April 27, 1901.]
¡British women and 150 British children, and also 82 Asiatic women and 139 Asiatic children on the strength. The reduction in the number of troops in the colony at this period of the year is explained by the fact that a number of them were serving in the north with the China Expeditionary Force. At the Census taken in January, 1901, there were 5,591 officers and men and 2,139 camp followers resident in the colony, making a total of 7,640.
The total strength of the British fleet on the China station on June 30th, 1900, was 6,719 British officers and men, 39 Chinese servants and 1 Japanese servant, making a total of 7,110 as compared with 7738 in the previous year. At the census taken in January, 1901, the actual number of officers and men of His Majesty's Navy present in the colony was 5,597, and the estimated average number resident here (ashore and afloat) throughout the year 19 0 is put at 3,110.
The Chinese boat population of the colony (including 1,180 Chinese on the merchant ships in the harbour) numbered 41,28) at the census taken in January, 191, and has been estimated at 40,180 to the middle of the year 1900..
The number of registered boats belonging to the port in 1900 was as follows:---
Fishing and trading junks
7,434 Cargo-boats, lighters, sampans, etc. 4,933
Total. 11 367
This represents an average of 3.4 persons per boat, which is precisely the same as the average at the previous census..
The number of boats licensed in 1893, was 10,885 and in 1898 it was 19.150.
The figures for 1900 do not include 1,165 fishing junks licensed for Cheung Chau, 767 for Tai O and 2,154 for Táipo, as these villages in the New Territory do not come within the jurisdiction of the Sanitary Bard, nor are they included in the estimates of population.
The population of the colony is classified primarily into Chinese and non-Chinese, the former being greatly in the majority. The non-Chinese comprise a white population of 10,020, of whom 4,342 are civilians and the remainder belong either to the Army or the Navy. The coloured races (non-Chinese) number 4,788 and include East Indians, Malays, Filipinos, and a few Africans and Japanese, while the coloured Portuguese alone number 1,898.
The population is essentially a male adult one, as no less than 729 per cent. of the Chinese population and 62.6 per cent. of the non-Chinese civil population are males, while more than half the civil population (55.9 per cent. of the Chinese and 476 per cent. of the non-Chinese) are between the ages of 20 and 45. The proportion of the population of Great Britain between these agas is only 33.8 per
cent.
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CHINA ÖVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
345
1899, and 4-7 per 1000 in 1898. The birth-rate | early morning. As, however, some species of among the non-Chinese community alone was mosquitoes bite only, or generally, during the 151 per 1000, as compared with 177 per 1000 day, specimens of forms seen dying about 11 in 1899 and 15 9 per 1000 in 1898,
the daytime should be included. A good work- ing rule would be that least two-thirds of those sent should be caught in the evening.
DEATHS.
The total number of deaths registered during the year was 6,773 as compared with 6,181 during They shoull be sent when fresh, and should the previous year. The death-rate for 1900 as much as possible be caught within the was therefore 23.9 per 1,000 as compared with twenty-four hours preceding the despatch 23.8 per 1,000 in 1899, and an average of 22.2 the parcel. After they become dry, they tend per 1000 during the preceding five years.to break up, and classification of them is less These deaths include 1,022 from bubonic fever satisfactory. (plague).
I am especially desirous of having the weekly The death rate of the colony shows a marked consignments from all parts of the Colony and reduction during the past ten years, when com- the New Territory sent as regularly as possible. pared with the rate for the previous decade, It is not desirable to send large numbers from but there can be no question that, with such any one station, as this tends to give inaccurate a young adult population as exists in this averages for the Colony as a whole. No colony, the death-rate can be very much fur- consignment should exceed two dosen. No ther reduced by improvements in the condi- selection should be made, and at stations where tions under which the bulk of the population | the insects are abundant and easily caught, the are housed.
first dozen or so mosquitoes that are taken on The total number of deaths among the Chiauy given date should be sent. Any selection nese community was 6,471, which is equal to a of special mosquitoes would give erroneous death-rate of 241 per 1,000, as compared with results While I thus suggest a maximum 24.4 per 1,000 during the previous year.
limit, for the reason mentioned, I would. The deaths registered among the non-Chi-express my special indebtedness to those who nese numbered 302, of which 228 were from the have entered so enthusiastically into this matter Civil population, 59 from the Army and 15 as to make such a limitation desirable. from the Navy; this is equal to a death-rate of 20.4 per 1,000.
The nationalities of these deaths were as follows:- British and American 119, Indian and Malay 103, Portuguese 40, Japanese 11, German 11, French 10, Norwegian 5, Italian 2, and Austrian 1. The total death-rate among the white races was therefore 15.2 per 1,000 as compared with 12.4 per 1,000 in 1899, and among the coloured races it was 30.2 per 1,000 as com pared with 28.3 per 1,000 in the previons year.
MOSQUITOES AND MALARIA.
A report by Dr. J. C. Thomson on the results of his examination of mosquitoes during the first quarter of 1901 is published in the Gazette. Detailed tables are given of the dis- coveries, which are too long for reproduction here. A total of 7,490 mosquitoes was examined, and of these 227, or 3 per cent., were found to be Anopheles, of too species, and the remainder Culez, of five species. For the months October
The report is accompanied by a copy of the following circular issued by Dr. Thomson in March for the guidance of his assistants in the enquiry:
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On the other hand, officers in charge of cer tain stations who have been unable to find the weekly dozen at first asked for have sometimes sent none. I shall be glad to receive weekly consignments of even a very few mosquitoes rather than have stations unrepresented in some weeks, with consequent unequal results in the different weeks or months.
The mosquitoes need not necessarily be caught within the stations, but anywhere either within them or in their neighbourhoods; the general idea being that the polico stations approximately represent the whole area of the Colony and its dependencies, and hence a systematic classifica tion of mosquitoes sent regularly from all the stations throughout the whole year will give practically accurate knowledge as to the relative prevalence of the various kinds of mosquitoes that exist in Hongkong.
THE MURDER OF BRITISH SAILORS AT NAGASAKI,
The Nagasaki Press of the 12th inst, says :---
March the following were the percentages of Anopheles: -October 26.4, November 6.3, December 5.9, January 4.2, February 14, The disgraceful affrays which have taken March 3.1. It will be noted, says Dr. Thomson, place during the last few days between the that the percentage prevalence of Anopheles British and French bluejackets and soldiers among the specimens caught bears a very strik- were of so serious a nature as to call for im ing proportion to the known facts as to the mediate steps to be taken to prevent the possibi- prevalence of malarial fever in the Colony.lity of their recurrence. As usual in such cases, There is a gradual fall from October to Feb-it is impossible to arrive at the origin of the ruary, when a minimum is reached. In most quarrel between the two parties, and as encoun- years the minimum of malaria is either in ters between "Jacks ashore" are liable to arise on very trifling provocation. it is unnecessary to February or March.
pursue minute investigations on the point. So long as the fighting partakes merely of the nature of fisticuffs, not much harm is done, and the public are apt to view the indulgence of sailors in this form of amusement with consider- able leniency. Unfortunately the disturbances of the last few days have been more serious, many of the belligerents having been armed with formidable clubs and sword-sticks. The death of one British bluejacket has to be recorded, while certainly three others are seriously in- jured and may saccumb to their wounds. “We regret to say that in the dastardly use of lethal weapons our Gallic visito'a were to blame, their ideas of fairplay being somewhat elastic, and the fact that it was possible for them to pur chase such dangerous weapons as `sword-sticks in this town shou d cause the police authorities to investigate the sale of these goods and to impose some prohibition, for, so far as we know, thers is no excuse whatever for carrying arms of offence,
MEMORANDUM ON THE COLLECTION OF MOSQUITOES.
The recent Census has revealed the fact that during the past four years-that is to say since the Census taken in January, 1897--the excess of males over females has become more marked, both among the Chinese and the non-Chinese community, for the previous proportions were After a few months' experience of what may 70.9 per cent. of males among the Chinese, and be done in the matter of collecting and classify 58.6 per cent. of males among the Non-Chinese. ing mosquitoes, I think it well to offer a few The greatly increased rentals of domestic build-general remarks in order to secure more uni- ings, during the past four years, are no doubt the cause of this reduction in the female popula- tion, for both the Chinese and the non-Chinese community have found it increasingly difficult to obtain family dwellings at a rental which would bear a just proportion to their earnings. It will be noted that the reduction is even more marked among the non-Chinese community than among the Chinese, and until cheap and rapid transit is afforded to the outlying dis- tricts of the City, I am afraid that this great disproportion of the sexes will be maintained, or even further accentuated.
BIRTHS.
form action among those who are assisting me; and in doing so I wish to convey my best thanks to the officers of the police force for their hearty co-operation. My first quarterly report on the subject was published in the Gazette of 12th January last.
The mosquitoes have in nearly all cases reached me in good condition, and the method of catching and transmitting previously sng gested has proved quite satisfactory. They should be caught by means of the glass test tubes sppplied, killed by a whiff of tobacco smoke, and then addressed in an ordinary matchbox to the Chief Inspector a the The births registered during the year were Central Police Station. No packing of any as follows
kind is necessary, other than the wrapping Males. Females. Total, of the box in a piece of paper. The name Chinese,
678 of the station from which the parcel is sent 123 should in all cases be written on the outside. Non-Chinese,
138
As the malaria-bearing mosquito (Anopheles) bites usually, or always, at night, it is important for purposes of this enquiry that the insects should for the most part be collected in the evening, or from mosquito-curtains in the
54 56
431
247
Coloured,
69 82
582
357 939 This is equivalent to a general birth rate of 3′3 per 1000, as compared with 4-5 per 10′0 in
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"That further bloodshed did not ensue Wednesday last is in a great mea the praiseworthy action of certain of military officers, who, realicing
once got their men situation, at sent them off to their ships," thus the__soldierly element, although bluejackets did not appear inclined. military authority. On regret to record that in spite edge of what had taken place night, and with the strong proba