470
n the Hawan and Wanchai Districts of 4,044 or 24 per cent. Table XIX., which gives the population of the sections into which the town was divided for the purpose of the census and the corresponding population in the year 1891, will be of assistance in an enquiry into the causes of this apparent increase. The number of prisoners in Victoria Gaol was 24 Europeaus and Americans, 7 Indians and other non-Chinese, and 485 Chinese.
24. The European and American population of the Peak has increased from 213, excluding the Police, to 881. This latter number includes 5 persons occupants of the police stations. The number of children under 15 is 87. The Chinese population is 1,591. Of these, 427 were workmen employed on buildings in course of erection.
25. The European and American population of the villages in Hongkong is not given in the Report on the Census of 1891. It is probably included under the heading Victoria. It now amounts
to 125.
26. The district of Shaukiwan shows a slight increase in the Chinese population from 7,272 to 7,438, notwithstanding that the three villages of Sant'sün, Hung-heung-ló and T'ung-lo-wan are now included in Victoria and the village of Hoktsui in Stanley, and that the quarrymen to the number of about 500, according to the estimate of the police inspector in charge of the district, had left to spend the New Year holidays at their homes on the mainland.
27. The increase in the population of the Stanley District is due to the presence of workmen employed on the Tytam Waterworks.
28. The population of the Aberdeen District remains unchanged whilst there is an increase of 115 persons in the district of Pokfulam, of whoin about 40 are workmen temporarily employed on a new building.
29. The European and American population of British Kowloon has increased from 183 to 377. Of these, 93 are under 15 years of age. The Chinese population of the peninsula continues to grow rapidly. In 1881 it was 9,021. In 1891 it was 19,997. It is now 26,142. There are no parti- culars given in the report on the last census from which to ascertain in what part of the peninsula the increase has taken place, but it is sufficiently obvious without them. Yaumati is now a town of 8,000 inhabitants, Hunghom of 6,000, whilst there is a population of 3,500 round the promontory of Taikoktsui.
30. The number of Europeans, Americans and other non-Chinese on board the merchant shipping in the waters of the Colony on the night of the census was 448 compared with 1,016 in 1891; the number of Chinese 1,523 compared with 1,063. Of the Europeans, 161 were British, 74 Germans, 29 Norwegians and 17 £wedish. There were 49 Americans, 63 Japanese and 12 Malays. The number of ships was 54.
31. The Chinese floating population numbers 31,752 persons living on board 5,141 vessels. This is a slight decrease compared with the year 1891 when the population was 32,035 and the number of vessels 5,220. The number of fishing boats was 1,594 compared with 1,141 in the year 1891; the number of boats plying in the waters of the Colony 3,408, and the number of passenger and trading junks 139. The population of the harbour was 21,311 compared with 23,662 in the year 1891. Of these 13,687 were found in boats moored on the south shore and in the middle of the harbour and 7,624 along the north shore, compared with 17,215 and 6,447 respectively in the year 1891. But the position of the boats is largely affected by the weather, and cannot be depended upon. The floating population of Shaukiwan remains practically the same; that of Aberdeen shows an increase caused by the presence of a number of fishing boats which lie up there for the New Year. The an- chorage at Stanley is unsafe during the south-west monsoon when it is almost deserted. This accounts for there being only ninety boats there at the time of the last census which was taken on the 20th May. The number of boats at Stanley on this occasion was 206, of which 201 were fishing boats, and the police officer in charge of that station reports that the number of the latter would have been greater but that during the days previous to the census some had left the anchorage for Aberdeen and Macao for the New Year Holidays.
32. The census of all persons living outside Victoria and of the floating population was taken by police officers placed for that purpose at the disposal of the Registrar General.
33. Victoria itself was divided for census purposes into four blocks:-Block A. bounded on the west by Mount Davis, on the south by the Pokfulam, Bonham and Caine Roads, on the east by Peel Street as far as Staunton Street, Staunton Street as far as the Old Bailey, the Police Compound, Wyndham Street and Pedder's Street, and on the north by the harbour; Block B. bounded on the West by Block A., on the south by the Hill District, on the east by Murray Road and the Albany Nullah and on the north by the harbour; Block C. bounded on the west by Block B. on the south by the Kennedy Road, on the east by the Naval Hospital, Bullock Lane, and No. 2 Police Station, and on the uorth by the harbour; Block D. consisting of the rest of the town south and east of Block C. Blocks B. and D. were enumerated entirely by the Police. In Blocks A. and C. they enumerated the European, American and other non-Chinese portion of the population and the Chinese living in buildings and tenements occupied by them, whilst the mass of the Chinese population in these two blocks, consisting of 142,830 persons, was numbered by 76 Chinese enumerators working directly under the Registrar General, and supervised by six chief watchmen.