464
3
bourne, 12 to Sydney, 3 to Taku, 7 obtained employment on shore, 4 went to Manila, 2 to Calcutta, 1 to Bombay, 1 to Shanghai, 1 to Canton, 2 joined Chinese Customs, 1 taken charge of by Naval authorities, 2 disappeared, 3 died, 3 remained at the Government Civil Hospital, 2 at Sailors Home, and 119 obtained employment.
Four thousand one hundred and ninety-eight Dollars and Seventy-five Cents ($4,198.75) were expended by the Harbour Master on behalf of the Board of Trade in the relief of these distressed Sca- men, and $213.04 by the Colony.
MARINE SURVEYOR'S SUB-DEPARTMENT.
20. Return No. XXIII shows the work performed during the year by this branch of the Harbour Department, and in forwarding this, I wish once more to draw attention to the undermanning of this sub-department. In December, 1900, the engagement of a temporary Second Assistant Government Marine Surveyor was sanctioned, and this officer is still employed as such, rendering most valuable assistance, thereby enabling the work to be promptly done and avoiding the detention of shipping. The tonnage of vessels surveyed during the year 1900 was 327,286, an increase of 40,512 over 1899.
During the same period, the number of licensed passenger steam launches surveyed has increased from 134 in 1899 to 187 in 1900; while the number of boilers built under the superintendence of the Government Marine Surveyor has increased from 62 to 73. This being so, I consider it essential that the temporary appointment above mentioned be made permanent.
I may perhaps be permitted to quote the following significant figures, in continuance of Captain RUMSEY'S report for 1899, in which he compares the work done in Liverpool, and in this port, by the Surveyor's Department.
In Liverpool in the year 1898, vessels aggregating 1,105,000 gross tons, were surveyed by a staff of eleven, while in Hongkong during the same period 324,610 gross tons were surveyed by a staff of two, this giving 100,454 tons per surveyor at the former port to 162,305 tons per surveyor at the latter.
The returns for six months during 1900, show that in Hongkong the steamers surveyed aggre- gated 181,485 gross tons, while in Liverpool 550,000 tons were surveyed during the same period, giving in Hongkong over 90,000 tons per surveyor as against some 50,000 odd tons in Liverpool.
The revenue derived, from the work of this Sub-department, by the Colony, has increased from $10,055.87 in 1890 to $15,036.59 in 1900.
This revenue does not show the actual work performed, as all Government work such as survey aud reports on Pumping Stations, Disinfectors, Steam Road Roller, Stone Crusher, Dredger, Pontoon Crane and Government Launches do not appear. In one Government Department alone, viz., the Water Police, launches have increased from 3 to 7. These launches are surveyed twice a year and take a considerable amount of time and attention of this Sub-department.
up
LIGHTHOUSES.
21. The amount of Light Dues collected was as follows:
'Class of Vessels.
Rate per ton.
No. of Ships.
Tonuage.
Total Fees collected.
C
Ocean Vessels,
I cent
3.4425,264,934
149
*
"
1,028
5,802 788,756
Steam Launches,
River Steamers (night boats),... Launches plying exclusively to Macao and West River, by night,..
River Steamers (day boats),
Launches plying exclusively to Macao and West River, by day,
Total..
52,649.34 58.02 2,629.48
Free
250 1,005
12,712 966,204
42.54
Free
483
23,457
5,357 | 7,061,865 55,379.38
Telegraphic and telephonic communication has been kept up with the Gap Rock and Cape D'Aguilar during the year. From the former station 957 vessels have been reported as passing, and in addition 200 messages were received and 3,512 sent, including the daily weather report for the Observatory.
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