978
HONGKONG.
stagnant. There are good carriage roads from Victoria both to Aberdeen and Shau- ki Wan, and a bridle road to Stanley. A good bridle road leads up to the summit of Victoria Peak, with other paths branching off from it along the adjoining hills. A tramway, to be worked on the wire rope system, has been laid to the Victoria Gap, where there is a station; the lower terminus is close to St. John's Cathedral. Within the past few years the number of bungalowsn and about the Peak has increased so much that they now form quite an alpine village. The Military erected a sanitarium on the heights in 1883; and in June of the same year the Peak Church was opened for worship there. The Peak Hotel, at Victoria Gap, close to the Tram- way terminus, has just een opened.
Across the harbour is the dependency of British Kowloon. This peninsula was ceded to Great Britain in 1861. I has an area of four square miles, and has lat:erly made considerable progress. Yau-ma Ti, the principal village, has increa ed in popula- tion, and bids fair to some day become an important town. A number of European houses and a club have been erecte i and numerous gardens laid out at Tsim-tsa Tsui. A fine praya, with a massive granite wall, has been constructed at Tsim-tsa Tsui, and some extensive godowns have been built and fine wharves made, for discharging cargo and coaling. An Observatory as also completed at the eni of 1883 on Mount Elgin; and a large and handsome Police Station for the Water Police has been erected on an eminence just above the new praya. A Time Ball occupies a prominent posi- tion in front of this Station, and is dropped daily. Steam ferries ply regularly between Kowloon and Victoria.
The total population of the Colony of Hongkong, according to the census of 1881, was 160,402, showing an increase of 21,258 since 1876, when the precesing census was taken. The total population of the city of Victoria was returned at 141,494; that of Kowloon at 9,021; of Shau-ki Wan 3,274; of Aberdeen 1,305; and Stanley 829. The rest of the population is distribute l among the smaller villages and the boat population other than in Victoria harbour. The total British and foreign population numbered 7,990; but the residents proper are returned at 3,040, the former figures including the naval and military establishments, police, shipping in harbour, and temporary residents. The Indians and others of mixed, blood numbered 1,722. The population is now probably not less than 190,000.
Hongkong fo merly enjoyed a most unenviable notoriety for unhealthiness, and in years past the troops garrisoned here undoubtedly suffered severely. A great deal of the sickness in the early days of the Colony was caused by excavating and other- wise disturbing the disintegrated granite of which the soil of the island mainly con- sists, and which appears to throw off malarious exhalations when upturned. Át the present time, however, the Colony is one of the healthiest spots in the world in the same latitude, and all circumstances considered the mortality is by no means excessive. New sanitary regulations were inaugurated in 1883. The annual death rate per 1,000 for the whole population in 1886 was 28.07, for the British and foreign population 18.54. The annual average rainfall is about 80 incues, while the average annual range of the thermometer is from 43 deg, to 89 deg.
The finances of the Colony have for several years gone on improving, and the estimated revenue for 1888 is $1,437,670 and the expenditure $1,318,545.
Hongkong is a free port, and there is no official return of the imports and exports compiled, but the value of its trade is estimated at about £40,000,000 per annum. During the year 1886 the following tonnage entered and cleared with cargoes:---
CLEARED
NATIONALITY
American
Austrian
Belgian
British
Chinese
Chinese Junks.
***
Danish
Dutch
French
2,982
3,371,547... 2,961... 3,34,830 142... 183,304... 132... 169,971 22,971..... 1,762,8×4..... 22,673... 1,730,863
INTERID
CLEARED
NATIONALITY
Vessels. Tons. Yesse 8.
Tons.
111... 14,122,..
110...
149,134
German
23...
1...
44,514...
19...
37,547
65...
1...
885
Hawaia Honduras
Italian
ENTERED
Vessels. Tons. Vessels. Tons.
676... 487,786...
668... 476,338
1...
13...
40...
19,260...
1...
840
1...
177
12...
19,604
Japanese
7..
4,893...
7...
4,892
Norwegian
22..
21,688...
24... 22,526
55...
22,896... 52... 22,377
Russian
8...
12,653
10... 14,105
89...
193...
49,995... 176,278...
36.. 45,971 127... 179,907
Siamesa
16
7,483...
17...
8,140
Spanish
33... 18,701...
31...
17,380
A total of 18,298 vessels, of 5,585,219 tons entered, and 20,890 vessels, of 5,458,824
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