Directory_and_Chronicle_1899 — Page 671

JAPAN

HANGCHOW-NINGPO

Consul-M. Odagiri (res. Shanghai)

Chancellor in charge--K. Hayami Chancellor-O. Suguimoto

Inspector of Police-T. Shinohara

Asst. Postmaster-Y. Suzuki

關新州杭

CUSTOMS-IMPERIAL MARITIME

Acting Commissioner-.P H. King

Assistant J. B. Fitzgibbon

Do. -A. E. Blanco

Medical Officer-Duncan D. Main

Tidesurveyor-T. Macphail (Kiashing) Assistant Examiner-L. Stockwell, Tidewaiters-R. Hansen, W. E. Faw-

cett, S. Foyn, A. J. Lewis, F. E. Irwin (Kiashing)

POST OFFICE-IMPERIAL (Hangchow City)

Acting Postal Officer-J. C. Nicholas

房捕巡塲關温州杭

227.

POLICE (CHINESE) Hangchow Settlement

Chief-R. D. Craig

1 interpreter, 1 instructor, 1 sergt.,

4 acting sergeants, 23 constables

ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSION

Rev. P. Faveau

Rev. E. Wittil

Rev. L. Cottin

Shih-wên.

SHERVEN, O., Engineer and Architect

SISTERS OF CHARITY

Sisters P. Archenault, M. Parada, A.

Wagenspery, G. Borie

NINGPO

波響 Ning-po

Ningpo is situated on the river Yung, in the province of Chekiang, in lat. 29 deg. 55 min. N., and long. 121 deg. 22 min. E. It was one of the five ports thrown open to foreigners in 1842. Foreigners had, however, visited Ningpo at an early date. Portuguese traded there in 1522; a number of them settled in the place in that and succeeding years, and there was every prospect of a rising and successful settlement soon being established. But the lawless acts of the Portuguese soon attracted the attention of the Government, and in 1542 the Governor of Chekiang ordered the settlement to be destroyed and the population to be exterminated. A large force of Chinese troops soon besieged the place, destroying it entirely, and out of a nopulation of 1,200 Portuguese, 800 were massacred. No further attempt at trade with this port was made till towards the close of the 17th century, when the East India Company established a factory at the island of Chusan, some forty miles from Ningpo. The attempt to found a trade mart there, however, proved unsatisfactory, and the factory was abandoned after a very few years' trial. The port was deserted by foreigners for many years after that. When hostilities broke out between Great Britain and China in 1839, the fleet moved north from Canton, and on the 13th October, 1841, occupied Ningpo, and an English garrison was stationed there for some time. In March, 1842, an attempt was made by the Chinese to retake the city, but the British artillery repulsed them with great slaughter. Ningpo was evacuated on May 7th, and, on the proclamation of peace in the following August, the port was thrown open to foreign trade.

Ningpo is built on a plain, which stretches away to a considerable distance on either side. It is a walled city, the walls enclosing a space of some five miles in cir- cumference. The walls are built of brick, and are about twenty-five feet high. They are fifteen feet wide at the summit, and twenty-two at the base. Access is obtained to the town by six gates. A large moat commences at the north gate and runs along the foot of the wall for about three miles on the landward side, until it stops at what is alled the Bridge Gate. The main street runs from east to west. Several of the streets are spanned by arches erected in memory of distinguished natives. Ningpo has been elebrated as possessing the fourth library of Chinese works, in point of numbers, which existed in the empire. It was owned by a family who resided near the south ate. The site occupied by the foreign residences is on the north bank of the river. The population of Ningpo is estimated at 255,000.

The foreign trade at Ningpo has never been large. This is owing to a considerable xtent to the proximity of Shanghai; the native guilds preventing direct dealings with oreigners. A Cotton mill was established in 1896 and commenced work in June of 8* ?uod}