SANTU-FOOCHOW
321
The climate is healthy, the heat of Summer being always tempered by sea breezes. Capital shooting in wild-fowl, partridge and pheasant may be found from November un- til April, and tigers are said to be fairly numerous on the mainland. The Osaka Shosen Kaisha are running a regular steamer to Foochow throughout the year, whilst during the sea season (May-October) other companies are represented. The Samsah Inlet, on account of its picturesque scenery, has been described as a miniature Inland Sea of Japan. The Basin was surveyed by H. M. S. Waterwitch in 1899, the work covering an area of 400 square miles, and an Admiralty chart has been published. A public board under the joint control of the Chinese authorities and the Commissioner of Customs controls the making of roads, extension of settlement, etc., wharfage dues of 2 per cent. being levied for this purpose. A jetty over 500 feet in length was erected in 1900. The province is believed to be rich in mineral resources and the port is considered to possess good openings for foreign capital. The ret value of foreign imports in 1903 was Tls. 26,101 against Tls. 12,738 in 1902. The net value of the trade of the port for 1903 was Tls. 1,959,069 against Tls. 1,520,704 in 1902.
CUSTOMS-IMPERIAL MARITIME
DIRECTORY
Acting Commissioner-Fred. W. Carey Assistant-E. S. Lebas
Assistant Examiner-D. Davies Tidewaiters-T.Kundsen, F.E.Jackson,
S. Shiels
MISSIONS
For Protestant Missions see end of China
Directory
FOOCHOW
州福 Fuh-chau
Foochow (or Fuh-chau-fu) is the capital of the Fokien province. It is situated in lat. 26 deg. 20 min. 24 sec. N., and long. 119 deg. 20 min. E. The city is built on a plain on the northern side of the river Min, and is distant about thirty-four miles from the sea, and nine miles from Pagoda Island, where foreign vessels anchor,
The attention of foreigners was early attracted to Foochow as a likely place where commercial intercourse could be profitably carried on in the shipment of Bohea Tea, which is grown largely in the locality. Before the port was opened, this article used to be carried overland to Canton for shipment, a journey which was both long and difficult. The East India Company, as early as 1830, made representations in favour of the opening of the port, but nothing definite was done till the conclusion of the Treaty of Nanking in 1842. The early years of intercourse with the natives were anything but what was anticipated. The navigation of the river was difficult, there was no market for imports, and several attacks by the populace rendered the port an undesirable place of residence for some time. It was not until some ten years after the port had been opened that there was much done in the export of tea from the interior, but after that the quantity shipped increased largely, and Foochow became one of the principal tea ports in China. "Since 1880, when the tea trade of the port reached its highest figure, the export being 737,000 piculs, the prosperity of the place has been on the wane, and in 1903 the shipment of this its staple product was 236,404 piculs only, including 44,053 piculs of brick tea. The Commissioner of Customs in his report for 1902 said: "It is evident that the tea trade in Fukien is in a very critical condition, being in the very unenviable position of depending for its prosperity on the shortage of other teas. Unless something is done in the way of assimilating the modes of cultivating the plant and preparing the leaf in China to the methods in vogue in India and Ceylon, the tea trade must decline." Similar advice has constantly been pressed upon the native planters with no appreciable result so far.
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Original from 11 UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN