416
SHANGHAI.
There are four Docks at Shanghai, the one at Tunkadoo, opposite the city, having a length of 380 feet over all with a depth at spring tides of 21 feet; the Old Dock at Hongkew is 400 feet long and 18 feet deep at springs, and the New Dock at Pootung, at the lower end of the harbour, measures 450 feet on the blocks, with a depth at high water springs of about 21 feet. All steamers and most sailing vessels now discharge and load at the various public and private wharves. The premises of the Associated Wharf Company have a frontage of about three-quarters of a mile. The Chinese have an Arsenal and shipbuilding establishment at Kaou Chung-mow, a short distance above the city. The Great Northern Telegraph Company's cable was laid to Shanghai in 1871, and that of the Eastern Extension Company in 1884, there being now two distinct lines of communication with Europe. An overland line to Tientsin was opened in December 1881, which has recently been extended to Peking. There is also a line west to Hankow and south as far as Lungchow, on the Kwangsi border. A railway cons- tructed by a foreign company was opened to Woosung in June, 1876, but after running for sixteen months it was purchased and taken up by the Chinese Authorities. During the short time it was running the passenger traffic alone covered the working expenses, leaving sufficient profit to pay a small dividend. A scheme for Tramways in the settlements was sanctioned some time ago, but has not yet been commenced. In 1877 the property of the Shanghai Steam Navigation Company, a foreign association owning the principal lines of steamers trading to the Yangtsze and Northern ports, was bought by the Chinese Government, acting through the China Merchants' Steam Navigation Company, for the sum of two million tacls. The property then taken over consisted of about fifteen steamers, a dock, and extensive wharves and godowns in the French Settlement and at Hongkew. The China Merchants' Company, which in the interval had increased their fleet to twenty-six vessels and also their landed property at Shanghai, Tientsin and elsewhere, sold the whole to Messrs. Russell & Co. in August, 1884, for the sum of five and a quarter million taels, about one and a third millions sterling, but repurchased it a year later. There are three other locally owned lines of steamers running on the coast and the river Yangtsze. Several manufac- tories under both native and foreign auspices have sprung up of late years, and would considerably increase were it not that the native authorities are offering the most determined opposition to any manufactures under the control of foreigners.
97
The hotel accommodation of Shanghai was formerly, like that of Hongkong and Yokohama, of the most miserable description, but by the opening of the "Central, the rebuilding of the "Astor House" and subsequently of the "Hotel des Colonies in the French Concession, it is now in this respect unexcelled by any port in the East. There are three daily newspapers, the North China Daily News, morning, and the Shanghai Courier and Shanghai Mercury, evening, also three weeklies, the North China Herald, the Celestial Empire, and the Temperance Union. There are two native daily papers, the Shun-pao and the Hu-pao. These are sold at the prices of ten and eight cash, equal to a farthing and a half, and have a very large circula- tion. In one matter, that of Postal accommodation, Shanghai is inconveniently over-supplied, there being British, French, American, Japanese, Local, and Customs Post-offices. It is expected that the Chinese Government will establish a general postal department in connection with the International Union, to be under the control of the Foreign Customs. Shanghai was made a port of Registry for British ships in 1874. All foreign hongs and even private houses have to give themselves fancy Chinese names, by which only they are known to the natives. The system is, however, found to have its conveniences. Jinrickshas to the number of 2,500, 1,500 passenger wheelbarrows, and 200 horse vehicles ply for hire in the Settle-
ments.
The currency of Shanghai is the tael weight of silver, cast into "shoes" of fifty taels, more or less. The foreign banks issue notes of the value of one tael and upwards. Smaller transactions are conducted in clean Mexican dollars and copper cash. There are seven foreign and innumerable native banks in the Settlement.
Shanghai is the great emporium for the trade of the Yangtsze and Northern ports and to a considerable extent for Japan. The export of Tea from 1846 to 1850