Directory_and_Chronicle_1896 — Page 623

North, Miss, Ng Sia Mun Noyes, Mrs., Fa-tei

CANTON—WHAMPOA--LAPPA

LADIES' DIRECTORY, Continued

Noyes, Miss, Kuk-fau (absent) Pearce, Mrs., Shameen (absent) Pestalozzi, Mrs., Shameen Ruff, Mrs. J., Shameen Seymour, Mrs., Shameen Silva, Mrs. Eça da, Shameen Simmons, Mrs., Ng Sin Mun

Summers, Mrs. J. A., Shameen Swan, Mrs., Canton Hospital Taylor, Mrs., Shameen Voscamp, Mrs., Yau Lan Mun Wells, Mrs., Shameen Wells, Miss, Shameen Wenyon, Mrs., Fatshan Wisner, Mrs., Fa-tei

Wyon, Mrs., Imperial Chinese Mint

207

WHAMPOA

This village was formerly the scat of a large portion of the foreign trade with Canton, as foreign sailing vessels are not allowed to go farther up the Pearl River. The trade in sailing vessels has, however, dwindled to very small proportions, and Whampoa is now almost deserted. Á branch of the Maritime Customs is stationed here. The large mud docks formerly belonging to the Hongkong and Whampoa Dock Com- pany were sold some years ago to the Chinese Government and have since been used for the gunboat squadron. A Government Torpedo School has been established here.

The village, known as Bamboo Town, is a dirty and unattractive place without any feature of interest, but the scenery round is picturesque and pleasing. Two lofty pagodas on neighbouring eminences are conspicucus objects from the river. The first of these, called the Whampoa Pagoda, is built on an island rising abruptly from the river to the height of 100 feet. It was erected about the year 1598, and is very much out of repair. A good sized tree grows from the brickwork at the summit. The other pagoda, called the First Bar Pagoda, is nearer to Canton, and occupies a hill which is considered the guardian hill of the province. It was built between the years 1621 and 1628 as a palladium to the water way of the provincial capital.

The importance of Whampoa is now a thing of the past. The place will always, however, possess some interest for foreigners, since the earliest recollections of foreign commercial intercourse with China are associated with it, all foreign ships being in old times compelled to anchor at Whampoa.

IMPERIAL MARITIME CUSTOMS

DIRECTORY

Assist. Tidesvyr. in charge- T. J. Lant

IMPERIAL DOCK YARD

Manager-Wang Chi-yan

IMPERIAL TORPEDO DEPT. AND SCHOOL

Manager-Chow Ping-hoon

Foreign Teacher-Pr. Lieut. E. Kretz-

schinar, I.G.N. (absent) G. L. Hummel

LAPPA

Lappa, also called by the Chinese Kung Pak, is an island, directly opposite the Inner Harbour of Macao, the distance across being from 14 to 1 miles. One of the stations of the Chinese Imperial Maritime Customs is located here, and another on an islet called Malowchow. Lappa is under the jurisdiction of the Heungshan Magistrate. It possesses no features of interest beyond the fact that it is the principal Customs station in the neighbourhood of Macao. The net value of the trade passing through the Lappa Custom Houses in 1894 was Tls. 9,295,373 as compared with Tis. 9,640,989 in 1893.