Table 24
Occupations of Boatmen, 1921
Occupations Northern District: males (land) Northern District: females (land) Southern District: males (land) Southern District: females (land) Southern District: males (boat) Southern District: females (boat) Boat crew 303 352 43 6% 54 12.6% Junk masters 176 47 4% 36 37 5% 43 7.29% 229 28 1% 52 12 1% Cargo boats general 111 29 9% 16 1 6% 18 24% I 0.2% coal 6 1.6% fuelwood 5 1.3% 1 10% 1 fish 11 3.0% 4 4.2% lime rice 40 10 8% 2 2.1% 8.3% 1.7% 18 24% 2 0 5% stone 15 4.0% 3 3.1% I Water 3.4% salt T [ earth H Hawker boats 16 2.1% 11 2.6% Coolie boats 5 0.7% Ferry boats 7 0.9% 0.2% Tow boats 5 0.8% 6 0.8% 13 0.8% 0.8% Misc sampans and family boats 0.5% Divers I 10% & 13 6% 77 100% 75 10% 280 65 1% 14 1.9% 10 2.3% 4 1.0% 25 26 0% 3 0.4% 14 3.3% 5 0.7% 0.1% 2 0.5% Boat Cleaners TOTAL 371 100% 96 100% 59 77 100% 755 100% 430 100%*Includes New Kowloon
It will be seen that the occupations of the floating population were almost exclusively conducted from boats. If the occupation was landward, it was closely connected with a marine base. Those boat people, for instance, recorded as fishmongers were almost certainly acting as the landward agency for a family fishing boat. Between the land people who were fishermen and boatmen and the floating population strictly so called, 51% of the total population of Southern District was normally working or resident on boats (59.7% if sailors in ocean-going ships and steam launches are included). Interestingly, in 1921, of all the mariners recorded (in both Northern and Southern Districts) and to repeat, this figure must be read with care-21.3% were operating cargo boats, hawker boats, or passenger sampans and ferry boats rather than fishing. This is a salutary reminder of just how