LAPPA

lappa, an island directly opposite the inner harbour of macao, the distance across being from 1 to 11⁄2 m. it is a station of the chinese imperial maritime customs which collects duties on vessels trading between china and the portuguese colony of macao. the arrangement is altogether abnormal, and was consented to by the portuguese government in 1887 to assist the chinese authorities in the suppression of opium smuggling. a similar arrangement prevails at the british colony of hong-kong, where the chinese customs station is kowloon. in both cases the customs stations levy duties on vessels entering and leaving the foreign port in lieu of levying them, as ought to be done, on entering or leaving a chinese port.