CO129-258 - Governor Sir Robinson - 1893 [1-4] — Page 96

! be substituted.

95

We shall not only have vessels laden with Oil in tanks arriving to our consignment here to be wholly discharged here, but we shall load Oil here into tank steamers for conveyance to other ports in China and Japan or into Junks containing Oil tanks for conveyance to purely Chinese ports and places on the east & west coasts, and up the Canton River, into tank cargo boats and into ordinary trading steamers specially provided with tanks.

All these ships must come alongside our wharves and be laden through our pipe-lines.

The Draft Rules and Regulations only foresee and provide for steamers arriving here, wholly discharging their cargo and then departing.

It may happen that a tank steamer arriving here may only discharge a portion of her cargo and proceed to Shanghai or Japan with the rest.

It may happen that after the emptied tanks have been thoroughly cleaned we shall have to load them with general cargo for the port or ports of ultimate destination. If we cannot do this, there might be a heavy loss on the voyage. We may therefore need permission to load general cargo at our wharves and to coal steamers there, all proper precautions being taken to ensure freedom from danger.

If they cannot take in cargo and coal there, they can take it nowhere. They are not allowed among the shipping within the regular anchorage with oil on board and the appointed anchorage is at a prohibitive distance from the town.

For the native trade and for the local trade we will need to have junks and cargo boats alongside our wharves and freedom to load them under proper safeguard at all times whether steamers are alongside discharging or not.

The new regulations ought therefore to foresee and provide for:

1. Tank steamers discharging in Bulk