Directory_and_Chronicle_1900 — Page 552

FORMOSA—TAMSUI AND KELUNG

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the richness of the soil. Sugar, tea, and camphor are largely cultivated and exported. The fauna includes bears, monkeys, deer, wild boar, badgers, martens, the scaly anteater, and other smaller animals. Birds are not very numerous, and snakes are not so common as might be expected where vegetation is so abundant. It is believed that the mineral wealth of the island is very considerable. Gold has been found and is now worked in the beds of the streams; there are coal mines near Kelung and sulphur springs also exist in the north of the island. The interior of the island is, however, still practically unexplored. One great drawback to the island is its want of good harbours, which is more especially felt on account of the strength of the monsoons in the Formosa Channel. Those on the eastern side are few and neither commodious nor accessible, while on the west coast most of the harbours are little better than open roadsteads. Taipeh is the capital of Formosa, but Tainan-fu is the chief city in point of population. The open ports are four in number – Takow and Tainan-fu in the south, and Tamsui and Kelung in the north. The latter was held for some months in 1884-5 by the French, under Admiral Courbet, but was evacuated on the 21st June, 1885. The rivers of Formosa are few, shallow, and winding, only navigable to small flat-bottomed boats. The scenery is delightful, and the climate is very pleasant in the winter, but hot and malarious in the wet season, There is a railway from Kelung to Tekcham, and an extension southwards is projected.

DIRECTORY

GOVERNMENT

Stationed at the Capital, TAIPEH-FU (Taihoku)

Governor-General of Formosa-Lieutenant-General BARON G. KODAMA Chief of Civil Affairs Bureau-Dr. S. Goto

Chief of Army Staff- Major-General Y. Kigoshi Chief of Navy Staff-Rear-Admiral T. Kurooka Chief Councillor-Y, Ishitsuka

Personnel-F. Otori

CHIEFS OF SECTIONS

Registration and Archives--K. Kimura

Foreign Affairs--F. Otori

Local Administration-T. Matsuoka Police Affairs-T. Ura

Public Works—H. Nagao

Sanitary S. Kato

Finance-T, Iwai

Prefect of Taipeh-Y. Murakami

Do., Taichung-S. Kinoshita Do., Tainan--S. Isogai

Revenue-Z. Nakamura

Judicial Affairs-K. Oshima Educational Affairs-K. Kodama Agricultural & Industrial--M. Yanagimoto Communications S. Kikuchi Subsistence and Pay-T. Iwai

Chief of the Higher Court--Judge R. Imai

Prefect of Gilan-K. Saigo

Do., Taito-N. Sagara Do., Pescadores-S. Takatsu

TAMSUI AND KELUNG

The port of Tamsui lies in lat. 25 deg. 10 min. N. and long. 101 deg. 26 min. E. on the north-western side of the fertile island of Formosa. It is an uninteresting place. The harbour, like all others in Formosa, has a troublesome bar, which greatly retards the growth of the port. Dredging would do much to render it more accessible. The town, called Hûbei, is situated on the north side of the river, about two miles from the bar. In October, 1884, the French ships under Admiral Courbet bombarded Tamsui, but were unable to take the place. The Japanese took possession on the 7th June, 1895. Tea grows on the hills in the locality, the export in 1898 amounting to 20,126,816 lbs. and in 1897 to 20,302,590 lbs. The total value of the foreign trade of Tamsui and Kelung and the attached special ports in 1898 was £2,181,589, in 1897 £1,972,380 and in 1896 £1,592,413.