WENCHOW
A385
this day in one of the temples. A few members of the Customs staff occupy foreign- built houses on the island. There were Boxer troubles in the Pingyang district several Christians being murdered, in 1900, and all the missionaries left Wênchow, where, however, the officials were able to maintain order. During the summer months some of the foreign residents repair to the Northern Hills (X), across he river where several bungalows have been built.
There is no foreign settlement at Wênchow, and the foreign residents are a mere handful, consisting entirely of officials and missionaries. There is a consider- able native export trade in tea, bitter oranges, tobacco, timber, charcoal, bamboos and kittysols, but manufactures do not flourish, though some excellent floor-matting and cross-stitch work are produced by local factories. The firms engaged in the timber trade are located in the west suburb, where are also the timber yards. Immense quantities of timber and bamboos are kept on hand.
During August and September of 1912 two abnormal freshets occurred in the Wênchow river, causing immense destruction of life and property. In the upper reaches of the main river the water rose 60 feet above normal level, washing away villages and carrying away houses bodily. Some 30,000 people are reported to have been drowned in the Yungchia, Chingtien, Ch'uchow and Juian magistracies, Such a calamity was unprecedented within the memory of the oldest inhabitant. Two particularly severe typhoons in the summer of 1920 caused enormous damage in the neighbourhood. Haimen, a neighbouring city, about 85 miles by sea north-east of Wenchow, was partially destroyed on July 15th by a tidal wave with great loss of life; while in the Nanchi River valley, opposite Wenchow, an equally large loss of life was reported in the second typhoon between September 4th and 6th. In August 1923 and 1926 this port was visited by severe typhoons, although they did not cause much damage either affoat or
ashore.
TRADE IN 1938
During a year when many ports were suffering partial or complete dislocation of trade, Wenchow enjoyed a period of comparative tranquillity and prosperity, trade statistics for the year 1938 being as follows: direct foreign imports were valued at $1.9 million as compared with $842,050 in 1937; coastwise importations of Chinese merchandise at $27.4 million as against $6.6 million; direct foreign exports at $6.2 million as against $540,657; and coastwise exports of Chinese produce at $20.6 million as compared with $4.3 million. With a few exceptions foreign imports showed advances. Among the leading articles, sugar occupied first place with a total of 20,439 quintals as against 15,701 quintals during 1937. Paraffin wax was second on the list with an aggregate import of 12,248 quintals as compared with 9,512 quintals, while mangrove bark advanced from 500 quintals in 1937 to 11,127 quintals. Commodities such as sulphate of ammonia, raw hemp, chlorate of potash, metal manufactures, artificial indigo, birds' nests, panama straw and sulphur black, which showed a nil import for 1937, were among the main imports during 1938. Oils, usually forming one of the chief imports, registered considerable decreases, kerosene oil declining by 27 per cent and liquid fuel by 39 per cent, while imports of gasolene were practically nil. Coastwise imports comprised chiefly woollen piece goods and textile products. Cigarettes, one of the main imports in 137; failed to maintain their position, but medicines, sugar, cotton socks and stockings, rubber boots and shoes, glass and glassware, stationery and toilet requisites, which appeared only in negligible quantities in the 1937 returns, were among the leading domestic imports during the year. Beancake and yellow beans, bean oil, groundnut oil, wheat flour and coal, however, declined, largely due to the closure of factories in Shanghai and vicinity. Of exports abroad, tea and wood oil constituted the bulk, tea leaf totalling 38,434 quintals as against 133 quintals, and wood oil 43,910 quintals as compared with 3,783 quintals. The export abroad also of kittysols was well maintained. Under coast wise exports, tea leaf totalled 55, 312 quintals as against 3,556 quintals; wood oil, 28,049 quintals as against 2,106 quintals; while 3rd quality paper exported coastwise was valued at $3.7 million as compared with $343,915; fresh eggs totalled over 96 million pieces as against 5.7 million pieces; and kittysols, 4.5 million pieces as against 3.4 million pieces. Of pig lard 21,121 quintals was shipped as compared with 971 quintals, while of softwood timber the value of exports chiefly to Shanghai and Haimen, was $679,587 as against $483,377 during the preceding year. During the year the total tonnage of vessels entered and cleared under General Regulations was 644,479 as compared with 195,889 in 1937, British vessels heading the list with 210,107 tons.