Directory_and_Chronicle_1926 — Page 911

YOCHOW

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The province of Hunan used to be to foreign commerce what Tibet has been to the explorer-a Forbidden Land-and it is relatively few years ago that foreigners were stoned out of Yochow. In 1904, the people were described as showing a "friendly Lattitude" to all foreigners, which attitude is now well maintained.

The province is rich in many forms of wealth, though the inhabitants say it consists of "three parts mountain, six water, and one arable soil." One of the main staples is rice, of which nearly a million piculs are sent out of the province to Hupeli and Kueichow in an average year. The Hunan tea sent to Hankow amounts to about 600,000 half-cliests a year. The timber passing down from Changtel is valued officially at six million taels a year, and is probably worth more. It is largely soft wood-merely poles. In the opinion of old residents the volume seems to be decreasing, as the rafts are, generally speaking, of smaller dimensions than in former years. This is only natural when the constant drain and the existing disregard of the rules of afforestation in China are considered.

There is also a large production of cotton. The mountain districts contain extensive fields of coal, both anthracite and bituminous; iron, also, is known to exist. Sulphur, antimony, nickel, and other minerals are even now exported, and great possibilities 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 Hankow to Changshia 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 Custom-house and quarters have been built. After the rebellion in the Yangtsze Valley in 1913 a garrison of Northern troops was permanently stationed in Yochow, but on several occasions since the beginning of 1918 the city has changed hands and suffered very severely in the process. The pillaging by the Northern troops when they retreated before the Southern forces (Hunanese) in June, 1920, 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 "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 1924 was Hk. Tls. 22,917,989, as compared with Hk. Tls. 26,963,658 in 1923, and Hk. Tls. 19,286,335 in 1922. The Chinese Maritime Customs revenue for the year 1923 simultaneously rose to a record figure of Hk. Tls. 224,632, as compared with Hk. Tls. 218,530 in 1922.

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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 via Lulintan, though, on account of the sharp bends of the River Yuan in