Directory_and_Chronicle_1934 — Page 833

YOCHÓW

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The city of Yochow is perched on a bluff in a very picturesque way. Its site is however, not adapted for 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 and other vessels, 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 have provided 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 was commenced in 1900, and a Custom House and Quarters have been built. It is to be noted, therefore, that the Yochow Custom House is situated at Chengling and not at Yochow as the name would lead one to believe. British, Japanese and Chinese shipping firms maintain regular communications with the "Lake Ports" and have their agents stationed at Chengling. Given peace, Cheng- ling is undoubtedly one of the most healthy towns in the Yangtsze Valley. Since the Occupation of this port by the Cantonese Army in August, 1926, the Chengling Bluff has twice been fortified and the Harbour mined in order to prevent a hostile army -coming down river from Shasi. The shore-batteries by firing on foreign gunboats have been the cause of a bombardment by foreign warships, to which this port has been subjected on no less than five occasions within a period of a year. It is fortunate to be able to record that no casualties have so far been reported.

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, and 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; 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 open only to vessels under Inland Water Steam Navigation rules. In 1920, a new organization for the technical control of the Middle Yangtsze Aids to Navigation and channels was instituted by the Customs.

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The Socony-Vacuum Corporation has recently established an oil installation at a point about two miles below the Settlement. It has erected three tanks and contemplates erecting three more. The first oil tanker direct from California arrived here during the high water season of 1926. This installation will be the centre of distribution for the upper Yangtsze and the "Lake Ports," such as Changteh, Yiyang and Tsingshih. Although all oil was withdrawn from the tanks in May, 1927, owing to the then disturbed conditions, the use of the tanks has been resumed since June, 1928.

TRADE IN 1932.

In keeping with the other lake ports. Yochow enjoyed more peaceful conditions during the year, but, as this port lies on the border of Hupeh, trade was a good deal disturbed by the nearby communist and anti-communist operations in the southern part of that province. Cargoes passing through and recorded at Yochow come chiefly from the great market of Changteh on the Yuan River, and this town and district, which suffered heavily from the disastrous floods of 1931, had not yet recovered from the effects of that catastrophe in the year under review. The Yochow trade statistics were very little different from those of 1931. Imports direct from abroad were less- almost entirely due to smaller withdrawals from hond of kerosene oil-but this decrease was offset by an increase in native imports; while the combined figures for exports abroad and coastwise. almost exactly tallied in value with the combined export figures for 1931. The most important exports are raw cotton and wood oil: the former of these commodities registered a distinct advance, while shipments of the latter were about average. Other usual exports through Yochow, such as cow hides, nutgalls, ramie, black tea, varnish, broad beans, lotus nuts, and medicines, declined owing to poor markets abroad, damage to the producing districts by the floods of the previous year, or to the fact that these products found outlet from the province by means of transport not coming under the Customs cognizance.

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