CHINA.

New Zealand Colonist and Port Nicholson Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 21, 11 October 1842, Page 3

CHINA.

(From the Geelong Advci'tiserJ . Hong-kong, (British Settlement). —Jtseems that the commercial community now generally ’•begins to give more attention- to Hong-kong 1 than hitherto,. and great activity in building godowhs and private houses ! has of late been there, while many , merchants have, during the week, gone over, with a view, we ,i believe, pf commencing buildings., . The public' btiildlngs.are, several of them, completed and • the construction of others is urged onjwith ‘ spirit/ so'that we suppose this island; which waS eight or nine months back inhabited'by-none but pdof Chinese fishermen, well soon boast’of , a stately town. A practicable > bridle-road has frpfo nnf-. nr.jtoss the island to Tytam bay, and a toad fit; .foircarriageS is already' several miles •’ a great nuiflberv of : workmen are •'; jiopulatiomis’ dmly increasing, and its orderly behaviour, although they may be supposed not

to belong to the inost respectable clashes of society, allows little room forthe interference of the 'police. The bazaar is well supplied at cheap rates* and workmen and artisans, as well as materials for building, are plentiful., Therd are on the island several quarries of. fine granite,. which the Chinese work, at cheap prices, so -that granite stones for building; foundation or 'even houses may be had at very moderate ;prices. Concerning the chpiatp of ftong-kong, opinions have varied very considerably, nor do they seem to be altogether reconciled, for while some of the residents there bave enjoyed health without - interruption,,, many pthers have had attacks of fever and ague. Therejare, however, mhny causes to induce sickness* independent of the climate. Waiting foy .the completion of their houses, people have been obliged to live in mat-shades, or. bamboo houses, in which the sudden changes of temperature, ’ so frequent ; here in the-latterpart of theryear, would bemore severely, felt;. othershayp gpneto. live in. their' new houses- before they, -were; dty» and; the more than usual exposure fo the suii of tne : Europeans residing thevo may sso have had its share in producing .sipkness, to all. accounts; the situation of.Tytaja Buy is mpre. healthy than that of the .toym of Hongkong, but we have as yet npll had sidfipient experience with certainty tp judgq of either. The piracies committed in the,; neighbourhood of Hong-kong continue to give uneasiness tp the native population, and the efforts of the British authorities to put them down have hitherto been but partially successful; Independent of the Occupation the Chinese dOrive from foreign trade and building, and the' .BuppliOs of -provisions, a considerable trade iii salt has already sprung up, arid We are informed that many ports of the surrounding country aire now supplied with salt from. Hongkong, which the Chinese have riiade a depdt' for that article. Captain Nids had been obliged to issue a proclamation, to the effpet that 'junks-trading • to Hong-kong should riot be mplested> in order to restore confidence. It is a great pity that the orders for seizing all craft riot trading directly with us, had riot long issued. 'Had. this been done, the settlement of oiir difference with China Would have beeri' rirmch more nearly accomplished than it now m.