Directory_and_Chronicle_1899 — Page 664

SHASI iti Sha-si

Shasi is one of the ports opened to foreign trade under the Japanese treaty of 1895, the official declaration of the opening being dated the 1st October, 1896. The port is situated about 85 miles below Ichang and is situated at the crossing point of two most important routes of commerce in central China, namely, from east to west and from north to south and vice versa. The population, according to a census taken in 1896, amounts to 73,400, and the floating population, of which no account is kept may be estimated at 10,000 more. The town itself is much like other native towns of its size. It lies below the level of the river, from which it is protected by a huge embankment which runs for miles above and below the town. Formerly Shasi was an important distributing centre, but the opening of Ichang to foreign trade divertde much of the traffic to the last named port. It was hoped that when Shasi itself was opened it would regain its importance as a point of distribution, but the experience now gained shows that the development is likly to be slow. The net value of the trade of the port in 1897 was Tls. 316,512.

AMERICAN EPISCOPAL MISSION

CONSULATES

GREAT BRITAIN

DIRECTORY

Acting Consul-W. J. Clennell

JAPAN

門衙事頜本日大

Consul H. Eitaki

Chancellor S. Yokota

Do. -K. Noguchi

Police Inspector-F. Matsudaira

CUSTOMS-IMPERIAL MARITIME

Acting Commissioner-J. Neumann

Assistant Examiner-F. J. Rowsell

POST OFFICE-IMPERIAL CHINESE

Assistant Postal Officer-Fred. Rowsell

局便郵本日大

POST OFFICE-JAPANESE

Chief-H. Eitaki

Asssistant-R. Ueyama

ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSION Rev. Angelus Timmers Rev. Mauritius Robert

SWEDISH MISSIONARY SOCIETY

Rev. B. E. and Mrs. Ryden

Rev. A. P. and Mrs. Tjellström

ICHANG

昌宜 I-cháng

Is one of the four ports opened to foreign trade on the 1st April, 1877, in acordance with clause 1, section 3, of the Chefoo Convention.

Ichang is situated in lat. 30° 44′ 25′′ N., long. 111° 18′ 34′′ E., on the left bank of the river Yangstze, about 393 miles above Hankow, and some ten miles below the entrance to the great Ichang gorge. The navigation of the river to this port is com- daratively easy for vessels of light draught, but great care is necessary for all vessels when in the neighbourhood of Sunday Island, owing to the shifting sand banks. The anchorage is off the left bank, opposite the foreign residences, and is good, except in freshets, when the anchors should be sighted every two or three days. The port is the centre of a hilly country, the productions of which are rice in the valleys, cotton on the higher grounds, winter wheat, barley, and also the tungtzu trees, from which the ordinary