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| Hong
Kong Vegetation 160 years ago |
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(picture from AllPosters.com)
Hinds R.B. & Bentham G. (1842) Remarks on the physical
aspect, climate, and vegetation of Hong Kong, China. London
Journal of Botany 1: 476-481.
[words in square brackets
are added here to facilitate reading; only the part by
Hinds on the vegetation is quoted here]
The island of Hong Kong is one of several at the entrance
of the Canton river, all of similar aspect, character,
and population; the former wild, dreary, bleak, and apparently
extremely barren; the last, by turns, fishermen and pirates.
Hong Kong is equally rugged with the other, and consists
of several mountain masses thrown together, connected
occasionally by ridges, and, between these, lie numerous
vallies [valleys], more or less sheltered from the violence
of the winds. The general appearance of all its parts
is similar; but the easterly portions are bolder, the
vegetation more sparing and stunted, the outlines more
rounded, and the large bare masses of rocks unscreened
by foliage. The western side is evidently preferable,
as the vallies descend with less rapidity, and a certain
quantity of soil is collected; vegetation thrives better,
and is more varied; some stunted pines try to assume the
importance of trees; and the shores bear no marks of the
violence of the ocean. Water abounds every where, and
each valley of the least pretensions, sends its stream
to the cultivated grounds near the shore, where a portion
is retained for irrigation, and the remainder is permitted
to find its way to the sea. These streams continue to
exist through all the seasons of the year, though they
diminish greatly during the dry weather. After the rains
many become small torrents, tumbling in haste over their
rocky beds, and sometimes forming little cascades.
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