CHINKIANG.
The port of Chink ang (or Chên-kiang-fu), which was declared open to foreign trade by the Treaty of Tientsin, is situated on the Yangtsze, about 150 miles from its mouth, and at the point where the Grand Canal enters the river.
The history of Chirkiang possesses but few features of interest. The position of she town, as a translation of its name implies ("River Guard"), was at one time of considerable importance from a military point of view, when all the rice-tribute from the south of China was transported to Peking by the interior route. The British forces captured the place in Jly, 1842, and as the cutting off of supplies always produces a powerful effect, the commanding situation thus secured was not long in pro- ducing the desired result upon the Central Government, for the Treaty of Nanking was signed a month afterwards. The Taiping rebels entered the town in April, 1853, and continued to occupy it till 1857, when they had to evacuate it from the same cause which had mad the Government yield ten years before.
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The city lies between one of the mouths of the Grand Canal and the right bank of the Yangtsze. Most of the houses are built on level ground, but the surround- ing hills lend a pleasant appearance to the locality, which is enhanced considerably by the bluff scenery of the island of Ts'io-shan. When the city was abandoned by the rebel forces, its destruction was very nearly complete, and it has not yet altogether recovered its former prosperous aspect. The foreign settlement occupies a tract of land extending from the mouth of the Canal along the bank of the river. The population of Chinkiang is estimated at 130,000.
Considerable commercial importance was attached to the port when it was first opened. The largest vessels can approach it, and hopes were high as to the position it would occupy in the development of inland trade with China. But, like the hopes entertained respecting several of the other Chinese ports, they have proved delusive, and the trade on the Yaugtsze seems to have centred at Hankow, farther up the river. The net importation of Opium into Chinking in 1880 was 10,292 piculs, against 11,097 piculs in 1879. The net value of the foreign imports for 1880 was Tis. 8,903,265. The total value of the trade of the port for 1880 amounted to Tls. 14,297,319, and in 1879 it was Tls. 13,674,598.
DIRECTORY.
Consulates.
BRITISH.
大英領事衙門
Ta-ying-ling-sze-ya-mun.
Consul-H. B. Bristow
Constable-Charles Nunn
UNITED STATES.
大美國領事官
Ta-mei-kwoh-ling-shih-kwan.
Consul-E. J. Smithers
Vice-Consul and Interpreter -D. A. Emery
FRENCH.
Consul-H. B. Bristow
GERMAN.
Consul-H. B. Bristow
DANISH.
大丹領事衙門
Ta-tan-ling-sze-ya-mun.
Consul-H. B. Bristow
NETHERLANDS.
Vice-Consul-J. G. W. Gearing
Imperial Maritime Customs.
鎮江關
Chin-kiang-kwan.
Commissioner-R. B. Moorhead
Assistants-Pascal Martin, R. S. Yorke, F.
Clayson, J. H. Fougerat
Medical Officer-R. G. White
Tide Surveyor and Harbour Master—J. H.
C. Gunther
Boat Officer-G. Nutter