Directory_and_Chronicle_1894 — Page 574

WENCHOW

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repair by the householders. They slope down on either side to waterways, which in their turn communicate with canals permeating the whole city. There are numerous large nunneries and temples in Wen-chow. The Custom-house, outside the chief gate, known as the Shwang Men or "Double Gate," the Taotai's Yamên, the Prefect's and other public offices in a cluster, and the Foundling Hospital, all near the centre, are the other chief buildings. The latter institution, built in 1748, contains one hundred apartments. Among the objects of greatest interest and curiosity to the stranger are two pagodas situated on "Conquest" Island, abreast of the city. They are both of great antiquity and, with the houses close by, were for some time the retreat of Ti Ping, the last Emperor of the Sung dynasty, when seeking to escape from the Mongols under Kublai Khan. The British Consul and the Customs examiners occupy apartments on the island used by His Majesty, who has left behind him autographs preserved to this day in the adjoining temple. The estimated population of the city is 80,000.

Wênchow was formerly a great seat of the tea trade, and previous to 1861 was, it is said by some, the only port in the department from which tea was allowed to be exported. The city was then in a flourishing condition. But in order to prevent the teas from falling into the hands of the Tai-p'ing rebels, who overran the whole district during that year, this regulation was exchanged for one which authorized the export of tea at any of the Customs stations along the coast; consequently the trade soon gravitated to Foochow in the south and to Ningpo in the north. It was thought that on the conversion of Wênchow into a treaty port it would speedily recover its old position as a tea exporting place, but this has not proved to be the case, although it is estimated that tea could be put on the Wênchow market for $2 per picul less than at Foochow, owing to the higher cost of transport to the latter port. At present there is no foreign settle nent, and the foreign residents are a mere handful, consisting almost entirely of oc's and missionaries. A large quantity of native opium is produced in the vicinity of Wenchow. There is a considerable native export trade in wood, charcoal, and bamboos, brought lown the river in rafts from Ch'u-chow. The annual value of this trade is estimated to be not less than $2,000,000. The shops and yards engaged in it are situated in the west suburb, where immense quantities of bamboos and poles are kept on hand. Wênchow is also celebrated for its bitter oranges. The export of Tea in 1892 was 7,691 piculs, as compared with 6,790 piculs in 1891. The value of the whole trade of the port for 1892 was TIs. 702,989, as compared with Tls. 639,876 in 1891.

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CHINA INLAND MISSION

Mrs. Stott

Miss Bardsley

Miss Whitford

Miss Stayner

DIRECTORY

Robert and Mrs. Grierson, Ping Yang

門衙事領國英大

Da Yang-hailing-số-ngo- mêng

CONSULATES

GREAT BRITAIN

also

AUSTRIA-HUNGARY, Consulate

GERMANY, Consular Agency

SPAIN, Consulate

SWEDEN AND NORWAY, Consular Agency

Consul-R. W. Mansfield

Constable John Compton

CHINA MERCHANTS' STEAM NAVIGATION CO.

Taze Hai-Ting, agent

關海甌 Ou Hai-kuan

CUSTOMS-IMPERIAL MARITIME

Commissioner-A. Novon

Asst. and Medical Officer-J. H. Lowry

Clerk-G. D. Poli

Boat Officer-W. G. Harling

Examiner-A. A. Godwin

Tidewaiter-C. W. Diercks

MALCAMPO & Co., Merchants and Com-

mission Agents

Joaquin Malcampo Quioga (Amoy)

Ramon Malcampo

Ong Sen Hong

Agencies

Strs. "Pekin" and "Kwong Mo" Man On Insurance Co., Hongkong

UNITED METHODIST FREE CHURCH MISSION Rev. W. E. and Mrs. Soothill (absent) Rev. J. W. and Mrs. Heywood