108
SHANGHAI
The principal buildings on the French, Concession are the Municipal Hall and the Con sulate. A bronze statue of Admiral Protet, who was killed when directing an attack on Nan-yao on 17th May, 1862, stands in front of the Municipal Hall.
Among the institutions of the place may be mentioned the Volunteer Defence Force, consisting of Field Artillery, Light Horse, Engineers and Rifle Brigade, the latter comprising a battalion of five companies. Originally formed in 1861 it gradually went to decay, until the fear of attack after the Massacre at Tientsin in 1870 caused its revival with considerable vigour. It again dwindled in numbers, but the last re-organisation under Major Holliday proved successful, there being now three hundred and twelve members, almost all of whom are effective. This is exclusive of the Home Guard and Band. The Fire Brigade, which is entirely volunteer, consists of seven Engine and two Hook and Ladder Companies. It is pronounced to be the most efficient Brigade out of the United States. There is a Hospital for foreigners, the building for which, although only completed in 1877, is already found inadequate and so badly situated that a new
new one is proposed. There are also several Hospitals for natives. The other public institutions may be enumerated as, a Subscription Library containing about 12,000 volumes, a branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, with the nucleus of a Museum, a Masonic Club, & Sailors' Home, a Polytechnic Institution for Chinese, a Seamen's Library and Museum, a well supplied Gymnasium, a Wind Instrument Band, which gives concerts in the Public Gardens three times a week during the summer months, a Race Club, possessing a course of a mile and a quarter, a Country Club on the Bubbling Well Road, Parsee, Portuguese, and Customs Clubs, also Pony Paper Hunt, Cricket, Rifle, Yacht, Racquet, and various other Clubs for recreation. There are ten or eleven Masonic bodies, with over 500 members. In 1876 a District Grand Lodge for North China was constituted, with Shanghai as its head-quarters.
There are four Docks at Shanghai, the one at Tungkadoo, opposite the city, having a length of 380 feet over all, with a depth at spring tides of 21 feet; the Old Dock at Hongkew is 400 feet long and 18 feet deep at springs; and the New Dock at Pootung, at the lower end of the harbour, measures 450 feet on the blocks, with a depth at high water springs of about 21 feet. All steamers and most sailing vessels now discharge and load at the various public and private wharves. The premises of the Associated Wharf Companies have a frontage of about three-quarters of a mile. The Chinese Government has an Arsenal, Dock, and shipbuilding establishment at Kaou Chung Mow, a short distance above the city. It commenced as a small rifle factory in 1867. The Great Northern Telegraph Company's cable was laid to Shanghai in 1871, and that of the Eastern Extension Company in 1884, there being now two distinct lines of communication with Europe. An overland line to Tientsin was opened in December, 1881, which was subsequently extended to Peking. There is also a line west to Hankow and south as far as Lungchow, on the Kwangsi border. A railway constructed by a foreign company was opened to Woosung in June, 1876, but after running for sixteen months it was purchased and taken up by the Chinese Authorities. During the short time it was running the passenger traffic alone covered the working expenses, leaving sufficient profit to pay a small dividend. A scheme for Tramways in the settlements was sanctioned some years ago, but they have not yet been commenced. There are four locally owned lines of steamers running on the coast and the river Yangtsze. Several manufactories under both native and foreign auspices have sprung up of late years, and would considerably increase were it not that the native authorities are offering stio..g opposition to any manufactures under the control of foreigners. These include a large cotton mill, several silk filatures, a paper and match factory, etc.
The "Astor House" in Hougkew, the "Central" in the British, and the "Hôtel des Colonies" in the French Concession, besides many second class inns, give hotel accom- modation equal to that of any port in the East. There are two daily newspapers, the North China Daily News, morning, and the Shanghai Mercury, evening; also three weeklies, the North China Herald, Celestial Empire, and Temperance Union. There are three native daily papers, the Shun-pao, the Hu-pao, and the Sin-wan-pao. These are sold at the prices of ten and eight cash, equal to a farthing and a half, and have a very large circulation. In one matter, that of Postal accommodation, Shanghai is perhaps over-supplied, there being British, French, American, Japanese, German, Local, and Customs Post-offices. Shanghai was made a port of Registry for British ships in 1874. All foreign hongs and even private houses have to give themselves fancy Chinese names, by which only they are known to the natives. The system is, however, found to have its conveniences. No less than 3,016 jinrickshas, 2,977 passenger wheelbarrows, and 279 horse carriages ply for hire in the Settlements.