LUNGCHOW
841
Hanoi ends abruptly in the hills a few hundred yards from the "Porte de Chine" (Namkuan) on the Tonkin-Kwangsi frontier, from which spot Lungchow is distant some 60 kilometres by road, part of which runs over rough and mountainous country and which is practically impassable in bad weather. The journey from the Frontier over this road takes two days by chair, or a day and a half on horseback. Native pony-carts may at times be had, but this method of locomotion is not one to be recom- mended except under the best of weather conditions and furthermore is only available for some two-thirds of the journey. Telegraphic communication exists with Canton and other places on the West River, with Mengtsz in Yunnan, vid Po-sê, and with places in Tonkin. The Chinese Post Office sends daily couriers to Langson in Tonkin and couriers every second day to Nanning overland, with connections to Canton and Pakhoi. An establishment of the Chinese Maritime Customs is maintained at the port, where foreign interests are in charge of Consuls resident on the West River and in Hongkong. France alone maintains a Vice-Consul in Lungchow, who is also Consul for Nanning. The net value of the trade coming under the cognisance of the Maritime Customs for 1917 was Tls. 57,081 as compared with Tls. 78,824 for the year previous. During 1917 335 motor-boats from Nanning visited the port. The trip up from Nanning usually takes from two to three days, and that down to Nanning about 30 hours according to the water in the river, the level of which is liable to very sudden fluctuations during the prevalence of rainy weather. The climate of the port is damp and very hot for some eight months or more in the year, the hottest period being usually from April to July. Motor boats carry most of the incoming cargo from and via the West River ports, whilst imports from over the frontier come by junk or raft. The river scenery between Nanning and Lungchow with its succession of gorges is well worth seeing, but at present accommodation for Europeans on board the distinctly Chinese-style motor boats is non-existent.
DIRECTORY
COMMISSIONER OF THE FRONTIER OF
MISSIONS
KWANG-SI
Tupan-Tsên Kuang Yi
CONSULATES
FRANCE
署事領國法大
Vice-Consul-P. Crépin
關新州龍 Lung-chow-hsin-kuan
CUSTOMS, CHINESE MARITIME
Asst. in Charge-A. P. A. Bouinais
Tidewaiter-G. Poletti
Clerk-Chiao Pa Yung
(For Protestant Missionaries see separate Directory)
ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSION
Rev. Father Barrière
局支政郵州龍
POST OFFICE, CHINESE
Postal Commissioner-(at Nanning)
Second Class Postmaster-Seu-Fou
Seun
Postal Agencies-Shuikowsi, Siatung, Pingsiangsi, Ningmingchow, Hai- yüan, Shangszè, Kuan-tsien-yai, Ming Kiang-ting, Pao-shu, Sia-lui, Hwa-tung Kweishun, Chin Pin
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