1872 — Page 209

No. 38.

GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.

The following Report of the Harbor Master, with Returns annexed, for the Year 1872, is published for general information.

By Command,

Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 12th March, 1873.

CECIL C. SMITH,

Acting Colonial Secretary.

No. 24.

HARBOUR DEPARTMENT, HONGKONG, 28th February, 1873.

SIR-I have the honour to enclose the Annual Returns from this Department for the year 1872, 15 follows:-

1. 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, Tonuage, and Crews of Vessels entered at each Port. VI. Total Number, Tonnage, and Crews of Vessels cleared at each Port. vn. 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.

XII. 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.

IVIII. Amount of Fees received under Ordinance No. 10 of 1860 (Imperial Registry).

XIX. Return of Chinese Passengers Ships cleared by the Emigration Officer.

XX. Return of Vessels bringing Chinese Passengers to Hongkong froin Places out of China. XXI. Return of Marine Cases tried.

xxii. Diagram shewing the monthly Increase or Decrease of the Junk Trade.

SHIPPING.

2. I regret having to report that so many inaccuracies appear in the Returns for 1871, published in the Hongkong Government Gazette of the 20th April, 1872, that it is useless to attempt to institute Comparison between them and the Returns accompanying this Report. I have, therefore, preferred to take the years 1870 and 1872 to show the coinmercial progress of the Colony so far as the statistical information obtained by this Department will convey it. The Officer to whose laches these inaccuracies are mainly attributable has been allowed to resign the position he held in the Department.

1872,

8. The grand total of all the arrivals in the Colony, exclusive of ships of war, during the year amounts to 31,394 vessels, measuring 3,777,676 tons, manned by 483,816 seamin; of this and vessels of other nationalities claim 19 per cent. Rotal about 49 per cent represents the Junk trade, whilst British vessels absorb 32 per cent,