Sessional_Paper_1901 — Page 722

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on the 25th January, which result is most creditable to all concerned. A large number of the schedules left in the outlying villages had to be filled up by the enumerators, and considerable inconvenience and delay was caused by people taking away the papers left at their houses to be filled up elsewhere, and finally not bringing them back to their own homes. In very few instances did the enumerators get back the same schedule which they had originally left at a house, and in one case a schedule delivered at Yaumati was collected at Hok Ün.

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12. The Census of the Chinese floating population was taken by the Water Police. It was decided that this should be done in the day time and not at night (as in 1897). The principal objections to the latter course are that it is difficult to distinguish in the darkness which boats liave been enumerated and which have not, and that the crews of the various craft have to be roused from their sleep, which causes considerable delay. On the other hand, the fact of the boats being continually on the move presents a serious objection to enumeration in the day time. Steps were taken to overcome this difficulty by stationing launches at each end of the Harbour to prevent boats entering and leaving while the Census was being taken. Several extra launches were engaged, in addition to those of the Water Police, and the work was practically finished in one day. Unless this is so, as pointed out by Mr. BREWIN in his Report on the 1897 Census, it is not easy to obtain accurate figures. Owing to the number of extra launches which had to be engaged, the regular Water Police could not provide enough men for the work. It had been suggested that Petty Officers of the Royal Navy might be employed, but on consideration I decided that it would be preferable to obtain the extra men from among the European Land Police Force, as a good many of them had had some experience of Water Police work, and would be better able to distinguish the various classes of boats.

The Harbour was divided into seven sections, a stean launch and two gigs being told off to each, with the exception of No. 5 section (Western boundary of Harbour) which only had a launch. Each launch and boat carried a European Policeman and a Chinese Constable or Interpreter.

The bulk of the work was finished on the 20th January, but two launches were employed on the 21st until about 6 p.m. when no boats could be found, which had not been enumerated.

The principal difficulties encountered, besides that of the boats being continually on the move were (1) the ignorance of the boat people regarding their own ages; (2) the fact that members of the crew often did not happen to be on board when their boat was hailed by the Police, those remaining being unable to state the ages of the absentees; (3) mistakes in classifying boats by men who had not suffi- cient experience in Water Police work. The results, however, were most satisfactory, and it is probably the most accurate Census of the floating population that has been taken,

13. The Hill District was enumerated without assistance by Sergeant CLARK. It is too much work for one man, and two Europeans and two Chinese should be eniployed on the occasion of the next Census.

14. The arrangements made by the Police Officers in Charge at Stanley, Aberdeen, and Shaukiwan were good. Their task was by no means an easy one, as they had to enumerate the floating as well as the land population.

At Aberdeen, the boats employed in guarding the outlets of the harbour while the Census was being taken were on duty all night, and at the other villages, the Police were similarly hard worked.

At Shaukiwan Inspector ROBERTSON managed to get the harbour boats to anchor in rows, so that there was no trouble in enumerating them. In this connection I might mention that the Water Police in Victoria Harbour had great difficulty in enumerating the boats west of Blake Pier and in Yaumati Bay, as they were so closely packed together that it was extremely hard to get in amongst them. It would be impossible, however, to adopt such an arrangement as was found suitable at Shaukiwan in the Harbour owing to the number of boats which ply for hire, and which could not be treated in this way.

15. The Census of Pokfulam was taken by Indian P.C. 613 BHOLA SINGH, who was assisted by a Chinese Police Constable. They performed the work most creditably, and their Census book, showing the rough totals and the number of schedules left at each house, was quite as well filled up as that sent in by any other Police Officer.

16. The Census of the British and Foreign shipping was taken by the Acting Boarding Officer, Mr. MacIVER, and the Inspector of Junks, Mr. CoLLAÇO.

17. Officers appointed for that purpose by the General Officer Commanding the Troops and the Commodore in Charge enumerated the Naval and Military establishments.

18. The European and American resident civil population numbers 5,808 as compared with 5,532 in 1897, and 4,555 in 1891. These figures include Portuguese. The numbers of the latter community tend to decrease, and it is now composed of 1,948 persons as compared with 2,263 in 1897 and 2,089 -1891.