988
HONGKONG
The approaches to the harbour are strongly fortified, the batteries consisting of well-constructed earthworks. The western entrance is protected by three batteries on Stonecutters' Island and two forts on Belcher and Fly Points, from which a tremendous converging fire could be maintained, completely commanding the Sulphur Channel. Pine Wood battery, on the hill above and west of Richmond Terrace, has a wide range of fire. The Ly-ec-mùn Pass is defended by two forts on the Hongkong side and another on Devil's Peak on the mainland, and if vessels survived that fire they would then have to face the batteries at North Point and Hunghom which completely command the eastern entrance. Another battery on the bluff at Tsim-tsa Tsui, Kowloon, commands the whole of the centre of the harbour. The batteries are armed with the latest breech-loading ordnance.
In addition to the fortifications the Colony possesses a small squadron for harbour defence. This consists of the obsolete turret ironclad Wivern, 2,750 tons, now dismantled and being used as a distilling ship, and six torpedo boats. The crews of these vessels are borne in the receiving ship Tamar, which is also the headquarters of the Commodore and his staff. The Naval Yard is an extensive range of workshops and offices cast of the Artillery Barracks, and the Naval Authorities have another large establishment on the Kowloon side near to Yau-ma-Ti.
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 ehecking 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 1905 was 17.45 as compared with 16.94 during the previous year. The death-rate among the British and Foreign races was 17.08 and among the Chinese 17.46. In 1906 the death rate was abnormal being 26.41 for the Chinese population, the typhoon, plague, and the burning of the Hankow being responsible for the exceptionally large figures. The death rate for the Non-Chinese community was only 14.02.
The following table shows fifteen years' means of the annual and monthly values of the principal meteorological elenients:--
Bar. Mean pressure Maximmu
Mean temperature
Jan. Feb. March April May June July
..........30.152 30,132 30.055 29.958 29.863 29.764 29.738 .30.367 30,390 80,308 30,158 30,045 29.881 29-882 29.680 29.421 29.552 20.576 29.447 29.284 28 762
59.7 57.7 62.2 69.9 70.6 80.7 81.6 04.1 81.7 66.4 74.5 31.2 85.2 86.2 56.0 54.5 58.0 66.7 73.5 77.4 79.2 79.0 82.1 88.6 91.5 93.6 32.0 40.3 45.9 55.6
Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Year
20.755 29.824 29.982 30,103 30.191 20.959 29.851 92.984 30.157 30,311 30.444 30 444 29.-88 25.876 29.089 29,575 29.757 28.782 31.0 344 76.2 69.2 82.4 71.5 86.0 85.3 80.7 74.3 67.5 76.1 72.5 63.3 59.3 67.9
Minimum
Mean maximum
Mean minimum
73.0
77.3
76.0
Maximum
94.0
92.9
94.0
Minimum
64.1 69.2
721
71 6
65.0
93.8 85.6 81.9 94.0 tu.b 50.6 40.7 32.0
Mean daily rango
8.1
7.2
7.4
7.7
7.7
7.8
8.2
8.7
8.7
8.3 9.0
9.2
8.2
Mean humidity
74
79
84
Mean rain
1.545
2.091
Maximum in 24 hours 3.920
2.135
Mean max. in 24 hours 0.688 0.710
Maximum in 1 hour
Mean max. in 1 hour
Hours of raiu
0,510 0.525 0.183 0.249
65
85
33 2.901 5.980 13,159 16.496 3,580 5.210 20.495 12 630 1.160 2.256 4.844 4.438 1.570 2.420
2.550
83
83
83
77
71
3.400
94
0.484 1,018
87
1.406
1.360
SR
94
00
14.210 13.482 13.480 6.555 3.973 3.257 3.480 2.140 1.333 79
8.833 5.794 6.855 10.190 2.951 2.743 1720 1,050
1.187 73
1.004 67
0.702
44
26
65 1.302 0985 80.867 5875 01.70 20.456 0843 0.522 8.649 1,620 0500) 3.490 0.285 -0.185 2,116 34 838
04 87
Wind direction
Wind velocity mean
+
Maximum
Hours of sunshine
53
49
40 77.7 79.5 110.7
I
E15°N E14′′N ES'N E2"N E11'8 $39°E 843°E $23oE E15′′N 21°N E29°N E27°N_E3°S 14.4 15.0 165 14.9 13.5 12.5 11.2 0.6 12.2 E 14.7 13.8 12.7 13.4
46
42
43 18 66 88
85
49 69 108 136.7
152.1 155.4 197.6 197.2 200.1 214,5 198.2 189.7 190.4
It has been remarked that the meteorological returns indicate a progressive change in the climatic conditions generally of the Colony. The average yearly rainfall for the ten years ended 1904 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 1906 the following tonnage entered and cleared :—
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