making a daily report of the Junks or Boats which arrive here, and their cargoes; and this, in consequence of the departure of Mr. Gutzlaff in September, has been entered each day in a journal sheet, which has furnished the data for such parts of this Memo as are not derived from Mr. Gutzlaff's notes.
The Chinese Secretary's Officer professes to have no means of ascertaining what number of Junks put into Stanley, Aberdeen, where there are always several lying, or any harbour of this Colony except Victoria; or of finding out what may be the value or amount of the native cargoes brought by junks to Victoria; or what portion of such cargoes may be sold; or what goods thence exported.
By native crafts is meant such boats as are commonly known by this designation, viz. those employed by passengers between Hongkong, Macao and Canton, but those which bring supplies to the Colonial markets.
Their number in January and February is stated to have been considerable. In March and April the excitement prevailing at Canton and in its vicinity regarding the question of our entry into the City, affected their trade, which however revived as soon as the agitation subsided, and continued brisk until the end of June, when, without any apparent reason, it declined once more.
In August it was again brisk, although Piracy was then at its height.
In the daily reports of the last four months of the year, these native crafts were divided by Mr. Gutzlaff into 4 Classes.
1. Fast boats.
2. Marine Junk.
3. Salt Boats.
4. Stone Boats.
This term does not appear to have been taken of the Fast boat trade.
There is no record of 1. Fast boats. 2. Marine Junks.