Directory_and_Chronicle_1911 — Page 1062

SWATOW

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Swatow is built on the northern bank of the Han, which formis part of an alluvial plain through which the branches of the river flow. The shore on the opposite side is bold and striking, the hills stretching away to the coast and forming what is known to sea-going people as the "Cape of Good Hope." Pagoda Hill rises at the opposite side; and in a direct line from this lies the large island of Namoa.

The first foreign trading depôt in this locality was inaugurated at Namoa, where the opium vessels used to anchor, but it was subsequently removed to Double Island, which is situated just inside the river and is four miles from Swatow. Foreigners here made themselves notorious in the early years of the settlement by the kidnapping of coolies, and so strong was the feeling shown against them by the natives that no foreigner was safe far from Double Island, while they were strictly forbidden to enter Swatow, and it was not until 1861 that they could do so. In the country round Swatow the antipathy to foreigners was of much longer duration. The British Consul was held technically to reside at Cha'o-chow-fu, and subsequent to 1861 several ineffectual attempts were made to pass through its gates. In 1866 a visit was made under more favourable circumstances, but it is only within very recent years that the population has refrained from annoyance and insult to foreigners within its walls. In 18 2 the lease of a piece of land was applied for and granted to the British Government on the north bank of the river about a mile from Swatow, but so strong were the demonstra- tions of the populace against it that the matter fell through. Foreign residences, however, commenced to spring up here and there, and many of them are consequently somewhat scattered, though the majority are in or near the town of Swatow. The yearly increasing traffic of the port led to much over-crowding on the narrow strip of land on which it is built, and since February, 1877, no less than 21 acres have been reclaimed from the sea, the greater part of which is now covered with shops and houses.

The climate of Swatow is reputed to be very salubrious. The town occupies, however, an unenviable position as regards typhoons, on account of being opposite the lower mouth of the Formosa Channel, and it has on many pecasions been subjected to all the violence of these terrible storms, which almost every year sweep across the lower coast of China. The population of Swatow is estimated at 7,000 families representing 31,267 inhabitants.

A Chinese syndicate with a capital of two million dollars obtained the necessary sanction for the construction of a railway from Swatow to Ch'ao-chou-fu, and work was commenced on the line in 1901. The line which is 241⁄2 miles in length was opened to traffic on November 25th, 1906. The contractors were Japanese, who supplied all material, the rails and engines coming from America and the carriages from Japan. The construction of the line has brought about a great inflation of land values, as well as a notable influx of Japanese traders.

Swatow has now an electric light plant of its own, and on account of the cheap price at which the current is supplied this method of lighting is finding favour with the Chinese, and to some extent replacing the use of kerosine lamps. This year is to see a commencement made with a waterworks undertaking. The contract for this work has been let to Messrs. Macdonald & Co. of Hongkong, the price being $71,900. Messrs. Leigh & Orange of Hongkong are the consulting engineers,

The foreign trade of Swatow has never been large. Tea and sugar were formerly the principal exports but the tea trade here, as in other China ports, has to a very large extent passed away, and the sugar trade seems to be rapidly following it, the chief reason being that the superior sugar exported from Hongkong is finding increasing favour with consumers in the north, who formerly drew their supplies from Swatow. The China Sugar Refining Company of Hongkong have a large sugar refinery here, but work has for some time been suspended. The import into this sugar-producing district of sugar from the Hongkong refineries has shown big fluctuations during the past five years. In 1908 the import was 18,294 piculs of white and 12,245 piculs of brown. In 1909 the figures were 57,284 and 18,380, respectively. The export in 190 was 481,244 piculs of brown and 346,223 piculs of white while in 1909 the export fell to 297,010 and 198,221 piculs, respectively. Refined sugar from Hongkong and Java and Malay sugars have taken the place of Swatow sugar in the Northern markets. In place of sugar increased attention is being given to the cultivation of vegetables, fruit, poppy and indigo. The net value of the trade of the port, coming under the cognisance of the Foreign Customs for 1909 was Tls. 47,679,174 as compared with Tis. 46,873,268 in 1908 and Tls. 45,342,001 in 1907.