On the opposite side of the island arc several small centres of population, the most important of which is Aberdeen, on the inlet known as Sliek-pai Wan. here are the sugar-retineries, ship-building yards. and foundries. etc., and two large gra•ing-docks, the linger of which is 465 feet long, SO feet wide, and has a depth tat the sill of feet at spring titles. The chief in dustries of the colony are sugar-relining, eotton spinning and tanning, ship and boat building; the manufacture of cement, drain-pipes, tiles, black-wood furniture, paper, bamboo, and rattan ware, etc. There is also a N•enti i I ion factory, and among the natives many hands are employed in wood and ivory carving, gold-lwating, and the production of gold, silver, iron, and sandalwood wares. Granite-quarrying is an important industry, anti large quantities of dressed stone are exported an nually. Bong Kong is a free port, and has no custom-house, and its commercial activities are ehietly distributive. The amount. of business Van only be inferred front the harbor-master's reports.
111 ISte+, 77 293 vessels, with a tonnage of 15,934.174 tons, entered port. and 79,629 vessels, of 17.265,7b0 tons. cleared. The trade of the port is ehietly with Great Britain and her colonie:, the open ports of China, Japan, and the United States. The only commodity that pays a tax is opium. In 189S, chests were imported, and ( = 43.142,525 catties) were ex ported. For trade purposes the ...Mexi•an and llong Bong dollar are legal tender. and bank notes issued by the three great banks doing busi here are in circulation.
The island was ceded to Great Britain by Kishin. the Chinese Commissioner. and was oven pied by British forces in January. IS 11. but this treaty was disallowed by the Emp•ror. In the following year. however, it was ratified by the treaty made at Nanking. On 'Tune 26. 1543, Hong Kong became by proclamation a separate colony, but continued to be governed by the Plenipotentiary to China until 1857. Since that
date its affairs have been administered by a Governor and an executive council compcsed of the Colonial Secretary. the officer eonimanding the troops, the Attorney-General, the Registrar General, the Treasurer. and the Director of Pub lic Works. There is also a legislative council of ten. of whom five are official, and five unofficial members. Of the latter three are nominated by the Crown—one of them must he a Chinese, one is nominated by the Chamber of Commerce, and one by the justices of the peace. Justice is adminis tered. by a supreme court. a police court, and a marine magistrate's court. In 1898 the police feree consisted of 630 men, of whom 112 were Europeans, 226 East Indians. and 292 Chinese.
The public revenue is derived chiefly from land taxes and land sales, licenses, fees of court, the post-office, rent of Government property, light and harbor dues, opium, etc. In 1898 the total revenue was and the expenditure $2. 84],S05. leaving a surplus of 870.354. The chief items of expenditure were: Public works, $42S, S28; military purposes, $519.274; police, $222, 163; sanitary purposes. $101,613: education, $72,420; and jails, $57,954. The contribution for Imperial defense is £40,000 per annum. There is an Imperial garrison of several regiments, and a local volunteer artillery corps of over 100. The China naval squadron has its headquarters here, and the defenses are of great strength.
In 1898 there were in the colony 109 educational establishments, with 8522 pupils, and of these 16 were Government schools. Queen's College, a Government institution. had 1344 students on the roll. Besides this there are Saint Paul's College. an Anglican institution, and many missionary and private schools. A number of ably conducted newspaper:, both Chinese and English, are published. Consult: layer and Dennys. Treaty Ports of China and Japan (London and Hong Kong, 1867) ; Norman, The Far East (London, 18981.