711086-1867-GOVERNMENT-NOTIFICATION-NO-39 — Page 1

OIT.

THE HONGKONG

Government Gazette.

No. 10.

Published by Authority.

VICTORIA, SATURDAY, 9TH MARCH, 1867.

Erratum.-In the Jury List, published in last Gazette, for-

VOL. XIII.

"Overbeck, Gustav

| Merchant, Dent & Co."

read

I

"Overbeck, Gustav

| Merchant, Dent & Co.

| Special Juror."

No. 39.

GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.

The following Report of the Harbor Master, with Returns annexed for the Year 1866, is published for general information.

By Order,

Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 4th March, 1867.

No. 23.

W. T. MERCER,

Colonial Secretary.

HARBOR MASTER'S DEPARTMENT, HONGKONG, 20th February, 1867. Sin,-In forwarding my Annual Returns and Report of the Shipping of this Port for the year ending the 31st December, 1866, I regret having to report a large decrease in the arrivals amounting to 113,403 Tons the whole of which is in British bottoms; the arrivals in foreign bottoms remaining at about the same tonnage as in 1865.

Shipping.

The British trade with India has fallen off 91,880 Tons, and with the ports in China (exclusive of Macao and Canton) see River Trade, 25,758 Tons; with America, Java, and Japan there is also a decrease amounting to 19,267 Tons, but against this large decrease from the places mentioned it is satisfactory to find the trade from Great Britain, Australia, and Siam has increased 24,158 Tons, still leaving with a few trifling differences on other Countries the large falling off before mentioned.

With respect to the arrivals in foreign vessels, the trade with India, North and South America, Java, and Japan has decreased to the amount of 44,923 Tons, against an increase from Great Britain, Australia, Siam and Ports of China of 44,290 Tons, which with a few slight differences from other Countries will shew in the whole an increase of 57 Tons.

Of the difference in the numbers of vessels arriving at this port during the last year, there is a falling off on the whole of 310, of these 259 are British. The Danish Flag in these waters, since the war in the Schleswig-Holstein Duchies has nearly ceased to exist. In 1865, 141 vessels of that nation were entered, this last year, shews a Return of 33 only. The Prussian Flag is becoming more common and will during the current year shew a still larger number of vessels wearing it. The American, Dutch, French and Spanish vessels have also increased in numbers.

The depressed state of Trade between China and India during the last year will account for the great falling off of British Shipping, nearly the whole of that Trade in 1865 having been done by English Steamers. There was then a strong inducement for vessels to bring cargoes here en route to India and Great Britain and several large vessels were employed in bringing Indian produce for China; during 1866 there was no such inducement and many vessels were consequently kept running between the Northern ports of China, while others were sold to the Japanese.

River Trade.

Hitherto the Trade with the neighbouring ports of Macao and Canton, has not been included in the Returns; it is now entered, but as an addition, so that it shall not appear in the comparative statement of Trade between 1865 and 1866; it will for the future be included under the common heading of "Coast of China and Formosa." This Trade (with the exception of that conveyed in Junks) is now entirely under the British Flag, the vessels engaged in it being owned by the "Hongkong, "Canton and Macao Steam Boat Company, Limited," -a

Company composed of Foreign and native residents. My next Report will include the Junk Trade between this and the coast of China.