Directory_and_Chronicle_1909 — Page 924

756

SHANGHAI

-

ments, and the price of land rose very considerably. At that time a Volunteer force was formed among the foreign residents, under the command of Captain, afterwards Sir Thomas, Wade, which did really good service. The battle of “ Muddy Flat" was fought on 4th April, 1854, when the Volunteers, in conjunction with the Naval forces, consisting in all of 300 men with one field piece, drove the Imperialists, numbering 10,000 men, from the neighbourhood of the Settlements and burned their camps. Two of the Volunteers and one American were killed, and ten men wounded. Owing to the occupation of the city the authorities were powerless to collect the duties, which for a short time were not paid, and it was in consequence agreed in July, 1854, between the Taotai and the three Consuls (British, French, and United States), that they should be collected under foreign control. This was found to work so much to the advantage of the Chinese Government that the system was, subsequently to the Treaty of Tientsin, extended to all the open ports. The Foreign Inspectorate of Customs was established in 1861, the head-quarters of which were for some years, and, according to the original regulations, ought still to be at Shanghai. In 1861 the Taipings approached Shanghai, occupied the buildings of the Jesuits at Sicawei, and threatened the city and settle- ments. The capture of Soochow on 25th May, 1860, had driven a large number of the inhabitants of that city and the surrounding districts to Shanghai for protection, so that the native population increased rapidly. It was variously estimated at from four hundred thousand to a million, but the smaller number is probably nearer the truth. By 1861 provisions had increased in price to four times what they had been some years previously. Efforts were made to keep the rebels at a distance from Shanghai ; a detachment of British Royal Marines and an Indian Regiment garrisoned the walls, while the gates on the side towards the French Settlement were guarded by French Marines. In August, 1861, the city was attacked, and the suburbs between the city walls and river were in consequence destroyed by the French, the rebels being ultimately driven back. In December the rebels to the number of one hundred thousand again threatened the Settlements. The approaches were barricaded and the Defence Creek constructed and fortified at an expense of forty-five thousand taels. Before the close of 1862 the rebels had been driven by the British Forces beyond a radius of thirty miles around Shanghai. So immensely did the price of land rise that it is stated ground which had originally cost foreigners fifty pounds per acre was sold for ten thousand pounds. At this time the old Race Course and Cricket Ground, situated within the British Settlement, was sold at such a profit that after the shareholders had been repaid the original cost there was a balance of some forty-five thousand taels, which the owners generously devoted to the foundation of a fund for the use of the public, to be applied to the purposes of recreation only. Unfortunately thirty thousand taels of this amount were lent by the treasurer on his own responsibility to the Club, in which institution he was a shareholder. As the shareholders were never able to repay this loan out of the profits on the Club, the building and furniture were taken over in 1869 by the trustees on behalf of the Recreation Fund, to which the building still belongs. This fund has proved very useful in rendering assistance to some other public institutions, besides having purchased all the ground in the interior of the Race Course which is now leased by the Municipality and, with the exception of the steeplechase course at training seasons only, set aside as a Public Recreation Ground, by which name it is known. More recently steps have been taken by the Municipality, in conjunction with the trustees of the fund, to acquire, in connection with the new Riffe Range adjoining the Hongkew Settlement, an additional park for public recreation. This, which covers some fifty or sixty acres, has now been laid out, and is fully available for public use, relieving the congestion of the ground in the interior of the Race Course where, during summer on a Saturday afternoon, one may see in progress at the same time half a dozen cricket matches, baseball, polo, golf and several tennis matches. The swimming bath in the Hongkew Ground was opened in 1907.

At the time the local native Authorities were severely pressed they availed themselves of the services of an American adventurer named Ward, who raised a band partly composed of deserters from foreign ships and rowdies of all nations, who had congregate at Shanghai, with whose help he drilled a regiment of natives. This force, notwithstanding its unpromising commencement, attained under Ward a considerable amount of efficiency, and did good and useful service. This has been acknow- ledged in a manner unusual, where foreigners are concerned, with the Chinese authorities, who after his death reared in the city of Sungkiangfu a temple to his memory, where services are still maintained. After Ward was killed the force passed under the