Directory_and_Chronicle_1920 — Page 937

YOCHOW

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of development are undoubtedly to be found. Tungsten ore was lately added to the list of exports, but it is now largely shipped from Changsha rather than from Yochow. Stean launches and steamers run through from Hankow to Changsha with cargo and passengers, under River passes; and from Yochiow to Inland places under Inland Steam Navigation Rules principally to Changtel, Yiyang and Chinshih. The business is increasing, more particularly with the last named place.

The city of Yochow is perched on a bluff in a very picturesque way. Its site is, however, not adapted for a transit trade, and it offers no shelter for small craft. The port has, therefore, been opened at Chiengling, five miles to the nortli and only a mile from the Yangtsze, where a sinall creek provides the needed shelter for cargo-boats, though the steamer anchorage is bad, being fully exposed to the frequent northerly gales, while the bottom affords bad holding ground. Here the Chinese Government has set aside a place for a cosmopolitan settlement, for which they themselves provide roads, police, etc.; the site contains level ground for business purposes, well raised, but not too high above flood limits, while higher ground gives good and healthy sites for foreign houses. Work on the formation of the settlement and bunding operations were commenced in 1900, and a new Custom-house and quarters have been built. Since the Rebellion in the Yangtsze Valley in 1913 a garrison of northern troops has been stationed in Yochow practically all the time. The city was evacuated by the northern troops on the 27th January, 1918, and occupied by the southern forces on the same day. The change entailed much suffering on the part of the people, a great deal of burning and pillaging being the inevitable concomitants of such military doings, but the city is now recovering from its awful experiences. The buildings that are replacing those destroyed are of a s mi- foreign type though not of a substantial character. The traders of the place are making another bid for prosperity. On March 14th, 1918, the Southerners retreated from the Yochow district and the northern troops re-occupied the place with practically no resistance and now hold it. Yochow is described by the Customs Commissioner "doubtless the most healthful town in the Yangtsze Valley." In 1900, really the first open year of the port, the net value of the trade was Tls. 143,827. In 1903 it amounted to Tls. 3,473,241, but in 1905 the value was Tls. 490,058 only, and in 1910 the returns showed a net value of Tls. 1,941,869 as compared with Tls. 3,015,913 in 1909. The noticeable decline since 1904 was the result of the opening of Changsha as a Treaty Port. In the meantime, however, the trade of the province has increased enormously, and its distribution between the ports of Changsha and Yochow is determined principally by the state of the river. The net value of Yochow's share of the trade in the year 1918 was Hk. Tls. 10,232,282 against Hk. Tls. 7,474,529 for the preceding year; but, owing to the unsettled state of this province and of those provinces adjoining and the abnormal conditions existing, it is doubtful if these figures can be maintained.

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The noteworthy feature of 1907 was the connection of Changteh by steamer during the high-water season-June to October-the resulting trade being valued at Tls. 617,000. Connection with Changteh is now maintained practically throughout the year by steamers of the river type, tugs and lighters, and the value of the trade amounted to Hk. Tls. 8,544,466 in the year 1918, of which amount Hk. Tls. 4,068,006 represented the value of native exports. Buoys and lights were established in 1907 to mark the channel across the lake. The difficulties and risks of this route are considerable, and it is probable that it will be found advisable to adopt the somewhat longer route via Lulintan, though, on account of the sharp bends of the River Yuan in its lower reaches, specially adapted steamers will probably have to be used. The question of making Changteh an "Open Port" was considered in 1906 and again taken up in the spring of 1915 and Chinese officials visited the place to enquire into the conditions, but it still remains only open to vessels under I.W.S.N. rules. The principal products exported from Changtel through Yochow are native cloth, ramie, wood oil, vegetable tallow, lotus nuts, broad beans and hides. The export of wood oil increased from 10,881 piculs in 1915 to piculs 48,786 in 1916, and in 1918 it rose to 133,339 piculs, mostly for the American market, where there seems to an ever-increasing demand for it.