THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESE AND
the role of a male or female, of a bumble or old or young person, or of a illain. Probably the nearest approach
Dugland is the use of the terms harie--
and pantaloon, in pantomimes.
plays translated give us a fair sama
pieces represented on the Native perusal of Mr. Stanton's book will enhance the interest of a subsequent to a Chinese theatre.
The Captive of Peking, or A Swallow's Wing. By CHABLES HANNEN. Fourth Edition. London: Jarrold and Sons. 1897. MOST Far Eastern readers are probably familiar with Mr. Hannen's tale, which is now in its foneth edition; any who have not yet made dequaintance with it have a treat in store, for the one of the best tales of adventure that have been published in connection with China. Hounger in Brussels, soated one evening the verandah after an unusually hot day, attracted by a little bird that lights qoet at his feet. It is a swallow, and attached to its Jug is a scrap of paper bearing à part of which has been destroyed, hat ough remains to show that it is a ory for alp from someone held captive in Peking. The finder forth with i
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| August: 19,-1899.
1889, 1898, Hk.Th. HETE
“These two great seaports stand in the very It will be best to take as a basis of comparison front rank among the commercial cities of the the figures of 1289, when the work under Empire. Singapore, situated on a little island new conditions was fairly, established. Thi at the narrowest poist of the Straits of Malae. total volume of trade for that year was valued, ca, is not only a rendezvons and a port of call | in round numbers, at Hk. Tls. 32,200,000; that for half the shipping of the East, but is a strong | of 1898, though not the best on record, resched fortress in the hands of Britain, and an im- the value of Hk.Tln. 45.700,000. This portant link in the chain of defence which divided as follows: stretches from Tilbury Fort to Weihaiwei and Esquimalt.-Hongkong, also an island, is`a mer- cantile port with a trade of over £20,00,000|| Like Singapore, it is a strong fortress, destined are long to become still stronger when the de- fences on the land side, hitherto incomplete, have been put into good order. In 1898 a con- siderable addition to the British territory around Hongkong was made, as a result of an arrangement by which the Chinese oeded Kow- loon Bay."
On this it may be remarked that the annual commercial turnover of Hongkong is generally placed at about three times the amount above stated; also that the recent concession included
great dead more than Kowloon Bay.
The photograph of the inauguration of the Queen's Statue in 1896 occupies a full page and makes a very fine picture indeed. The footnote to it is as follows:---
"The port, city, and harbour of Hongkong
regone the captive out to try to discover and | furnish a striking example of the power, the on-
seanplet style.
He falls in with Chin-chin-ergy, aud the industry of the British race. Carved ra, a European who had become naturalised as out of the great mass of the Chinese Empire Chinaman and a very remarkable character. Hongkong lives and prospers, is well governed, her pursue the quest together, and at last well administered, and fortunate in the midst of schiere success, the rescue of the captive being a land in which decay and disaster are the ruling effected under very exciting conditions. Mr. elements. It is well that in this favoured oity is well acquainted with China and the the inauguration of a memorial to Queen character, and writes in a clear and Victoris, in whose name law and order are administered and secured throughout the Empire, should be regarded as the fitting occasion for a solemn ceremonial observance. It is curious in this Eastern land to see the Lions of England, the rampant Lion of Scotland, and the Harp of Ireland displayed, bat well it is for those who salute its elevation above the statue of the Queen that they have escaped from the fate which has overtaken the millions to whom the fierce dragon of China is the emblem of authority."
The Queen's Empire. A Pictorial and Des. sriptive Record. Illustrated from Photo. London, sto. : Cassell & Co., Limited. 1899. (Hongkong: Kelly & Walah, Limited.)
This handsome volume of pictures is dedicated by special permission to Her Majesty the Queen, and it is well worthy to lie on the royal table, There are 330 plates, most of them fall page, the number of pages being 288. It would
possible to speak too highly of the productions, which possess all the clear. e of original photographs. The "descrip tire record," it may be remarked, consists simply of short and concise notes at the foot of picture. The whole scheme of the book
been
The addition of the author's name would per- haps have lent a little special interest to that outburst.
THE KOWLOON CUSTOMS. REPORT.
The following is the Kowloou Customs report
and well designed and well carried for 1898 :---
LOCAL.
can conceive of nothing calon- to giré s better idea of the af.
The year opened with an outbreak of bubonic tant and diversity of the wide spread plague in Hongkong. The first case was re- thg dominions of the British crown. The ported early in January, and the disease pre- plotures are divided into groups as follows: vailed until the beginning of July. The num
Her Majesty's Mails and Telegraphs; "Godber of cases reported in the colony was 1,240 Save the Queen!" a record of the Jubilee, 1897; The Education of the Empire; The Trade of the Empire: How the Queen's writ runs, and how the Queen's peace is kept; The Capitals and Chief Cities of the Empire; The Markets of the Empire; Engineering Triumphs of the Empire : Natural Scenery of the Empire; Cus- toms and Ceremonies; of the Empire Places of Historical Interest in the Empire; The Govern- meat of the Empire; the Navy, the Army Hongkong is honoured with four illustrations, namely: * Leaving School," which comes under the "ineational section and shows us a Chinese soben] at dismissal time; "Chinese Police," which
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under the Heading of "How the Queen's writ runa; " " General view of Hongkong," in the Capitals and Chief Cities of the Empire section; and " inaugurating the Queen's Statue," which included under the heading Customs and Ceremonies of the Empire." In the footnote to the picture showing the Chinese police s group of half-a-dozen lokongs, we are told that amply proved by General Gordon, he led The Ever-viotorious Army.
Chinaman, under proper discipline leadership, can be transformed in irst-rate fighting man. His good have been taken advantage of by
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Chinese, of which 1,111 died, and 75 non-Chinese, of which 19 were fatal. In the district of Chinese Kowloon the plague made its appear- ance on 4th March, and there were 385 deaths. reported. The most noteworthy event of the year was the agreement, sigued on the 9th June, by which China leased to Great Britain, for a period of 99 years, the waters of Deep and Mrs Bays, the territory lying between them, and a number of the islands adjacent to Hongkong, reserving to itself the city of Kow. loon only. This expansion of the colonial ter- ritory was received with much satisfaction by the colonists of Hongkong, many of whom appeared to derive particular gratification from the prospect of seeing the Stations of the Chinese Customs moved further from the colony. The Honourable J. H. Stewart Lock hart, who was specially deputed for the purpose, proceeded on a tour of the newly leased territory in August, and made his report to the British Government; but up to the close of the year no steps had been taken for effective occupation. The year 1899 will, however, most assuredly in augurate anew order of things, and it will be np. propriate, while reviewing the trade of 1898, pro- ably the last complete year of the old order, to compare, it with the opening year of the ad-
Foreign_goods imported
from Hongkong ot Native goods imported
frour Hongkong... Native goods imported
from China to China Native produce exported
12,895,000 17,139,000
(3,712,000 5,517,000
1,415,000 2,533,000
to Hongkong ⠀⠀ 14,195,000, 22.512,000 ́Junks inward-and-out-
ward.
46,995 27-60,429 n Revenue: On general
cargo
Revenue: On Opium....
326,264 351.902 269,817
42,520
$394,422
Total Revenue: 596,083.
The above figures démonstrate sufficiently that the trade has prospered during the 10 years, and
■ reference to the Special Tables of the Returas will show that, in respect of Exports, the pro- gress has been almost unbroken. It in notewor thy that while in 1889 the Opium Revenue way nearly one-half of the total collection, it was in 1898 little more than one-tenth: but the Revende on general cargo was considerably greater in 1898 than in 1899. It will also be found on com- paring the development of the steamer trade between Hongkong and Canton with the junk, trade of Kowloon during the past 10 years, that the latter has progressed in considerably greater proportion. The Kowloon jank trade- has undoubtedly fallen away slightly during the year under review but there is little doubt that this decline in due, in a great measure, to the opening of the West River to steam traffic, This may be but a temporary check, for, to judge from the comparison with Canton steam- borne trade, the junk traffe may be able to hold, its own, and room be found for both, as trade develops, on the West as well as on the Pearl River. It is early to pronounce an opinion as to the influence on the junk trade of the new inland water steam navigation facilities initiated in June. Towage of junks appears to be the favourite method of applying the steam power, and this should stimulate rather than injure the junk trade. As the regulations at present stand, these facilities do not extend to places outside of Chinese water and consequently do not immediately affect Hongkong.
There have been several cases of piracy in this district during the year; and an incipient rising of the Triad Society, in the country boardering on the newly leased territory, was nipped on the bud by a military expedition from Canton in October. The war between the United States and Hpain, declared on the 23rd April, does not appear to have influenced the Kowloon trade.
REVENUE.
The cet decline in the Revenue is Hk.
Tls. 127,279. The loss is shown under all beads, with the exception of export ching-fet, which was increased to the extent of Tls 1,749 by the transfer to the Kowloon Customs of the collectorate on several additional articles formerly farmed to Chinese. The heaviest loss is shown in import ching-fei, and is due to the transfer of the kerosene trade to Foreign bottoms, in order to escape the tso-li tax and to enjoy the advantage of transit passes. The rate of ching-fei on kerosene was reduced from 10 to 5 cents in February, to check this diversion to other channels, bat without any permanent result, though for a time some of the trade was brought back. That the import duty declined by Tls. 33,638 was mainly due to the kerosene which, instead of going to Chantsun and other places direct from Hongkong by junk, when it would pay Duty, was taken in Foreign vessels to Canton, whience it was conveyed to these places under
have enlisted him in the Hongkong | ministration of the Kowloon Customs under pass. The loss of export duty and lure
"The Chinese lokong as a first man! Still, no doubt he has his The general view of Hongkong with Singapore and the footuote
the Foreign Inspectorate, which began in April 1887. This comparison, it may be hoped, will remove the impresion which seems to exist that the administration of the Customs has detrimental to the trade of the Colony,
more than covered by the stoppage export of glutinous rice in April, the Native authorities becoming alarmed at the heavy shipments of this cereal abroad, principally to Japan.
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