Directory_and_Chronicle_1914 — Page 1050

Directories & Chronicles 香港指南 All

ICHANG

昌宜 I-Chany

Ichang is one of the four ports opened to foreign trade on the 1st April, 1877, in accordance with Clause 1, Section 3, of the Chefoo Convention. It is situated in lat. 30° 44' 25" N., long, 111° 18′ 34" E., on the north bank of the river Yangtze, about 393 miles above Hankow, and some ten miles below the entrance to the great Ichang Gorge, or just about a thousand miles from the coast. The navigation of the river to this port is comparatively easy for vessels of light draught, but great care is necessary for all vessels when in the neighbourhood of Sunday Island, owing to the shiftings and banks. Ichang is practically the present limit of steam navigation on the Yangtze. The anchorage is off the left bank, opposite the foreign residences, and is good, except in freshets, when the anchors should be sighted every two or three days. The port is the centre of a hilly country, the productions of which are rice in the valleys, cotton on the higher grounds, winter wheat, barley, and also the tungtzu trees, from which the ordi- nary wood oil is obtained by pressing the nuts gathered from the trees. In the sheltered valleys, amongst the mountain ranges west of the city, oranges, lemons, pomeloes, pears, plums, and a very superior quality of persimmons are grown, and find a ready market in the city and at Shasi. Ichang has increased in importance since the opening of Chungking. All cargo for the latter port is landed here and transferred to chartered junks. In the same way cargo brought down in chartered junks from Chungking and intended for the lower river and coast ports, is shipped here on river steamers, which make regular voyages to and from Hankow. Within the last two years a specially constructed steamer named the Shutung has been successfully em- ployed between Ichang and Chungking. This steamer, which is owned by the Szechuan Steam Navigation Co., and is commanded by a British Captain, tows a barge which is lashed alongside the steamer. There is room for about 12 European passengers on the barge and the steamer and about 156 Chinese passengers. There is also room for about 30 tons of freight which is charged Tls. 25 per ton. The foreign passenger fare is from $100 to 875 to Chungking. This does not include meals for which a charge of $3 per diem extra is made. The steamer does not run when the River is down to 6 feet on the Ichang Water Gauge, owing to the difficulty in negotiating the rapids between Ichang and Chungking.

The climate of Ichang is drier than that of the lower river ports-summers very warm, winters dry and pleasant. The native population is estimated at some 40,000. The foreign residents are few in number, educated native agents representing the four or five foreign houses (three British) doing business here. Fine new Consular and Customs buildings and shipping offices have recently been erected and have improved the appearance of the settlement very much. A German Post Office was opened in 1903.

The net value of the trade of the port in 1912 was Tls. 5,552,895 as against Tls. 4,805,787 in 1911, Tls. 13,385,356 in 1910, Tls. 14,847,495 in 1909, Tls. 7,613,218 in 1908 and Tls. 6,557,173 in 1907.

Directory_and_Chronicle_1914 — Page 1050

Comments

Private Research Note