LAPPA
Lappa, also called by the Chinese "Kung Pak," is an island directly opposite the Inner Harbour of Macao, the distance across being from 1 to 1 miles. One of the stations of the Chinese Imperial Maritime Customs is located here, and another on an islet called Malowchow. Lappa is under the jurisdiction of the Heungshan Magistrate. It possesses no features of interest beyond the fact that it is the principal Customs station in the neighbourhood of Macao. The net value of the trade passing through the Lappa Custom Houses in 1906 was Tls. 15,383,943, in 1907 Tls. 17,108,785, in 1908 Tls. 18,167,073, and in 1909 Tls. 16,447,346. The diversion of the course of trade in a variety of goods to and from the Luichow Prefecture operates against Lappa. Much of the cargo which formerly came thence in junks to Macão and reported at Malowchow now avails itself of the more convenient and doubtless safer direct steamer carriage between the French port of Kwangchow-wan and Macao. There is also a tendency for a portion of the west coast produce to go via Kongmoon, whether destined for Hongkong or Canton, and the old junk trade of this region with the foreign colonies is gradually disappearing.
SAMSHUI KE Sam-shui
The Treaty port of Samshui, opened in 1897 under the Burmah Convention-nearly forty years after Consul Harry Parkes' East River Expedition-is situated near the junction of the West and North Rivers, in lat. 23 deg. 6 min. 30 sec. N., and long. 112 deg. 53 min. and 48 sec. E. The anchorage known as Hokow, at which foreigners reside, was formerly an ordinary Chinese fishing village, with boat building as its leading industry, and a flooded state in summer as its characteristic peculiarity, but it is fast becoming a busy town. According to the Convention, the town of Samshui and Kongkên (a dirty little village situated among the hills opposite Hokow) together constitute the port area. The formal opening took place on 4th June, 1897, since which date the net value of the trade of the port coming under the cognizance of the Foreign Customs has grown to nearly 7 million taels in 1909. junk traffic is simply enormous and the lekin station is the first in the province. The district city of Samshui itself is surrounded by an imposing wall built in the 6th year of Chia Ching of the Ming's (about A.D). 1560), the year after the place attained to the dignity of a magistrate's cure. Within the wall the houses are poor and the place is wanting in life-a condition in which it has remained throughout the present dynasty and in contrast (say the records) to its affluent state under the Mings. Outside the North Gate stands an imposing temple, temp Chia Ching (circa 1800). Between the town and the river is a fine nine-storied pagoda--probably of the Ming dynasty.
The
The business focus of the district is Sainam, a large well-built town of no great antiquity, three miles distant, on the creek leading to Fatshan. The inhabitants are not lacking in enterprise and there is a steam silk filature and a steam flour mill. Here an interesting occupation 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 they are swept by a rope drawn over the reeds. The season is short, lasting only for six weeks in the Autumn.
Two sets of steamship lines converge here, from Canton and Hongkong, respec- tively, and tourists in China can do many worse things than visit the West River, and should not fail to explore this port and its environs. The number of steamers entered and cleared at the Custom House during 1909 totalled 3,406. Since 1st May, 1905, Samshui has been made a port of entry for foreign steamers going up the West River. Numerous steam launches carrying passengers or towing passenger boats ply between Samshui and neighbouring cities on the West and North Rivers and on the creek leading to Fatshan and Canton. A railway line from Canton to Samshui vi Fatshan was inaugurated on the 26th September, 1904, and five trains run daily each way between Canton and Samshui. The total number of pas- sengers carried during the 34th year of Kuang Hsu (1908-09) was 3,052,920, of which 890