Directory_and_Chronicle_1903 — Page 772

SOOCHOW

Su-chau

Soochow, the capital of the province of Kiangsu, lies about eighty miles west and a little north of "Shanghai, with which it is connected by excellent inland water- ways. The city is a rectangle, its length from north to south being three and a half miles and its width from east to west two and a half. It lies not far from the eastern shore of the great Taihu lake. Past its walls runs the southern section of the Grand Canal, which joins Hangehow to Chinkiang; and in every direction spread creeks or canals, affording easy communication with the numerous towns in the surrounding country. It is an important manufacturing centre, with a population of over half a million. Its two chief manufactures are satins and silk embroideries of various kinds. In addition, it sends out silk goods, linen and cotton fabrics, paper, lacquer ware, and articles in iron, ivory, wood, horn, and glass. Since the opening of the port manufactures on foreign principles have been introduced and there are now two cotton mills and several silk filatures. Before the Taiping rebellion Soochow shared with Hangchow the reputation of being the finest city in China, but it was almost entirely destroyed by the rebels, who captured it on 25th May, 1860. Its recovery by Major (afterwards General) Gordon on 27th November, 1863, was the first effective blow to the rebellion. Since that disastrous period it has recovered itself greatly and is once more populous and flourishing, though it has not yet attained to its former pitch of prosperity. It was declared open to foreign trade on the 26th September, 1896, under the provisions of the Japanese treaty. The Foreign Settlement is under the southern wall of the city, just across the Canal, and is a strip of land about 1 miles long and a quarter of a mile broad. Some new roads have been made in this Settlement. The western portion has been reserved for a Japanese settlement. The government has made a good carriage road along the Canal bank extending the whole length of the Settlement, and as far as the North-west gate of the city, on which carriages and rickshas ply, and on fine days the road is crowded with people from the city, amusing themselves, walking and driving. The Chinese and European school was opened in 1900. The net value of the trade of the port passing through the Foreign Customs in 1991 was Tls. 2,745,07, as against Tls. 1,173,945 in 900, and Tls. 1,449,F93 in 1999, but this represents only a smail portion of the total trade of the port, most of which passes through the Native Customs.

DIRECTORY

利吉

CHILI & Co., Merchants

K. Arai

CHINA-EUROPEAN FILATURE, LIMITED

Massimo Denegri, manager

CONSULATES

GREAT BRITAIN

Consul--(vacant)

JAPAN

Consul Y. Futakuchi

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Chancellor-J. Sano Interpreter-M. Murayama Inspector of Police-K. Kamiya

#H Soo-chow Hsin-kuan CUSTOMS IMPERIAL MARITIME

Commissioner~ C. C. Clarke

Assistant--A. M. J. Keble Clerk--J. Berthelot

Medical Officer-J. B. Fearn, M.D. Acting Tidesurveyor-W. J. Mason Assistant Examiner-M. Finlayson Tidewaiters-R. A. Olsen, W. A.

Robertson, G. J. Hylander

Kiangsu Likin Collectorate

Acting DeputyComunnr.-J. H. P. Perry

MISSIONS

For Protestant Missions see end of

China Directory

POLICE

Superintendent-A. Olsen Inspector--T. Macdonald

2 inptrs., C8 sergeants and constables

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