on the island, called “ Happy 
Valley,” utilised as a racecourse, and close to which, in somewhat awkward proximity, are 
the cemeteries. 
The occupation of Hong Kong was originally of considerable cost to England, the 
vote from Parliament in 1845 being nearly £50,000 in addition to military expenditure. 
Since 1867, however, the colony has been self-supporting. 
Lying as it does just within the tropics, Hong Kong is subject to an excessively hot 
and a somewhat cool season, coinciding with the southwest and northeast monsoons. 
The city being situated on the north side of the island, under the hills, does not receive 
any benefit from the southwest monsoon, which on the southern side agreeably tempers 
the violent heat. July and August are the hottest months, and November to January 
the coolest period. March and April are foggy, with a penetrating damp, requiring 
great care to be taken of books or instruments liable to injury from that cause. The 
rainy season proper commences in May, and continues until the beginning of August, and 
during this period the rain falls almost without intermission, frequently causing floods 
which do great damage. 
A meteorological register has been kept at Hong Kong for fourteen years, from which 
the following table has been compiled, showing with far greater precision than a long 
explanation what the average climate of the island is. To this is added a register for 
two years on Victoria Peak, and for the sake of comparison one for the same period at 
the sea level : — 
