Directory_and_Chronicle_1922

906

ICHANG

port is comparatively easy for vessels of light draught, but great eare is necessary for all vessels when in the neighbourhood of Sunday Island, owing to the shiftings and banks The anchorage is off the left bank, opposite the foreign residences, and is good, exeept in freshets, when the anchors should be sighted every two or three days. The port is the centre of a hilly country, the produetions of which are rice in the valleys, cotton on the higher grounds, winter wheat, barley, and also the tungtzu trees, from which the ordi- nary wood oil is obtained by pressing the nuts gathered from the trees. In the sheltered valleys, amongst the mountain ranges west of the eity, oranges, lemons, pomeloes, pears, plums, and a very superior quality of persimmons are grown, and find a ready market in the city and at Shasi The importance of Ichang is chiefly that of an emporium for goods in transit to and from Chungking. All eargo for the latter port is landed here and transferred to steamers or chartered junks. In the same way cargo brought down in steamers or chartered junks from Chungking and intended for the lower river and coast ports, is transhipped here on steamers, which make regular voyages to and from Hankow. During the year 1921 the steamers plying between Ichang and Chungking consisted of the Kikin, Hungfok, ungkiang, Shuhun, Hsin Shutung, Hsiakiang and Kiangking under the French flag; the Mei-tan, Alice Dollar, Robert Dollar II. and Meishun under the American flag; and the An-lan, Ankong and Loongmow under the British flag. Steam navigation is usually practicable from the iniddle of April until the middle of December. The rates for foreign passengers vary considerably by the different vessels, but all are much higher than on the lower Yangtsze. I view of the enhanced trattie, aids to navigation and rules of the road through the gorges have become urgent, and are now being undertaken by the Government, with two River Inspectors funetioning between Chungking and Ichang. The upward voyage to Chungking now takes 4 days, and the return trip about 2 days. The survey of the railway to Chengtu has been completed, but construction has been delayed in consequence of the great European war. There has never been census of the native population, but it is guessed to be about 40,000.

The net value of the trade of the port in 1920 was Hk. Tls. 9,154,66, as compared with Hk. Tls. 6,045,651 in 1919 Hk. Tĺs. 3,899,235 in 1918, Hk. Tls. 5,685,589 in 1917 and Hk. Tls. 6,629,451 in 1916.

The town was thoroughly and systematieally looted by local troops on the night of November 30th, 1920. No district was left unmolested; shop after shop and house after house was entered at the point of the bayonet, and money, clothes and goods were ruthlessly extorted from the inates. A considerable amount of Japanese property was destroyed by fire, and several foreign firms lost heavily in money. Altogether over 150 shops and houses were destroyed. The situation was eased by the Chamber of Commerce agreeing to pay the local General $60,000. There was practieally nothing more left to loot except foreign property and houses. A still more bloodthirsty outrage was suffered on the night of June 4th, 1921. During twenty-three days of Sptember, 1921, Ichang was the seene of a battle between invading forees from Szechwan and defending armies representing Hupeh, North China, and the Peking Government.

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