Directory_and_Chronicle_1884 — Page 245

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JAPAN-NAGASAKI.

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By treaties made with a number of foreign Governments-with the United State in March, 1854; with Great Britana October, 1854; with Russu and ta Netherlands in 1855; with France, in 1858; with Portugal, in 1860; with Prussia and the German Zollverein, in 1861; with Switzerland, in 1861; with Italy and Belgium, .4 1866; with Denmark in 1867; with Sweden and Norway and Spain in 1808; w..h Austria in 1867; and with China in 1871-the Japanese ports of Kanagawa (Yokolima), Nagasaki, Hiogo, Hakodate, Niigata, and the cities of Tokio (formerly called fea) and Osaka were thrown open to foreign commerce. A revision of the treaties iš desired by the Japanese Government, and negotiations to that end are procee ling.

The first line of railway, from Yokohama to Tokio, 18 miles long, was opened for traffic on the 12th of June, 1872; a line was also opened from Hiogo to Úsa'sa, was extended in 1877 to the city of Kioto, and thence to Lake Biwa, and is now being continued to the north-west coast of Japan. Several extensive schemes for the connection of the principal cities of th: Empire by rail have been projected, and some of them are in active progress.

The ports of Yoke : ama, Hiogo, Osaka, Nagasaki, and Hakodate are connected with each other, and th Europe, by lines of telegraph, and the telegraph system has lately been extended to all the important towns of the Empire. Japan has joined the Universal Postal Union, and for the past three years has conducted the interna, tional as well as domestic postal service.

NAGASAKI.

Nagasaki is a city of great antiquity, and in the early days of European inter course with the Far East was the most important seat of the foreign trade with Japan.

It is admirably situated on the south-western coast of the island of Kaushiu, A melancholy interest attaches to the neighbourhood as the scene of the extinction of Christianity in the empire and the extermination of the professors of that religion in 1637. Near the harbour lies the celebrated island of Pappenberg, where thousands of Christian martyrs were thrown over the high cliff rather than go through Not far from Nagasaki is also the village of the form of trampling on the cross. Mugibay, where 37,000 Christians suffered death in defending themselves agains: the forces sent to subdue them. When the Christian religion was crushed and the foreigners expelled, to the Dutch alone was extended the privilege of trading with Japan, and they were confined to a small patch of ground at Nagasaki called Desima, the monotony of their life being broken only by the yearly arrival and departure of the one or two ships in which the trade between Japan and the West was at that time carried By the treaty of 1858, Nagasaki w..s one of the ports opened to British trade on the 1st July in the following year. On entering the harbour of Nagasaki no stranger can fail to be struck with the adinirabi: situation of the town and the beautiful panorama of hilly scenery opened to his view. The harbour is 2 landocked inlet deeply indented with small bays, about hree miles long with a width varying trom halia-mile to a mile. The native towns on the eastern side of the harbour, and is about two miles long by about three-quarters of a mile-in extreme width. The foreig settlement adjoins the native town on the south side. The chief mercantule houses are situated on the bund facing the harur, behind which are a few streets running Parallel with it, and there are a number of private residences on the hill side. There are English and Roman Catholic churc.es and a commodious club. The climate of Nagasaki is mild and salubrious, but in summer it is hot during thed ay by reason of the position of the town, being in a b›llow surrounded by luils.

on,

After the opening of the port the trade for several years steadily developed but it subsequently declined, owing to various causes, but chielly perhaps, account of its gradual attraction to Lok kama. The country people in this po of Japan, though pretty well off, so far as actual necessaries are concerned, are no rich, having little profitable outlet for their surplus productions; their available funds are, therefore, soon absorbed, and the heavy land tax imposed upon the population is much felt, and more so, doubtless, since its collection in money instead

NAGASAKI.

of in kind, as formerly. Latterly there has been some slight improvement in the export trade of the pt. The chief articles of import are cotton and woollen DuDufactures. The principal exports are coal, tea, camphor, rice, vegetable There are several very productive coal mines on wax, tobacco, and dried fish. the islands near Nagasaki, of which the Takasima mine, which is under European management, is the most importaut. It is believed that one vast coal-field exists under the sea rumming from the peninsula of Nomo towards Matsushima and Hirado, and when this field is entered by safe means, through the overlying islands, an érormous extent of coal will be available. The Miike coal mines come next to the Takasima in importance. The net output of the Takashima mines in 1882 was 253,077 tous, that of the Miike mine 165,717 tons.

The value of the foreign import trade of Nagasaki during the year 1882 was 31,166,714 as compared with $1,001,822 in 1881, and that of the foreign export trade, 33,313,300 as against $2,381,605 in 1881. Coal is the staple article of export hecounting for $1,150,843 of the total export trade. There is a small direct trade beton Nagasaki and Korea, the value of the exports thither in 1882 amounting to $64,085 and that of the imports from Korea to $514,652.

The population of Nagasaki in 1876 was 47,412. The number of foreign residents, as given in the Consular report for 1882, was 834 (including 188 children), of whom 594 were Chinese, 94 British, 43 American, and the rest of various nationali- tice. A small foreign weekly paper entitled the Rising Sun is published in the port.

Consulates.

GREAT BRITAIN.

Consul W. G. Aston desistant-H. A. C. Bonar Constable S. F. Lawrence

:

DIRECTORY.

FRANCE. H.B.M's Consul in charge of French in-

terests-W. G. Aston

AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

Acting Consul-W. G. Aston

SPAIN.

SWEDEN AND NORWAY. Consul-A. Reddelien

NETHERLANDS.

Coneul-A. Reddelien

GERMANY.

Coneul-H. Iwersen

ITALY. Acting Consul—V. Kostileff

BELGIUM. Acting Consul—F. Riuger

CHINA.

II.B.M's Consul in charge of Spanish in Consul-U Tsing (absent)

forests-W. G. Aston

UNITED STATES, Consul-Gen. A. C. Jones

Hon. Vice-Consul-W. G. Furber Jarehal-Rodney H. Powers

RUSSIA.

Consul-V. Kostileff

PORTUGAL Consul-T. B. Gluver

DENMARK Consul-J. C. Smith

Acting Consul-Koh Wan Tsin En. eh Translator-T. C. Chung Chinese Writer-Lao Sing Foon Japanese Interpreter-Chcy Wen Tab

Government Departments.

IMPERIAL Government Dockyard. Watanabe, director

Midzutani, manager

Kadono, accountaut

Matsu, shipbuilder

Obye, duckmaster

F. R. Storie, A.M.I.C.E., engineer-in-

chief