Directory_and_Chronicle_1898 — Page 511

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KOBE-HYOGO-NAGASAKI

INSURANCE OFFICES-Continued

Union Internationale, Anvers (Marine)... Union Marine Insurance Company, Liverpool United Dutch Marine Insurance Co.. World Marine Insurance Company, Limited World Marine Insurance Co. Yangtsze Insurance Association

C. Illies & Co.

Findlay, Richardson & Co. Dodwell, Carlill & Co. Browne & Co.

Tata & Co. American Trading Co.

NAGASAKI

Nagasaki is a city of great antiquity, and in the early days of European in- tercourse with the Far East was the most important seat of the foreign trade with Japan. It is admirably situated on the south-western coast of the island of Kiushiu. A melancholy interest attaches to the neighbourhood as the scene of the extinction of Christianity in the empire and the extermination of the professors of that religion in 1637. At the entrance to the harbour lies the celebrated island of Pappenberg, where thousands of Christian martyrs were thrown over the high cliff rather than go through the form of trampling on the cross. Not far from Nagasaki is also the village of Mogi, where 37,000 Christians suffered death in defending themselves against the forces sent to subdue them. When the Christian religion was crushed and the foreigners expelled, to the Dutch alone was extended the privilege of trading with Japan, and they were confined to a small plot of ground at Nagasaki called Deshima. By the treaty of 1858, Nagasaki was one of the ports opened to British trade on the 1st July in the following year.

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On entering the harbour of Nagasaki no stranger can fail to be struck with the admirable situation of the town and the beautiful panorama of hilly scenery opened to his view. The harbour is a landlocked inlet deeply indented with small bays, about three miles long with a width varying from half-a-mile to a mile. A reclamation scheme is now in progress; the portion of the sea in front of the foreign concessions at Deshima and Megasaki is to be reclaimed and the harbour deepened. estimated that the cost of the work will be four million yen, and that it will take three years to finish. The native town is on the eastern side of the harbour, and is about two miles long by about three-quarters of a mile in extreme width. The foreign settlement adjoins the native town on the south side. The chief mercantile houses are situated on the bund facing the harbour, behind which are a few streets running parallel with it, and there are a number of private residences on the hill side. There are English Protestant and Roman Catholic churches, two clubs, and a Masonic Lodge. The only hotel is the Bellevue, which affords fair accommodation for visitors, but a new one, to be known as the Nagasaki hotel, for which a three storeyed building is in course of construction, will be opened during this year. The Nagasaki dock was lengthened during 1894 to admit vessels of 500 feet in length on a draught of 26 feet. Attached to the dock are extensive Engine Works, most completely equipped and fitted. These works were originally built by the Japanese Government, but they now belong, as does the dock, to the Mitsu Bishi Company. Waterworks have recently been completed. The reservoir holds 90,000,000 gallons, and there are three filter beds and a service reservoir. The Kiushiu Railway is now completed between Moji and Kumamoto, with a branch line to Nagasaki. The climate of Nagasaki is mild and salubrious, and there are several very popular health resorts in the neighbourhood, the most famous being Mount Unzen.

After the opening of the port the trade for several years steadily developed, but it subsequently declined, owing to various causes, but chiefly perhaps on account of its gradual attraction to Yokohama. During the last nine years, however, there has been a steady improvement in the foreign trade, which has more than doubled itself in that period. The chief articles of import are cotton and woollen manufac- tures. The principal exports are coal, tea, camphor, rice, vegetable wax, tobacco, and dried fish. There are several very productive coal mines near Nagasaki, of which the Takashima mine is the most important.

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