1026
KONGMOON-WUCHOW
at about $750,000. There are two silk filatures in the town which afford employment to about 300 women each: the total out-turn of silk amounts to about 100 catties per day. An interesting local industry is the dredging of large shells from which a good quality of lime is made. The annual production of these shells is estimated at 200,000 piculs, worth about $40,000. Quite an important industry has sprung up in Kongmoon, namely, the preserving and canning of Chinese fruit for export abroad, where it is consumed by the numerous Chinese in America, Australia and the Straits Settlements.
The unique opportunities presented for transport by the unrivalled waterways of the Delta have been well availed of by native enterprise, and there is a large and lucrative passenger trade with Canton, Fatshan, Sancheong, Hongkong and Macao, etc. Large roomy native passenger boats towed by powerful launches are engaged in this trade.
The surrounding country is picturesque, fertile and highly cultivated, and the inhabit- ants are prosperous and industrious. Rice is, of course, the principal crop, but mulberry shoots are very extensively cultivated for sale in the silk producing centres, and large quantities of fresh vegetables are exported to supply the Hongkong market.
The net value of the port's trade in 1908 was Hk. Tls. 4,652,827 as compared with Tls. 3,763,950 in 1907.
CONSULATES,
GREAT BRITAIN
DIRECTORY
Consul-J. W. Jamieson, residing at
Canton
ITALY
Consul General-Comm. Z. Volpicelli
(residing in Hongkong)
CUSTOMS, IMPERIAL MARITIME
Asst.-in-charge-J. W. Loureiro Assistants-F. Marti, J. E. Hartshorn Tidesurveyor and Harbour Master-F.
J. Allshorn
Assistant Examiner-J. H. Thatcher Tidewaiters--J. S. Chubb, F. Am- broise, H. Tjomsland, A. Channings, H. H. Scheithauer, A. H. Craig, A. Z. de Souza, M. J. Barreira, T. P. Stubbs, W. Ś. Turnbull
POST OFFICE, IMPERIAL CHINESE
Postal Commissioner - H. E. Wolf
(Canton)
Postal clerk-Ho Chu Shek
WUCHOW
州梧
J *
Wi-cha
Wuchow, opened to foreign trade on June 4th, 1897, by the Special Article of the Burmah Convention, is situated on the Sikiang or West River at its junction with the Fu or Kuei (Cassia) River. By the steamer routes at present authorised it is distant about 220 miles from Hongkong and Canton. Wuchow is the limit of navigation for ocean-going steamers; but, during eight months in the year, vessels drawing not more than 3 feet can reach Kueihsien (150 miles beyond Wuchow), and Nanning (360) miles from here) can be reached by boats drawing 2 ft., almost all the year round. The population of the city and suburbs is estimated at 50,000; it is slowly increa sing, more especially in the riverine suburbs which comprise the business quarter. The annual inundations caused by the rise in the river-there is an average difference of 60 feet between the winter and summer levels-are a source of great inconvenience to the inhabitants and at times bring about a total cessation of business. To obviate this, the principal steamship offices, the foreign Custom House and the native Customs and Lekin stations, together with numerous shops and hotels, are located on pontoons (locally known as Pais) moored alongside the river bank. The situation of Wuchow makes it the natural distributing centre for the trade between Kweichow, Eastern Yunnan, Kwangsi, and Hongkong and Canton. The hopes that were entertained at its opening have not, it is true, been realised, but with the agricultural and inning development of the province, Wuchow bids fair to become one of the principal trading The gross value of the trade coming under the cognisance
marts in South China.
of and the Revenue is about half a million Taels, while the Native Customs control a junk trade worth fifteen million taels and collects nearly 170,000 taels duty.
The