Part 8

Hong Kong, September g, 1857. —... In the first place I will tell you that I have never been better in my life; the heat has not had the slightest effect upon me, neither when at Banca, Singapore, nor here. I am most agreeably surprised in this place; it is a beautiful spot with a completely land-locked harbour covered with shipping and surrounded by this island and the mainland of China, all of which is rugged and mountainous and very picturesque, though the land, or rather, rock, is very barren, and though mostly covered with grass is without a vestige of a tree except the few that have been planted in and about Victoria. The town is large, capitally built, with a great many very handsome buildings in it, and is excessively clean. I should think it contained at least 50,000 inhabitants and, considering it was only commenced in 1841, it is a wonderful place. At that time only a few fishing huts existed, which are now replaced by a large, thriving commercial city of much beauty. With regard to the heat of this place, it is no doubt very great, but it is, to a great extent, your own fault if you suffer from it. You must avoid the sun as you would the plague, and never allow its rays to rest upon your head for one second, and, moreover, during the heat of the day, sleep indoors as much as possible, avoid much wine, and either before sunrise or after sunset take a fair amount of exercise. I think that by following these rules you are pretty certain to avoid sickness, at least I have found it so.... You will perhaps laugh at me when I tell you that I find the climate very enjoyable, but then I am in great luck, for the house I am living in is probably the best situated in the whole town. It is built on the side of the mountain, and is about 200 feet above the level of the sea; it lies at one extremity of the town with no house beyond it, and scarcely one near it, so that we get every breath