(4)
The rest of the European and American population has increased by 591 since 1897 and by 1,394 since 1891. An accurate comparison cannot, however, be made with 1891 as the figures for that
year do not include the European Police, some "temporary residents," or the inmates of the Gaol.
The British resident civil population numbers 2,708 as compared with 2,213 in 1897 and 1,448 in 1891. The larger number of military families, due to the strengthening of the British troops in garri- son, the Naval Yard Extension works and those of Messrs. Butterfield and Swire at Quarry Bay, and other large undertakings are factors in this increase.
The Americans have increased from 93 in 1891 to 198, the Germans from 208 to 337, and the French from 89 to 103. The Spanish number 126 as compared with 88 in 1891. The cosmopolitan nature of the community can be realised from the fact that there is hardly a nationality on the face of the globe which is not represented.
19. The Portuguese population has again, for the reasons stated by Mr. BREWIN in his Census Report for 1897, been separated in most of the Tables from the rest of the Europeans and Americans. It is mainly recruited from Macao, and only ten members of the community were born in Portugal. 1,095 or more than one-half were born in Hongkong, 746 in Macao and 60 in various ports in China. Several members of this community described themselves as being of Asiatic race. The great majority of the Portuguese have returned themselves as Portuguese subjects. British nationality is claimed by a very few.
20. Of the British population of 3,007 (inclusive of those on board the shipping in the harbour) 1,777 claim to be English, 655 are Scotch, and 251 Irish. 2,053 were born in the British Isles, 574 in Hongkong, 140 in Australia, and 74 in India. The percentage of adult females to males is 55, taking all those over 15 years of age as adults. The percentage in 1891 was 38 and in 1897, 48.
21. The Non-Chinese races, other than European and American, number 2,607 as compared with 2,502 in 1897 and 1,439 in 1891. No separate return was made of the various races in 1891, so the present figures can only be compared with those of 1897. The Indians number 1,453, the increase over 1897 being 60, 345 or 24 per cent. of this number are females. There are 484 Japanese as compared with 335 in 1897, and 266 Philippine Islanders as compared with 216 in the last Census. Of the remainder the Malays number only 66, there being 141 fewer than in 1897.
Tuore are 2,139 Indian camp followers whom I have considered it advisable to include with the garrison. They are attached to that portion of the China Field Force, which is at present in garrison in this Colony.
22. The number of Eurasians was ascertained to be 267. This is 5 less than in 1897. It is a very difficult matter to obtain the true figures for this portion of the population. The large majority of Eurasians in this Colony dress in Chinese clothes, have been brought up and live in Chinese fashion, and would certainly return themselves as Chinese. Those who have called themselves Eurasians in this Census probably only represent the small minority who have been brought up as Europeans. Of the 3,589 Eurasians in the Singapore Census of 1891, the large majority were probably the children of Tamil, Malay or Indian thothers, and not of Chinese ones. They would most likely not have any objection to declaring themselves Eurasians. The Chinese consider the term one of reproach. If enumerators were instructed to find out the numbers of Eurasians themselves, it is obvious that this would inevitably lead to abuses, and would present great opportunities for the exercise of private spite.
23. The total Chinese land population of the Colony is 234,443, including 1,180 on board the foreign shipping in harbour, as compared with 201,528 in 1897 and with 178,960 in 1891. This repre- sents an increase over the latter year of 55,483, or nearly 31 per cent. The increase over 1897 is 32,915. The number of male adults (those over 15 years of age) is 158,930 and of females 42,737, the percentage of the latter to the former being 26.89. In 1891, the figures were 113,241 and 33,523 respectively, the percentage of females to males being 29.92. The number of Chinese families in Vic- toria has been ascertained to be 25,123, the figures in 1897 and 1891 being 21,740 and 14,120 respec- tively. This shows an increase over 1897 of 3,383, and over 1891 of 11,003. As the increase in the Chinese population of the city since 1897 is only 14,765, the increase in the number of families cannot be considered entirely a real one. It is not probable that there has been any considerable increase in family life among the Chinese since 1897.
24. Of the Chinese land population 227,615 returned themselves as natives of the province of Kwong Tung, 179,296 of this number belonging to the Kwong Chau Prefecture. Of the various dis- tricts in the latter Tung Kun comes first with 28,844 persons.. The natives of Pun Ü number 28,587, of Na Hoi 27,221, of San On 22,412, and of San Ui 21,542. There were 1,088 natives of the pro- vince of Fokien, 151 of Kong So, and 125 of Chekiang. 2,354 persons, of whom more than half were women, claimed Hongkong as their home. The native place of 120 persons was not stated.
25. Of the 181,918 inhabitants of the Non-Chinese, while 175,056 are Chinese. Health Districts into which th
*
City of Victoria, 6,862 arc Europeans, Americans, and other Table XV gives the Chinese population of each of the ton and Table XIV shows that of the eight registration districts.'
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