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ago, and Shamshuipo bids fair to become a popular residential and industrial district. Large schemes of reclamation are now well under way both at Cheung Sha Wan, Taikoktsui and Kowloon Tong. In the near future from the Kowloon Ferry a thickly populated district will extend for 4 miles to Laichikok. In 1897 this portion i.e., the Western side of the Peninsula only contained 11,500 inhabitants.

(f.) Kowloon City. For the purposes of the Census, Kowloon City has been included in the Kowloon Peninsula, though for certain purposes it is still considered a part of the Southern District of the New Territories. An increase is shown of 2,181, but this is partly accounted for by the presence of workmen engaged on the various works of improvement now in progress. A large scheme for reclaiming the shallow part of the bay in front of the city has been under way for some years, and is still pro- gressing though very slowly. A beginning has already been made with the erection of modern houses on the reclamation; a broad road is being constructed to join Kowloon City to Yaumati and Mongkok, and it will not be long before the old Chinese houses and narrow lanes composing what is known to Europeans as the City, but to the inhabitants as the lower suburb, have been replaced by modern improvements. Such rapid progress is not however to be expected here as on the Western side of the Peninsula, which seems for some reason to be greatly preferred by the Chinese population.

Normal Population.

9. Factors affecting. With an urban population so subject to sudden changes and forming the greater part of the whole, it is important to consider how far the results of the Census present a true account of the normal population. On the credit side are to be placed civil commotion and famine in the neighbouring province, activity of trade and emigration in the Colony, and on the debit side festivals held in China, epidemic disease, trade stagnation and dear rice in the Colony. Examining the factors mentioned in order, it is found that comparative peace and prosperity reigned in Kwong Tung, which was about to celebrate the installation of a New President, whereas the year 1911 was a time of civil commotion causing the inundation of the Colony with thousands of refugees from Canton. On the other hand, an unprecedented stagnation of trade had prevailed in the Colony for over 12 months, the present world-wide depression having manifested itself earlier in the Far East than in Europe. The Trade Returns of the Colony for the 2nd Quarter 1921 showed a decrease of 52.61 per cent while the tremen- dous slump in the values of the raw products of Malaya had greatly restricted the tide. of emigrants, for whom Hongkong serves as the collecting centre, especially in the spring. On the other side of the account, the Colony was remarkably free from epidemic disease, and the price of rice, the staple food, was normal. But the most disturbing factor for Census purposes was the occurrence of the Tsing Ming festival. The date of the Census i.e. April 24th, was the 17th day of the third moon of the Chinese calendar, and during the third moon it is the duty of every adult male Chinese, if he can, to return to his native village to worship at his ancestral tombs. The third moon has become for Hongkong somewhat like the month of August in England, except that the whole family does not participate, though often baby boys are taken home in charge of their mothers to be presented to the male relations assembled for the festival. In the case of domestic servants, police and those in similar employ, the period of absence is generally about 10 days, while in the case of Chinese business men it is often longer, as business during this month gives way to duty.

Enquiries made show that the traffic both in and out was exceptionally heavy by river steamers, junks and railway, being 51 per cent above the average month, and that the number of Chinese employees and domestic servants on leave was high, in the case of domestic servants probably 15 to 20 per cent. It is difficult to form other than a rough estimate from all the figures kindly supplied to me from various sources, but that a large number of males were absent is confirmed by the fact that in the City of Victoria and Kowloon 11 sections showed an excess of females over males, while in 10 other sections the proportion was about equal, an unusual position in a place like Hongkong where males so greatly exceed the females.