Directory_and_Chronicle_1923 — Page 936

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YOCHOW

antimony, nickel, and other minerals are even now exported, and great possibilties 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.

Steam launches and steamers run through from IIankow to Changsha with cargo and passengers, under river passes; and from Yochow to inland places under Inland Steam Navigation Rules-principally to Changteh, Yiyang and Chinshih. The business is increasing, more particularly with the last-named place. The Canton-Hankow Railway has endeavoured to maintain regular daily train service, but the conduct of the military has been a great hindrance.

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 Chengling, five miles to the north and only a mile from the Yangtsze, where a small 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. On March 14th, 1918, the Southerners retreated from the Yochow district and the Northern troops re-occupied the place with practically no resistance. On 26th June, 1920, through the retreat of the Northerners, the city and district again fell into the posses- sion of the Southern forces (Hunanese). Before the Northerners left they looted the city and adjacent villages in the most thorough manner and indescribably ill-treated the people. In the interval between March, 1918, and June, 1920, efforts had been made by the merchants and inhabitants generally to erase the traces of the evil-doings of the military in the winter of 1917-8 by rebuilding the shops and houses in an improved style, and to make another bid for prosperity; but the last pillaging of the city and surround- ing country has reduced the people to such extremity, and plunged them into such despondency, that they have neither the means nor the heart to attempt the rehabilitation of the place. Yochow is described by the Customs Commissioner as "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 l'ort. 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 sharo of the trade in the year 1921 rose to the record figure of Hk. Tls 13,449,540, against Hk. Tls. 11,556,101 in 1920 and Hk. Tls. 10,588,734 in 1919. The much increased Maritime Customs revenue in 1921 was mainly due to the fact that part of the native trade ordinarily carried by junks deserted these and was carried instead for safety by foreign vessels and thus came under the cognisance of the Maritime Customs.

A 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. 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 vid 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 Changtel 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 open only to vessels under I.W.S.N. rules. principal products exported from Changteh through Yochow are native cloth, ramie, wood oil, vegetable tallow, lotus nuts, broad beans and hides. The export of wood oil has increased from 10,881 piculs in 1915 to 133,339 piculs in 1920-mostly for the American market, where there seems to be an ever-increasing demand for it.

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