Directory_and_Chronicle_1883 — Page 406

KIUKIANG.

Kiukiang is situated on the river Yangtsze, near the outlet of the Poyang Lake, and is a prefectural city of the province of Kiang-si. It is distant about 137 geographical miles from Hankow and 445 miles from Shanghai. Kiukiang was at one time a busy and populous city; but it was occupied by the Taiping rebels in 1853, and before it was given up to the Imperial troops it was utterly destroyed, presenting one of those melancholy spectacles which these hordes of usurpers so often left behind them. A gentleman (Mr. Laurence Oliphant) who visited it in 1858 speaks of the desolation of the city in the following terms:-"We found it to the last degree deplorable. A single dilapidated street, composed only of a few mean shops, was all that existed of this once thriving and populous city; the remainder of the vast area comprised within its walls, five or six miles in circumference, contained nothing but ruins, weeds, and kitchen gardens." When the foreign settle- ment was established there, however, the population soon returned, and it has con- tinued to increase rapidly: it is now estimated at 48,000.

The city is built close to the river, the walls running along the banks of it for some 500 yards. Their circumference is about five miles, but a considerable portion of the space enclosed is not occupied. The city contains no features of interest. There are several large lakes to the north and west of it, and beyond the principal suburb lies the foreign settlement. On the opening of the port considerable trouble was experienced in securing the land on which to build the foreign residences, the Chinese demanding extortionate prices for it. Indeed, so bitter was the opposition manifested that before the ground could be cleared some of the native houses had to be forcibly demolished.

The idea which led to the opening of Kiukiang was, no doubt, its situation as regards communication by water with the districts where the Green Tea is produced. But the hopes entertained respecting Kiukiang have never been realised. The total quantity of Tea exported in 1881 was 274,084 piculs, of which 59,680 piculs were Green, the export for 1880 being 261,495 piculs. Opium was imported to the extent of 2,075 piculs in 1881, and 2,290 piculs in 1880. The total value of the trade of the port for 1881 was Tls. 12,130,907, and for 1880, Tls. 12,741,616.

Consulates.

大英領事官

Ta-ying Ling Shih Kuan. BRITISH.

Consul-George Jamieson

Constable-Charles Rowe

*法領事官

Ta-fa Ling Shih Kuan.

FRENCH.

DIRECTORY.

Consul-F. Scherzer, residing at Hankow

大美國領事官

Ta-mai-kwok-ling-shih-kwan.

UNITED STATES.

Consul-I. F. Shepard, residing at Han-

kow

大荷蘭國領事官

Ta-ho-lan-kwoh-ling-shih-kwan.

NETHERLANDS.

Acting Vice-consul-Wallace J. Tucker

大澳領事官 Ta Ao Ling-shih-kwan. AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN.

Consul George Jamieson

大丹國領事官

Ta-tan Ling-shih-kwan. DANISH.

Consul George Jamieson

Imperial Maritime Customs,

九江新關

Kiu-kiang-hsin-kwan.

Commissioner-G. B. Glover

Assistants—W. Noyes Morehouse, L. von Fries, G. J. Philips, A. H. H. Maclean

Harbour Master and Tide Surveyor-J.

S. Halsey

Assistant Tidesurveyor-J. M. Land Examiner

Assistant Examiners-C. V. Bono, E. V.

Calver