Directory_and_Chronicle_1879 — Page 368

HANKOW.

Hankow 18 situated on the river Han at the point where it enters the Yangtze and is in lat. 30 deg. 32 min. 51 sec. N., and long. 114 deg. 19 min. 55 sec. E. The natives look upor Hankow as only a suburb of Hanyang, which it immediately, adjoins, and which is a district city of the province of Hupeh. These two towns lie immediately facing the city of Wuchang-fu, the capital of the province, which is built upon the south bank of the Yangtsze. Hankow is distant from Shanghai about 600 miles.

Lord Elgin visited Hankow in 1858 and must have been one of the first foreigners who ever entered this inland city. Attention was first drawn to it as a place of trade by Huc, a French missionary, whose writings on China are less popular now than they used to b', but it is generally believed that this reverend father had never been within many miles of the place, and had drawn largely on his fertile imagination for his details. Sir James Hope and Sir Harry Parkes were in Hankow in 1861 when the port was opened.

Captain Blakiston in his work "The Yangtsze," gives the following description of the place and its surroundings:-"Hankow is situated just where an irregular range of semi-detached low bill crosses a particularly level coun ry on both sides of the main river in an east and west direction. Stationed on Pagoda Hill, a spectator looks down on almost as much water as land even when the rivers are low. At his feet sweeps the magnificent Yangtsze, nearly a mil in width; from the west and skirting the northern edge of the range of bills alrealy mentioned, comes the river Han, narrow and canal like, to add its quɔta, and serving as one of the highways of the country; and to the northwest and north is an extensive treeless flit, so little elevated above the river t at the scattered hamlets which dot its surface are without exception raised on mounds, probably artificial works of a now distant age. A stream or two traverse its farther part and flow into the main river. Carrying his eye to the right bank of the Yangisze one sees enormous lakes and lagoons both to the north-west and south-east sides of the hills beyond the provincial city."

When the port was opened the natives, as at several other new ports, put many difficulties in the way of fixing a site for the British Settlement. Thy demanded exces-ive prices for the lots marked off for occupation, and it was not till the port had been open for some time, and many residents had temporarily taken up an abode on the Hanyang shore, that a satisfactory arrangement was arrived at. ́A French Settlement was subsequently fixed upon, but it has never been occupied.

Great expectations as regards trade were entert ined respecting the opening of Hankow. Foreign commerce would be brought into immediate contact with the large internal populations of China, and a port established in the locality of the great tea producing districts. These expectations, however, havo been but partially realised. Tea is, of course, the staple export, and it is at Hankow that the first steamers for home take in their cargoes. Of late, the business of commission merchants both at Hankow and Shanghai his begun to be superseded by men coming direct from home. The London merchants send out agents at the beginning of the season. They go right through to Hankow, purchase the new season's Teas, see them shipped on board the steamer, and leave again for home, thus doing their business without any assistance from the local merchant. This is but another instance of the facility of international communication in these progressive days. The total export of Tea from Hankow (including re-exports from Kiukiang) amounted in 1877 to 502,895 piculs, In 1877 Opium was imported to the extent of 2,477 piculs as against 2,189 in 1876. The revenue of the port in 1877, amounted to Tis. 1,690,434, and in 1876 to Tls. 1,801,335. The population of Haukow is estimated at 600,000.