Directory_and_Chronicle_1886 — Page 469

468

HANKOW—ICHANG.

***** Tien-choo-tang E-yuen. CATHOLIC HOSPITAL FOR CHINESE. (In charge of the Sisters of Roman Catholic Orphanage.)

Receiving Ships.

Princess of Wales—C. M. S. N. Co. Formosa and Lancefield-Butterfield &

& Swire, (W. H. Death, in charge)

ICHANG.

This is one of the four ports opened to foreign trade on the 1st April, 1877. according to the provisions of Clause I. of Section III. of the Chefoo Convention, Ichang is a prefectural city, of considerable official importance, in the province of Hupeh. It is situated on the river Yangtsze, about 363 miles above Hankow. The navigation of the river up to this port is easy for vessels of light draught, but the minimum depth of water at Ichang is only seven or eight feet. There is good anchorage at and near the city. Few cities in China are more strikingly situated; none can surpass it for uncleanliness. The port is the centre of a fairly rich country. Be- sides the common productions of the great plain of Hupeh, the cultivation of the tungtsze tree, from which the tung oil is expressed, begins on the hills near Ichang and extends westward into Szechuen. Opium is grown in considerable quantities in the district and is so generally used as to preclude the import of the foreign drug. Ichang is conveniently situated as a mart for the tea districts of Hoh-fung-chow, the produce of which might, it is thought, be made suitable for foreign use. It was generally supposed that, as Ichang is situated at the head of steamer navigation on the Yangtsze and occupies a good position for trade, the port would speedily become an important commercial centre. For the first three years these anticipations appeared little like- ly to be realised: the port cut a miserable figure the first year of its existence as a treaty port. Later returns show, however, that Ichang is becoming a con- siderable distributing centre, and its inward transit trade is now only second to that of Hankow. The total value of the trade for 1884 amounted to Tls. 2,079,732 as compared with Tls. 2,550,648 in 1883, Tls. 1,674,341 in 1882, Tls. 1,523,005 in 1881, TIs. 2,093,780 in 1880, Tls. 612,508 in 1879, and Tls. 71,014 in 1878. No foreign Opium has been imported at this port for the last two or three years, the native drug being generally used, and in 1884, 160 piculs Szechuen Opium was exported. The estimated population of the port is 34,000.

Consulates.

GREAT BRITAIN.

DIRECTORY.

***** Ta Ying ling-shih-shu, Consul Wm. Gregory

NB Ta-me-kwoh ya-men. UNITED STATES.

Consul―I. F. Shepard, residing at Hankow

IMPERIAL MARITIME CUSTOMS.

I-chang-kwan.

Assistant in Charge-J. L. Chalmers

Assistant and Medical Officer-Aug. Henry,

M.A., L.R.C.P.

Assistant Examiner—F. McQuire Tidewaiter-S. J. Grainger Chinese Clerk-Au Kai Ting

CHINA MERCHANTS' S. N. Co. Wu Chok Mo, shipping agent

Missionaries.

ESTABLISHED CHURCH Of Scotland.

Rev. George Cockburn, M.A., and Mrs.

Cockburn

Rev. Andrew Dowsley, B.A., Mrs. Dowsley

堂主天 Tien-choo-tang.

ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSION.

Right Rev. Fr. Alexis M. Filippi, Bishop

tit. of Paneade and Vicar Apost, of Southern Hupeh

Rev. Fr. Benjamin Christiaens

Rev. Fr. Gabriel van Gestel

Rev. Fr. Giovanni Franzoni Rev. Br. Bonif. Timmer