XIX.] 
HONG KONG. 
401 
the most important commercial cities of the globe. The har¬ 
bour is spacious, affording good anchorage, and is well protected 
by a number of large and small granite islands. The city is 
built on the largest of these on slopes which rise from the 
shore towards the interior of the island. On the highest points 
the wealthiest foreign residents have built their summer houses 
which are surrounded by beautiful gardens. In winter they live 
in the city. We here met with a very gratifying reception both 
from the Governor, Mr. Pope Hennessy, and from the other in¬ 
habitants of the town. The former invited Captain Palander and 
me to live in the beautiful Governor’s residence, gave a dinner, 
arranged a stately official reception in our honour, and pre¬ 
sented to the Expedition a fine collection of dried plants from 
the exceedingly well-kept botanical garden of the city, which is 
under the charge of Mr. Charles Ford; the latter presented 
me with an address of welcome at a festive meeting in the 
City Hall, specially arranged for the purpose and numerously 
attended by the principal men of the town. The meeting was 
opened by the Chairman, Mr. Keswick, with a speech of wel¬ 
come, after which Mr. J. B. Coughtrie read and presented the 
address, bound in red silk and beautifully illuminated in black, 
gold, and red, with 414 signatures, among which many were by 
Chinese. The address ended with a hearty congratulation to 
us all and a promise of a memorial of our visit to Hong Kong 
which should indicate the way in which the Vega expedition 
was appreciated there. Some time after our return home 
Palander and I received from members of the community of 
Hong Kong a splendid silver vase each. 
I here embraced with great interest the opportunity, which 
my coming in contact with the principal men of the place 
afforded, of getting a glance into the political relations which 
prevailed in this vigorous and promising colony. At first sight 
they appeared to be by no means satisfactory. Peace and 
unanimity evidently did not prevail; for dissatisfaction with 
YOL. II. 
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