Directory_and_Chronicle_1912 — Page 1297

KONGMOON- WYCHOW

DIRECTORY

CONSULATES

GREAT BRITAIN

Consul-J. W. Jamieson, C.M.G., resid-

ing at Canton

ITALY

Consul General--Comm. Z. Volpicelli

(residing in Hongkong)

CUSTOMS, IMPERIAL MARITIME

Acting Commissioner- O. G. Ready Assistants-F. W. K. Otte Medical Officer-John A. McDonald Tidesurveyor and Harbour Master Act-

10-13

ing---J. J. C. Lorentzen Assistant Examiners-E. W. Volck-

nunn, J. H. Thatcher Tidewaiters---H. Tjomsland, K. Gul- brandsen, J. Ward, A. H. Craig, A. Z. de Souza, M. J. Barreira, T. P. Stubbs, W. S. Turnbull, C. Love, F. Benoist

POST OFFICE, IMPERIAL CHINESE

Postal Commissioner-C. H. Shields

(Canton)

Postal clerk-Mung Tit Woon

WUCHOW

HH Wá-chau

Wuchow, opened to foreign trade on June 4th, 1897, by the Special Article of the Burmah Convention, is situated on the Sikiang or West River at its junction with the Fu or Kuei (Cassia) River. By the steamer routes at present authorised it is distant about 220 miles from Hongkong and Canton. Wuchow is the limit of navigation for ocean-going steamers; but, during eight months in the year, vessels drawing not more than 3 feet can reach Kueihsien (150 miles beyond Wuchow), and Nanning (360 miles from here) can be reached by boats drawing 23 ft., almost all the year round. The population of the city and suburbs is estimated at 50,000; it is slowly increas ing, more especially in the riverine suburbs which comprise the business quarter. The annual inundations caused by the rise in the river--there is an average difference of 60 feet between the winter and summer levels-are a source of great inconvenience to the inhabitants and at times bring about a total cessation of business. To obviate this, the principal steamship offices, the foreign Custom House and the native Custome and Lekin stations, together with numerous shops and hotels, are located on pontoons (locally known as Pais) moored alongside the river bank. The situation of Wuchow makes it the natural distributing centre for the trade between Kweichow, Eastern Yunnan, Kwangsi, and Hongkong and Canton. The hopes that were entertained at its opening have not, it is true, been realised, but with the agricultural and mining development of the province, Wuchow bids fair to become one of the principal trading marts in South China. The gross value of the trade coming under the cognisance of the Maritime Customs has steadily grown from four to nearly thirteen million Taels, and the revenue is considerably over half a million Taels, while the NativeCustoms control a junk trade worth fifteen million taels and collects approximately 180,000 taels duty. The principal articles of export are timber, oils (aniseed, cassia, wood and tea), indigo, hides, and live stock. The coal, which should form one of Wuchow's largest exports, still lies buried in the surrounding hills. There is daily steam communication with Canton, the two steamers of the British West River Steamship Co, affording excellent passenger accommodation. The round trip from Canton takes four days: the boat leaving Canton on Friday mornings remains over Sunday in Wuchow. The direct trade with Hongkong is now carried on by nine cargo steamers. During the last three years a large native passenger trade has sprung up between Wuchow and up-river towns: launches leave daily during the summer months for Konghau, Kuaiping and Kueihsien, and weekly seven motor boats make regular, and five launches make irregular, trips to Nanning, averaging three trips a week. The floods in 1902 were the highest on record, the water in the river rising to 68′ 3.′′ The lowest winter reading was 1.10 deg. below zero in December, 1906. In winter the only local industry worthy of mention is boat building; when the river falls the foreshore is lined with matsheds, where native craft of all descriptions, from a huge salt junk to a diminutive