892
YOCHOW
The province of Hunan used to be to foreign commerce what Tibet has been to the explorer-a Forbidden Land-and it is only a few years ago that foreigners were stoned out of Yochow. In 1904, the people were described as showing a “friendly attitude" to all foreigners. The anti-foot-binding crusade has done well in Hunan, which was once the most anti-foreign province in all China. They are intensely patriotic, but their patriotism is rather for Hunan than for the Empire at large.
The province is rich in many forms of wealth, though the inhabitants say it consists of "three parts mountain, six water, and one arable soil." One of the main staples is rice, of which nearly a million piculs are sent out of the province to Hupeh and Kueichow in an average year. The Hunan tea sent to Hankow amounts to about six hundred thousand half-chests a year. The timber passing down past Changteh is valued officially at six million taels a year, and is probably worth more. There is also a large production of cotton. The mountain districts contain large fields of coal, both anthracite and bituminous; iron also is known to exist. Sulphur, antimony, nickel, and other minerals are even now exported, and great possibilities of development are undoubtedly to be found.
Steam launches and steamers run through from Hankow to Changsha with cargo and passengers, under River passes; and from Yochow to Inland places under Inland Steam Navigation Rules.
The city of Yochow is perched on a bluff in a very picturesque way. Its site is, however, not adapted for a transit trade, and it offers no shelter for small craft. The port has, therefore, been opened at Chenglin, five miles to the north and only a mile from the Yangtsze, where a small creek provides the needed shelter for cargo-boats, and a good anchorage is found for steamers. Here the Chinese Government has set aside a place for a cosmopolitan settlement, for which they themselves will provide roads, police, etc.; the site contains level ground for business purposes, well raised, but not too high, above flood limits, while higher ground gives good and healthy sites for foreign houses. Work on the formation of the settlement and bunding operations were commenced in 1900, and a new Custom-house and quarters have been built. Yochow is described by the Customs Commissioner as "doubtless the healthiest town in the Yangtse Valley, considering the insanitary conditions." In 1900, really the first open year of the port, the net value of the trade was Tls. 143,827. In 1903 it amounted to Tls. 3,473,241, but in 1905 the value was Tls. 490,059 only, and in 1907 the returns show a net value of Tls. 1,354,155. The decline since 1904 is the result of the opening of Changsha as a Treaty Port.
The noteworthy feature of 1907 was the connection of Changteh by steamer during the high water season-June to October-the resulting trade being valued at Tls. 617,000. Buoys and lights were established to mark the channel across the lake. The difficulties and risks of this route are considerable, and it is probable that it will be found advisable to adopt, the somewhat longer route via Lolintan though, on account of the sharp bends of the River Yuan in its lower reaches, specially adapted steamers will probably
have to be used.
DIRECTORY
Rev. Fr. A. Martinez (Lichow)
Do.
E. Fernandez (Yung Kiang)
Do.
A. Arroyo (Sesueitien)
AUGUSTINIAN MISSION OF Northern HUNAN Rt. Rev. Bishop Luis Perezy Perez,
vicaire apost., Lichow
Rev. Fr. B. Yheas (Nanchowting)
Do. J. Hospital (Yochow City) Do. V. Ferrero (Niehkiashih)
V. Martinez (Shenchowfu) A. Diego (Gan-siang)
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
V. Andrés (Niehkiashih)
S. de la Torre, Vic. Prov.
(Yochow)
Do.
N. Puras (Hwajung)
Do.
Do.
A. Gonzalez (Changteh)
Do.
L. Ramirez (Louki)
A. de Paz (Yochow City) Do. A. Fernandez (Yalan)
Do.
F. Bernardo (Tsinse)
Do.
B. Gonzalez (Tselisien)