the collapse of houses, and property was destroyed to the value of $500,000. Fires in town were comparatively rare during this period, which is, however, in respect of the European quarter, distinguished by the somewhat unusual occurrence of an extensive conflagration which destroyed (October 19, 1859) the Roman Catholic Church in Wellington Street and a number of European business establishments in Queen's Road and Stanley Street, viz. the stores of Mrs. Marsh, Mrs. Rickomartz, the Victoria Exchange, the Commercial Hotel and others. Among further disasters of this period may be mentioned the fire on board the S.S. Cadiz (January 10, 1863), the drowning of four deserters from the ship Oasis (May 1, 1863), the drowning (above referred to) of 38 Chinese convicts at Stonecutters' Island (July 23, 1863), and the death by suffocation (March 8, 1865) of three soldiers engaged in excavating the hillside at Scandal Point. The year 1860 was distinguished by the death of four public officers, viz. the Harbour Masters Newman and Gunthorpe, the Assistant Surveyor General Walker, and the Crown Solicitor Cooper Turner. To this list may be added the name of Dr. Enscoe, Surgeon of Seamen's Hospital, who died a few years later (September 30, 1863).
Sir H. Robinson left Hongkong on 15th March, 1865, having been promoted to the Governorship of Ceylon. His departure was marked by two complimentary public entertainments, viz. by a dinner given at the Club by the members of the Civil Service (March 11, 1865) and by a Ball given in the Theatre Royal by the community (March 13, 1865). Among the guests was the Duke of Brabant, then crown prince of Belgium, a first cousin to Queen Victoria.
The verdict of public opinion on the merits of Sir H. Robinson's administration, as expressed in the local papers, was to this effect,—that Sir Hercules was exceedingly favoured by fortune in respect of the all-important fact that his term of administration happened to coincide with a period of irrepressible prosperity (not at all of his making), such as was without a parallel in the history of the Colony; that the most remarkable
