Directory_and_Chronicle_1907 — Page 967

Directories & Chronicles 香港指南 All

SHASI

Ħ Sha-si

Shasi (the “market on the sands") is one of the ports opened to foreign trade under the Japanese Treaty of 1895, the official declaration of the opening being dated the 1st October, 1896. The port is about 85 miles below Ichang and is situated at the crossing point of two inost important routes of commerce in Central China, namely, from east to west and from north to south and vice versa, It is reclaimed from the river and the sea by a magnificent system of dykes and canals, and is “a monument of ancient commerce, and a witness to native perseverance and engineering skill.” In 1905, the Yangtze overflowed and flooded an area of about 150 square miles of the district, destroying many dykes. The loss of life and property was very great. The population, according to a census taken in 1896, amounted to 73,400, and the floating population, of which no account is kept, may be estimated at 10,000 more. Formerly Shasi was an important distributing centre, but the opening of Ichang to foreign trade diverted much of the traffic to the last-named port.

It was hoped that when Shasi itself was opened it would regain its importance as a point of distribution, but the experience now gained shows that the development is likely to be slow. On the 9th and 10th May, 1898, a serious anti-foreign riot occurred at Shasi. The Customs Office and the residence of the Commissioner, the Customs boats, the premises of the China Merchants' Company and their hulk, the office of the Foreign Board, the Japanese Consulate, the premises occupied by the Native agents of Messrs. Butterfield & Swire and Messrs. Jardine, Matheson & Co., and a number of newly-erected Chinese houses were burnt by the mobs, kerosene oil being used to feed the conflagration, and the Foreign residents were driven out of the port, narrowly escaping with their lives. The Custom-house was re-opened on the 1st July of the same year. In August, 1898, an area of 3,800 Chinese feet in length, by 800 to 1,200 in breadth, lying along the river side below the town, was assigned to Japan as a Japanese concession. The foreign_commerce is mostly in Japanese hands. The British Consulate was withdrawn in January, 1899, British interests being placed under the care of the Consul at Ichang. Calling steamers have to anchor in the river, the current of which is very swift, but some bunding work, commenced in December, 1904, and finished in April, 1905, provides safe berths for three hulks, with jetties. The net value of the trade of the port coming under the cognizance of the Foreign Customs was in 1905 returned at Tls. 1,317,544 against Tls. 1,956,371 in 1904. The bulk of the carrying trade is, however, carried on by junks, which do not come under the control of the Foreign Customs

Directory_and_Chronicle_1907 — Page 967

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