242
HONGKONG
one of the healthiest spots in the world in the same latitude. The influence of the young pine forests created by the Afforestation Department has no doubt been beneficial. in checking malaria, and the attention latterly bestowed on sanitation has not been without its due effect. The annual death rate per 1,000 for the whole population in 1895 was 21.73, for the British and foreign population 17.64.
The following table shows the barometer (reduced to mean sea level), temperature, rainfall, humidity, and wind velocity. The figures are the average of ten years' observations (1884-93) made at the Observatory at Kowloon, 108 feet above sea level, and are compiled from tables given in the annual report of the Director of the Observatory for 1893 :--
TEMPERATURE
(in deg. Fahr.).
HUMIDITY. WIND VELOCITY. (percentage of (miles per hour)
BAROMETER (in inches).
RAIN (in inches).
saturation).
Mean.
Max. Min.
Mean. MAX. Min.
Mean.
Mean. Min.
Mean.
January
30.16
30.37
29.69
59.4
75.6
32.0
1.67
74
6
14.8
February
30.14
30.39
29.57 67.3
79.0
40.3
1.76
79
11
15.2
March
30.06
30.31
29.55
62.0
80.3
46.8
4.08
85
24
16.9
April.
29.96
30.16 29.59
69.7
88.6
65.0
7.58
86
20
14.8
May
29.87
30.02 29.48
76.2
90.9
64.1
15.00
84
35
13.7
June
29.77
29.89 29.28
80.5
02.6
69.2
16.97
83
34
12.4
July
29.73
29.88 28.91
81.5
92.9
72.1
15.98
83
47
11.1
August.
29.76
29.85 29.20
80.9
92.9
71.6
13.89
83
46
9.4
September
29.82
29.08 28.88
80.1
93.9
65.6
8.58
77
34
12.1
October
29.99
30.19 29.23
78.3
93.9
60.8
4.78
70
22
14.7
November
30.12
30.31 29.59
69.0
83.0
52.1
0.81
65
16
13.6
December
30.18 30.35 29.70 62.5
81.9
44.2
1.21
65
9
12.9
Year
29.96 30.3) 28.88 71.3
93.9
32.0
92.31
78
13.5.
Trade.
Hongkong is a free port, and there is no complete official return of the imports and exports compiled, but the value of its trade is estimated at about £50,000,000 per annum. During the year 1895 the following tonnage entered and cleared with cargoes:-
CLEARED
NATIONALITY
ENTERED
CLEARED
NATIONALITY
ENTERED
Vessels. Tons.
Vessels. Tons.
American
51
80,903
50
77,454
Austrian
24
61,116
24
61,116
Hawaiian Italian
1,223
Vessels. Tons. Vessels. Tons.
2
2
1,228
14
18,846
14
18,923
British
3,308
4,297,342
3,318
4,292,295
Japanese
27
48,831
26
47,820
Chinese
98
115,753
93
115,753
Norwegian
127
145,309
124
143,539
Chinese Junks.. 23,55
1,814,705 20,473
1,838,995
Russian
9
21,244
9
21,244
Danish
97
43,623
97
43,623
Siamese
1
058
1
658
Dutch..
15
12,898
14
12,226
Spanish
3,844
4
3,844
French
123
107,309
123
167,809
Swedish
7,912
8
7,912
German
633 744,811
631
737,841
A total of 19,374 vessels of 6,367,702 tons entered, and 22,798 vessels of 6,746,734 tons cleared with cargoes. There also entered in ballast 11,726 vessels, of 1,249,301 tons, and there cleared 8,218 vessels of 815,549 tons.
The trade chiefly consists in opium, cotton, sugar, salt, flour, oil, cotton and woollen goods, metals, earthenware, amber, ivory, sandalwood, betel, vegetables, granite, &c., &c. There is an extensive Chinese passenger trade, now chiefly restricted, however, to the Straits Settlements, Netherlands India, Borneo, the Philippines, Siam, and Indo-China. Hongkong possesses unrivalled steam communication. The P. & O. S. N. Co. and the M. M. Co. convey the European mail weekly, the Norddeutscher Lloyd Co. maintain a regular monthly mail service between Bremen and Hongkong, the P. M. S. S. Co. and the O. & O. S. S. Co. maintain a mail service with San Francisco, the Canadian Pacific Railway Co, a regular mail service with Vancouver, B.C., a regular line has been estab- lished by the Northern Pacific S. S. Co. to Tacoma, another by the Oregon Railway and Navigation Co. to Portland, and the Eastern and Australian S. S. Co. and the China Navigation Co. keep up a frequent but rather irregular service with the Australian Colonies. In addition to all these, several great lines of merchant steamers run between London, Liverpool, and Hongkong, of which the China Mutual S. S. Co., Ocean S. S. Co. and the Glen, Warrack, Mogul, Ben, Union, Shell, and Rickmers lines are the most conspicuous. The Austrian Lloyd's steamers also ply from Trieste to Hongkong, those of the Kingsin line from Hamburg and the Navigazione Generale Italiana Company's steamers run monthly from Genoa. There is frequent but irregular steain communication between Java and Hongkong. Between the ports on the east coast of China and Hongkong the steamers of the Douglas S. S. Co. ply regularly twice a week, and there is constant steam communication with Hoihow, Manila, Saigon, Haiphong, Tourane, Bangkok, Borneo, &c. With Shanghai, Tientsin, and the ports of Japan there is frequent communication by steamers of the Indo- China, China Navigation, and other lines, in addition to the English and French mail steamers, which leave weekly. Between Hongkong, Macao, and Canton there is a daily steam service.
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