SAMSHUI-WUCHOW-FU
SAMSHUI
z = Sán-shw
287
Samshui, one of the ports opened in 1897 under the Burmah Convention, is situated near the junction of the West, North, and East Rivers, two miles from the river bank, its port being Hokow. The town is surrounded by an imposing wall, but the houses are poorly built and the place is wanting in life. Between the town and the river is a fine nine-storied Pagoda. The business centre of the district is Sainam, a large and well built town about three miles distant, situated on a creek leading to Fatshan. An interesting occupation carried on in Sainam is the tinning of rice-birds, soles and game. The rice birds are caught in reed patches at night in a bag net, into which the birds are swept by a rope drawn over the reeds. The season is short lasting only for about six weeks in the autumn. According to the Treaty, Samshui and Kongkun together constitute the port. The formal opening took place on the 4th June, 1897. The net value of the trade of the port coming under the cognisance of the Foreign Customs, for the year 1898 was Tls. 1,614,913.
DIRECTORY
CONSULATE
GREAT BRITAIN
also
AUSTRO-HUNGARY
Acting Consul-H. H. Fox
ITALY
官事
利大義大 Tai-i-tai-li Ling-82-kin
Consul-Chev. Z. Volpicelli (residing
in Hongkong)
CUSTOMS-IMPERIAL MARITIME
Assistant-in-charge-A. W. Cross
Assistant-W. O. M. Lang
Assistant Examiner—A. Morrison Tidewaiter-J. A. Rule
JARDINE, MATHESON & Co., Merchants
Lük Hew Chuen, agent
Agencies
Hongkong, Canton and Macao S.B. Co.
Indo-China Steam Navigation Co.
China Navigation Company
Canton Insurance Office
Hongkong Fire Insurance Company
POST OFFICE-IMPERIAL CHINESE Clerk-Cheung Man-ling
WUCHOW-FU
州梧 Wi-chau
Wuchow-fu, opened to foreign trade by the Special Article of the Burmese Frontier Convention, is situated on the Sikiang (West River) at a distance of about 220 miles by the present authorised routes from Canton or Hongkong. It is the principal city of the prefecture bearing the same name, and is also the seat of the district magistrate of Ts'ang Wu. The scenery of the West River is interesting and in many places fine. The first portion which demands attention in the voyage up stream is the Shui Hing Gorge. Here the river, which lower down is about a mile wide, flowing through level land, suddenly narrows to about a quarter of that width, and winds through a pass about five miles long where mountains rise on each side to a height of two thousand feet. On leaving the gorge the river again widens, but hills line the sides all the way to Wuchow, now and then closing in and forming tortuous defiles, in some of which the stream appears as a mountain lake, entrance and exit being alike undistinguishable when the middle is reached.
The city of Wuchow is situated on the left bank of the West River at its junction with the Fu or Kweilin River, a navigable stream which affords communication with the provincial capital. The population of the place is about 50,000. The city wall, which climbs the hills in rear, is about a mile and a half in circumference. The streets are for the most part mean and dirty. The business quarter comprises the best. This