Clearing seaward. The tonnage of this Port considerably exceeds that of all Canada seawards in 1863 and nearly equals that of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward's Island united. It equals that of all Australia collectively at the same period, exclusive of New Zealand, whilst it exceeds the entire tonnage employed in the commerce of all the British West Indies, including British Guiana, as per the Board of Trade's Statistical Tables.
Hong Kong alone has hitherto stood "unfettered" by returns, and having communicated with the Chamber of Commerce on the subject, I fear that there is no possible way of acquiring the information without such interference with the present perfect freedom of the Port as might injuriously affect the interests of the latter. It is, however, not wholly impossible to gauge the magnitude of the operations conducted within the confined limits of this small island by more than one million tons.
As the Port of Hong Kong is entirely free from every impost, no export or import duties being leviable, and there being no charges even for lights or tonnage dues, direct information as to the value of trade cannot be furnished. Hence, in the long list of the British possessions in my Despatch No. 172 of the 15th December last, I drew attention to the enormous quantity of bullion and specie imported annually into the Colony.