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the Norwegian flag, is probably due almost wholly to the
continued withdrawal of vessels which had been attracted to
the Far East owing to the temporary disappearance of
Japanese Ships during the Russo-Japanese War; as is
evidenced by the fact that Japanese trade shows an increase
in 1906, compared with 1905, of 536 ships of 1,206,494
tons.
3.
The return of commodities imported
and exported, set out under the heading "Trade" are for
the reasons given in the third paragraph of my above-quoted
Despatch unreliable and misleading, and I am giving
instructions for future years that, while the Harbour
Master should continue to collect such information on the
subject as may be available, he should not include these
figures in his report, except when, as in the case of the
Sugar and Opium Returns, their accuracy can be vouched for.
4.
The Emigration Returns show
an increase of 12,404 persons going abroad over the figures
for 1905, and a decrease of 5,571 persons returning to
China. It is satisfactory to note that 15,541 more
emigrants were carried in British Ships than in the
previous year,
5.