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10. A review of the junk trade of the Colony may not be without interest at the present time. In the early days of the Colony's history Piracy in its neighbourhood was more or less common; In his Annual Report for 1865 the Harbour Master says "There can be little doubt but that every armed junk becomes a pirate when an opportunity offers," and in 1868, after the introduction of the "Harbour and Coast" Ordinance, he says "Formerly there was good reason to suppose that piratical vessels were fitted out in this harbour, Free Trade amongst junks had become Free Licence and these piratical pests of our waters had unmolested ingress and egress at all hours of the night and day."
Ordinance No. 6 of 1866-"The Harbour and Coast Ordinance,"-which came into force on 1st. January, 1867, made provision for the regulation and control of junks; most of its provisions have been re-enacted from time to time since, and the regulations now in force are for all practical purposes the same as in 1867 and are briefly as follows
Junks are divided into two classes:
(1) Unlicensed Junks and
(2) Licensed Junks.
These classes are again divided into :-
(1) Trading Junks and
(2) Fishing Junks.
Unlicensed Junks are required—
Unlicensed Junks.
(1) To anchor in certain places called "Anchorages for Junks" and from which they may
not remove without permission.
(2) To report their arrival.
(3) To give notice of intended departure.
(4) Not to leave at night.
Licensed Junks.
Any junk, on complying with certain conditions as to giving security, &c. may be granted a licence by the Harbour Master, either for trading or fishing, for which a fee is paid, the maximum being $20 a year.
She then obtains the following advantages:-
(1) No restriction as to place of anchoring.
(2) On payment of a fee of 25 cents she is granted a Special Permit, good for one month,
absolving her from reporting each arrival and intended departure.
(3) If a Fishing Junk, she is granted a permit, on payment of a fee of 25 cents, allowing
her to leave during certain hours of the night and early morning.
In 1867, 20,787 Trading Junks of 1,867,702 tons entered, and 20,443 of 1,353,700 tons cleared. In addition 1,444 Fishing Junks were licensed during the year and the greater number of these came in or left daily during the winter months.
In 1898, 29,466 Junks of 1,814,281 tons entered and 29,470 of 1,812,473 tons cleared, also 5,379 Fishing Junks were licensed.
In 1868, Customs Stations were established in the vicinity of the Colony by the Viceroy of Canton, primarily for the collection of Opium "Lekin" and Opium "duty," but this soon became extended, and a levy of lekin and duty on all imports and exports was made at these stations (see Sir JAMES RUSSELL's report 1886), and in 1869 the Harbour Master reported "I think the decrease in tonnage in Junks can reasonably be attributed to the existence of these Stations (Customs) and to the activity of the cruisers attached to them."
In 1874 a Commission, which had been appointed to enquire into "complaints made against the action of the Chinese Maritime Customs in the neighbourhood of the Colony and the alleged detri- ment to trade arising from such action," submitted their report. They found in the course of their investigation "that a most vexatious system of blockading is kept up at all the entrances to the harbour by a number of boats in the employ of the Hoppo of Canton, the salt farmer, and the collector of the lekin tax, and that these craft continually make use of and encroach into the waters of the Colony and actually capture junks therein."
The proceedings of these blockaders, which were gravest in character were the stopping of junks, proceeding on distant voyages with cargoes of lawful merchandise laden in the Colony, and compelling them to go to Canton and pay duty on their cargo-a practice which was carried on extensively; and further, the seizure of junks bound to the Colony from ports in Formosa and elsewhere and the taking of these to Canton to be mulcted in heavy sums, or possibly to be condemned and sold.
The Commission advised that, Her Majesty's Government should endeavour "to prevail on the Government of China to remove altogether the Customs Stations and Cruisers from the neighbour- hood of the island, and to arrange that duties be collected only at those ports or places at which there exists an export or import trade, and that should the Chinese Government refuse to remove the Stations and criusers altogether, it might be urged upon them to remove these to a greater distance than they are at present, say, not nearer in any case than ten miles from the entrances to the harbour.'
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