[This Document is the Property of Her Britannic Majesty's Government.]
CHINA FINANCES.
CONFIDENTIAL.
No. 1.
July 19.
SECTION 1.
(No. 69.) My Lord,
Sir C. MacDonald to the Marquess of Salisbury-(Received July 19.)
Peking, June 3, 1897.
I HAVE the honour to inclose herewith copy of a report by Mr. E. H. Fraser, late Her Majesty's Acting Consul at Canton, on a voyage he made in Her Majesty's ship "Tweed" up the West River to Wuchou, one of the ports opened to trade by the recent Agreement.
I have, &c.
(Signed) CLAUDE M. MACDONALD.
Inclosure in No. 1.
Mr. E. H. Fraser to Sir C. MacDonald.
(Separate.) Sir,
Wuchou-Pu, May 14, 1897.
BEGGING reference to your despatch, Separate, of the 21st April, I have the honour to report my arrival here yesterday forenoon in Her Majesty's ship "Tweed,” which was substituted for Her Majesty's ship "Rattler" owing to the reported shallowness of the Broadway.
We left Hong Kong at 6 A.M. on the 3rd May, drawing 9 feet in fresh water, and, despite our having a junk pilot, at 3:30 P.M. we ran on a shoal opposite Ballast Island, where we remained for five hours. The channel by which we entered showed only 10 feet in several places, and our pilot, whose junk runs regularly to Kongmun, was positive that there was no deeper passage. In that case the river-mouth has shoaled greatly since 1861.
As no sounding less than 13 feet was met with in the main channel above this point right up to Kong-kên (nor, indeed, all the way to Wuchou), a careful survey of the Broadway, and, if necessary, of the junk entrance, would seem to be desirable if, as reported, regular coasting steamers are to frequent Kong-kên.
Seven hours' steaming on the 4th instant brought us to the mouth of the Kongmun Creek by way of the south side of the island; but next morning the fall of this tide, which was considerable, had left us ashore. The southern approach to this calling-station is, in fact, available only for vessels drawing 7 feet or less, ships of greater draught having to go round by the head of the island and moor, stem to stern, well above the mouth of the Kongmun Creek.
Some 2 miles up the creek, which is possibly 6 feet deep at high tide, lies the town, a very busy place. Several Hong Kong junks were lying off it, besides other native craft and timber and bamboo rafts. The chief exports are, apparently, timber, bricks, and bamboo fans and furniture; the main import, rice.
At noon on the 6th May we anchored off the Ho-k'ou Customs station at Samshui. As stated above, there were at least 13 feet all the way up, and the navigation presented few difficulties, except on the east side of Kongman Island, where 24 fathoms were found only in a narrow channel, perhaps owing to the state of the tide.
The passage from Kong-kên to Samshui proved to be shallower than it was in March, and, in consequence, the vessel grounded while attempting to leave the port on the 7th instant a little past the spit marked "B" on Mr. Ross' plan. The rise of the tide was very slight, and it was only with great difficulty that, after twenty-four hours' rain, the ship, which had been lightened as much as possible, got off on the evening of the 9th May.
The harbour needs careful survey, and measures must be taken to regulate the movements of the numerous rafts from the West River, which at present often block the fairway.
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