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YOCHOW
A365
Steam launches and steamers run through from Hankow to Changsha with cargo and passengers, under river passes; and from Yochow to inland places known as the "Lake Ports" under Inland Waters Steam Navigation Rules-principally to Changteh- Yiyang and Tsingshih. The business is increasing, more particularly, with the last, mentioned place.
The city of Yochow is perched on a bluff in a very picturesque way. Its site is however, not adapted for transit trade, and it offers no shelter for small craft. The port has, therefore, been opened at Chengling, five miles to the north and only a mile from the Yangtsze, where a small creek provides the needed shelter for cargo-boats and other vessels, though the steamer anchorage is bad, being fully exposed to the frequent northerly gales, while the bottom affords bad holding ground. Here the Chinese Government has set aside a place for a cosmopolitan settlement, for which they have provided roads, police, etc.; the site contains level ground for business purposes, well raised, but not too high above flood limits, while higher ground gives good and healthy sites for foreign houses. Work on the formation of the Settlement and bunding operations was commenced in 1900, and a Custom House and Quarters have been built. It is to be noted, therefore, that the Yochow Custom House is situated at Chengling and not at Yochow as the name would lead one to believe. British, Japanese and Chinese shipping firms maintain regular communications with the "Lake Ports" and have their agents stationed at Chengling. Given peace, Cheng- ling is undoubtedly one of the most healthy towns in the Yangtsze Valley. Since the occupation of this port by the Cantonese Army in August, 1926, the Chengling Bluff has twice been fortified and the Harbour mined in order to prevent a hostile army coming down river from Shasi.
A noteworthy feature of 1907 was the connection of Changteh by steamer during the high-water season--June to October--the resulting trade being valued at Tls. 617,000. Connection with Changteh is now maintained practically throughout the year by steamers of the river type, and tugs and lighters. Buoys and lights were established in 1907 to mark the channel across the lake. The difficulties and risks of this route are considerable, and it is probable that it will be found advisable to adopt the somewhat longer route via Lulintan; on account of the sharp bends of the River Yuan in its lower reaches, specially adapted steamers will probably have to be used. The question of making Changteh an open port was considered in 1906 and again taken up in the spring of 1915, and Chinese officials visited the place to enquire into the conditions, but it still remains open only to vessels under Inland Water Steam Navigation rules. In 1920, a new organization for the technical control of the Middle Yangtsze Aids to Navigation and channels was instituted by the Customs.
The Standard - Vacuum Oil Company has established an oil installation at a point about two miles below the Settlement. It has erected three tanks and contemplates erecting three more. The first oil tanker direct from California arrived here during the high water season of 1926. This installation will be the centre of distribution for the upper Yangtsze and the "Lake Ports," such as Changteh, Yiyang and Tsingshih. Although all oil was withdrawn from the tanks in May, 1927, owing to the then disturbed conditions, the use of the tanks has been resumed since June, 1928.
TRADE IN 1937
The port of Yochow and the Tungting Lake districts served by it enjoyed com- parative quiet during the year. The abundant harvests of 1936 and 1937 assisted materially in the betterment of economic conditions, while the comparative stability of the new currency stimulated trade, which, for the first six months of the year, showed a considerable advance over the first half of 1936. From September, however, the volume of trade began to decline, and towards the end of the year business was seriously_handicapped by difficulties of transportation and the blocking of the Yangtze River, first at Kiangyin, and later at Matung, some 70 kilometres below Kiukiang. Moreover, owing to military requirements, from the month of August very little merchandise was carried from the district by the Canton-Hankow Railway, the number of wagons available being strictly limited. As usual, kerosene oil coutinued to be the principal item of direct foreign import, the quantity imported amounting to 4,969,381 litres, or an increase of more than 1 million litres as compared with 1936. Other petroleum products worthy of note were 277 tons of liquid fuel and 154,339 litres of gasolene imported ex bond from Hankow. No direct exports to foreign countries were recorded at Yochow, as native products destined for abroad