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sur le nouveau chenal. Les produits du dragage serviront à cela; on fera ainsi d'une pierre deux coups.
La somme nécessaire pour mener ce travail à bien est de 300,000 taels; elle est en dehors de l'accord spécial. Néanmoins, comme il importe d'assurer l'avenir de l'œuvre entreprise, les 300,000 taels seront versés en plus.
En résumé, les travaux du Whangpoo Conservancy sont de la plus haute importance pour le commerce chinois et étranger de Shanghaï. Le Gouvernement Impérial, qui s'y intéresse même plus que les étrangers, ne manquera pas de prendre toutes les mesures nécessaires pour maintenir en bon état les travaux exécutés et arriver à un résultat durable.
Je crois devoir adresser à votre Excellence les informations détaillées qui précèdent; je lui serai reconnaissant de bien vouloir en faire part au corps diploma- tique.
Pour traduction conforme : BLANCHOT.
Enclosure 2 in No. 1.
Report communicated by Sir J. Wolfe Barry, Sir W. Matthews, and Mr. A. G. Lyster, to the Shanghai General Chamber of Commerce.
Gentlemen,
Introduction.
IN accordance with the terms of an agreement made in London on the 10th November, 1909, between Mr. Frederick Anderson, acting on behalf of your chamber and ourselves, we arranged with the firm of Messrs. Coode, Son, and Matthews, of Westminster, for two of their partners, Mr. Maurice F. G. Wilson and Mr. T. Leigh Matthews, who were about to visit Singapore on professional business, to proceed thence to Shanghai in order to collect such information and data as appeared to us to be necessary to enable us to prepare a report to yourselves upon the works in progress for the improvement, of the deep-water approach to Shanghai, also upon the plan prepared by M. de Rijke for the complete scheme of such improvement.
2. Mr. Wilson and Mr. Matthews accordingly arrived at Shanghai on the 31st January last, and completed their investigations on the 28th February, leaving Shanghai on that date for Singapore. They were subsequently detained on business at the last-named place, and also at Colombo, eventually returning to London at the end of April.
3. Early in June we were furnished with the information which had been prepared by Messrs. Wilson and Matthews in accordance with the mode of procedure above described, and with the copies of certain plans and drawings which they had prepared, and have since had the advantage of interviews here with Mr. F. Anderson, the chairman of your sub-committee, appointed in connection with the Whangpoo Conservancy; Mr. W. D. Little, the chairman of the Shanghai Chamber of Commerce, now at home; Mr. H. E. Hobson, late Commissioner of the Imperial Maritime Customs at Shanghai, and formerly a member of the Whangpoo Conservancy Board; Mr. H. H, Joseph and Captain Gregor of the P. and O. Company, and Captain Evans of the Ocean Steam-ship Company. Unfortunately we are unable to secure the attendance of captains in other steam-ship companies trading with Shanghai which we approached for that purpose, namely, the Norddeutscher Lloyd, Messageries maritimes, and Nippon Yusen Kaisha lines. To all the foregoing gentlemen our thanks are due for the valuable information which they so courteously placed at our disposal.
4. On arrival at Shanghai Mr. Little kindly met Messrs. Wilson and Matthews, and introduced them to certain gentlemen interested in the shipping and general trade of the port, who were in a position to afford them useful information bearing on the investigation. He also placed them in communication with M. J. de Rijke, engineer- in-chief to the Whangpoo Conservancy.
5. We desire to express our thanks to M. de Rijke for the courteous assistance he rendered to Messrs. Wilson and Matthews at all times during their stay at Shanghai, and for the readiness with which he invited the fullest investigation of the
papers and plans connected with the works, and for the facilities which he afforded for making personal inspection thereof. In this connection we should also like to mention Captain Forbes, M. de Rijke's chief assistant.
6. Mr. Wilson and Mr. Matthews laid before us in a very clear and com- prehensive manner the valuable data and information procured by them during their stay in Shanghai; they have also since their return furnished further important particulars and explanations, and have greatly assisted us in the preparation of this report.
7. Having now carefully considered the very complete data which have been placed before us, as above explained, in connection with this important investigation, we have the honour to present this report with regard thereto.
Drawings which accompany the Report.*
8. In order that our remarks may be readily understood, the report is accompanied by two drawings.
Drawing No. 1 is a general plan of the Whangpoo River from the Yang-tsze Kiang to above Kiangnan Arsenal, whereon are shown by green colour the portions of M. de Rijke's project, which have been already completed, and by red colour the further works which he considers essential, but which have not as yet been commenced. A key plan is also given on this sheet which shows the position of Shanghai with respect to the adjacent country and the rivers therein.
Drawing No. 2 is a plan at a large scale (1,000 feet to an inch) showing the river and channels in the vicinity of Gough Island, and at the confluence of the Whangpoo with the Yang-taze, together with the works which have been constructed for the diversion of the navigable channel from the eastern to the western side of Gough Island, and for the improvement of the entrance, which works are shown by green colour. This sheet also shows in red certain further works considered necessary by M. de Rijke, which form portious of those indicated in a similar manner on drawing No. 1.
1.-GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF WHANGPOO RIVER.
9. The Whangpoo River connects the great system of inland lagoons south-west of Shanghai with the Yang-tsze Kiang, and thus with the sea. There are, in addition, innumerable creeks of varying size which discharge through the Whangpoo, the total drainage area of which has been estimated at about 12,000 square miles.
Tide Influence.
10. The Whangpoo River and its creeks are tidal for very many miles, appreciable rise and fall being apparent in the Si Tai lagoon, about 50 miles above Shanghai by the main channel of the river, and in the creeks adjacent thereto. Tidal influence is, however, hardly noticeable in the Tai-ha lagoon, about 20 miles further inland. The water in the Whangpoo is entirely fresh, the tidal movement being produced by the backing up of the Yang-tsze Kiang, the water in the latter being also quite fresh for many miles below the mouth of the Whangpoo at Woosung. As illustrating the value of the tidal water, as compared with the fluvial water, in the maintenance of the régime of the river, it may be mentioned that the average discharge of the river at Shanghai, due to rainfall, has been calculated by MM. Escher and de Rijke as only three fifty-ninths of the total discharge.
11. We may here emphasise the immense importance of the tidal movement in the maintenance of the régime of the river. As will be seen from the comparative state- ment of fluvial and tidal volumes just given, a river of greatly reduced dimensions, quite unsuitable for a large navigation, would be fully sufficient to meet the require- ments of Whangpoo, considered only as a channel for rain water discharge.
Tidal Ranges.
12. The tidal ranges given on the Admiralty charts and in the China Sea directory, as compared with those furnished by the local authorities, vary greatly. We consider, however, it will be correct to assume that the rise of tide at Woosung at springs is approximately 10 feet, and at neaps 8 feet above low-water ordinary spring * Not reproduced.
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