GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.—No. 127.
The following Annual Report from the Harbour Master, with the Returns accompanying it, is published for general information.
By His Excellency's Command,
Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 2nd April, 1881.
[No. 71.]
FREDERICK STEWART,
Acting Colonial Secretary.
HARBOUR DEPARTMENT,
HONGKONG, 5th March, 1881.
SIR, I have the honour to forward the Annual Returns of this Department for the year ending the 31st December, 1880.
I. Number, Tonnage and Crews of Vessels entered.
II. Number, Tonnage and Crews of Vessels cleared.
III. Number, Tonnage and Crews of Vessels of each Nation entered.
IV. Number, Tonnage and Crews of Vessels of each Nation cleared.
V. Total Number, Tonnage and Crews of Vessels entered at each Port.
VI. Total Number, Tonnage and Crews of Vessels cleared at each Port.
VII. Return of Junks entered from Macao.
VIII. Return of Junks cleared for Macao.
IX. Return of Junks entered at each Port from China and Formosa.
X. Return of Junks cleared at each Port for China and Formosa.
XI. Gross Total Number of Junks entered at each Port.
XII. Gross Total Number of Junks cleared at each Port.
XIII. Return of Junks (Local Trade) entered.
XIV. Return of Junks (Local Trade) cleared.
XV. Summary of Arrivals and Departures of all Vessels, and of all Chinese Passengers.
XVI. Return of Vessels registered.
XVII. Return of Vessels struck off the Register.
XVIII. Amount of Fees received under Ordinance No. 10 of 1860 and Section III of Ordinance No. 8 of 1879.
XIX. Return of Chinese Passenger Ships cleared by the Emigration Officer.
XX. Return of Vessels bringing Chinese Passengers to Hongkong from Places out of China.
XXI. Return of Marine Cases tried.
XXII. Diagram of Tonnage of Vessels entered.
SHIPPING
2. The total tonnage entered in this Department for the year under review, amounts to 4,185,845 tons, being an increase of 63,177 tons over the tonnage entered in 1879.
3. In my last annual statement reporting on the year 1879, I had to call attention to a falling off in the trade as compared with 1878, but that year was the most prosperous of any that the Colony has experienced. The trade is again now nearly what it was in 1877, and there seems good reason for the increase steadily continuing.
4. It is advisable to separate the trade in foreign bottoms from that in native junks.
5. The former shows an increase of 64,942 tons on 1879, the total for 1880 being 2,535,587 tons as against 2,470,645 tons in the previous year. Of the tonnage entered in 1880, the following is the percentage due to each nationality of vessels arriving in this Colony: American, 4.97; British, 74.08; Chinese (foreign bottom), 4.98; Dutch, 0.53; French, 6.52; German, 5.79; Japanese, 1.03; Siamese, 0.59; Spanish, 0.75; others in small proportions, 0.76.
6. The trade in vessels propelled by steam amounts to 2,316,121 tons as against 2,204,901 tons in 1879, or an increase of 111,220 tons, the percentage for each nation of the steam tonnage arrived during the year being as follows: American, 2.31; British, 78.67; Chinese, 5.43; Dutch, 0.53; French, 6.62; German, 3.91; Japanese, 1.11; Spanish, 0.80; Danish, Austrian, Belgian, Norwegian, and Russian, 0.62.
7. As regards the countries having trade communication with this Colony, the trade inwards and outwards with the coast of China and Formosa naturally absorbs the greatest proportion, as ships constantly arrive with goods from various parts of the world for ports in China, and ships as frequently arrive from China and its neighbourhood with cargo for countries other than Chinese.