SWATOW.
111
Foreign residences, however, commenced to spring up here and there, and
many of them are consequently somewhat scattered, though the majority are in or near the town of Swatow. The yearly increasing traffic of the port has led to much over- crowding on the narrow strip of land on which it is built, and since February, 1877, no less than 21+ acres have been reclaimed from the sea, the greater part of which is now covered with shops and houses.
The climate of Swatow is reputed to be very salubrious. The town occupies, how- ever, an unenviable position as regards typhoons, on account of being opposite the lower mouth of the Formosa Channel, and it has on many occasions been subjected to all the viclence of these terrible storms, which almost every year sweep across the lower coast of China. The population of Swatow is estimated at 32,000,
The foreign trade of Swatow has never been large, but of late years it has shown a slight increase. The proximity of the port to Hongkong, which can be reached in from 15 to 20 hours, no doubt tells against it, as it enables the Chinese to conduct their own import business. The quantity of Opium imported in 1888 was 6,863 piculs as compared with 6,411 piculs in 1887. The quantity of Tea exported is very small, and reached only 9,649 piculs in 1888. A considerable trade is done in Sugar, there being 754,809 piculs brown and 654,412 piculs white exported in 1888. The China Sugar Refining Co. of Hongkong have a large Sugar Refinery here, but work has for some time been suspended. A large beancake factory was also started in 1882. The value of the trade of the port for 1888 was Tle. 21,378,305, as compared with Tls. 22,437,625 in 1887.
DIRECTORY.
Consulates.
***** Ta Eng nian-seo-kwan.
GREAT BRITAIN.
Consul-E. Colborne Baber (absent)
Officiating Consul-A. Frater
Interpreter-W. H. Wilkinson
Post-office Agent-W. H. Wilkinson
Constable-Henry Sage
官事領國美大
Ta-me-kwoh nian-sso-kwan.
UNITED STATES.
Consular Agent-Ivo Streich
AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.
Acting Consul-A. Frater
NETHERLANDS.
Acting Consul-R. H. Hill
SWEDEN AND NORWAY. Vice-Consul-F. H. L. Haesloop
Imperial Maritime Customs.
Chao Hai-Kuan.
Commissioner H. Æ. Sidford Assistants-J. W. Innocent, L. A. Lyall,
E. Björnson, A. G. H. Carruthers
Medical Officer-H. Layng, M. R. C. S.,
L. R. C. P. Lond.
Tidesurveyor & Harbour Master-C. H.
Palmer
Acting Boat Officer-W. Pollock
Chief Examiner-G. B. A. Castro
Assistant Examiners-Jas. Featherston-
haugh, A. Johnsen, F. A. Cartman, E. Milhe
Consul-Thomas W. Richardson (absent) Tidewaiters-J. O'Neill, J. Dupree, J. W.
官事領副國德大
Ta-ti-kwok fu nian-sso-kwan.
GERMANY.
Vice-Consul Ivo Streich
Consular Clerk-
Interpreter-Fang Topui
Writer-Ting Che-wei
DENMARK.
Consul-W. E. Allum
!
Scott, A. Sutherland, W. Boad, F. C. Burchett, O. Wedell, C. A. Maasberg,
A. Bryson, J. G. Bromley
IMPERIAL CHINESE TELEGRAPHS.
Shiau One Yüen, manager
Lieut. J. H. Hoppes, R. D. E., engineer
PILOTS.
A. L. Piersdorff, P. Williams, F. W.
Focken, H. Frewin