KIUKIANG.
Kiukiang is situated on the Yangtsze, near the outlet of the Poyang Lake, t is a prefectural city of the province of Kiang-si. It is about 137 geographical mila from Hankow and 445 from Shanghai.
Kiukiang was at one time a busy and populous city; but it was occupied by the Taiping rebels in 1853, and before it was given up to the Imperial troops it was utterly destroyed, presenting one of those melancholy spectacles which these hordes of usurpers left so often bebind them. A gentleman (Mr. Laurence Oliphant) whe visited it in 1858 speaks of the desolation of the city in the following terms :—“ Wi found it to the last degree deplorable. A single dilapidated street, composed only of a few mean shops, was all that existed of this once thriving and populous city; the remainder of the vast area comprised within its walls, five or six miles in circumference, contained nothing but ruins, weeds, and kitchen gardens." When the foreign settle- ment was established there, however, the population soon returned, and it has con- tinued to increase rapidly. It is now (stimated at 40,000.
The city is built close to the river, the walls running along the banks of it for some 500 yards. Their circumference is about five miles, but a considerable portion of the space enclosed is not occupied. The city contains no features of interest. There are several large lakes to the north and west of it, and beyond the principal suburb lies the foreign settlement. On the opening of the port considerable trouble was experienced in securing the land on which to build the foreign residences, the Chinese demanding extortionate prices for it. Indeed, so bitter was the opposition manifested that before the ground could be cleared some of the native houses bad to be forcibly demolished.
The idea which led to the opening of Kiukiang was, no doubt, its situation as regards communication by water with the districts where the Green Tea is produced. But the hopes entertained respecting Kiukiang have never been realised. The total quantity of Tea exported in 1877 was 245,145 piculs, of which 51,476 piculs were Green. Opium was imported to the extent of 1,852 piculs in 1877, and 2,043 piculs in 1876. The total revenue of the port for 1877 was Tl. 689,125, and for 1876, Tls. 694,747.
Consulates.
DIRECTORY.
大英副領事衙門
Ta-ying-fu-ling-shih-ya-mén. BRITISH CONSULATE.
Consul-Geo. Phillips
Constable-
法國領事官
Fat-kwok-ling-see-koon.
FRENCH Consulate.
Consul-General at Shanghai
大美國領事官
Ta-mai-kwok-ling-shih-kwan.
UNITED STATES CONSULATE.
Consul-I. F. Shepard, residing at Han-
kow
大荷蘭國領事官
Ta-ho-lan-kwoh-ling-shih kwan. NETHERLANds ConsulaTE.
Vice-consul-J. H. Anderson
大澳斯馬加領事官
Ta Ao-sz Ma-kia Ling-shih-kwan.
AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN CONSULATE.
Acting Consul-Geo. Phillips
大丹國領事官
Ta-tan-kwo-ling-shih-kwan. DANISH CONSULATE.
Acting Consul-Geo. Phillips