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KWANGCHAUWAN-PAKHOI
KWANGCHAUWAN
HKwang-chau-wan
Kwangchauwan is a bay in the province of Kwangtung, leased, together with its shores for a distance inland as yet undefined, by France from China. The French flag was hoisted on the 22nd April, 1898. The bay lies in lat. 21 deg. 15 min. N. and long. 110 deg. 30 min. E. and is approximately about two hundred miles W.S.W. from Hongkong. A large island renders it a completely landlocked harbour, with two narrow entrances. The harbour is about twenty miles long, and for about half this length the width is from five to six miles, but it then narrows to one-and-a-half or two miles. The place appears to have been imperfectly surveyed before it was taken over by the French and disappointment with the new acquisition has been expressed on account of the difficulty of the channels and the small extent of deep water. A river of some size discharges into Kwangchau Bay, and on this river is situated the town of Chikhom, a trading centre of considerable importance, carrying on a large trade by junks with Macao and Kongmoon. The neighbouring district is richly cultivated, and and it is believed that minerals exist. The new French territory is separated by only a low range of hills from the valley of the West River. No permanent official establish- ment has as yet been organised pending the completion of the survey and demarcation. Towards the close of 1899 Marshal Sou was sent specially from Peking with full powers to decide upon the delimitation of territory, but unfortunately just before his arrival two French naval ensins were attacked and murdered. The French strengthened their naval and military forces already on the scene, to exact reprisals, anu fighting ensued in which about three hundred Chinese were killed-principally braves sent to preserve order but generally believed to provoke hostilities with official connivance. The demarcation was concluded in December, 1899, but the questions of responsibility and compensation for the murder of the French officers and autacks or the French troops, were to be settled at Peking. The exact delimitation has not yet been published.
ΡΑΚΗΟΙ #Pak-hoi
Pakhoi is one of the ports opened to foreign trade by the Chefoo Convention in 1876. It is situated on the Gulf of Tonkin in long. 109 deg. 6 min. E. and lat. 21 deg. 30 min. N. The British Consul hoisted his flag on the 1st May, 1877, and the foreigners were well received by the natives. Pakhoi is the port for the important city of Lien- chau, from whence considerable quantities of foreign piece goods were formerly distri- buted over the country lying between the West River and the seaboard, but now that the West River has been opened to steam navigation it is expected that the bulk of the trale will be diverted to that route. The net value of the trade of Pakhoi in 1898 was Tls. 4,166,059, in 1897 Tls 4,209,935, and in 1896 Tls. 4,685,138.
The town is situated on a small peninsula and faces nearly due north. It stands at the foot of a bluff nearly forty feet high, which deprives it of the south-west breeze in summer, while in winter it is exposed to the full force of the north-east monsoon. Froin the bluff an extensive partly cultivated plain stretches, over which there is some sport, snipe, plover, quail, and pigeons being found in large numbers, while duck and other water fowl are not numerous. The climate is considered to be very salubrious. The estimated population of the port is 20,000.
No port in China is more easily approached and entered than that of Pakhoi. The landmarks are conspicuous and unmistakeable. The channel is wide and deep and has no hidden danger to be avoided. The anchorage is a mile and a half from the town. There is good landing at high water, but at ebb tide only for small boats.
The construction of a railway by a French Company from Pakhoi to Nanning has been authorised, but work on the project has not yet been commenced. A free "chool under the direction of M. Mercier Bauné has been opened by the French Government to toa oh the French language to the Chinese and others.