GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.-No. 204.
The following Census Returns of the population of the Colony on 3rd April, 1881, with covering letter of the Acting Registrar General, are published for general information.
By His Excellency's Command,
Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 8th June, 1881.
No. 35.
FREDERICK STEWART,
Acting Colonial Secretary.
REGISTRAR GENERAL'S OFFICE,
HONGKONG, 1st June, 1881.
SIR, I have the honour to enclose the Returns of the Census which was taken on the night of the 3rd April last, in accordance with the directions of His Excellency the Governor.
The previous Census was taken on the 4th December, 1876, when the whole population numbered 139,144, shewing an increase in four years (the period that had elapsed since the Census of 1872) of 17,159; it now numbers 160,402, shewing an increase in four years and four months of 21,258.
The greater part of this increase is, of course, in the Chinese population.
The European and American community is larger by 273, and the increase is among the British, Portuguese, Germans, and Italians, and is that of women and children. The male adult population has decreased.
All the villages, with the exception of Stanley, Aberdeen, and Little Hongkong, have added to their inhabitants.
Kau-lung has increased by 1,317, and if the Government is desirous of encouraging the settlement of population in that Dependency, the existing tenure of land leases by their extension would materially aid in that direction.
New buildings are still being erected, and 1,062 have been added since last Census, and of the 352 houses destroyed by fire in December 1878, the greater number, on being rebuilt, have been enlarged by an additional story.
I have the honour to be,
The Honourable
ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY,
&c.,
&c.
Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,
John Gerrard,
Acting Registrar General.