Directory_and_Chronicle_1911 — Page 1032

SHASI

市沙

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 most 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." The district suffers periodically from the flooding of the Yangtze. In July, 1908, the river rose to 30 ft. 9 inches, and caused the destruction of all the earlier summer crops. The population is estimated at about 80,000, and the floating population, of which no account is kept, may be estimated at 10,000 more.

A con- siderable amount of washing for gold is done between Shasi and Hosueh, chiefly on the Tukkechow. 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 The British Consulate was withdrawn in January, 1899, British interests being placed under the care of the Consul at Ichang.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 provided berths for three hulks, with jetties, but in 1908, this bund for over two-thirds of its length went bodily into the river owing to the action of the water coming from inland carrying away sand from beneath the stone work. The net value of the trade of the port coming under the cognizance of the Foreign Customs was in 1909 returned at Tls. 2,076,828 as against Tls. 1,699,624 in 1908, Tis. 1,880,422 in 1907, and Tls. 1,497,134 in 1906. The bulk of the carrying trade is, however, carried on by junks, which do not come under the control of the Foreign Customs.

BUTTERFIELD & SWIRE

Sue Che Sing, agent

Steamer "Tung-ting"

CONSULATES

GERMANY

DIRECTORY

Acting Consul—Dr. Crüll (residing at

Hankow)

GREAT BRITAIN

Consul--H. A. Little (residing at

Ichang)

JAPAN

Chancellor-in-charge-M. Hashiguchi Police Inspector-W. Hagio

局沙商招 Chao Shang Sha Chi

CHINA MERCHANTS' STEAM NAVGTN. Co.

Hsieh Chen, manager

Steamers "Kwei Lee" and "Kuling"

關市沙 Shasi Kuan

CUSTOMS, IMPERIAL MARITIME

Acting Commissioner-F. Clayson Assistant-C. G. Gutt

Acting Tidesurveyor and Harbour

Master.-L. E. N. Szigetvary

Tidewaiters-G. High, C. T. McFarlane