Page:Twentieth Century Impressions of Hongkong, Shanghai, and other Treaty Ports of China.djvu/202

194 following is a list of the several dates of reclamations:— The Extent of the Harbour.—The harbour limits are, on the west, a line drawn from the west point of the island of Hongkong to the west point of Green Island, thence to the west point of Stonecutter's Island, and along the north shores of that island to the east point, and thence across to the harbour-master's station at Sam Shui Po; and, on the east, a line drawn from North Point to Kowloon City Pier. The harbour comprises 7·34 nautical square miles at low water, and of this area 3·5 square miles have a depth of over 4½ fathoms. The greatest depth is 14 fathoms. The anchorage varies from 5 to 9 fathoms.

Lighthouses.—In 1875 the first lighthouses in the Colony were established. A first-order fixed light on Cape D'Aguilar, the south-eastern point of the island, was first lit on April 16th, and a fourth-order fixed light, with red sector, on Green Island was erected on July 1st in that year. These were followed by a sixth-order fixed light, with red sectors, on Cape Collinson. the eastern point of the island, on March 1, 1876.

These three lights remained the only ones in the vicinity until 1892, with the exception of a small, fixed red light on a rock in the Chung Chau Channel, six miles SW. of Green Island. This was installed and maintained by the Chinese Imperial Maritime Customs. In 1892 a first-order revolving light was exhibited on Gap Rock, in Chinese territory, 30 miles south of the island. The negotiations with the Chinese Government in connection with this light were most troublesome. It was originally proposed to place it on the Great Ladrone, 14 miles WNW. of its present position, but the Chinese would not hear of it. Other islands were suggested, but the only one that they would consent to allot was Gap Rock, a most unsuitable spot, being a tiny bare rock, with not even a blade of grass on it, over which the sea sweeps in bad weather. On three occasions the lantern has been seriously damaged by the sea, and the precious store of fresh water frequently becomes contaminated with salt. Undoubtedly Great Ladrone is the place for the light, and I cannot help thinking that it will eventually go there, if it is not first swept into the sea.

In 1893 the Chinese Government opened a lighthouse on Waglan Island, five and a half miles SSE. from Cape Collinson, and three miles SE. by E. from Cape D'Aguilar. This is a first-order double flashing light. In consequence of this light being lit Cape D'Aguilar light became superfluous, and was discontinued in 1896.

As soon as this happened it was suggested by the Harbour Master that, having this first-order light in our hands, we should use it to improve our lighting by putting it on Green Island to replace the fourth-order light, while the latter should replace the sixth-order light at Cape Collinson. Nothing, however, was done.

In 1900 Waglan was taken over by the Hongkong Government, together with the light. I suggested that as we were controlling a lighthouse (Gap Rock) in Chinese territory, and the Chinese Government was maintaining one (Waglan) in British territory, it would be a good idea to end this anomaly, which had existed for two years, by exchanging stations. The Chinese Government, however, declined to take over Gap Rock.

In 1905 the first-order light from Cape D'Aguilar was at last exhibited from a new tower on Green Island. The light was fitted with an occulting apparatus, which renders it distinctive. In the same year a sixth-order red fixed light was exhibited on Mawan Island, five miles NW. of Green Island.

In 1907 the old Green Island light (fourth-order) was placed on the old tower at Cape Collinson, and lit on October 1st, with an occulting apparatus to render it distinctive. The sixth-order light from Cape Collinson will shortly be exhibited, with an occulter, from the summit of the hill at Chinsalchin Point, on the Kowloon Peninsula.

In addition to the above there are two small red lights shown in the eastern entrance to the harbour, and two automatic oil-lit buoys, with red lights, to mark the western end of the central fairway through the harbour.

Shipping.—The first year in which any record of shipping entering the harbour was kept was 1844. In that year 538 ships, aggregating 189,257 tons, entered. These ships averaged 352 tons each, and were, almost without exception, sailing ships. In the following year the Peninsular and Oriental Company started a monthly service in steamers, which carried the mails between London and Hongkong in forty-eight days, mails and passengers being conveyed between Alexandria and Suez by the Mahmondieh Canal, the Nile, and the desert, until the Canal was opened in 1871.

The shipping steadily increased, with occasional pauses, and even retrograde movements in 1854, 1857, 1874, 1879, 1884, 1889, 1894, 1896 and 1906, until, in 1907, the arrivals reached the grand total of 8,249 vessels of 10,156,396 tons net register. This excludes all junks and all vessels engaged in local trade. In 1844, therefore, the daily average entry was something under one ship. Last year it amounted to rather more than 22 ships, of an average tonnage of 1,231 tons, or, if river steamers are eliminated (for there were none in 1844), the average tonnage of ships entering in 1907 was 1,785 tons.

The total tonnage of shipping, including junks and steam launches (but excluding lighters, cargo boats, passenger boats, water boats, &amp;c., and fishing craft of all kinds), entered and cleared in the Colony during 1907, amounted to 507,634 vessels of 36,028,310 tons, made up as shown in the following table:— This forms a record for Hongkong and exceeds that of any port in the world. {dhr}} Trade.—As Hongkong is a free port, except for the small charges made for light dues, there is no Customs staff, and it is impossible to say what the value of the imports and exports amounts to. Even the quantities cannot be estimated with any approximation to accuracy in the case of any cargo except opium and sugar.

The cargo imported in European-constructed vessels, however, was returned as follows in 1905, 1906, and 1907:—