6
compared with 1908, 41 less ships entered 207 more times, and gave a collective tonnage increased by 343,878 tons.
Thus :-
Steamers.
No. of Times entered.
Total Tonnage.
Flag.
1908. 1909. 1908. 1909.
1908. 1909.
Steamers 358 331 1,923 2,034 3,730,927 3,854,571 British Sailing... 7 5 10 7 21,697 17,683 Austrian, 9 7 25 24 97,789 94,288 Belgian, 1 1 2,903 Chinese, 16 24 229 232 291,416 290,936 Corean, 1 1 796 Danish, 6 5 15 16 34,211 31,426 Dutch, 15 17 97 105 201,014 207,190 French, 39 32 169 148 289,222 262,459 German, 129 108 745 Italian, 4 2 12 Japanese, 93 98 434 735 1,188,100 1,176,322 11 31,400 28,470 493 1,049,540 1,283,330 Norwegian, 39 43 181 212 192,278 227,341 Portuguese, 5 4 87 94 23,487 36,927 Russian, 7 5 13 9 34,326 19,584 Swedish, 3 5 11 35 18,099 53,726 United Steamers 13 17 38 42 245,280 211,327 States Sailing... 1 1 809 Total, 745 704 3,991 4,198 7,452,498 7,796,376TRADE.
As pointed out last year, and in many previous years, the figures which used to appear under this heading were as a whole never accurate, and, in some cases, actually misleading. However, in the few items of Import Trade of which substantially accurate details can be given, the following remarks may prove of interest. These items are Coal, Kerosene Oil (including all products of Petroleum), Opium, Morphine, Compounds of Opium, and Sugar.
Coal. I find that 1,126,836 tons were imported into the Colony during the year. This shows an increase over the imports of 1908, of 108,083 tons, or 10.6%. This would appear to be due to nothing more phenomenal than an increased demand, and to a general improvement in business and manufactures. It is a curious fact that although the imports of coal have increased to this extent, the shipment of bunker coal in the Colony has decreased. This is due to the fact that an increasing number of vessels, calling at Hong-kong, prefer to take their bunker coal elsewhere, e.g., Japanese and most transpacific liners in Japan, Chinese in Canton-whither