has completed the embarkation of emigrants, the inspectors will close the "shipping list of the said vessel, by certifying at the foot of it that all the emigrants therein named have been engaged according to the regulations; and the emigration Agent will at the same time pay into the Hai-kwan Bank, as the cost of the inspection, the sum of two dollars for each male adult named in the "shipping list," and receive a receipt for this money; and will then immediately place the "shipping list" in the hands of the Superintendent of Customs, who is charged by the Governor-general to see that every emigrant ship is visited by the Customs' officers as soon as the "shipping list" is placed in their hands, and to issue the clearance of the ship when they shall have ascertained that no other emigrants, than those named in the "shipping list," are on board. IX. The Governor-general, in communication with the Consul, reserves to himself the power of demanding the surrender of an emigrant after embarkation; and if both see fit, of releasing him from his contract, whenever circumstances, in their opinion, justify such a proceeding. In all cases in which an emigrant is restored on the deniand of the Governorgeneral, the emigration Agent will be repaid the advance received by the emigrant, and such additional sum, not exceeding eight dollars, to cover the expenses of clothing and maintenance during the period of the emigrant's residence in the Emigration House, or on board ship. X.-All persons employed by an emigration Agent to collect emigrants must be registered at the offices of the Governor-general and the Consul, and receive a special pass from the former, authorizing them to be so employed; nor is any bounty, pay, or head-money or remuneration of any kind to be paid by an emigration Agent to any one bringing emigrants to his dépôt, except such person be duly registered and authorized as aforesaid. The emigration Agent will be held strictly responsible for any irregularity, or infringement of law or of regulations, on the part of his subordinates. XI. The agents of Emigration Houses in Canton will obtain from the custom-house authorities a certificate as to the general fitness of any vessels which have been chartered for the conveyance of emigrants from the port. The certificate will state the number of emigrants for whom acconimodation is provided, the extent and quality of such accommodation, an opinion as to the seaworthiness of the vessel, and the number of boats carried. Until the certificate has been obtained, no agent will receive permission to embark emigrants on board any ship. XII.--It is in the power of the Governor-general and the Consul to establish from time to time such further rules as may be judged necessary for the proper regulation of the emigration and the wellbeing of the emigrants. XIII. The infraction of any of the above or other rules that may be established in the manner aforesaid, shall be punishable either by fine levied on the person conducting the emigration, or by closing the Emigration House. An English and a French Emigration House were opened at Canton in 1859, in conformity with the regulations for the employment of Chinese laborers. The latter was closed in 1861, and the office of the British West India Emigration Agency is the only one now opened at Canton, with a branch dépôt at Swatau, and an office at Amoy. In 1859, '60, and '61, emigrants were sent from Canton also to Martinique and Cuba; but all those shipped off in 1862 and 1863, were for the British West Indies. The class of men who engage themselves as laborers are usually not from among the thrifty or industrious. In the season 1859-60, the total number sent through the Emigration Houses was Of these, 1087 sailed from Hongkong, and 887 from Canton direct. In 1860-61, the numbers and description were, In the season 1861-62, the numbers and description were, These amounts show the whole number of emigrants reported as leaving these ports in the years 1860-62; and gives accurate returns probably (not including Macao) of the whole emigration, except two or three vessels loaded on the West coast for Peru. The colony of Hongkong is a dépôt for much of the merchandise intended for consumption in Canton and adjacent ports, and its rapid communication by postal steamers with all the ports, from Singapore to Yokohama, gives it an influence and facilities continually increasing, either for the transmission of intelligence or the transportation of goods. The average rates of prices in the steamers plying on the coast between Hongkong and Shanghai, given in this table, are for the present year. RATES OF FREIGHT AND PASSAGE FOR STEAMERS ON THE COAST OF CHINA. Treasure, ... ... ... Horse or Carriage, Do. Turkey or Persian, Measuremt. Goods, p. ton of 40 cubic feet, Tea, Cassia, Castor Oil, and other articles, per special agreement 20.00 25.00 40.00 50.00 chest 5.00 5.00 6.00 6.00 2.50 2.50 99 flask Steamers daily pass and repass from Hongkong to Canton and Macao. At present the rates of freight in the former line are nearly as follows:RATES OF FREIGHT IN STEAMERS TO CANTON. Marble slabs, per box of 5 slabs,...... 0 15 Window-glass, per box of 100 feet... 0 50 Do., bale of 4 trusses........... 1.50 Long Ells, truss.. 0 50 Spanish Stripes, truss............. 0,50 Passage money for Europeans.......$6.00 Woolens : Broadcloths, bale,.... Camlets, truss.... 1.00 050 Deadweight $0.20 per picul gross weight; chow-chow cargo, $2 per ton of 40 cubic feet. No single package will be charged less than 25 cts., and it is optional with the agents of the steamers to charge the tariff rate per package or per ton. The following goods, being contraband, will not be received on board the steamers: gunpowder, shot, cannon, fowling-pieces, rifles, muskets, pistols, and all other munitions and implements of war; also salt and spelter. The currency of this colony chiefly consists of Mexican dollars and paper-money issued by the local banks, with a small proportion of rupees and English silver and copper coins. Proposals have been made to coin a bronze cash or mill, similar in shape to the Chinese piece, which shall be taken as the tenth part of a cent, and gradually supplant the common cash. The notes of the Hongkong banks are received in Canton and Macao, and other places adjacent, chiefly among those natives who carry on business with the colony. The rapid prosperity of Hongkong dates from the opening of the gold mines in California and Australia about 1849, when thousands of natives began to emigrate to those countries, and fitted out their ships at this port. The demand for Chinese laborers as builders, diggers, and boatmen, attracted a large floating population. In 1856, the destruction of the Foreign Factories at Canton removed the control of the foreign trade of that port to the colony, and assured to it the direction of the postal, banking and exchange operations of the whole trade with China. The Chinese dealers in every kind of native small wares and ships' stores resorted to it in larger numbers than ever to supply the great increase of shipping, troops and transports that took place in the three or four succeeding years. The amount of shipping entering at Hongkong, and the trade of the port, have both increased more rapidly within those years than ever before, but no statistics are available to indicate the amount or direction. Section 14. COLONY OF MACAO. THE colony of Macao occupies a peninsula forming the southeastern end of the large island of Hiáng-shán, having an open roadstead on the east, and a small secure harbor on the west. The entrance to it is narrow, and the harbor itself cannot easily receive more than twenty ships; larger vessels lie off the Barra Fort, or in the Typa or Roads. The entire area of the Portuguese jurisdiction, from the Barrier, which divides the colony from Chinese territory, to the Typa and out into the Roads, is about twenty square miles, of which the land measures about four square miles. The town of Macao lies near the south end of the peninsula, reaching across to both shores, and inclosed by a wall on its north side; beyond this wall towards the Barrier are cultivated fields, with the village of Wánghia, or Mongha, and several hamlets, occupied chiefly by Chinese. The name Macao is commonly said to be derived from A-mangau, i. e. the Harbor of Ama, a goddess of the sea wor C.G. 31 shiped in a temple at Ama-kok; the Chinese now call the place Ngaumun or O-mooni. e. the Hidden Harbor. Native Chinese say the name is taken from the rocky point beyond Meeseberg Hill, called Ma-kau shek, from the mango fish caught there. It formerly belonged to a subdivision of the district of Hiáng-shán called Tsien-shan chái; this had been set off from the jurisdiction of the local magistrate, and placed under a kiun-min-fú or sub-prefect, living at Casa Branca or Tsienshan, who superintended the trade of Macao, while a tso-tang resided within the city itself. The time when Europeans first settled in Macao, then a barren and almost uninhabited promontory, is placed at 1537, but their residence was winked at rather than granted by the authorities at Canton. In 1573, the Barrier wall was built; and in 1587, a civil officer appointed to reside in the settlement, whose authority was acknowledged in all things relating to Chinese subjects. Later, an annual groundrent of 500 taels was paid to the Chinese government for the occupation of the peninsula within the northern wall of the city. The relations with the Chinese government were undefined for a long time, and the Portuguese officers in the colony were unable to come to a formal understanding with even the provincial authorities, until 1844, when it was placed on a more satisfactory footing than it had heretofore been by the Convention between Kíying and Gov. Pinto. Portuguese vessels were then permitted to trade with the five open ports, and the authority of the Government was formally extended to the Typa anchorage, where a fort was erected in 1844. By a decree of Queen Donna Maria, dated Nov. 20th, 1845, the port was declared to be free to the commerce of all nations, excepting of course with the Chinese, whose traffic still existed according to the stipulations made with that government. However, on the 5th of March, 1849, Gov. Amaral issued a proclamation, declaring that, “the Portuguese custom-house having been closed, it cannot possibly be allowed that a foreign custom-house should continue open at this place, and that duties should be any longer there collected on all sorts of goods, provisions, materials, and other commodities, on most of which duties and other export charges had already been paid, the imports of all kinds from the ports of China shall be free from the payment of any duties at Macao after the 12th of March, and no receipt of duties by the hoppo shall be suffered to be made." The Chinese customs officers stationed there were accordingly sent away; the trade with the Chinese hongs rapidly decreased, all the leading merchants moving their establishments to Whampoa, where special inducements were held out by the governorgeneral for them to settle. The taxes laid on houses and people to make up the expenses of the settlement, of which the Chinese were obliged to pay their share, were also somewhat increased, which tended further to diminish the population. In two or three years, however, the trade of the colony began to revive, and during the insurrectionary troubles in 1854 and 1855 throughout the adjoining prefecture of Kwangchau, it nearly equaled the prosperous times of 1843. Chinese of enterprise and wealth settled in the place, and now the largest part of the commerce is |