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to navigation by ice from about the end of November to the end of March. New buildings are going up on all sides both for dwelling and industrial purposes. The Yalu battlefield is some 10 miles further up the river and a splendid panorama of the surrounding country, may be obtained from the summit of Tiger Hill, which was the position occupied by the Russians before- the battle. Wulungpei, 14 miles distant from Antung, is a favourite resort. on account of its hot springs. Antung is connected by railway with Mukden. The splendid steel bridge, 3,097 feet long and consisting of 12 spans, includ- ing a swivel-span, over the Yalu, from Antung to New Wiju (on the Korean side), connecting the South Manchurian Railway with the Chosen (Korean) Railways, was opened to traffic on 1st November, 1911. The river at Antung is navigable for steamers drawing 12 feet of water when the tides are favour- able, but the channel is a constantly shifting one and erosion and silting often interfere seriously with navigation. Attempts to dredge the channel in the years 1913 and 1914 were not successful and were discontinued. With a view to better control of navigation, fresh charts and future conservancy operations, a survey was started by the Hydrographic Burcau of the Japanese Navy in the spring of 1921, and subsequently undertaken on a larger scale by the Marine Department of the Chinese Maritime Customs during the summer and au- tumn. In September, 1922, the survey was completed and soundings were taken from the sea to Antung. There are several small Japanese steamers plying between Antung, Chefoo and Dairen, and as trade with Tientsin has developed considerably a regular and frequent service with that port is car- ried on by larger vessels of from 700 to 1,200 tons. The larger ships in the China Coast trade anchor at Santaolangtou, six miles down river, and there are other anchorages at Wentzuchien, 14 miles down river, and at Tatungkow.
TRADE IN 1930.
In writing of the trade conditions at this port during 1930, Mr. H. D. Hilliard says:
From the middle of July, the Osaka cotton goods market, generally speaking, made a noticeable recovery, owing to the heavy decrease in production due to the drastic curtailment of operations by both spinners and weavers, and, with a sharp rise in replacement costs, local dealers were able to dispose of the major portion of their holdings without serious loss. The winter was not abnormally severe; sledge traffic ceased on the 22nd Febru- ary, and ice in the Yalu River broke up 10 days earlier than usual. Conse- quently, there was insufficient tonnage to meet the first demand, and some congestion occurred, but this was relieved by the arrival of vessels returning from the south at the normal date for the opening of the port. The close of the season proved disappointing, owing to the abnormally low water in the reaches of the upper river which prevented the arrival of grain and other cereals at the pott. A somewhat dry spring was relieved by copious rains which occurred in the hinterland towards the end of June, saving the crops from possible partial failure, and an average harvest of leading produce and cereals was reaped. The low price of beans, however, left little margin for profit, while the increasing competition of artificial chemical fertilisers dis- organised the local beancake market. The special duty reduction of one-third of the old tariff duty on goods imported from or through Korea and exported from Manchuria to or through Korea by rail via Antung was abolished on the 16th September. On account of this privilege the Fusan-Antung overland route had been preferred by shippers of commoditics of high value, for which the duty reduction was of morc account than the cheaper freight and charges offered by the Osaka-Dairen route. Fears were naturally entertained that the withdrawal of this advantage would lead to the Korean Government Railway carrying almost no freight to Antung, and that Antung as a port would vir- tually become extinct and all imports would go to Dairen by sea, while the result to the South Manchuria Railway Company would be the almost complete cessation of traffic from Antung northwards. In view of these possibilities the three railways concerned, namely, the Japanese Government Railway, the Korean Government Railway, and the South Manchuria Railway, lost no time in devising counter-measures towards placing Antung in a position where