Directory_and_Chronicle_1926 — Page 1017

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HONGKONG

females) were born in England, 575 (389 males and 186 females) in Scotland, 25 (16 males and 9 females) in Wales, 153 (104 males and 49 females) in Ireland, 2,759 (1,258 Portu- guese, 95 Japanese, and 154 others) in Hongkong, 1,480 in India 125 in Malaya, 153 (67) males and 86 females) in Australia, 19 in New Zealand, 56 (30 males and 26 femalcs) in Canada, 29 in the West Indies, and 14 in South Africa.

The Census Officer estimated the number of British nationals of European race at 4,300, and of British children of European race of all ages at about 500.

The Garrison consists of British and Indian troops. There is also a local Volunteer Defence Corps. The approaches to the harbour are strongly fortified, the batteries, consisting of well-constructed earthworks. The western entrance is protected by three batteries on Stonecutters' Island and two forts on Belcher and Fly Points, from which a tremendous converging fire could be maintained, completely commanding the Sulphur Channel. Pine Wood battery, on the hill above and west of Richmond Terrace, has a wide range of fire. The Ly-ee-mùn Pass is defended by two forts on the Hongkong side and another on Devil's Peak on the mainland, and if vessels survived that fire they would then have to face the batteries at North Point and Hunghom, which completely command the eastern entrance. Another battery on the bluff at Tɛim-tsa Tsui, Kowloon, commands the whole of the centre of the harbour. The batteries are armed with the latest breech-loading ordnance. The Colony of Hongkong pays to the British Government a military contribution fixed at 20 per cent. of the revenue.

In addition to the fortifications the Colony possesses a small squadron for harbour defence. The Naval Yard consists of a large dock, an extensive range of workshops and offices east of the Artillery Barracks, and the Naval Authorities have another large establishment on the Kowloon side near to Yaumati.

CLIMATE

As intimated in earlier paragraplis, Hongkong formerly possessed a most unenviable notoriety for unhealthiness, and in years past the troops garrisoned here suffered grievously from malarial fevers, At the present time, liowever, 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 and the training of nullahs ou the slopes have no doubt been beneficial in checking malaria, and the attention latterly bestowed on sanitation has not been without its due effect. The number of cases of malaria treated at the principal hospitals of the Colony in 1922 was 921, in 1923 1,6

,640, and in 1924 1,143. The general death-rate per 1,000 in 1924 was 21.75. Among the Chinese community the death-rate was 21.9 per 1,000, compared with 26.27 in 1923. Amongst the non-Chinese civilian community the death rate per 1,000 was 15.06 as against 20.46

in 1923.

Four successive years of comparative drought, 1898-1901, led to the assumption that the rainfall of Hongkong was decreasing. But such is not the case; the mean annual rainfall for the period 1902-11 was 84.21 inches against 68.29 inches for the period 1895- 1901. Until 1918 the rainfall was never so heavy as in the period 1888-1894, when the mean annual fall was 101.08 inches. In 1918 it was 101.605 inches, in 1919 76.14 inches, in 1920 107.88 inches, in 1921 97.34 inches, in 1922 69.435 inches, in 1923 106.74 inches, in 1924 98.57 inches, and in 1925 87.59 inches.

TRADE

The value of the trade of Hongkong was estimated for many years at about £50,000,000 per annum, but the returns compiled by the Statistical Branch of the Imports and Exports Department, established during the war, showed a total (exclud- ing treasure) for 1923, of £123,326,829, as compared with £122,191,827 in 1922. Imports were valued at £61,954,498 and exports at £61,372,331, as compared with £61,213,363 and £60,978,464 respectively in 1922. In the latter part of 1925 it was decided on the grounds of economy to close the Statistical Branch of the Imports and Exports Depart- inent and detailed figures of the trade of 1925 are therefore not available. cumstances it is impossible to show exactly the effect that the boycott declared by Canton against Hongkong in July, 1925, has had on the Colony's trade.

In the cir-

The total of the Shipping entering and clearing at ports in the Colony during the year 1924 amounted to 764,492 vessels of 56,731,077 tons, which, compared with the figures for 1923, show a decrease of 13,730 vessels and an increase of 3,328,838 tons. Of

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