346
4. The search of native vessels leaving or approaching this Port has not been relaxed by t
Chinese Cruisers, although the complaints, at one time so frequent, have not of late be heard. This may be accounted for by the traders, seeing they have to give way to the squeezes quietly submitting themselves to what they cannot avoid.
17. Agents from Queensland and other British Colonies have shown a desire to procure Chinese r under contract, but the difficulties attending such a system are so great that but little en- agement can be held out to persons requiring this class of labour. Firstly comes the difficulty the Customs' Cruisers and get but small satisfaction from the Chinese Authorities when complainininining bona fide volunteers. Secondly, having obtained them, the difficulty of keeping them wing well fed, say they do not wish to emigrate. Thirdly, it has often happened that Emigrants Whether this has any material effect on they great, as Chinese will often go to a Lodging House, remain there for a few days, and then,
aed their contracts freely enough, and after receiving an advance of wages away an get to sign a contract without this stipulation) they have gambled their man, ya, during declined to proceed. Some Chinese professed gamblers have been known to embark, and, few days they have been on board waiting to sail, have won the money of the really intending
trade and consequent prosperity of the Colony is a matter of dispute, but certain it is that, on the year 1667 as a starting point, it being the year in which this Government took cognisance of arrivals and departures of Junks, the rise of that trade was steady until it reached its culmin point in May 1872, and, it has since then as steadily gone downwards.
A glimpse at the accom panying diagram will render this clearer than any wordy description.
due to the introduction of steam-vessels into that trade. The old and nearly worn out sailing vesse at one time employed in the Siamese trade are fast disappearing.
There has also been an increase
18. These difficulties, together with the large expense which attends the procuring contract the number and tomage of vessels arriving from India and Singapore, Australia and New Zealand, get that the Agents have, for the present, withdrawn from the attempt to obtain the cer, and the probability of the Emigrants deserting on their arrival at their destination, have been as also a slight rise in the tonnage from the Philippine Islands. The principal decreuse is of vess of which the Australian Colonies seem so much in need. and tonnage from Great Britain, Coast of China and Formosa, Cochin China and Japan.
5. There has been an increase in the trade between this Port and Siam, probably in a meas grants, and have then repaid their own advances out of their winnings and gone on shore.
19. The Emigration of females is on the decrease. 1,104 women and girls have emigrated during year as against 1,542 that left here in 1873. I fear there can be little doubt but that the
Of the steam-ships, 73.5 per center proportion of these women and girls were purchased on the mainland and exported for pur-
6. Of the tonnage of the different classes of vessels arriving at this Port, 38 per cent are steamer 10 per cent are foreign sailing vessels, and 52 per cent are Junks. were British, 11.8 per cent French, 5.8 per cent American, 4.6 per cent German; the remainde being made up of Spanish, Chinese and steamers of other nations. Of sailing vessels, exclusive? Junks, 49 per cent of tous, or nearly the half, are British, and 51 per cent are foreign.
7. In my last Report, I alluded to the probability of the lights to mark Cape d'Aguilar, Greg Island, and Cape Collinson being in their places before the close of 1874. materials from England has delayed this, but, the lanterns for Cape d'Aguilar and Green Islan The late arrival of the having arrived, there is every likelihood that the light on Cape d'Aguilar will be exhibited on the 150 April, and that on Green Island on the 1st May next. The light for Cape Collinson has not ye
arrived.
8. The year 1874 has been a most disastrous one to shipping in all parts of the world. and in the neighbourhood, we have the following casualities to record:
s of prostitution. These unfortunate women are instructed as to the answers they are to give an being questioned as to their willingness to emigrate, but either from fear of their purchasers, or a callousness as to what their future may be, it is most difficult to obtain the truth from them. has been for a long time the desire of this Government to endeavour to put a stop to this practice, the Chinese notions of morality, and the estimation in which the women are held, are so low that gee no harm in this disgraceful traffic.
20. In endeavouring to check this practice I have received much valuable assistance from the gistrar General, whose knowledge of the Chinese language and the character of the people enables to detect, readily, the cases of females who are purchased for immoral purposes, but, if the Heading Junigrant expresses her desire to proceed, and they too frequently feel themselves in honor d to their purchasers, the Government is powerless to stop them. But very few instances have red of females confessing that they had been improperly procured and were unwilling to go. casus, the persons concerned have at once been handed over to the Police Court for blin equationing of the female Emigrants is of so searching a nature that the people concerned in thearing the women have been discouraged in their traffic, hence the decrease of feinale Emigration
uded to in a previous paragraph.
9. 4 Typhoon of unusual violence visited this place on the morning of the 23rd September causing a destruction of ships and loss of life fortunately not of frequent occurrence in this Colony
10. The total destruction of and loss of many lives on board the British steamer Mongol in
neighbourhood of the Port on the 12th December.
las
11. The total loss by fire of the United States' Mail Steamer Japan on the 17th December, an
pre-
loss of life on board of that ship, a few miles from here. These are most distressing occurrences inted a petition to the Government praying that some more effective means might be devised for staying
record in one year,
12. I reported fully on the Typhoon in October last, but attach that document to this Report as it may perhaps be thought a fitting supplement to the usual Returns published in the Colony
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21. The Chinese Committee of the Chinese Hospital take great interest in this matter, and Emigration of purchased females. A Commission investigated the matter; some of the Members the Chinese Committee were invited to be present at the examination of the intending female grants at this Office, and candidly admitted that nothing further could be done, observing that, if kft Hongkong unwillingly after undergoing the examination made by the proper Officers,
had themselves alone to blame.
13. A Marine Court enquired into the circumstances attending the loss of the Mongol, whis vessel went down a few minutes after she struck on a well known rock, marked on the Admiralty Charchased out of the Colony and brought in to be shipped away near the South Nine Pin Island. The Master and Chief Officer being drowned, the Court though
12. The Commission recommended that an Ordinance should be passed to meet the cases of females
for purposes of prostitution.
23. It will be observed in the Returns that the number of Chinese brought to this Port from
it advisable not to offer any opinion as to the faultiness or otherwise of those answerable for the nila and Singapore is much in excess of the number leaving Hongkong for those places. This is
serious calamity. The evidence appeared in the public press, and a copy was, in the usual forwarded to the Board of Trade.
way
14. An enquiry in the matter of the loss by fire of the Japan was held at the United States Consulate, resulting in the full acquittal of the Master, and censuring the Chief Engineer. A fe remarks on this loss will be found in the report on Emigration for the year.
EMIGRATION.
consequence of the large direct Emigration to Manila and Singapore from Amoy and Swatow. Junk or Coast Steamer for their homes. bese people, on their return to their native land, have to come here first, whence they take passages
24. The deplorable loss by fire of the United States' Pacific Mail Steam-ship Japan, 4,351 ins register, on the 17th December last, in Latitude 22° 45′ N. and Longitude 116° 36′ E. while on er voyage from San Francisco to this Port via Yokohama in Japan, has to be reported. This 15. The gross total number of Emigrants leaving here in 1874 is 3,098 more than were carrieengers on board.
essel had a mixed crew (Americans and Chinese) of 136 persons, and there were 424 Chinese in the preceding year.
When about 135 miles from here she caught fire near to, or in the fore coal Of males, there were 8,497 more, but there has happily been a decrease auker. In spite of the admirable arrangements of steam pumps which these ships possess, the the children and female adults, the reasons for which will appear further on. been to the Australian Colonies, Bangkok, and the Straits Settlements. The last named Colon ssel was cut off by flame.
The increase of males ha read so rapidly that in a very short time communication between the fore and after parts of the The Japan had boats and rafts calculated to hold 650 persons, which takes a large number of men for the purpose of working the tin mines in that Settlement and itere all in the water with the exception of one large boat secured immediately abreast the fire. neighbourhood.
he was also supplied with 1,500 life preservers distributed in various parts of the ship ready for
16. No reports of accidents to Emigrant Ships leaving this Port have been made for a long sc. It is impossible to say with accuracy the numbers lost and saved, as some of the Chinese pas- period. All the vessels appear to have made fair average passages and with few deaths or muengers were picked up floating on pieces of the wreck and conveyed in native boats to the land, discase. The latter is
selection of good Chinese Surgeons for charge of the ships that have no European trained Medicest their lives. The matter was investigated at the United States' Consulate when the Master was
nourably acquitted of all blame, and the Chief Engineer was censured.
uun on board.
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