CO129-579-8 Sino-Japanese War- shipping on Pearl River 23-6-1939 - 4-1-1940 — Page 37

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downward tow from Canton left we are not sure, but know definitely

that one departed at 6 a.m. on Friday, 27th October and reached

Nam Tau at approximately 2 p.m. the following afternoon. we are told, the cargo was discharged into Hong Kong registered lighters which had by pre-arrangement been towed to Nam Tau by a Hong Kong registered tug. These Hong Kong lighters and tug then completed the journey to Hong Kong where they arrived after a long trip round Laan Tau Island and through East Lamma Channel. Owing to the rough sea, the tow put into Cheung Chau harbour on Sunday 29th Oct. and arrived in Hong Kong harbour on Monday, 30th idem. Apart from a small shipment of 150 bales Canes, trans- portation of which was arranged on behalf of our company by certain Chinese, we do not know what quantities or classes of merchandise were sent down to Hong Kong on that particular trip. It is nevertheless certain that the majority of such cargo was of the type normally shipped by British river steamers which are now precluded from trading between Canton and Hong Kong owing to

the closure of the river by the Japanese.

As a matter of interest we would mention that among the

few rates of freight quoted for shipment from Canton to Hong Kong by the tug-and-lighter service are the following:

HK$12.- per picul.

Wood Oil

Waste Silk

Sundries

$12.-

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or 28% ad valorem.

$3.50

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$4.00 per picul.

Canes and Mats

$4.00 per picul.

Payment of freight is made after arrival of the goods

in Hong Kong and, in the event of loss we understand that no freight

is payable.

These rates, are, of course, exhorbitant when compared

steamer with those charged by river/companies until the closing of the

Pearl River in October 1938.

A similar tug-and-lighter service started operations in Canton very recently and on either the first or one of the earliest trips from Canton to Hong Kong the tug and two lighters met with