Sunday, May 7, 2017

Part 3 Hong Kong

Part 3 Hong Kong




Hong Kong was a vitally important base for the British from which they controlled their many interests in the area. The second Opium war had only finished a couple of years earlier, allowing Great Britain, Russia and France greater trade (not just legal trade in opium) and diplomatic ties with China. Horace's ship the Conqueror patrolled the south China seas protecting British trade Interests from pirates.


Hong Kong was one of the most valuable assets in the British Empire and would remain so for another 136 years. The might of the British navy had pretty much swept the pirates away from the South China Seas by the 1860s.



As can be seen from this picture, no mercy was shown to the pirates.


No comments:

Post a Comment

 Some new documents have come to light from the National Archive