CHINKIANG
145
China was transported to Peking by the interior route. The British forces captured the place in July, 1842, and as the cutting off of supplies always operates with great effect the commanding situation thus secured was not long in producing the desired result, upon the Central Government, for the Treaty of Nanking was signed a month afterwards, The Taiping rebels entered the town in April, 1853, and continued to occupy it till 1857, when they had to evacuate it from the same cause which had made the Government yield fifteen years before.
The city lies between one of the mouths of the Grand Canal and the right bank of the Yangtsze. Most of the houses are built on level ground, but the surrounding hills lend a pleasant appearance to the locality, which is considerably enhanced by the bluff scenery of the island of Ts'io-shan. When the city was abandoned by the rebel forces, its destruction was very nearly complete, and it has even now hardly recovered its former prosperous aspect. The city is enclosed by walls and defended by rather formidable looking batteries commanding the river approaches. The foreign settlement occupies a tract of land extending from the mouth of the Canal along the bank of the river. The little settlement has a neat bund, is provided with a club, and has small Protestant and Catholic churches. It was the scene of a formidable riot on the 5th February, 1889, when about half the foreign houses and buildings were destroyed by a native mob. The population of Chinkiang is estimated at 135,000.
Considerable commercial importance was attached to the port when it was first opened. The largest vessels can approach it, and hopes were high as to the position it would occupy in the development of inland trade with China; but the trade on the Yangtsze seems to have centred at Hankow, farther up the river. The import of Opium into Chinkiang in 1889 was 3,016 piculs, against 3,911 piculs in 1888, and 6,584 piculs in 1887, and has been steadily declining for some years owing to the competition of the lighter taxed native drug. The net value of the foreign imports for 1889 was Tls. 6,649,086. The total value of the trade of the port for 1889 amounted to Tls. 12,351,278, and in 1888 it was Tls. 12,809,813.
源有 Yau-yun
BEAN, WM., Merchant
Geo. Thorn
Agencies
DIRECTORY
Indo-China Steam Navigation Co., Ld.
A. Alsing, keeper hulk" Orissa" Canton Insurance Office, Limited
Hongkong Fire Insurance Co., Limited
盛長
Chang-sheng
BUCHANAN & Co., W., Merchants
D. A. Emery
Tien Yü-fung
Agency
Straits Fire Insurance Company
古太 Tai-koo
BUTTERFIELD & SWIRE, Merchants
T. W. Lammert
Agency
China Navigation Company, Limited
E. Dignamest keeper hulk "Cadiz
泰同 Tung-tae
CARNIE, F., Commission Agent
F. Carnie
Agency
North China Insurance Co., Limited
CHINKIANG CLUB
Hon. Secretary-F. Gregson
Chau-shang-cihin-kuk
CHINA MERCHANTS' S. N. Co.; hulk “Eg-
press
}"
Yaw Ye Chai, agent
Agency
China Merchants' Insurance Company
CONSULATES
門衙事頒英大
Ta Ying ling-sze ya-mun
GREAT BRITAIN
also
AUSTRIA-HUNGARY, Consulate
DENMARK, Consulate
FRANCE, Consular Agency
GERMANY, Consular Agency
SWEDEN AND NORWAY, Consular Agency
Consul-W. R. Carles
Constable-Charles Nunn
NETHERLANDS
Vice-Consul-M. S. Jerdein
官事頜國美大
Ta-mei-kwoh ling-sze-kwan
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Consul-General A. C. Jones Vice-Consul—
Interpreter-Wan Bing-chung