Directory_and_Chronicle_1931 — Page 1070

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OSAKA SHOSEN KAISHA

PAKHOI-HOIHOW (IN HAINAN)

Kam Sing & Co., agents

WO SANG & Co.

局郵海北

POST OFFICE

Postmaster-Kwok Kwong Chi

STANDARD OIL Co. OF NEW YORK

Ching Tai & Co.

YAMASHITA KISEN KAISHA

Kam Shosen Kaisha

Agencies

Osaka Shosen Kaishia

"Menado Maru"

HOIHOW

(IN

州瓊 Kiung-chau

HAINAN)

口 海 Hoi-hau

Hoihow is the seaport of the prefectural city of Kiungchow, the capital of the Island of Hainan. The two towns are separated by a distance of some three miles of 'low hills dotted with graves; and across these lies a semi-macadamised road. This highway was originally constructed by the Kiungchow Horse Carriage Co. in 1915, it was considerably improved by General Lung Chi-kwang during his rule over Hainan in the middle of 1918, and was kept in good repair by several motor Car Cos. which maintained a continuous motor car service between the two towns. Over 105 miles of motor road were opened to traffic connecting Hoihow with Wenchang, Ching- mai, Tingan, Kachek, and Chuenyai, and at one time nearly 100 cars, buses and trucks were running on the Island. More new roads are expected to be opened for traffic in the near future. A new bund running along the Hoihow river on the northern part of the town, 60 feet wide, was built in 1924 and the principal streets were widened so as to permit motor traffic. _Hoihow is lighted by electricity and possesses a telephone system of its own but since February, 1925, the Island has been occupied by Cantonese troops and many projected improvements have not been carried out owing to what amounted practically to a state of war existing.

The

The port of Hoihow was opened by the establishment of a branch of the Chinese Maritime Customs in April, 1876. During the latter nine months of that year foreign tonnage to the extent of 36,672 tons entered and cleared at the Custom House, this representing 54 British, 10 German, 2 French and 4 Danish steamers that entered from, and cleared for, Singapore, Bangkok, Saigon, Annam, Hongkong, etc. situation of the port of Hoihow before and at its opening in 1876 was considered favourable more from the political than the geographical or topographical point of view as the Foreign Consuls at Hoihow would then be in close touch with the Taotai at Kiungchow.

The harbour of Hoihow is an open roadstead, unprotected against the North-east monsoon, which blows here with undisturbed vigour from September to April. The working of cargo is, therefore, normally difficult during those months, and at times im- possible. In addition to the above disadvantages those months are also the dry months when no rain falls up-country, and consequently no water comes down by the Po Chung River to the sea. Again, the tides are more erratic in the winter than they are in the summer: sometimes there are two tides during the 24 hours, sometimes one, and sometimes none. Cargo then, having been loaded with difficulty into a cargo- boat alongside the importing steamer, has to face a stormy passage of two to three miles to the spit, which runs parallel to the town of Hoihow and a mile distant from it. Once at the spit the cargo-boat may be able to pole up the two miles of shallow muddy water which separates it from Hoihow-to sail is impossible, as the wind is always dead ahead-or may have to wait for hours until there is sufficient water, a few feet only, to enable it to continue its drawn-out voyage from ship to shore. If a canal 7 feet deep and 300 feet wide were dredged on the Hoihow river between the neighbourhood