Tungking ports of Hanoi and Haiphong (September 15, 1875) under French protection, the Chinese port of Hoihow (on Hainan Island) forming the harbour of Kiungchow (April 1, 1876), and the Annamese port of Quinhou (November 1, 1876). New steamship lines also were established during this time. The China Trans-Pacific Steamship Company (December 30, 1873) brought Hongkong and San Francisco still nearer together and was succeeded on this line by the Pacific Mail Steamship Company (March 25, 1875) and the Oriental and Occidental Steamship Company (May 27, 1875). On the Canton River, Messrs. Butterfield and Swire started (July 20, 1875) a new line of large river-steamers to run side by side with the older Company's steamers between Canton and Hongkong. The progress made by the Colony in the direction of ship-building, is indicated by the completion (October, 1875) of the Cosmopolitan Docks, where forthwith a small steamer (Fookien) of 200 tons was constructed and by the launching of two gunboats (January, 1877) which were built for the Chinese Customs Service, one by Messrs. Inglis & Co., at Spring Gardens, and one at Captain G. U. Sands' Patent Slip at Westpoint. The invention by Dr. Dennys, of a hydraulic cofferdam, for the purpose of facilitating repairs to the hulls of ships (June 12, 1873), must also be mentioned in this connection.
Further indications of progress are the establishment (February, 1872) of a new Bank, the Comptoir d'Escompte, the formation of a Volunteer Fire Brigade (April 11, 1873) under the auspices of the Hongkong Fire Insurance Company, the establishment of the exchange of Post Office money orders between Hongkong and India (August 28, 1875), the reduction of postal rates on letters to England (July 1, 1876) and the entry of Hongkong into the Postal Union on payment of £3,150 per annum (September 21, 1876), and finally the establishment of a steam laundry (January, 1877). The Rev. J. Lamont, pastor of Union Church, collected in Hongkong and forwarded to the British Museum (April 25, 1874) a collection of 1,100 different Hongkong plants, among which there were as many as 90 different
