Directory_and_Chronicle_1900 — Page 768

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LUNGCHOW-MÊNGTSZ

Médecin-Dr. Thoulon, détaché

B⠀ M SE Lung.chow Kuan CUSTOMS IMPERIAL MARITIME

Commissioner-M. Tannant Assistant-T. Hance Tidewaiter-W. S. Jackson

Surgeon--Dr. Thoulon

MISSION DU KOUANG-SI

R. P. Renault, pro-préfect, Nanning Lavest, Poulat, Héraud, Labully, Baufreton, Marut, Barrière, Rué, Séquert, Thomas, Pelamourgues Epelle, Coste

MENGTSZ

Mung-tsz

This is a district city in south-east Yunnan, and together with Man-hao, a village on the left bank of the Red River, was opened to trade by the Additional Convention to the French Treaty of Tientsin of the 25th April, 1886, signed at Peking on the 26th June, 1887. The town is two days' journey from Man-hao and about six days' from the frontier of Tonkin at Laokay, and is beautifully situated, being built on a cultivated plateau twenty miles long by about twelve miles in breadth, encircled by picturesque mountains, and 4,580 feet above the level of the sea. It has a population of about 12,000 persons, but before the Mahommedan rebellion was a place of much more im- portance, as the numerous well-built temples, many of them now in ruins, still testify. It is, however, a considerable commercial emporium even now, and is becoming an important centre for the distribution of foreign goods imported via Tonkin. The French Consul hoisted his flag at Mêngtsz on the 30th April, 1889, and the Customs station was opened in the following August. The value of the trade coming under the cognisance of the Foreign Customs for 1898 was Tls. 3,672,650, for 1897 Tls. 3,451,765, and for 1896 Tls. 2,476,675. The Chinese merchants avail themselves largely of the advantages offered by the transit pass system, and the value of goods sent into the interior under transit passes during the year 1898 amounted to Tls. 2,325,431 or about 94 per cent. of the quantity imported. The clinate of Mêngtsz is temperate and salubrious, though every year, principally in the hot season, the plague makes numerous victims among the natives. In 1898 the plague appeared at the end of June and disappeared early in September. The number of victims probably did not exceed 150 in the city and neighbouring villages, but no really trustworthy statistics are obtainable. The mortality was certainly the lowest since the plague appeared at Mengtsz. During the winter good sport is obtained, snipe and wild fowl being abundant in the plain, and some pheasants and partridges in the hilly districts. A new French Consulate was finished in 1893, new dwelling houses for members of the Customs service in 1894, and a new Custom House in the spring of 1895. All these buildings are outside the East gate of the city. On the 22nd June, 1899, a riot occurred in the course of which the Customs House and French Consulate were looted.

No foreign merchants have as yet started business in Mêngtsz. A railway from Laokay to Yunnanfu via Mêngtsz is projected and tenders for the work have been invited by the Tonkin Government.

DIRECTORY

CONSULAT DE FRANCE

Consul-Mce. Dejean de la Bâtie Interprète-Chancelier-F. Angoulvant

Médecin du Consulat Dr.Reygondaud

自蒙

P

Meng-tsz-kuan

CUSTOMS-IMPERIAL MARITIMB

Acting Commissioner-A. Henry Assistant-H. F. V. Oldham

Assistant-H. E. E. Noel Chief Examiner-E. Milhe Assistant Examiner-A. Millar

MISSION ETRANGÈRES DE PARIS

Yunnan Mission

Mgr. J. J. Fenouil, Bishop of Ténédos and Vicaire apostolique of Yunnan Mgr. J. C, Excoffier, Bishop of Metro-

polis, coadjuteur