Directory_and_Chronicle_1906 — Page 768

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PEI-TAI-HO-NEWCHWANG

miles, and are then spread out as to include the 3 or 4 square miles on which the foreigners have settled at Pei-Tai-Ho. The fact that the watering-place lies within the port limits gives legal title to all land purchase, and will ensure some sort of foreign Municipal control in the near future. An attempt has been made to obtain this from the Imperial Government; meanwhile, the foreign community has made temporary arrangements and has submitted to voluntary taxation for combined sanitation.

Pei-Tai-Ho at present is accessible only by rail from Peking, Tientsin, Taku and Newchwang, though the journey extends over two entire days from the Manchurian seaport. The railway station lies from four to six miles from the various settlements, and the journey is made by chair, donkey, or walking. Carriages cannot be used, as the roads are like those which General Wade superseded in the Scottish Highlands. There are six miles of beach of every possible variety, and the bathing is excellent from the middle of May to the first of October. The country rises at once from the shore to undulating uplands; most of the houses are at an elevation of fifty or a hundred feet above sea level. At the west end the country is diversified by the Lotus Hills, a series of granite rocks which come close to the sea, and are an off-shoot from the Pittah Hill twelve miles inland. The Lotus peaks rise to about 400 feet. The soil is chiefly a sand formed by disintegrated granite; it is very dry, fertile and non-malarial. The water is excellent, In 1896 there were about twenty tenements, in 1899 about one hundred; in July 1899. the population was slightly over four hundred, chiefly from Tientsin, Peking and the mission stations of Chih-li. There were three major and two minor settlements; West Shore, Rocky Point and East Cliff being the designatories of the former, but the settlements were wholly destroyed on and after 20th June, 1900. Most of the Tientsin and Peking laymen were at West Shore; it had the advantage of proximity to the Hills and the Station, and had more pleasing scenery near at hand. Its demerits were a somewhat tame beach-nothing but sand-and inferior bathing. The latter is due to stinging medusa or jelly fish, and to the nearness of the River Tai, which often discolours the water: both demerits have, however, been exaggerated. The missionaries were chiefly at Rocky Point; there they had an Association which regulated their land tenure, sanitation, Sunday observance, etc. A strong body of laymen settled to the west of this 'Association' settlement, attracted by the central position, better beach and bathing. The East Cliff was originally a mission investment, but in time became a general settlement. Some thirty or forty foreign visitors who were in residence when the Boxer cyclone burst were taken off by the boats of H.M.S. Humber, and conveyed to Chefoo in June; immediately after which the natives joined a small party of soldiers in first looting and then burning every house in the place. The natives carried off every scrap of the building material that was portable; even the bricks and dressed stone, and in some cases they actually dug up the foundations. Their action was due to greed and not to anti-foreign malice-as a matter of fact, they had always been on good terms with their foreign neighbours, to whose presence they entirely owed their prosperity, The I-Ho-Chuan or Boxer sect is not known to have had any following in the district. The people simply believed the foreigners were to be exterminated, and would never return; and in this belief resolved to resume possession of their lands and as much else as was possible. During 1901-2 the German forces encamped at Pei-tai-ho and made roads; a small gauge steam tramway was also constructed from the Railway Station to Rocky Point. In the early spring of 1902 many of the houses were rebuilt and during the summer quite a number of families were in residence for a short season. The rains are heavy in July and early August, but the sandy soil enables one to be out of doors at once after a heavy rain. The temperature varies from 4° to 10° below that of Peking and Tientsin in the height of summer; there are no hot winds. as the prevailing breeze is nearly south and is sea-borne.

NEWCHWANG

莊牛 Niu-chwang 子營

子營 Ying-tsz

Newchwang is the most northerly port in China open to foreign trade. It is situated

in the province of Shing-king, in Manchuria. It is called by the natives Ying-tz, and lies about thirteen miles from the mouth of the river Liao, which falls into the Gulf of Liao-tung, a continuation of the Gulf of Pechili.