Hong Kong

an island off the southeast coast of China. It lies at the mouth of the Canton River. It was ceded to Great Britain in 1841. It has an area of about twenty-nine square miles. In 1898 a promontory on the mainland having an area of 376 square miles was leased for a period of ninety-nine years. These tracts, together with adjacent islands, have a population of about one-third of a million. The capital of the district is the city of Victoria. It extends along the northern shore of the island of Hong Kong, having a water frontage of about four miles. There are about 6,000 European residents. Though several times as large, Hong Kong bears about the same relation to Victoria that the District of Columbia does to the city of Washington. It is a colony, not a city. The island has been fortified. It is a naval station and a base of military supplies of the first importance. The governor receives a salary of $25,000 a year, and has a full complement of subordinate officers. Schools are maintained. Hong Kong, that is to say, the port of Victoria, is the center of British trade and influence in China. It has an enormous trade. No duties are imposed. The exports of tea, silks, hemp, and drugs to Great Britain amount to $5,000,000 a year. English merchants sell cotton and woolen goods, iron, machinery, copper, and coal. In 1907 the arrivals were 81 steamers, 55 large sailing vessels, and 24,000 small vessels and junks. It is estimated that 15,000 fishing boats and other small craft frequent the harbors and bays of Hong Kong. There is an excellent dry dock in which vessels may be repaired and refitted. See Weihaiwei