Directory_and_Chronicle_1881 — Page 402

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YOKOHAMA.

Yokohama is the principal Treaty port of Japan, and was opened to foreign trade in July, 1859. It is situated on the Bay of Yokohama, a small bay on the Western side of the Gulf of Yedo, in lat. 35 deg. 26 min. 11 sec. N., and long. 139 deg. 39 min. 20 sec., in 1 island of Hondo, and is distant about eighteen miles from the capital, with which it is connected by a line of railway. The settlement stands on what was originally a swamp, and the town having sprung up only since the site was selected for a treaty port instead of the little town of Kauagawa-possesses few attractions for the visitor. The scenery around, however, is hilly and pleasing, and on a clear day the suow-crowned summit of Fusiyama, a volcanic mountain 13,000 feet high-celebrated in Japanese literature and depicted on so many native works of art-ic clearly visible. Yokohama is compactly built of low houses with tiled roofs. The town is divided into two nearly equal parts, the western half being occupied by the foreign settlement. Beyond the plain on which the town is built rises a sort of semicircle of low hills called "The Bluff," which is thickly dotted with bandsome villas and dwelling-houses in various styles of architecture, all standing in pretty gardens. From these dwellings charming prospects are obtainable. Along the water-front of the foreign set lement runs a fine broad street called the Bund, on which, facing the water, stand many of the principal houses and hotels. The streets in the foreign settlement are well paved, kerber, and drained. There are Anglican, French Catholic, Union Protestant, and native Mission Churches in the settlement. Yokohama has greatly increased in importance of late years, but the export trade does not make satisfactory progress. There are three English daily papers published in the port, namely, the Japan Gazette, the Japan Herald, and the Japan Daily Mail; the latter has also a weekly edition. In addition to these there are two French papers, L'Echo du Japon, and the Courrier du Japon.

The entire population of Yokohama was, according to a census taken in 1879, 67,499. The number of foreign residents was 3,639, of whom 2,245 were Chinese, 528 British, 268 American, 200 German, 127 French, 52 Dutch, 73 Portuguese, 39 Russians, and the remainder of various nationalities.

The imports into Yokohama consist chiefly of cotton and woollen goods. In 1879, according to the British Consul's report, the value of the different classes of imports was as follows: Cotton manufactures, $9,629,382; woollen manufactures, $2,461,104; mixed cotton and woollen, $1,104,688; metals, $1,019,152; arms and amm.unition, $45,494; miscellaneous foreign, $5,686,301; miscellaneous local, $3,379,886; total $23,326,010. The total value of the exports was $18,880,272. Silk is the most valuable of the exports, being set down at $11,146,393. The value of the tea exported was $4,562,998. The total export of raw silk during the season from 1st July, 1879 to same date, 1880, only half of which period is covered by the Consular returns, was, according to the returns of the Chamber of Commerce, 17,897 bales, of which 5,031 were tor England, 7,624 for France, 5,175 for America, and 67 for other countries. The export of tea during the season from 1st May, 1879, to same date 1880, was 21,600,938 lbs., all for America, with the exception of 553,205 lbs. for England and a small quantity for Canada.

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