THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 28TH MARCH, 1874.
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VI. Total Number, Tonnage and Crews of Vessels cleared at each Port. VII. Return of Junks entered from Macao.
VIII. Return of Junks cleared for Macao.
IX. Return of Junks entered at each Fort from China and Formosa.
X. Return of Junks cleared at each Port for China and Formosa.
XI. Gross Total Number of Junks entered at each Port.
XII. Gross Total Number of Junks cleared at each Port.
XIII. Return of Junks (Local Trade) entered.
XIV. Return of Junks (Local Trade) cleared.
XV. Summary of Arrivals and Departures of all Vessels, and of all Chinese Passengers. XVI. Return of Vessels registered.
XVII. Return of Vessels struck off the Register.
XVIII. Amount of Fees received under Ordinance No. 10 of 1860, (Imperial Registry).
XIX. Return of Chinese Passengers Ships, cleared by the Emigration Officer.
XX. Return of Vessels bringing Chinese Passengers to Hongkong from Places out of China. XXI. Return of Marine Cases tried.
XXII. Diagram showing the monthly Increase or Decrease of the Junk Trade.
SHIPPING.
1. There is a decrease in the number of vessels arriving at this Port during the year caused by the general stagnation of trade which seems to have prevailed almost everywhere, and Hongkong can scarcely expect to be freed from its effects.
2. Under the heading of Shipping, the Junk trade is not considered, each class being of sufficient importance to be separately treated. It will therefore be seen that, deducting native craft from the totals of all vessels, there is a decrease as compared with 1872 of 2.31 per cent in the number of vessels and of 7.17 per cent in tonnage on the arrivals in 1872. The decrease is not so great as would be expected, if we only judge by the few vessels which are now lying in the harbor in comparison with the number which used to be seen there in former years. The paucity of vessels now would lead many people to suppose that the trade of the place was dying out. But this is not so. Steam- ships have superseded sailing vessels to such an extent that more constant action is necessitated than used to obtain in former years when sailing vessels arrived, discharged their cargo and crews, and were content to wait in a port where no dues were charged until something worth having turned up either here or elsewhere.
3. The old state of things has entirely changed, and competition, so valuable to the general good, is inciting ship-owners and merchants to procure vessels with high rates of speed, good carrying capacity, and moderate expenditure of fuel.
4. Of the 2,327 foreign vessels arrived during the year, 67.8 per cent are propelled by steam power; and 32.2 per cent are sailing vessels, exhibiting a large disproportion of the latter as com- pared with the carrying trade in this class of vessels in former years. The carrying capacity of the 1,579 steamers is thus divided amongst the various nationalities, 76.64 per cent of tonnage is British; 10.54 per cent French; 6.65 per cent American; 2.91 per cent German; and 1.25 per cent Spanish. The remaining 2.01 per cent is made up of vessels of other nationalities, amongst whom the Chinese are beginning to lay claim to a share of the foreign trade of the Colony.
5. In the returns for the year, the vessels trading with Saigon and ports to the Southward are now entered under the head of Cochin China instead of entering them as formerly under the erroneous heading of Coast of China; so that although the Coast of China trade shows a large decrease, it is not so great as at first sight appears.
6. The same remark applies to a change that has been made with regard to the steamers of the Messageries Maritimes. They have hitherto been returned under India and Singapore but are now transferred to Continent of Europe, that being the place of original departure, instead of Singapore which was merely a port of call. The vessels belonging to the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company whose original port of starting is England are returned as coming from there, although they take in Indian cargoes en route to China which do not appear.
7. Notwithstanding that the number of vessels from Great Britain is 49 less than arrived in 1872, the decrease in carrying capacity is only 9,180 tons, showing the much larger class of vessel employed in the trade between the two places.
8. The lighthouses in course of erection at Cape d'Aguilar, Cape Collinson and Green Island will be completed, and the lights in full operation, before the close of 1874. This will be a great boon to Captains of ships who now frequently have to lie off during the night for the want of well defined marks to show them their position.
JUNK TRADE.
9. The Junk trade has shared the same fate as has the trade in foreign bottoms, but it is surprising that the trade keeps up at all seeing the manner in which the Chinese Authorities stationed at the outlets of the port harass the trader. As this question is the subject of enquiry by a Com- mission, I advert to it but slightly in this Report.
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