Directory_and_Chronicle_1894 — Page 606

LUNGCHOW

This city is situated at the junction of the Sung-chi and Kao-ping rivers, in lat. 22 deg. 21 min. N., and long. 106 deg. 45 min. E., near the western border of the province of Kwangsi, and was selected as the seat of the frontier trade with Tonkin. The con- tinuation of the two above rivers is known as the Tso-chiang, or left branch of the West River, and it enters the main stream some 30 miles above Nan-ning. The town is prettily placed in a circular valley surrounded by high mountains, and has a new wall completed in 1887. The population is estimated to number about 20,000. Lungchow, from a mili- tary point of view, is considered, by the Chinese, to be a place of importance and consi- derable bodies of troops are stationed between it and the Tonkin frontier. It was opened to the Franco-Annamese trade on the 1st June, 1889, but so far the little trade existing has been of a very petty description, and will continue so, until reliable and cheap means of transportation are established in Tonkin between Haiphong and Langson. A railway is now under construction from Phu-lang-thuong (eight hours by steamer from Haiphong) to the latter place, and will shortly be completed, a section of it having already been opened to traffic. Telegraphic communication exists with Canton and other places down the West River, with Mêngtzŭ in Yunnan, vid Po-sê, and with places in Tonkin. An establishment of the Imperial Maritime Customs is maintained here. The value of the trade for 1892 was Tls. 38,000 as compared with Tls. 39,660 in 1891.

DIRECTORY

署事顉國法大

CONSULAT DE FRANCE

Consul-P. R. Bons d'Anty, vice-consul

in charge

Chancelier-J. J. Beauvais

Writer-Ma Wan-hsiang

Annam Interpreter-Nguyn Van Da

Médecin-Dr. Simond, détaché

### Lung-chow Hsin Kuan IMPERIAL Maritime CustOMS

Acting Commissioner-C. C. Clarke Assistant-R. de Nully Tidewaiter-R. J. White

MISSION DU KOUANG-SI

Mgr. Ghouly, Evêque, Kwei-hsien R. P. Renault, propréfect, Shang-szů Bazin, Lavest, Chanticlair, Poulat, Frayssinet, Humbert, missionnaires

MENGTZU

This is a district city in south-east Yunnan, and together with Man-hao, a village on the left bank of the Red River, was opened to trade by the Additional Convention to the French Treaty of Tientsin of the 25th April, 1886, signed at Peking on the 26th June, 1887. The town is two days' journey from Man-hao and about seven days from the frontier of Tonkin, and is beautifully situated, being built on a cultivated plateau twenty miles long by about twelve miles in breadth, encircled by picturesque mountains, and 4,580 feet above the level of the sea. It has a population of about 10,000 persons, but before the Mahommedan rebellion was a place of much more importance, as the numerous well-built temples, many of them now in ruins, still testify. It is, however, a considerable commercial emporium even now, and is becoming an important centre for the distribution of foreign goods imported via Tonkin. The French Consul hoisted his flag at Mêngtzu on the 30th April, 1889, and the Customs station was opened in the following August. Up to the end of the same year the value of the imports amounted to Tls. 95,000, that of the exports to Tls. 88,000, and that of the transit trade to Tls. 100,145. The value of the trade for 1892 was Tls. 1,885,420 as compared with Tls. 1,530,007 in 1891 and Tls. 1,104,007 in 1890. The Chinese merchants were quick to avail themselves of