224
HONGKONG
without its due effect. The annual death rate per 1,000 for the whole population in 1894 was 30.11, for the British and foreign population 23.28.
J'
The following table shows the barometer (reduced to mean sea level), temperature, rainfall, humidity, and wind velocity. The figures are the average of ten years' observations (1884-93) made at the Observatory at Kowloon, 108 feet above sea level, and are compiled from tables given in the annual report of the Director of the Observatory for 1893 :-
BAROMETER (in inches).
TEMPERATURE
(in deg. Fahr.).
HUMIDITY. WIND VELOCITY. (percentage of (milesperhour)
saturation).
Mean. Min.
RAIN (in inches).
January
30.16
Mean. Max. 30.37
Min. 29.69
Mean. Max. Min.
Mean.
Mean.
69.4
75.6
32.0
1.67
74
5
14.8
February
80.14
30.30 29.57
57.3
79.0
40.3
1.76
79
11
15.2
March
30.06
30.31 29.55
02.0
80.3
48.8
4.09
85
24
16.9
April
29.90
30.18 29.58
69.7
89.0
55.6
7.58
86
20
14.8
May
20.87
30.02
29.48
78.2
90.0
84.1
15.00
84
35
13.7
June
29.77
29.88
29.28 80.5
92.6
69.2
16.97
83
34
12.4
July
29.73
29.98
28.01
81.5
02.9
72.1
15.99
83
47
11.1
August..
29.70
29.85
29.20
80.9
92.9
71.6
13.89
83
46
9.4
September
20.82
29.03
28.83
80.1
93.9
85.6
8.53
77
34
12.1
October
29.99
30.19
29.23
76.3
93.8
60.8
4.78
70
22
14.7
November
30.12
80.31
29.59 69.0
53.0
52.1
0.81
65
16
13.6
December
30.13
30.35
29.76 82.5
81.0
44.2
1.21
05
12.9
Year
29.06
30.39 28.83 71.3
93.9
32.0
02.31
13.5
TRADE.
Hongkong is a free port, and there is no official return of the imports and exports compiled, but the value of its trade is estimated at about £40,000,000 per annum. During the year 1894 the following tonnage entered and cleared with cargoes:-
CLEARED
NATIONALITY
ENTERED
CLEARED
NATIONALITY
ENTERED
American
Vessels. Tons.
55
Vessels, Tons.
Vessels. Tons.
Vessels. Tons.
89,925
50
87,539
Austrian
22
57,223
22
57,123
Hawaiian Italian
2
2,505
2
2,505
10
20,816
16
20,111
British
3,011
3,889,852
3,011
3,888,544
Japanese
4.)
76,735
51
78,813
Chinese
100
120,147
100
120,147
Nikaraguan
1
673
1
673
Chinese Junks.. 23,023
1,742,069
22,838
1,740,005
Norwegian
85
78,363
85
78,303
Danish
102
44,889
102
44,889
Russian
2,785
2,785
Dutch...
15
19,295
16
20,752
Siamiese
658
1
650
French
115
152,784
114
152,045
Spanish
2,518
2,518
German
839 673,980 644
678,573
A total of 17,902 vessels, of 6,040,621 tons entered, and 19,087 vessels, of 6,084,445 tons cleared with cargoes. There also entered in ballast 9,346 vessels, of 934,594 tons, and there cleared 7,998 vessels of 891,648 tons.
The trade chiefly consists in opium, cotton, sugar, salt, flour, oil, cotton and woollen goods, metals, earthenware, amber, ivory, sandalwood, betel, vegetables, granite, &c., &c. There is an extensive Chinese passenger trade, now chiefly restricted, however, to the Straits Settlements, Netherlands India, Borneo, the Philippines, Siam, and Indo-China. Hongkong possesses unrivalled steam communication. The P. & O. S. N. Co. and the M. M. Co. convey the European mail weekly, the Norddeutscher Lloyd Co. maintain a regular monthly mail service between Bremen and Hongkong, the P. M. S. S. Co. and the O. & O. S. S. Co, maintain a mail service with San Francisco, the Canadian Pacific Railway Co. a regular mail service with Vancouver, B.C., a regular line has been estab lished by the Northern Pacific S. S. Co. to Tacoma, another by the Oregon Railway and Navigation Co. to Portland, and the Eastern and Australian S. S. Co. and the China Navigation Co. keep up a frequent but rather irregular service with the Australian Colonies. In addition to all these, several great lines of merchant steamers run between London, Liverpool, and Hongkong, of which the China Mutual S. S. Co., Ocean S. S. Co. and the Glen, Warrack, Mogul, Ben, Union, and Shell lines are the most conspicuous. The Austrian Lloyd's steamers also ply from Trieste to Hongkong, those of the Kingsin line from Hamburg and the Navigazione Generale Italiana Company's steamers run monthly from Genoa. There is frequent but irregular steam communica- tion between Java and Hongkong. Between the ports on the east coast of China and Hongkong the steamers of the Douglas S. S. Co. ply regularly twice a week, and there is constant steam communication with Hoihow, Manila, Saigon, Haiphong, Tourane, Bangkok, Borneo, &c. With Shanghai, Tientsin, and the ports of Japan there is frequent communication by steamers of the Indo-China, China Navigation, and other lines, in addition to the English and French mail steamers, which leave weekly.
Between Hongkong, Macao, and Canton there is a daily steam service.