1873 — Page 204

3. The old state of things has entirely changed, and competition, so valuable to the general good, is inciting ship-owners and merchants to procure vessels with high rates of speed, good carrying capacity, and moderate expenditure of fuel.

4. Of the 2,327 foreign vessels arrived during the year, 67.8 per cent are propelled by steam power; and 32.2 per cent are sailing vessels, exhibiting a large disproportion of the latter as com- pared with the carrying trade in this class of vessels in former years. The carrying capacity of the 1,579 steamers is thus divided amongst the various nationalities, 76.64 per cent of tonnage is British; 10.54 per cent French; 6.65 per cent American; 2.91 per cent German; and 1.25 per cent Spanish. The remaining 2.01 per cent is made up of vessels of other nationalities, amongst whom the Chinese are beginning to lay claim to a share of the foreign trade of the Colony.

5. In the returns for the year, the vessels trading with Saigon and ports to the Southward are now entered under the head of Cochin China instead of entering them as formerly under the erroncous heading of Coast of China; so that although the Coast of China trade shows a large decrease, it is not so great as at first sight appears.

6. The saine remark applies to a change that has been made with regard to the steamers of the Messageries Maritimes. They have hitherto been returned under India and Singapore but are now transferred to Continent of Europe, that being the place of original departure, instead of Singapore which was merely a port of call. The vessels belonging to the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company whose original port of starting is England are returned as coming from there, although they take in Indian cargoes en route to China which do not appear.

7. Notwithstanding that the number of vessels from Great Britain is 49 less than arrived in 1872, the decrease in carrying capacity is only 9,180 tons, showing the much larger class of vessel employed in the trade between the two places.

8. The lighthouses in course of erection at Cape d'Aguilar, Cape Collinson and Green Island will be completed, and the lights in full operation, before the close of 1874. This will be a great boon to Captains of ships who now frequently have to lie off during the night for the want of well defined marks to show them their position.

JUNK TRADE.

9. The Junk trade has shared the same fate as has the trade in foreign bottoms, but it is surprising that the trade keeps up at all seeing the manner in which the Chinese Authorities stationed at the outlets of the port harass the trader. As this question is the subject of enquiry by a Coin. inission, I advert to it but slightly in this Report.

10. The decrease in the Junk trade with Macao and the Ports to the North-eastward, amounts to 82,212 tons, of which 42 per cent is with the former port and 58 per cent with the Coast ports.

11. The accompanying Diagram will show that the Junk trade for 1873 is about on a par with what it was in 1871. I trust it may fall no lower, but strong measures are being adopted by the Cantonese with a view to withdrawing it from the Colony.

EMIGRATION.

12. Emigration on the whole to Countries other than China has increased by 1,047 persons. In the early part of 1873, there was a large demand for labour in California and several steamers in addition to those of the Pacific Mail line were laid on to meet this.

13. It is to be regretted that the laws controlling the conveyance of Chinese to the United States from British Possessions are not assimilated. As it is, vessels leave here with their number of passengers as prescribed by the Chinese Passengers' Act of 1855; but on arrival at a port in the United States the vessels are remeasured and if they are found to have more passengers on board than the United States' laws allow, the Masters of the ships are liable to heavy penalties. These difficulties lead to much inconvenience which by an assimilation of laws might be avoided.

14. Much pains have been taken in endeavouring to prevent the export of young females from here who are in many instances sold for improper purposes. With this object in view, girls who have not been sufficiently able to explain their reasons for emigrating have not been permitted to proceed. But it has been found that in several instances vessels going to Singapore and other places, without coming within the meaning of the Chinese Passengers' Act, have taken twenty of the very class of persons whoin this and the Registrar General's Departments have been endeavouring to protect.

15. The Government of the neighbouring Colony of Macao have lately issued stringent orders prohibiting the further Emigration of Chinese from there under contracts of service; and they have also established new Regulations by which none but free Emigrants shall leave Macao, Emigration under Contract to Portuguese l'ossesions however is permitted, the Government being in a position to overlook the labourers on arrival at their destination.