900
HONGKONG
CLIMATE
As intimated in earlier paragraphs, Hongkong formerly enjoyed a most unenviable notoriety for unhealthiness, and in years past the troops garrisoned here suffered grievously from malarial fevers. A great deal of the sickness in the early days of the Colony was believed to have been caused by excavating and otherwise- disturbing the disintegrated granite of which the soil of the island mainly consists, and which appears to throw off malarious exhalations when upturned. At the present time, however, the Colony is one of the healthiest spots in the world in the same- latitude. The influence of the young pine forests created by the Afforestation Department and the training of nullahs on the slopes have no doubt been beneficial in checking malaria, and the attention latterly bestowed on sanitation has not been without its due effect. The annual death rate per 1,000 for the whole population in 1904 was 16.91 as comparedwith 18.9 during the previous year. The death-rate among the British and Foreign races was 12.48 and among the Chinese 17.18.
The following table shows the fifteen years' means of the annual and monthly values of the principal meteorological elements, taken from the Observatory Report for 1898-
Bar. Mean pressure Maximum
Jan.
Feb. March April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Year
30.170 30.132 30.055 29.958 29.863 29.764 29.738 29.755 29.824 29.982 30.103 30.191 29.950- .30.307 30.390 30.303 30.153 30.045 29.880 29-882 29.851 92.984 3.157 3.311 30.444 30 444
20.086 29.421 29.552 29.570 29.447 29.284 28762 20,-88 28.876 29.089 29.575 29.757-28.762′
59.7 57.7 62.2 69.9 76.6 80.7
Minimum
Mean temperature
81.6
81.0
Mean maximum
Mean minimum
Maximum
64.1 61.7 56.0 54.5 79.2 79.0 82.1 88.0
66.4
74.5
81.2
85.2
86.2
86.0
58.9
66.7
78.5 77.4
78.0
77.3
8.4 76.2 69.2 62.4 71.5 85.3 80.7 74.3 67.5 76.1 76.6 72.5 65.3 58.3 67.0
91.5 03.6
94.0
02.9
04.0 93.8 85.6 81.9 94.0
Minimum
32.0 40.3
45.9
55.6
61.1
69.2
72 1
71 6
85.6
60.8 50.6
40.7 32.0-
Mean daily range
8.1
7.2
7.4
7.7
7.7
7.8
8.2
8.7
8.7
8.3
0.0
0.2
8.2
Mean humidity
71
79
84
85
83
83
83
83
77
71
65
AL
87
Mean rain
1.545
2001
2.991
5.980
13.159
16.496
14.210
13.482
8.833
5.794
1.302
0 985 86.807
Maximum in 24 hours 3.920
2.185
3.580
5,210 20.495 12 630
13,480
6.555
5.855
10.190
5875
01,70 20,456
Mean max. in 24 hours 0.688
0.710
1.160
2.256
4.844
4.438
3.973
3.257
2.951
2 743
Maximum in 1 hour
0.510
0.526
1.570
2 420
3.400
2 550
3 480
2.140
I 720
1.650
1,620
0843 0.522: .649
0.500 3.430'
Mean max. in 1 hour
0.188
0.249
0.484
1.018
1.406
1.369
Hours of rniu
65
94
87
Wind direction
.E15°N E14oN E8"N
Wind velocity mean Maximumu
Hours of sunshine
14.4 15.0
46 136.7
10 5
53 77.7
88
94
96 E2"N E11'8 839°E 14.0 13.5 12.5 49 46 42 43 79.5 110.7 152.1 155.4
1.333 79 $43oE 11.2 108 197.6
1.187
1.004
0.702
0.295 0.165 73
57
44
20 S33oE E15′′N 21°N E29°N E27′′N
9.6 12.2 E 14.7 13.8 12.7 66 86 85 49 63
108 197.2 200,1 214.5 196.2 189.7 1907.4
2.116
34
838
E3°4
13.3
It has more recently been noted that the meteorological returns indicate a progres- sive change in the climatic conditions generally of the Colony. The average yearly rainfall for the past ten years was 20 inches less than the average for the immediately preceding decade.
TRADE
Hongkong is a free port, and there is no complete official return of the imports and exports compiled, but the value of its trade is estimated at about £50,000,000 per annum.. During the year 1904 the following tonnage entered and cleared :—
NATIONALITY
ENTERED
CLEARED
NATIONALITY
ENTERED
CLEARED
Vessels. Tons. Vessels,
Tons.
American
86 230,349
65
225,987
Austrian
32
102,349
28
91,068
Belgian
1
2,047
1
2,047
British
Chinese
4,714 343
6,268,601
4,777
0,103,409
German Italian Japanese Norwegian
Vessels. Tons.
802 1,216,244
Vessels.
Tong.
649 1,014,886
19 38,612
20
38,870
43 110,543
46
103,507
202
205,142
117
174,991
247,262
Chinese Junks.. 12,021
950,276
362 12,270
207,955 1,194,358
Portuguese
130
24,350
134
25,289
Russian
3
9,553
11,424
Danish
9
24,333
12
25,650
Sarawak.
1,339
Dutch..
43
83,673
37
76,697
French
474
419,228 448
376,987
Spanish Swedish..
6,017
2
6,017
7,164
11
7,884
A total of 19,87€ vessels of 9,998,020 tons entered, and 19,999 vessels of 9,801,958 tons. cleared with cargoes. There also entered in ballast 6,712 vessels, of 1,207,496 tons, and 6,640 vessels of 1,397,892 tons cleared in ballast. A Parliamentary paper issued in August, 1905, showed Hongkong to be, in respect of tonnage, the largest shipping port in the world.
The trade chiefly consists in opium, cotton, sugar, salt, flour, oil, cotton and woollen goods, cotton yarn, matches, metals, earthenware, amber, ivory, sandalwood,. betel, vegetables, granite, &c., &c. There is an extensive Chinese passenger trade,