932
LUNGCHOW-MENGTSZ AND YUNNANFU
foreign interests are in the charge of Consuls resident on the West River and in Hongkong. France alone maintains a Consul in Lungchow, and he is also Consul foil. Nanning. The net value of the trade coming under the cognisance of the Maritime Customs for 1924 was Hk. Tls. 281,138, as compared with Hk. Tls. 273,105 for 1923, and Hk. Tls. 146,812 for 1922. The trip up from Nanning usually takes from two to three days and that down to Nanning about 30 hours, according to the water in the river the level of which is liable to very sudden fluctuations during the prevalence of rainy weather. Motor boats carry most of the incoming cargo from and via the West River ports, whilst imports from over the frontier come by junk or raft or by carrier. The river scenery between Nanning and Lungchow with its succession of gorges is well worth seeing, but at present accommodation for Europeans on board the distinctly Chinese-style motor-boats is non-existent. The climate of the port is damp and very hot for some eight months or more in the year, the hottest period being usually from April to July.
DIRECTORY
Lung-chow-kuan
BU JH BE
CUSTOMS, CHINESE MARITIME
Acting Commissioner-M. Cupelli Tidewaiter-W. W. Brazier
Clerk-Fung Chun Chiu
FRENCH CONSULATE
Consul-L. Rougni
Infirmeriedu Consulat-Dr. Ting Kwok
POST OFFICE
局郵等二州龍
Commissioner-Cheong
Man Ling:
(Nanning, Kwangsi District)
Second Class Postmaster-Ch❜ên Hêng-
k'ang
ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSION
Rev. Fathers A. Barrière, Crocq (Tai- pingfu), Caysae (Namong, Tsai Miou)
MENGTSZ AND YUNNANFU
自蒙 Mêng-sĩ
This is a district city in south-east Yunnan, and together witlı Man-hao, a village on the left bank of the Red River, was opened to trade by the Additional Convention to the French Treaty of Tientsin of the 25th April, 1886, signed at Peking on the 26th June, 1887. The town is two days' journey from Man-hao and about six days' from the frontier of Tonkin at Laokay, and beautifully situated, being built on a cultivated plateau 20 miles long by about 12 miles in breadth, encircled by picturesque mountains, and is 4,280 feet above the level of the sea. It has a population of about 11,000 persons, but was a place of much more importance before the Mahommedan rebellion, as the numerous well-built temples, many of them now in ruins, still testify. It is, however, a considerable commercial emporium even now, and is becoming an important centre for the distribution of foreign goods imported via Tonkin. The French Consul hoisted his flag at Mêngtsz on the 30tli April, 1889, and the Customs station was opened in the following August. The net value of the trade of the port for 1924 was Hk. Tls. 25,384,788, as compared with Hk. Tls. 23,313,759 for 1923, Hk. Tls. 22,222,855 for 1922, and Hk. Tls. 18,321,246 for 1921. The Chinese merchants avail them- selves largely of the advantages offered by the transit pass system. The value of the trade of the Yunnanfu, Pishihchai, Hokow, Mapai and Manhao branch offices is included in the Mengtsz Custom returns. The province depends for its purchasing power on tin. In his report for 1920, the Commissioner of Customs said:- With a Government which will grant a respite from the war with neighbouring provinces, which will re-establish order and guarantee some security for life and property throughout the country, and will enforce strict legislation against the * destruction of the forests, there is little doubt that Yunnan, with its mineral treasures