Directory_and_Chronicle_1906 — Page 928

Directories & Chronicles 香港指南 All

CHINKIANG

765

The city lies between one of the mouths of the Grand Canal and the right bank of the Yangtsze. Most of the houses are built on level ground, but the surrounding hills lend a pleasant appearance to the locality, which is considerably enhanced by the bluff scenery of the island of Ts'io-shan. When the city was abandoned by the rebel forces, its destruction was very nearly complete, and it has even now hardly recovered its former prosperous aspect. The city is enclosed by walls and defended by rather formidable looking batteries commanding the river approaches. The foreign settlement occupies a tract of land extending from the mouth of the Canal along the bank of the river. The little settlement has a neat bund, is provided with a club, and has small Protestant and Catholic churches. It was the scene of a formidable riot on the 5th February, 1889, when about half the foreign houses and buildings were destroyed by a native mob. On December 23rd, 1904, a big subsidence of the river bank occurred carrying away some godowns at the lower end of the Bund, and a large number of Chinese were drowned. There was a worse one on December 23, same year, when a bit of the bund measuring 700 feet long by 50 to 90 feet broad, with six godowns, was washed away. It caused a big tidal wave to travel over two miles up and down stream. Where it was is now 60 to 80 feet depth of water. The population of Chinkiang is estimated at 140,000.

The foreign imports have shown a continuous advance, the value in 1904 being Tls. 3,524,900. The total value of the trade of the port for 1904 amounted to Tls. 32,507,025.

Directory_and_Chronicle_1906 — Page 928

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