Directory_and_Chronicle_1917 — Page 1063

FOOCHOW

961

quarter of the city, and the wooded hills enclosed by the walls, give a picturesque appearance to the general view. Two well-preserved pagodas stand within the city walls. Near the east gate of the city are several hot springs, which are used by the natives for the cure of skin diseases and are believed to be efficacious. The Foochow people excel in the manufacture of lacquer ware of all kinds. What is known as "No. 1, Lacquer" is regarded as the best made in the world. These goods received gold medals at the St. Louis World's Fair. There are several grades of lacquer, but all are having large sales, also the manufacture of miniature monuments, pagodas, dishes, etc., from what is called "soap stone," and in the construction of artificial flowers, curious figures of birds, etc. A few miles above the city the river divides into two branches, which, after pursuing separate courses for fifteen miles, unite a little above Pagoda Anchorage. The foreign settlement stands on the northern side of the island thus formed and which is called Nantai. A bridge across the river, known as the Long Bridge, or Bridge of the Ten Thousand Ages, affords access to the city.

The climate of Foochow is mild and delightful for about nine months of the year, but in the summer it is rather trying, the range of the thermometer then being from 74 deg. Fahr. to 98 deg.

The scenery surrounding Foochow is very beautiful. In sailing up the Min river from the sea vessels have to leave the wide stream and enter what is called the Kimpai Pass, which is barely half-a-mile across, and enclosed as it is by bold, rocky walls, it presents a very striking appearance. The Pass of Min-ngan is narrower, and with its towering cliffs, surmounted by fortifications and cultivated terraces, is extremely pictur- esque, and has been compared to some of the scenes on the Rhine. The Yung Fu, a tributary of the Min, also affords some charming scenery, the hills rising very abruptly from the river bank. The Min Monastery, the Moon Temple, and the Kushan Monastery, all occupying most romantic and beautiful sites, are fine specimens of Chinese religious edifices, and are much resorted to by visitors. Game abounds in all the ravines and mountains in the vicinity of Foochow, while tigers and panthers are cominon in the more remote hills, and some of these beasts have been killed within ten miles of the city.

Foreign vessels are compelled to anchor at Pagoda Island, owing to the shallow- ness of the river, which of late years has been increasing the difficulties of navigation; even at the anchorage the river is still silting up in several places. The limits of the port of Foochow extend from the City Bridge to the Kimpai Pass. The Mamoi Arsenal, near Pagoda Anchorage, is an extensive Government establishment, where several good-sized gunboats have been built, but it now stands practically idle. The Arsenal was bombarded by the French on the 23rd-24th August, 1884, and reduced to partial ruin, but was restored. The establishment was later reorganised, and was for some years administered by French experts. There is a dock in connection with the Arsenal on Losing Island. The dock is over 300 ft. long and has very powerful pumps and a good steel caisson. A small daily paper called the Foochow Echo is published here. Until 1905 one mint, known as the City or Viceroy's Mint, served to supply the coinage requirements of the local province, but in that year the government set up two additional mints, for which there was no need, but only an alluring prospect of profit on the export and sale of copper 10-cash coins. It was calculated that two million

pieces per day were being turned out by the three mints. The market value of the coins quickly fell below par, and orders from Peking reducing the output to 300,000 coins per day, and forbidding the export of coins to other provinces, necessitated the closing of the two mints before they had been in operation twelve months. In June, 1900, the port was visited by the most disastrous floods known there in living memory, the river rising through heavy rains, which overflowed and deluged the country, sweeping away villages and causing immense havoc and loss of life. The population of Foochow is estimated at 650,000.

The net value of the trade of the port coming under the cognisance of the Foreign Customs in 1915 was Tls. 19,247,779 as compared with Tls. 19,073,617 in 1914, Tls. 23 206,413 in 1913, Tls. 18,033,325 in 1912, Tls. 17,296,216 in 1911, and Tls. 18,419,812 in 1910.