The average tonnage of River steamers entered during the year decreased from 665.5 tons to 620.6 tons, that of British River steamers from 687 tons to 640.4 tons, and that of Foreign River steamers from 565.2 to 538.1 tons.
4. A comparison between the years 1908 and 1909 is given in the following table:
1908 1909 Increase Decrease Class of Vessels No. Tonnage No. Tonnage No. Tonnage No. Tonnage British Ocean-going 3,869 7,505,870 4,076 7,739,177 207 233,307 Foreign Ocean-going 4,132 7,397,836 4,318 7,857,908 186 460,072 British River Steamers 6,246 4,287,482 5,780 3,701,754 466 585,728 Foreign River Steamers 1,297 781,065 1,370 735,682 73 45,383 Steamships under 60 tons (Foreign Trade) 406 18,142 316 14,074 90 4,068 Junks, Foreign Trade 25,833 2,201,242 25,080 2,243,870 Total Foreign Trade 45,437 22,316,057 43,794 22,415,125 466 785,474 Steam-launches plying in Waters of Colony 10,460 445,724 10,349 434,988 111 10,736 Junks, Local Trade 40,951 1,848,522 43,478 2,087,320 2,547 238,798 Grand Total 53,212 34,615,241 52,728 34,830,845 Net 3,013 974,272 7,843 758,668*Including 16,808 Conservancy and Dust Boats of 862,256 tons.
†Including 19,094 Conservancy and Dust Boats of 1,022,676 tons.
5. This table shows an increase in British Ocean Shipping of 207 ships of 233,307 net register tons, or of 5.3 per cent. in numbers and 3 per cent. in tonnage, which points to a continuance of the revival of trade noted in my report for 1908. The improvement has been continuous throughout the year.
British River Steamers have decreased by 466 ships of 585,728 tons, or 7.4 per cent. in numbers and 13 per cent. in tonnage. This is due to the loss of two large steamers, the "Powan" and "Ying-king" which ran for half of 1908; to the withdrawal of two smaller steamers, the "Hoi Sang" and "Kwong Fat", and to the laying up, during three months of 1909, of another small steamer, the "Tak Hing".