SWATOW
179
attempts were made to pass through its gates. In 1866 a visit was made under more favourable circumstances, but it is only within the last few years that the population has refrained from annoyance and insult to foreigners within its walls. In isoz the lease of a piece of land was applied for and granted to the British Government on the north bank of the river about a mile from Swatow, but so strong were the demonstra- tions of the populace against it that the matter fell through. Foreign residences, however, commenced to spring up here and there, and many of them are consequently somewhat scattered, though the majority are in or near the town of Swatow. The yearly increasing traffic of the port has led to much over-crowding on the narrow strip of land on which it is built, and since February, 1877, no less than 21 acres have been reclaimed from the sea, the greater part of which is now covered with shops and
houses.
The climate of Swatow is reputed to be very salubrious. The town occupies, however, an unenviable position as regards typhoons, on account of being opposite the lower mouth of the Fornosa Channel, and it has on many occasions been subjected to all the violence of these terrible storms, which almost every year sweep across the lower coast of China. The population of Swatow is estimated at 32,500.
The foreign trade of Swatow has never been large, but of late years it has shown a slight increase. The proximity of the port to Hongkong, which can be reached in from 15 to 20 hours, no doubt tells against it, as it enables the Chinese to conduct their own import business. The quantity of Opium imported in 1889 was 7,088 piculs as compared with 6,863 piculs in 1889. The quantity of Tea exported is very small, and reache·l only 7,704 piculs in 1889. A considerable trade is done in Sugar, there being 735,7-3 piculs brown and 701,758 piculs white exported in 1889. The China Sugar Refining Co. of Hongkong have a large Sugar Refinery here, but work has for some time been suspended. A large beancake factory was also started in 1882. The value of the trade of the port for 1889 was Tls. 21,986,703, as compared with Tls. 21,378,305 in 1888.
ASVERUS, OTTO, Marine Surveyor
記 德 Tey-kee
BRADLEY & Co., Merchants
DIRECTORY
Thomas Wm. Richardson (London)
Robt. H. Hill
J. D. Monro
R. L. Richardson
Chee Pek-low
Agencies
Hongkong and Shanghai Bank'g Corpn. New Oriental Bank Corporation, Ld. Chartered Mercantile Bank British North Borneo Co. Lloyd's
China Shippers' Mutual S. N. Co. Peninsular and Oriental S. N. Co. Shire Line of Steamers Ben Line of Steamers
London and Oriental Steam Transit
Insurance Company
Amicable Insurance Office of Calcutta North China Insurance Company Royal Insurance Company Imperial Insurance Co., London (Fire) China Fire Insurance Co., Limited Straits Insurance Co., Limited Singapore Insurance Company, Ld. Straits Fire Insurance Company, Ld.
Standard Life Insurance Company
New York Life Insurance Company
古太
Tai-koo
Butterfield & SWIRE, Merchants
H. Matchitt
L. Grunauer
H. E. Shadgett
Agencies
Scottish Oriental Steamship Co., Ld. China Navigation Company, Limited Ocean Steamship Company
Union Insurance Society of Canton, Ld. Royal Exchange Assurance Assocn. London and Lancashire Fire Insce. Royal Insurance Company
CHINA MERCHANTS' S. N. Co. Liao Tze San, agent
Agency
China Merchants' Insurance Company
CHINA SUGAR REFINERY
Jardine, Matheson & Co., agents, W.
E. Allum, agent
CONSULATES
DENMARK
Consul-W. E. Allum
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