Directory_and_Chronicle_1926 — Page 973

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LAPPA-KONGMOON

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e course of trade to and from the Luichow Prefecture operates against Lappa. Much the cargo which formerly came thence in junks to Macao and reported Malowchow now avails itself of the more convenient and doubtless safer rect steamer carriage between the French port of Kwangchowwan and Macao. there is also a tendency for a portion of the west coast produce to go via Tongmoon, whether destined for Hongkong or Canton, and the old junk trade of this

gion with the foreign colonies is gradually disappearing.

DIRECTORY

#Kung-pak-sun-kwan

KECHINESE MARITIME CUSTOMS (Lappa District)-2, rua dos Prazeres, Macao

Commissioner-E. G. Lebas Foreign Assistants-C. A. R. Cabral, H. J. de Garcia, W. A. B. Gardener Chinese Assistants-Cheung Yuk

Tong and Leung Cum Chiu Chief Tidesurveyor-Y. M. Mudès

Examiners-A. Fenus and E. A. C.

Friedrichsen

Tidewaiters C. Mose, G. Flynn, J. J. Lovelock, V. M. Collaço, W. H. Edmunds, J. H. Saunders, L. A. Hurlow, W. H. P. Weston, F. de S. Machado and A. Luiz

Cruising

Launches-"Pakton,"

"Lungtsing"

and

KONGMOON

P Kong-moon

Kongmoon was added to the list of treaty ports on 7th March, 1904, in accordance with the stipulations of Article X. of the Mackay Treaty. A British Consulate was established, but withdrawn in 1905. Kongmoon is located some three miles up a creek on the West River, in the Kwangchow Prefecture of the Kwangtung Province in Lat. 22° 34′ 49′′ N. and Long. 113° 8′ 53′′ E., and is about 45 miles distant from Macao, 70 from Canton and 87 from Hongkong. The creek on which it is built connects the West River with the sea at Gaemoon, and is a narrow and tortuous stream, the lower reaches of which, near the main river, are lined with rafts, while further up in the vicinity of the town it is crowded with native craft of every description, thus rendering navigation for steamers difficult at all times, but especially so when the current runs fast during the summer months. The steamer anchorage is in the West River at the mouth of the Creek, opposite the Chinese Maritime Customs, but the town is included in the port limits. The population of Kongmoon is about 55,000, and it has the appearance of being a more populous centre, as it extends for a considerable distance on both banks of the stream. Formerly it was a business centre of considerable importance, but various causes have arisen which appear to have lessened its commercial standing and interfered adversely with the general prosperity of the port.

It was generally considered that the proximity of Kongmoon to Hongkong and Macao and its favourable situation as an outlet and distributing centre for the southern prefectures of the province augured well for its future prosperity and development. This was, to some extent, true, but it should be remembered that facts have arisen which have tended to diminish rather than increase its commercial importance. Formerly it enjoyed direct communication with Shanghai and Foochow and was the real outlet and distributing centre for the south-western district of the delta and the Southern prefectures of the province. The development of Hongkong and the opening of Kiungchow and Pakhoi as treaty ports, however, have seriously interfered with the junk trade and general welfare of the port, and have, besides, opened up other trade routes to districts hitherto dependent upon Kongmoon for their supplies. At present there are no indications that the sanguine expectations,