Directory_and_Chronicle_1903 — Page 572

FORMOSA

This island, one of the largest in Asia, is situated between latitude 22 and 26 degrees N., and longitude 120 and 122 degrees E., and is separated from the coast of Fukien, China, by a channel about one hundred miles in width. It is a prolongation of the Japanese and Loochoo Archipelagoes and in 1895 was incorporated in the Jap- anese empire. Its name Formosa, signifying "beautiful island, was conferred by the Portuguese, the first Europeans to visit it, but it was called Taiwan (Great Bay) by the Chinese, to whom it belonged from 1661 to 1894. It is said that the Japanese endeavoured to form a colony in the island in 1620, but large numbers of Chinese were settled there prior to that date. The Dutch arrived in 1634, and founded several settlements, and traces of their occupation are still to be found in the island, but they were compelled in 1661 to retire by the Chinese pirate chief Koxinga, who then assumed the sovereignty of western Formosa. His grandson and successor, however, was induced, twenty-two years later, to resign the crown to the Emperor of China. By the treaty of Shimonoseki the island was ceded to Japan as one of the terms of pence, and on the 1st June, 1895, the formal surrender was made, the ceremony taking place on board ship outside Kelung. The resident Chinese officials, however, declared a republic, and offered resistance, and it was not until the end of October that the opposing forces were completely overcome, the last stand being made in the south by Liu Yung-fu, the Black Flag General, of Tonkin notoriety. Takow was bom- barded and captured on 15th October, and Anping was peacefully occupied on the 21st of the same month, Liu Yung-fu having taken refuge in flight.

Formosa is about 260 miles in length, and from 60 to 70 miles broad in the widest part. It is intersected from north to south by a range of mountains, which forms a kind of backbone to the island, the loftiest peak of which, Mount Morrison (Niitakayama), is over 13,000 feet high. On the western side of this range the slope is more gradual than on the eastern side, and broken by fertile valleys which lose themselves in the large undulating plain on which the Chinese are settled. The whole of the territory east of the dividing chain is peopled by an aboriginal race who acknowledged no allegiance to the Chinese Government and made frequent raids on the outlying Chinese settlements, but they have proved themselves friendly to the Japanese. They are a savage and warlike people, allied to the Malays and Polynesians, and live principally by the chase. The Chinese population of Formosa is about 2,600,000; the number of the aborigines is estimated at about 100,000. The productions of Formosa are numerous, vegetation being everywhere most luxuriant, testifying to 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 inonsoons 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. Schemes for harbour improvement are only awaiting appropriation to be carried out. 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 in some parts of the island and malarious in the wet season. There are railways from Kelung to Hsinchiku (Teckcham) viâ Taihoku (Taipeh), Taihoku to Tamsui (Hobe), and Takow to Tainan-fu. A connecting line between Hsinchiku and Tainan is now under construction. There are also narrow guage tramways in several directions, and many new roadways have been opened.