154
13. For European constructed vessels the average daily entry would be 12.45 as against 11.57 in 1894, and of the steamers arriving 73.5 % were British including all the river steamers of which the daily entries averaged 4.09.
14. Having been absent from the Colony for about 6 months of the year under review I am not in a position to offer any general remarks as to the influences at work during the period as they appear from the Shipping Returns to affect the general trade of the Colony. It would seem, however, that these influences, whatever they may have been, were disposed favourably towards us.
15. The March quarter of the year showed a net increase over the same period of 1894 in trade as represented by tonnage of 1,333 tons.
The half-year increased this to 224,371 tons.
The nine months ending 30th September brought it up to $45,203, and
The year resulted in an increased tonnage credit of 1,383,443.
16.
IMPORTS AND EXPORTS.
Trade of the Port of Hongkong for year ending 31st December, 1806.
Toxs.
No. of Dis- Ships. charged.
Shipped.
In Bunker Transit. Shipped.
Coal
Pas-
Regis- Carried. Total. tered
Tonnage.
sengers
British,
Foreign,.
3,639 1,821,038* 991,477 1,156,464 222,3364,191,315 5,275,547 309,006
2,463 939,916 559,707 467,419 143,7242,110,766 2,933,949, 124,606
River
Steamers (British),.
2.987 131,274 111,823
21,810 267,907 3,314,090, 928,825
Total,
9,089 2,895,228] 1,663,007 1,623,883| 387,870,6,569,988 11,525,586 1,362,437
Junks in
Foreign Trade,......)
53,027 403,888†1,015,921|
|1,479,809 3,683,700 218,177
i
Total,
62,116 3,359,116| 2,678,928|1,623,883 387,870 8,049,797 15,209,286 1,580,614
Junks in
Local Trade,.....
11,645 126,388| 26,046)
152,434 422,827 10,459
{
Grand Total,... 73,761 3,485,504 2,704,974 1,623,$83 387,$70 $,202,231 15,632,113 1,591,073
* Includes 8,650 tons and 2 cases Kerosine.
† Includes 27,190 tons and 18 cases Kerosine.
Including 17,982 tons of Kerosine.
17. In Returns Nos. I. and II. will be found the number and registered tonnage of all vessels entering and clearing between the Colony and each country with which trade relations exist, and the amount of cargo reported as "shipped." "discharged," and "in transit' to and from these various
countries.
18. This Department has now, at an infinite amount of trouble and pains on the part of the officers concerned, succeeded (to an extent limited only by the reliability of the information afforded on application) in producing statistics usually only found at ports which have the advantage for this, purpose of a Custom House, and as I remarked on a former occasion "I hope the information may be valued in proportion to the amount of time and trouble expended in its compilation."
19. During the year 9,089 European constructed vessels aggregating 11,525,586 carried 6,569,988 tons, made up as follows:-
Import Cargo,
Export do.
Transit do.
Bunker Coal shipped,
2,895,228
1,663,007
1,623,883
387,870
6,569,988
The total number of tons carried was therefore 56% of the total registered tonnage; in the previous year it was 58 %, and in 1893 59 。-