Chapter 32 "Europe in China"

"Europe in China" This is a history of Hong Kong written by the British Eitel.He adopted this odd, but very Intended title: A History of Hong Kong from the Beginning to 1882 in China's Europe. (E.J. Eitel: "Europe in China, The History of Hong Kong from the Beginning to the Yea 1882.") Published in 1895, this book can be said to be the first chronicle of the Hong Kong colony. From 1882 to 1882, more than 500 pages were used to describe the fifty years before and after Hong Kong became a British colony. The development process and all changes are quite detailed.The author was working in Hong Kong at the time, about the early years of Hong Kong

Administrative facilities, personnel disputes among officials, as well as trivial details of shopping malls and street talks, all It's good first-hand information.The book was published in London and Hong Kong at the same time, and the Hong Kong publishing The other is Biefa Bookstore. Unfortunately, it has not been reprinted for a long time, and it is now out of print and difficult to buy. The author Eitel was one of the so-called "China Hands" in Britain at that time, and a member of the London Missionary Society. In 1987, he was sent to Hong Kong as an education inspector.Although he is a "China hand", he is not enthusiastic about advocating China

Culture, during the tenure of the inspector, he strongly advocated that Hong Kong schools reduce Chinese courses and increase the hours of English courses. At the same time, it advocates the adoption of a subsidy system, encourages churches to open schools, gradually closes government schools, reduces teaching education expenses.He has been an education inspector since 1879 (at that time, the inspector had great powers, Equal to the later Department of Education), he did not retire until 1897, and served for 18 years successively. In addition to this history of Hong Kong, Eitel's works also have a "Materials of Hong Kong Education History"

("Materials for A History of Education in Hong Kong"), 1891 Published in 1999, he also wrote a dictionary of Chinese Buddhism, a dictionary of Cantonese, and a research A book on Chinese "feng shui" issues.These are probably the true qualities of his "China hand". To describe the early history of the Hong Kong colony, it is natural not to mention the Opium War, let alone talk about To the East India Company in order to monopolize the eastern maritime trade rights, all kinds of competition and conflicts with other countries Suddenly, Eitel's history of Hong Kong "Europe in China" is no exception.

Chapter, the first three chapters are to trace such a historical background, which can be said to be introductory in nature. Chapters 4 to 7 of "Europe in China" describe the abolition of the trade patent rights of the East India Company Afterwards, the new situation and the new conflicts caused by Britain's trade with the Qing Dynasty.Britain adapts to Guangdong and Guangxi At the request of Governor Lu Kun, Lord Napier was sent to Guangzhou to take up the post of British businessman to China. Financial supervision, taking over the business left in Guangzhou after the end of the East India Company.Since "commercial supervision" is

"Officials", although the "Taipan" of the East India Company is famous, but their status is still "businessmen". The difference was not considered in the eyes of the officials of the Qing Dynasty at that time. Therefore, since Lu Laobei came from England to Australia, He has to go to Guangzhou to inspect affairs regularly. He thinks he is an official appointed by the Queen of England and writes to the General Secretary of Guangdong and Guangxi. The governor asked to agree on a date for the meeting, but the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi thought it was not in line with the system, and the letter did not use the form of "reporting post".

Form, not through the "foreign merchant comprador" transfer.Throwing the original letter back puts Lil Pippi on a snag, England Since then, trade negotiations with the Qing Dynasty have been complicated.As a result, British businessmen gradually formed two requirements: One is to obtain the equal treatment and free trade rights of the Qing Dynasty, and finally resort to force; the other is To gain a foothold from which one can rule, as the Portuguese had done in Macau—two things So long as the idea of ​​seeking has been cultivated, a conflict and the acquisition of a colony are inevitable.

This is the long-term cause of the formation of the "Opium War", that is, at that time, the British Empire first wanted to be on the territory of the Qing Empire. The origin of establishing a colony within range. In this way, the emergence of "Hong Kong Colony" is only a matter of time. However, before the emergence of "Hong Kong", there was a stage of selection: Zhoushan Dinghai, Lantau Shan, Hong Kong, these places all had the chance to become British colonies at the time, but later Knowing the situation in Hong Kong and Kowloon, Elliot finally decided to choose Hong Kong, so he proceeded by informal "possession".

When the "cession" was officially obtained, Britain officially declared Hong Kong as her colony.This book starts from Chapter 4 Up to Chapter Nine, it is these subtle experiences that are described. The tenth chapter of the book deals with the history of the island and its vicinity before it became a British colony. History, from the eleventh chapter onwards, Eitel officially began as the narrative of the history of Hong Kong after the British colony Said.His account begins in 1841, under the Elliot regime.until 1882 Xuan Governor Lishi until the term of office.Counting from the first Governor-General Potten Cha to the arrival of Xuan Lishi, it is already the eighth

Governor. Hong Kong was originally managed by Elliot (he was the commercial supervisor and plenipotentiary representative of the British stationed in Guangzhou at that time). List) was single-handedly obtained by Qi Shan, the imperial envoy of the Qing Dynasty, so Hong Kong's first supreme executive The Chief Executive is him.He should have been formally appointed governor of the new colony, and he himself probably I thought it would be so, but unexpectedly because he had not obtained authorization from London in advance when he acquired Hong Kong Island, Therefore, not only did he fail to become the first governor of Hong Kong, but he was reprimanded, and even the original commercial supervisor

I also lost my job.On August 10, 1841, he was ordered to return to China to report on his duties.On this same day, the official Sir Pottinger, the first Governor of Hong Kong appointed by London, also arrived in Macau, ready to come to Hong Kong to assume his new post. Eitel's "Europe in China" is written using the ancient method of writing history, narrating Things are quite boring, but try to be detailed and unambiguous about dates, places and names.So if you want to know the fragrance This is a very useful book, and it seems very A solid reference book.Of course, his point of view is purely from the standpoint of the British, from the interests of the British Seeing things, but he is not too narrow and dogmatic.When describing the formation of the Opium War, Although he complained that Lin Zexu was too hasty with the British businessmen, which made Yilu unable to deal with the aftermath, he had to sue Wu. However, he had to praise the bravery of Guan Tianpei, the admiral of the Humen Navy, who died in the line of duty.so compared to Later, HB Morse and others regarded the whole of China as a European colony and market, It's a lot more honest. In the early days of Hong Kong's development, the relationship between the British navy and the army was not good, and the relationship between the civil affairs officials and the soldiers was not good. The situation is not very good, and there are factions between small officials and high officials, and the policies of big businessmen towards officials are naturally different. There are many grievances, and even the governor and the justices have power struggles.Eitel's history of Hong Kong, in In the first ten years of history, many such frictions and turmoil were described, until the second Governor of Hong Kong Davis used his privilege to suspend Justice Xiaowu, who was sent directly from London, and Xiaowu left Hong Kong to return to Hong Kong. The country sued the imperial court, Davis was accused of abusing his power and had to resign. At that time, this kind of officialdom in Hong Kong It can be said that the dispute over personnel authority has reached its peak. In addition, there are wind disasters, fires, fevers, pirates, and thieves rampant, embellishing the early Hong Kong development. In the historical narrative of construction and construction, it is not lonely. Starting from chapter thirteen, Eitel narrates the beginning and end of each governor's term as a chapter Yes, the term of the eighth Governor Xuan Lishi expired on March 7, 1882, "Europe in China" This concludes the last chapter.The author stated in the preface that after 1882, due to the time The time is too recent, and many things are not convenient to be included in the scope of history, so we have to leave it for the future. However, the author later published in the English "China Review" (The China Review) (bimonthly, For a while, Eitel was also the editor of this journal) published another article "Supplementary to Hong Kong History Records, from 1882 to 1890", extended his record of Hong Kong history to Defu During the governor's term of office, a statistical table is attached at the back, recording Hong Kong's population, taxation, government expenses, and the entry and exit of ships Historical figures for tons, etc., from 1841 to 1895.According to this statistics According to the records of Hong Kong in 1841, the population of Hong Kong, including the garrison, was 15,000 (according to another As recorded in Chapter 12 of the book, the first census was held in Hong Kong in May 1841. There are 5,650 Chinese residents, of which more than 2,500 are villagers and fishermen, and 800 are merchants. people, 2,000 are boat owners, and another 300 are laborers from Kowloon).Population in 1895 The word is two hundred and fifty-three thousand five hundred and fourteen people. As mentioned earlier, Eitel's "Europe in China" is the earliest published incense Although the history of Hong Kong is only recorded until 1882, it still describes the early history of Hong Kong in more detail. It is also a more reliable one.