Sessional_Paper_1904 — Page 454

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The increase in River Trade is almost wholly due to the new Steamers Kinshan and Wing Chai being in the River Trade during the greater part of 1903 and to an increased number of sailings by the Hongkong, Canton and Macao Steam Boat Company, Limited.

Under Foreign Flags, the table shows an increase of 681 ships of 1,063,904 tons of which 328 ships of 821,216 tons are Ocean-going, the remainder 353 ships measuring 242,688 tons are River Steamers.

The increase in Ocean-going is made up principally by an increased number of Steamers calling at the Port in 1903 under the United States Flag and to the increased tonnage of some of the Pacific Mail Steamers, and to an increase under Chinese, Japanese and French Flags.

The increase in River Trade is made up by two French Steamers Sun Cheung and Kong Nam, the former being a new Steamer and the latter was transferred from the British Flag in July, 1903, also to the Chinese Steamers Chan Wai and Chan On whose running commenced in the first Quarter of 1903.

The actual number of ships of European construction (exclusive of River Steamers and Steam Launches) entering the Port during 1903, was 741, of which 344 were British, and 397 Foreign. These 741 ships entered 4,419 times, giving a total tonnage entered of 7,064,185 tons. Thus compared, with 1902, 23 more ships entered 372 more times, and gave a total tonnage increased by 779,927 tons.

STEAMERS.

Ships.

No. of Times entered.

Total Tommage.

Flag.

1902. 1903. | 1902. 1903.

1902. 1903.

British,

324

331 1,753 1,982 2,965,0303,368,788

Austrian,

20

15

50

42

125,929| 106,914

Belgian,

1

3

Chinese,

17

14

135 172

3,624 163,396 222,164

Danish,

8

13

27

23,374 48,676

Dutch,

11

23

21

26,464 34,575

French,

27

42

228

262

219,111 246,837

German,

123

126

939

937 1,360,5241,345,567

Italian,..

4

3 14

12

Japanese,

56

69

409

467

Norwegian,

49

51

300

318

Portuguese,..

3

1

46

30

23,428 32,732 865,400,1,017,263

7,897

263,379 319,685

7,110

Russian,

11

9

16

19

32,046 30,781

Swedish,

4

4

15

31

14,325

26,093

United States,.

23

24

56

61

121,939 200,706

No Flag,

1

2

1,260

Total,

676

709 |4,000 4,383 (6,215,866|7,009,181

During the year 1903, 14,489 vessels of European construction, of 19,018,411 tons (net Register), reported having carried 9,768,405 tons of Cargo, as follows:-

Import Cargo..............

..3,985,310

Export

2,245,119

Transit

.2,874,950

Bunker Coal shipped,

*663,026

9,768,405