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7. The following Table shows the number of convicts confined in Victoria Gaol on the 31st December for the past ten years, and the percentage borne by this number to the estimated population :-

Year.

No. of Convicts.

Percentage to Estimated Population.

Year.

No. of Convicts.

Percentage to Estimated Population.

1898,

55

.021

1903,

245

.059

1899,

96

.027

1904,

- 243

.054

1900,

141

.040

1905,

216

.046

1901,

180

.046

1906,

156

.037

1902,

215

.054

1907,

146

.035

8. The following Table shows the daily average number of prisoners undergoing im- prisonment during the past ten years and the percentage borne by this number to the estimated population of the Colony of Hongkong:-

Year.

Estimated Population.

Daily Average number

Percentage.

of Prisoners.

1898,.

254,400

511

.200

1899,

344,323

432

.125

1900,

347,689

486

.139

1901,

385,671

199

.129

1902,.

396,835

576

.145

1903,

410,642

653

.159

1904,

446,217

726

.162

1905,.

462,861

697

.150

1906,

414,049

518

.125

1907,..

414,415

502

.121

9. There were 755 punishments awarded for breach of prison discipline, being an average of 1.50 per prisoner as compared with 627 with an average per prisoner of 1.21 for the pre- ceding year. There were 4 cases in which corporal punishment was awarded during the year. Three of which were with the birch sentenced by the Assistant Superintendent alone and one with the cat-o'-nine-tails sentenced by the same Officer in conjunction with a Justice of the Peace.

10. There were no escapes or attempt to escape.

11. In the month of January a Chinese prisoner employed in the Coir-matting Shop assaulted a fellow prisoner with a mat-making knife for which he was subsequently sentenced to a further period of 2 years' imprisonment.

12. There were 14 deaths from natural causes, 3 executions and 1 birth. Eleven prisoners were released on medical grounds.

13. Owing to the low number of prisoners in custody and the extra accommodation afforded by the Branch Prison it has again been possible to strictly carry out the Prison Rules as regards the complete separation of Remands, Juveniles and Debtors from convicted pri- soners, also to keep apart first convicted prisoners from habitual criminals thereby bringing our prison system into line with the English Prison Service.

14. Prisoners employed at Industrial Labour were fully employed during the year and the out-put was quite satisfactory.

15. There were 4,169,624 forms printed and issued to the various Government Depart- ments and 22,342 books bound and repaired during the year under review.