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SWATOW. ✅
Swatow, which was first thrown open to foreigners by Lord Elgin's Treaty, is situated at the mouth of the river Han, near the eastern border of the Kwangtung Province, in lat. 23 deg. 20 min. 43 sec. N., and long. 116 deg. 39 min. 3 sec. E. It is the shipping port for the city of Cha'o-chow-fu, the seat of the local government, 35 miles inlaud, and San-Ho-Pa forty miles farther up the river.
Swatow is built on the northern bank of the Han, which forms part of an alluvial plain through which the branches of the river flow. The shore on the opposite side is bold and striking, the hills stretching away to the coast and forming what is known to sea-going people as the "Cape of Good Hope," Pagoda Hill rises at the opposite side, and in a direct line from this lies the large island of Namoa.
The first foreign trading depôt in this locality was inaugurated at Namoa, whera the opium vessels used to auchor, but it was subsequently removed to Double Island, which is situated just inside the river and is four miles from Swatow. Foreigners here made themselves notorious in the early years of the settlement by the kidnapping of coolies, and so strong was the feeling shown against them by the natives that no foreigners were safe far from Double Island, while they were strictly forbidden to enter Swatow, and it was not until 1861 that they could do so. In the country round Swatow the antipathy to foreigners was of much longer duration. The British Consul was held technically to reside at Cha'o-chow-fu, and subsequent to 18'1 several ineffectual attempts were made to pass through its ga es. In 1866 a visit was made under more favourable circumstances, but it is only within the last few years that the popula tion has refrained from annoyance and insult to foreigners within its walls. In 1862 the lease of a piece of land was applied for and granted to the British Government on the north bank of the river about a mile from Swatow, but so strong were the demonstrations of the populace against it that the matter fell through. Foreign residences, however, commenced to spring up here and there, and many of them are consequently somewhat scattered, though the majority are in or near the town of Swatow.
The climate of Swatow is said to be very salubrious. The town occupies, however, an unenviable position as regards typhoons, on account of being opposite the lower mouth of the Formosa Channel, and it has on many occasions been subjected to all the violence of these terrible storms, which almost every year sweep across the lower coast of China.
The
The foreign trade of Swatow has never been large, but of late years it has shown a slight increase. Its proximity to Hongkong, which can be reacled in from 15 to 20 hours, no doubt tells against it, as it enables the Chinese to conduct their own import business. The quantity of Opium imported has increa ed very much of late years; the total in 1868 was only 4,272 piculs as compared with 10,088 piculs in 1879. quantity of Tea exported is very small, and reached only 4,097 piculs in 1879. A considerable trade is done in Sugar, there being 1,073,986 piculs exported in 1879, which shows an increase on previous years. The value of the trade of the port for 1879 was 1. 20,378,581, a compared with Tls. 19,237,846 in 1878. The population of Swatow is estimated at 30,000.
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DIRECTORY.
Consulates and Government Offices.
大英領事官
Ta-Ying-ling-sz-koon.
GREAT BRITAIN.
Consul-William Gregory
Assistant Octavius Johnson
Post-office Agent-Octavius Johnson
Constable-Henry Sage
大美國領事官
Tae-me-kwoh-ling-sz-koon.
UNITED STATES.
Consul-C. C. Williams
Consular Clerk-Sim Kve Pang
Interpreter-Koh Seah long
AUSTRIA.
Consul Gérant-William Gregory
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