HONGKONG
255
malarious exhalations when upturned. At the present time, however, the Colony is 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 1896 was 24.48, for the British and foreign population 19.91.
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
HUMIDITY. WIND VELOCITY, (percentage of (milesper hour)
BAROMETER (in inches).
(in deg. Fahr.).
RAIN (in inches),
saturation).
Mean.
Max.
January
30.16
30.37
Min. 29.69
Mean. Max. Min.
Mean.
Mean. Min.
Mean.
59.4
76.6
32,0
1.67
74
14.8
February
30.14
30.39 29.57
7.3
70.0
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.
29.0
30.16
20.58
69.7
88.6
55.8
7.58
36
20
14.8
May
20.37
341,02
20.48
76.2
90.9
64.1
15.00
84
35
13.7
June
29.77
20158
20.28
S0.5
92.6
69.2
16.97
83
34
12.4
July
29.73
20.88
28.91
81.5
92.0
72.1
15.98
83
47
11.1
August..
29.76
20.85
29.20 80.9
92.90
71.6
13.89
83
16
9.4
September
29.82
29.98
28.58
30.1
93.9
65.6
8.58
77
34
12.1
October
29.09
30.19
20.23 76.3
93.4
60.8
4.78
70
22
14.7
November
30.12
30.31
30.18
29.50 34.35 29.76 62.6
69.0
83.0
62.1
0.81
65
15
13.6
Year
29.96
30.39 29.88 71.3
December
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 1896 the following tonnage entered and cleared :-
CLEARED
$1.9
44.2
1.21
65
12.9
93.9
32.0
02.31
78
13.5
TRADE.
NATIONALITY
ENTERED
CLEARED
NATIONALITY
ENTERED
Vessels. Tons.
Vessels. Tons.
American
56
87,872
Austrian
24
59,314
57 24
91,536 59,314
German
Vessels. Tong.
721
Vessels. Tons.
857,329
723
858.496
Hawiinn
2
2,407
2
2,197
Belgina
1
1.689
Italion
13
17,519
13
18,142
Brinsh
3,230
4,382,546
Chinese
211
27.01
3,224 210
4,375,748
Japanese
80
146,315
FO
141,493
217,236
Norwegian
130
125,530
130
125,174
Chinese Junks.. 29,-48
1,881,746
29,723
1,885,657
Russian
11,587
11,587
Danish
58
Dutch.
10
20.64 14,218
58
10
French
120 165,680
121
20,684 14, 14 168,057
Siamese
1
1156
656
Spanish Swedish
7
9,039
7
9.039
10
10
9,890
9.890
A total of 18,642 vessels of 6,718,978 tons entered, and 23,280 vessels of 7,172,040 tons cleared with cargoes. There also entered in ballast 15,886 vessels, of 1,332,107 tons, and cleared 11,122 vessels of 877,674 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 Feiłew, Manila, Saigon, Haiphong, Tourane, Bangkok, Borneo, te.
&c. With Shanghai, Tientsin, and the ports of Japan there is frequent communication by steam ers of the Indo- China, China Navigation, and other lines, in addition to the English and French mail steamers, which leave weekly. Between Hongkong, Macao, à nd Canton there is a daily steam service.
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