VICTORIA HARBOUR IN PRE-BRITISH TIMES Sample Clauses

VICTORIA HARBOUR IN PRE-BRITISH TIMES. The first reference to the sea passage and waters in what later became called Victoria Harbour are found in Xxxxx Xx’x navigation map of the China coast dated c.1425 AD. This map was published in a book called Mo Pei Chi (Notes on Military Preparation), published in 1621 (Xxxxxx, 1992). The map indicates the routes taken by vessels of a 15th century Imperial Chinese fleet under the command of Admiral Xxxxx Xx. Xxxxxxxx Harbour is charted in a 1553 coastal map of Kwangtung appearing in a book by Xxxx Xx called Xxxxx Xx Xxxxx Tuk Xxxx Xxx Chi. It is also represented in “Map of the entire coastline” by Xxxx Xxx Xxxxx in his book Xxx Xxxx Man Xxx Xxx printed in 1744 (Figure 4). The Xxxx Xxx Emperor commissioned the Jesuit Fathers to produce a detailed map of China, which was reprinted in part in 1737. The Jesuit map is largely a compilation of pre-existing Chinese maps of the coast. Hong Kong waters are charted in his map, found in Nouvelle Atlas de la Chine, published in Paris. A further reference appears in the San On Xxxx Xxx, a cartogram from the directory of San On County (Figure 5). The first map depicting Hong Kong’s harbour in detail is an 1810 marine chart (Figure 6). Xxxxxx Xxxx and Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx, Lieutenants of the Bombay Marine prepared this chart for the East India Company. Together the aforementioned maps are particularly important; indicating that Victoria Harbour was established as a known coastal settlement from at least the 15th century. Although there is no documentary material that records what exactly took place within the harbour, the fact it merited mapping is significant.