navigation, and over 200 lighters, complete the list—a list of which the Company is justly proud.
[See page 201.]
The agents in Hongkong are Messrs. Melchers & Co., whose offices occupy a prominent position overlooking the harbour.
HAMBURG-AMERIKA LINIE.
The local branch of this important steamship Company, whose central office for the East is at Shanghai, and who have another branch also at Tsingtau, was opened in 1901. The Company run a fortnightly freight service from Europe to the Far East and a monthly passenger service. The ships employed in the passenger service are of the most modern type and are fitted up with every comfort and convenience, a prominent feature being the non-existence of upper berths and the provision of exceptionally large cabins. They run from Hamburg, viâ Southampton, Lisbon, and Naples (for passengers only) to Port Said, Suez, Colombo, Penang, Singapore, Hongkong, Shanghai, Kobe, and Yokohama, and back viâ the same ports to Naples, Plymouth, Havre, and Hamburg. The fortnightly freight service is also between the above ports, but the ships call frequently at Bremen, Emden, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, and Antwerp. There is another regular freight service between New York, Boston, &c., and the Far East, viâ Suez. Coasting steamers ply between Hongkong, Tsingtau, Nagasaki, and Vladivostock, and between the Yangtsze ports, Hongkong, and Canton. The manager of the Hongkong branch of the Company is Mr. C. G. Gok, and the staff includes Messrs. G. Boolsen, G. Priedemann, F. L. Margrees, and Captain H. Metzenthin, marine superintendent.
THE CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY COMPANY.
The Canadian Pacific Railway Company, organised in 1881, and now familiarly known as the "C.P.R.," is a carrying company of considerable and increasing importance, not only in the Dominion of Canada, but also in many other parts of the world. In the earlier stages of its existence an energetic management foresaw the great possibilities of trade with China and Japan, and at once placed a regular line of chartered steamers on the Pacific to run between Hongkong, Japan, and Vancouver. The experiment proving successful, and the indications pointing to great expansion of the trade referred to, the Company laid down three of the most beautiful steamers the ocean has ever seen. These vessels—the Empress of India, the Empress of Japan, and the Empress of China—commenced their sailings on the Pacific in 1891, and have since maintained a regular and most efficient service, becoming world-renowned for their comfort, speed, and punctuality. The importance of the C.P.R. Line as an all-British route was quickly recognised by the home Government, and a contract was entered into for the carriage of mails and the transportation of naval and military passengers and stores. This contract has been carried out with unfailing regularity and to the satisfaction of the Governments concerned. A few years ago it became apparent that the service maintained by the Empresses was insufficient to cope with the requirements of the trade, and the Company therefore augmented their Pacific fleet by the addition of three intermediate vessels, running them alternately with the regular mail steamers.
The regular ports of call for the Pacific steamers are Hongkong, Shanghai, Nagasaki, Yokohama, Victoria, B.C., and Vancouver, B.C., and the period of mail transit between Hongkong and Vancouver, including calls at the various ports named, is only eighteen days, the period from Yokohama being eleven days, thereby making it by far the quickest route to the Pacific coast.
