# Twentieth Century Impressions of Hongkong, Shanghai, and other Treaty Ports of China/Canton

CANTON.
By H. A. Cartwright.
ANTON, the cradle and still the chief seat of British trade in China, is a city of absorbing interest whether it be regarded historically or commercially, for its origin is obscured in the mists of antiquity and its exports and imports exceed in value those of any other port in the empire, with the exception of Shanghai.
According to Chinese chronologists, the city was founded before the commencement of the Christian era. However this may be, the term Kwong Chow, by which the surrounding district is still known, is met with three centuries after Christ. Canton first acquired its celebrity as a mart for foreign trade in the eighth and ninth centuries, and in the tenth century Arab navigators were making regular voyages between this port and the western ports of Asia. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to find their way thither, arriving in 1516. They were followed about one hundred years later by the Dutch, who, in turn, were succeeded by the British.
It was in July, 1655, that Captain Weddell, commander of the London, having first bombarded the Bogue forts that commanded the entrance to the Canton River, was granted by the Viceroy full participation in the Canton trade. For some years after this the agents of the East India Company conducted operations with the city from the Portuguese colony of Macao. In 1684 they established their famous factory at Canton, and laid the foundations of a very profitable trade, which, in spite of many irritating restrictions and exactions, was continued for a century and a half. The Company's charter expired in 1834, and with it their monopoly ceased. Five years later, Great Britain, irritated beyond endurance by a long succession of annoyances and insults, was driven to declare war against China, and Canton was menaced with capture in 1841. Then was concluded the Treaty of Chuenpi, under which Hongkong was ceded to the British, and Canton was opened freely to trade. The dispute between the Chinese and foreigners, however, did not cease until 1857, when Canton was taken by the British and the French. The city was occupied by the Allied Forces for about four years, and since the withdrawal of the garrison foreigners of all nationalities have been free to come and go without let or hindrance.
Upon returning to Canton after the capture of the city, the foreign merchants found that the factory and other buildings which they had occupied along the side of the river were in ruins. Temporary recourse was therefore had to the warehouses on the opposite bank of the river. Eventually it was decided to convert an extensive mud flat known as the Shameen into a permanent settlement for the British by filling it in and enclosing it with a massive granite embankment. An artificial island, separated from the mainland by a canal of 100 feet in width, was thus formed. An irregular oval in shape, it measures 2,850 feet in length, and 950 feet in breadth at its widest part. Towards the cost of making this settlement—325,000 Mexican dollars—the British Government contributed four-fifths, and the French Government one-fifth. The British Concession consists of 45 acres, and the French Concession of 11 acres.
The total value of Canton's imports during the twelve months under review was £8,524,541, and was distributed almost equally between other parts of China and the rest of the world. To the foreign portion the United Kingdom contributed no less than £3,993,941. The imports consist chiefly of opium, cotton and woollen goods, metals, oils, white sugar, and flour. Amongst these, opium takes the first place, accounting for one-fourth of the total value of the foreign imports. It is interesting to observe that during the last seven years the quantity of opium imported has increased from 6,914 to 11,145 piculs. It is estimated that the average annual import of foreign opium into the province of Kwangtung is 12,000 chests, and that an equal quantity of the native-grown article is received—a fact which is not without significance in view of the anti-opium crusade. It is gratifying to find that fully 90 per cent. of the piece-goods trade consists of British manufactures, and that nearly the whole of the cotton-yarn imported comes from India. British cigarettes of high grade also appear to be growing in favour. But while a new trade in flour is being opened by the recently started Hongkong mill, the sugar refineries in the colony are suffering from the competition of white sugar chemically prepared in Java. In considering these figures it must be borne in mind that they relate only to the cargoes carried in foreign ships, and that in addition, large quantities of both tea and silk are conveyed in junks to Hongkong for trans-shipment.
It is undoubtedly to its splendid facilities for navigation that Canton owes its prosperity. The capital of the province of Kwangtung, it stretches for four or five miles along the eastern bank of the Pearl River, which is here somewhat broader than the Thames at London Bridge and navigable for ocean-going vessels of considerable draught. The river at this point is densely crowded with shipping of all descriptions and of all nationalities. The total tonnage entered and cleared during 1906 was 4,924,031 tons, of which no less than 3,583,538 tons were British. Chinese junks lie huddled so closely together and in such numbers as to create the impression of a floating township; indeed, it is computed that more than 50,000 men, women and children know no home other than these little craft. The total population of Canton is placed at nearly 3,000,000 people by the Customs authorities, and this estimate is probably not far wrong, although a native official report in 1895 placed the number at about one-fifth of this figure. Including the suburbs, Canton has a circuit of nearly 10 miles. The city proper has a circumference of about six miles, and a breadth of about two miles. It is enclosed by massive walls of some 20 feet in thickness and from 25 to 40 feet in height. In these walls there are twelve gates, which are closed at night. A partition wall running east and west divides the city into two unequal parts—the northern and larger division being called the old, and the southern the new city. This wall has four gates.
Although regarded as a model Chinese city, Canton fails to impress the Western eye very favourably. It consists of a labyrinth of some 600 evil-smelling, dimly lighted, stone-flagged streets, packed with a seething mass of humanity, and so narrow that in the widest of them four men would find it difficult to walk abreast. In many parts, indeed, it is only just possible for two Sedan chairs to pass one another. This narrowness and the motley array of shop-signs that ​hang in tiers overhead serve to exclude those
"Blazing suns that dart a downward ray And fiercely shed intolerable day,"
and at the same time to prevent the intrusion of fresh air. The shops, separated from one another by thick walls of solid brick, never rise beyond two storeys, and many of them obtain light during the day by means of apertures in the roof.
Unglazed, they lie open to the street, exposing a heterogeneous display of commodities and a blaze of Oriental colour calculated to attract the attention of the most casual passer-by. In not a few instances the representatives of one particular trade or craft are found clustered together, but butchers' shops, stocked with a variety of dubious delicacies, from which even the rat is not excluded, appear to be scattered with a generous hand throughout the length and breadth of the city. For the benefit of the tourist there are innumerable curio shops containing jewellery, jade, China ware, lacquer ware, feather work, brass work, carved ivory, and stone, blackwood, silk goods, and a hundred and one things. The method of lacquering is kept so close a secret by those engaged in the trade that the craftsmen of one town are unable to employ the colours used by those of another. Exceptional interest attaches to the feather work by reason of its beauty and its scarceness. There are, in fact, only two shops at which it can be seen. Minute particles of brightly hued birds' plumage are mounted on pins, brooches, and other articles of jewellery producing an effect like that of the brightest enamel. So trying is this work to the eyes of the operators that after some years it produces total blindness.
To the archæologist Canton is a city of irresistible charm, for it contains more than one hundred pagodas, temples, halls, and other religious edifices. Near the west gate of the old city stand two pagodas—one, rising to a height of 160 feet, was erected by Arabian voyagers a thousand years ago; the other, an octagonal pagoda of nine storeys, 170 feet high, was built thirteen hundred years ago. There is also a large five-storeyed pagoda in the extreme north of the city that was first constructed in a.d. 1368, as a "palladium" against the evil influences which are supposed to flow from that quarter. From the top storey extensive and picturesque views may be obtained of the surrounding country, including the White Cloud Mountains. Detachments of soldiers were quartered here during the occupation of Canton by the British and French troops. On the city wall, which runs close by, are still to be seen the British guns, now spiked and covered with rust, which were mounted in position after the capture of the city. A striking contrast to these old outstanding features of the city is furnished by the Roman Catholic Cathedral of the French Mission. This outward and visible sign of a war which is being waged with much earnestness throughout China at the present day is built entirely of dressed granite and has two lofty towers surmounted by spires. The catholicity of spirit of the Chinese in religious matters is evidenced in the Temple of Five Hundred Genii, which contains five hundred large gilded images of saints of various nationalities and including John the Baptist and Marco Polo. The followers of Buddha have erected many temples. Chief amongst these are the Honam Temple, on the opposite side of the river, containing images of Buddha and his eighteen apostles; the Temple of Longevity with a colossal figure of Buddha in a recumbent position; and the Tartar City Temple, with three effigies of Buddha, each some twenty feet in height. In the temple of the Five Genii are to be seen an image of the supreme deity of the Taoist faith, five stones representing five supernatural rams, from which Canton derived its soubriquet of the "City of Rams," a rock in the shape of a gigantic foot which is declared by the priests to be an impress left by Buddha, and an enormous bell which was struck by a cannon ball from one of the British ships in the bombardment of 1857. Tradition says that when the bell was cast and placed in its present position some two hundred years ago a prophecy was uttered foretelling calamity to Canton whenever it should give forth sound. The Temple of Horrors is apparently designed to strike terror into the heart of the evildoer, for it contains representations in statuary of the tortures supposed to be employed in the various compartments of hell. For the peace of mind of any one who is not content to wait until his enemy meets with a due reward in one or other of these compartments hereafter, there are temples in which untold calamities may be called down upon the head of the living merely by writing his name on a scrap of paper and suspending this in a specified position, much in the same way that bodies were wasted away in mediæval England with the aid of waxen figures. For the convenience of those who seek to gain the blessing of the departed there is a City of the Dead in which bodies may be deposited until such time as the soothsayer shall discover a "lucky" spot for their interment. In the case of wealthy families it sometimes happens that the site is not selected for years. In the meantime prayers for the repose of the dead are recited by the priests—in some cases for forty consecutive days. The family pride of the Chinese is shown in numerous ancestral temples, one of the finest of which is that belonging to the Chan family. As a specimen of Chinese architecture the Chin Chew Club is worthy of inspection. The old water clock, which was damaged in the last British attack on Canton, is an interesting relic of the past. It consists of three cylindrical vessels ranged one above another. The time is indicated on ​a brass rod, which rises out of the lowest of these as the vessel fills with water received in a uniform trickle from those above it. The old Examination Hall, in which the students' quarters resembled so many sentry boxes, has now been demolished, and in its stead a large technical college is being erected to accommodate seven hundred boys. The many public halls belonging to guilds in Canton prove that trade unions are not merely the product of modern civilisation; indeed, it is doubtful whether the principle of combination, specialisation, and boycott is anywhere carried to greater perfection than in China. The Execution Ground, which most visitors to Canton include in their tour of inspection, is merely a potter's yard in which, when capital sentences are not being carried out, the gamin of the neighbourhood are wont to disport themselves. The bodies of the victims are often left lying on the ground exposed to the gaze of the morbidly curious for some hours before they are removed. For a small consideration, the executioner, a sinister looking gentleman, will produce his trade implements and a few skulls which he keeps in stock for the edification of the visitor.
After the heat and squalor of Canton proper, it is a refreshing change to cross ​over one of the two bridges that give access to the Shameen with its wide, trimly kept walks, shaded with well-grown trees, its modern European residences, its riverside promenade, and its tastefully laid out pleasure garden. All foreign business relations with the city of Canton are conducted from this settlement. The local Government of the British area, comprising four-fifths of the island, is vested in the Shameen Municipal Council. The members of this body are elected annually by the ratepayers, but as the total population of the Shameen, exclusive of the Chinese, does not exceed from 180 to 200, there are comparatively few residents entitled to exercise the franchise. The Chinese, except those in the service of the various "hongs," are not allowed to live on the island, nor are they permitted to become house or property owners there. The members of the Municipal Council never exceed five in number, and, at the present, there are only four—Mr. H. Bent, of Messrs. T. E. Griffith & Co., who is the president; Mr. T. E. Griffith, also of Messrs. T. E. Griffith & Co.; Mr. A. V. Hogg, of Messrs. Reiss & Co.; and Dr. Davenport; with Mr. H. W. Hine as Secretary.
The Council carries out all the functions attaching usually to local municipal government. It has charge of the streets, roads, lighting, sanitation, police force, and fire brigade, and is empowered to levy rates for their maintenance. Under its direction and control the Shameen has obtained, and deserves, the reputation of being one of the best kept and most picturesque concessions in China.
The whole of the land on the British Concession has been leased from the Government for 99 years, and all but five plots of ground have been built upon. The Council's principal revenue comes from a house tax of 5 per cent. on an annual assessment, which yields roughly about $10,000 per annum. In addition, there is an annual tax of $25 on each plot of land, and this brings in some $2,000, while some $4,000 are derived from wharfage dues. The only Chinese product of any consequence, which figures in the last item, is raw silk, of which between 40,000 and 45,000 bales are shipped direct from the Shameen, representing a yearly trade, in round figures, of some thirty million dollars. This is the largest industry with which the Europeans have any connection, as other products are exported direct from the native city. A slight revenue is also obtained from various licences, of which those for native boats are the most important. The total income, from all sources, may be considered, roughly, as $20,000 per annum; in 1906, which is the latest period for which exact figures can be obtained, $21,364·46 were collected, and $19,000·46 expended. The police force, the upkeep of which constitutes the largest item in the expenses, consists of a European superintendent, three Chinese sergeants, and 22 Chinese constables, or "lukongs" as they are called. The police station and barracks are on the Shameen, and here the whole of the staff is housed. The fire brigade is composed of volunteers.
The health of the concession is good and has greatly improved during the last three years as a result of the completion, at a cost of $22,000, of a system of open drainage. There can be no doubt whatever that the community has benefited enormously by the adoption of this scheme, for last year there was a total absence of communicable diseases amongst the European residents. A large open space on the river frontage is used for recreation purposes, and here a number of tennis courts are rented by the Canton Tennis Club for a nominal sum from His Britannic Majesty's Board of Works, Shanghai. The remainder of this space is occupied by a public garden and a football ground, both under the control of the Council. Rowing is a favourite form of exercise among the residents, and new premises, for the accommodation of boats and "hong" gigs, have just been erected by the Council at a cost of $10,000.
The means of communication with Canton have increased rapidly of late years, and are still being added to. Three lines of steamers, conveying both passengers and cargo, ply daily between Hongkong and Canton, a distance of about 95 miles; a daily service is maintained between Macao and Canton; and there is regular connection with Wuchow and West River ports, and with Shanghai, Newchwang, and Kwangchu Wan. A railway between Kowloon and Canton is now under construction; another line to Hankow is partly opened for traffic, and, when completed, will give access to Peking; while a third line runs from Canton to Samshui, bringing the West River ports within twenty-four hours' distance of the city. Surveys have been made for a Chinese-owned line from Canton to Whampoa and thence to Amoy, but so far only one-fifth of the capital of forty million dollars has been subscribed. A concession for a line between Macao and Canton was granted to a Sino-Portuguese syndicate in November, 1904. An overland line of telegraph was laid between Canton and Kowloon in 1883, and another overland line was completed from Canton to Lungchau-fu, on the Kwangsi and Tonkin frontier, in the following year. This proved of great service to the Chinese Army during the Franco-Chinese War, and since that time many branch lines have been opened. Owing to the success of the telegraph line constructed from Peking to Shanghai in 1886, the Chinese Government decided to extend the line south to Canton. The work of extension, entrusted to Danish engineers, occupied more than twelve months, for the route chosen lay through the mountainous provinces of Chekiang, Fokien, and Kwangtung, and took in all the Treaty ports.
The telephone was introduced into Canton in 1905. At first it was managed by Japanese engineers, and Japanese instruments and materials were largely used. During the last two years, however, the Chinese have assumed control. At present there are over one thousand subscribers each paying a rate of $5 per month. Trunk lines extend to all the principal parts of the city and across the river to the Honam side, where there is a branch exchange. The outlook for the future is very promising, for within a few years the Chinese authorities expect to make extensions to all the neighbouring business centres.
THE BRITISH CONSULATE.
The British Government is represented in Canton by the British Consul-General, Mr. R. W. Mansfield, C.M.G. Besides his local functions he acts as the intermediary between the Government of Hongkong and the Chinese authorities, and, except for those municipal matters relating particularly to the British Concession of Shameen which, by a set of land regulations, have been put under the control of the Municipal Council, he is solely responsible for upholding the interests of the British community. Since the occupation of Canton by the Allied Forces, in 1860, the British Government has had a yamen in the native city, forming a part of the then Tartar general's yamen, but, owing to the great inconvenience of transacting business there, the Consul resides on the Shameen. The Consulate is an imposing building, and has a staff consisting of a Vice-Consul, two ​European Assistants, and a number of Chinese writers. No regular permanent guard is maintained, but there are always three small British gunboats in the West River. Since the riots in 1883, when the island was attacked and a great deal of property destroyed by the mob, a guard, furnished by the Chinese Government, has been in charge of the bridges leading from the Shameen to the Chinese city.
Mr. Robert William Mansfield, C.M.G., was born on September 16, 1850, and is the son of the Rev. J. Mansfield, Rector of Blandford St. Mary's, Dorsetshire, and Emily Le Poer Trench. Educated at Cheltenham College, he entered the Consular service in China in 1870 and has acted as Consul at Shanghai, Canton, Foochow, Swatow, Wuhu, and Chinkiang. He was appointed Consul at Chungking, in 1891, but did not take up the duties of the office and, while acting for a period as Consul at Foochow, he went to Kutien, in 1895, to institute an inquiry into the massacre of eleven missionaries. Later he acted as Consul-General at Shanghai and in 1899 was appointed Consul at Amoy. The last two years he has spent at Canton. He married, in 1878, Marie Thérèse, daughter of Comte Cahouёt de Marolles, and has issue.
THE FRENCH CONSULATE.
The French community at Canton number about forty. Their business consists largely, almost entirely, of the exportation of raw silk, and, in this connection, it is worthy of note that practically all the silk from Canton, whether held by British or French merchants, is sent to France. There is a large college in the city where the French and Chinese languages are taught and where educational work of considerable value is carried on. The French hospital, built at a cost of $200,000 and subsidised by the Government of Indo-China, is the only hospital in Canton which is not connected with any missionary enterprise. Last year over twenty thousand patients received medical treatment and attention at this institution, which is fully equipped with the most modern surgical appliances, and contains a department for bacteriological work, an X-rays department, and an excellent little operating theatre. The splendid laboratory was the gift of Max Lebaudy, the Indo-China sugar millionaire. Attached to the hospital, also, is a medical college. Upon the Shameen there is a French post office, a French bank, and other public offices. The whole of the interests connected with these phases of Colonial enterprise are represented by the French Consul, who is, ex officio, chairman of the Municipal Council governing the French Concession. At the present time M. Veroudart is acting in this capacity, but his appointment as Consul is not a permanent one, and he is leaving Canton shortly.
THE GERMAN CONSULATE.
Dr. Walther Rössler, the Consul for Germany in Canton, has the supervision of German interests in the provinces of Yunnan, Kweichow, and portions of Kwangsi and Kwangtung. There are fourteen large German commercial houses with branches in Canton, and the number of Germans resident on the Shameen and in the neighbouring districts is about 103 ; there are also some thirty Swiss registered at the Consulate, over whom, of course, Dr. Rössler exercises full jurisdiction. The offices of the Consulate form a splendid pile of buildings on the Shameen. They were completed in August, 1906, at a cost of $185,000.
THE PORTUGUESE CONSULATE.
The Portuguese Consulate was established in Canton, in 1870, and has jurisdiction over one of the largest foreign communities in the Settlement, for the Portuguese residents of Canton number about seventy-five, and, in addition, there are about two hundred Chinese, born in Macao, claiming its protection. Mr. J. D. da Costa de Moraes, the Consul-General for Portugal in South China, is the doyen of the Consular Corps at Canton. Born in Lisbon, he has been in the Consular service for a quarter of a century, having served previously at Barcelona, Gibraltar, Paris, and in Cadiz (Spain). He received his present appointment some six years ago.
ARNHOLD, KARBERG & CO.
Amongst the merchants who have contributed largely to the development of China's commerce a prominent position is taken by Arnhold, Karberg & Co. This firm was established in 1866 by Mr. Jacob Arnhold, a German gentleman whose photograph we reproduce on another page, and Mr. Peter Karberg, a Danish merchant. It started on a small scale in Honam, opposite to the city of Canton, where all the foreign offices used to be, and later on removed to Shameen, when this Settlement was founded by the British and French. By perseverance, acumen, and integrity it rapidly increased its business and extended its sphere. A branch was soon opened in Hongkong, and on January 1, 1881, an office was established in Shanghai. New branches, with a European staff, have since been opened in Tientsin, Hankow, Tsingtau, Wuhu, Kiukiang, Newchwang, Chungking, and Mukden, whilst offices with only Chinese in charge are kept in quite a number of towns, including Peking, Tsinanfu, Kirin, &c. Besides these, the firm has numerous Chinese agencies ; indeed, its name can be found all over the Empire. With the ever-growing business in China it became necessary for Arnhold, Karberg & Co. to replace their principal home buying agents by offices of their own. The first of these was opened in London, and was followed later on by two more in New York and Berlin, all of which have developed very fast, so that a large staff has to be employed in each of them. Besides these branches, the firm still employs a number of buying agents in different parts of the world, and has a still larger number of agents for the sale of China products.
The firm occupies the most conspicuous commercial building in Shameen. This has only just been finished and takes the place of the firm's old hong, which was erected in 1872. The building is most imposing, and is visible for some miles when Canton is approached by the back reach. The front, up to the first floor, is constructed of granite, the outer walls of bricks laid in cement, and everything else of re-inforced concrete. The ground floor is occupied by a machinery exhibition room, covering an area of about 2,500 square feet, and a godown of about 8,000 square feet. The first floor contains the general offices, and the second and third floors the living apartments of the managers and the principal assistants. The roof is utilised for kitchens and servants' quarters and, further, for a roof garden, which in the hot summer months will add greatly to the comforts of life. An electric lift with all the latest improvements — the only one in existence in Canton — runs from the ground floor to the roof. Electricity is used for lighting throughout, but a small gas plant, which has been installed in the premises for heating and cooking, can also be used for lighting in case of emergencies. The house has cold and hot water service right through, and is replete with the most modern European and American appliances in the way of sanitary and electric fittings, dumb waiters, septic tanks, water pumping, water filtration, telephones, &c. A pleasing feature is the high-class artistic wrought-iron work imported from Germany, which is used for the grilles and doorways on the ground floor and for all the verandah balustrading. The available space has been utilised in the most economical manner, and the building as a whole can well be styled a model of its kind. It was designed and constructed by Messrs. Purnell & Paget, architects, of Canton, who are responsible for quite a number of fine buildings in Shameen and Canton, and it was erected by Mr. Lam Woo, a Chinese contractor, of Hongkong. Valuable assistance and suggestions were given by Messrs. Arnhold, Karberg & Co.'s own engineering office. It is worthy of note that this is the first important building in South China of any considerable size in which re-inforced concrete construction has been so universally used. The Kahn system of re-inforcing is the type used throughout for floors, beams, girders, columns, partition walls, &c., and it has given entire satisfaction.
The Teutonic thoroughness which has characterised the firm from the beginning is still one of its features, and it is, therefore, not surprising to find that each of the more important articles in which it deals is handled by an expert. There are in the Canton office three silk inspectors, a matting expert, specialists for the various export and import articles, mechanical and electrical engineers, &c.
The firm deals in nearly every article, imported or exported, that is handled in Canton, and in many its name heads the list as to quantity. The firm also transacts shipping, fire and life insurance, and banking business, &c.
Mr. Jacob Arnhold, one of the founders of the firm, died in 1903, but Mr. Karberg is still alive and resides in Copenhagen. He left the firm late in the seventies. The firm is now composed of Mr. Phil. Arnhold, a brother of the original founder, who lives in London; Mr. Ernst Goetz, in Hongkong; Mr. Rud. Lemke and Mr. Harry Arnhold, in Shanghai, the latter a son of the founder; Mr. Max Niclassen, in Berlin; and Mr. A. E. Dowler, in New York.
BUTTESFIELD & SWIRE.
It is but natural to find Messrs. Butterfield & Swire—undoubtedly one of the leading houses in the Far East—holding a very prominent place in Can'on, the great trade centre of Southern China. They control what is probably the must important business of any Britsh firm having an office on the Shameen, and their steamers do a great deal of the carrying trade to Canton, and keep the British flag well in evidence there. The branch was established in 1897, and holds the agency for the China Navigation Company, Ltd., the Ocean Steamship Company, Ltd., the China Mutual Steam Navigation Company, Ltd., the Taikoo Sugar Refining Company, Ltd., the Union Insurance Society of Canton, and several important fire insurance companies.
BUTTERFIELD & SWIRE'S OFFICES, CANTON.
BUTTERFIELD & SWIRE'S GODOWNS, CANTON.
In order to accommodate their numerous ocean-going steamers that call at the port, the firm, during the last few years, have acquired a splendid site, with a deep-water frontage of some one thousand eight hundred feet, at Pak Hin Hok, on the back reach of the river, a little below the city. Here they have constructed three steel wharves, and six splendid godowns—three of iron, and three of brick, with an immense amount of storage capacity. With these facilities the firm are able to deal very expeditiously with cargo, and, instead of it being necessary for the steamers sometimes to remain at Canton for upwards of a week, they are now generally ready to continue their journey a few hours after arrival. The godowns and wharves are under one roof, are excellently ventilated, and, as nearly as possible, fireproof. They are a great boon to shippers, and the Chinese are not slow to realise the advantages which the firm offer. These premises, however, cover but a portion of the area held by the Company, and there is, consequently, room for subsequent extension. The manager at Canton is Mr. James McIsaac, who has a considerable European and Chinese staff under his control. In addition to their shipping and godown business the firm do a large trade in sugar manufactured at their refinery in Hongkong, and also specialise in fire insurance, which is transacted by them not only in Canton itself, but also in the up-country towns throughout the two Kwang Provinces.
THE BANQUE DE L'INDO-CHINE.
This important French bank, which, for a number of years, has had a branch at Hongkong, opened a new agency in Canton in 1902. It was the first bank established on the Concession, and is still the only one there owning the ground on which it stands. It transacts ordinary banking business, and represents the financial interests of the French community and the French Government generally. Mr. G. Garnier is the manager, and Mr. H. Mazot the assistant manager.
SHEWAN, TOMES & CO.
THE CHINA LIGHT AND POWER COMPANY.
Before doing business with Eastern peoples it has often been necessary to educate them to appreciate the uses of that which the vendors sought to supply. The Chinese, for example, did not receive the electric light at all favourably at first, and the China Light and Power Company had much difficulty to contend with on that account when, in 1901, they acquired the original Canton Electric Supply undertaking. Another adverse circumstance was the fact that the plant was far from satisfactory. During the last six years, however, the local prejudice has been overcome, and a more modern plant has been installed. As a result, the output of electricity has grown rapidly, and now amounts to 2,250,000 units per annum. The number of 10 candle-power lights in use has increased from 2,000 in 1903 to the equivalent of 20,000. The plant consists of four steam alternator sets of 125 kilowatts each, and one of 30 kilowatts—the engines by Belliss, and the alternators by Johnson Phillips; a Diesel engine alternator set of 140 kilowatts, with engine by Sulzer, and alternator by A. E. G.; and two sets of similar power with engines by Willans & Robinson, and alternators by Dick, Kerr & Co. Steam is generated in four Babcock & Wilcox boilers of the water-tube type. The current is distributed at high pressure, and reduced to 100 volts at consumers' houses. A high tension armoured submarine cable feeds the island of Honam, facing the Canton side. In 1903 the Company extended the scope of their operations by establishing a branch at Kowloon. The plant, mostly American,
PURNELL & PAGET.
This well-known firm of architects and engineers is composed of Mr. Arthur W. Purnell, of Geelong, Australia; and Mr. Charles S. Paget, of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Both are young men of special training in their particular work, and since they have been in practice in Canton they have had numerous important undertakings entrusted to them of a varied character, all of which have been successfully accomplished to the satisfaction of their clients. Among them are the godowns, wharves, and land reclamation for the Hamburg-Amerika Linie in Canton; indoor, outdoor, and export examination shed, for the Imperial Maritime Customs; Imperial Chinese Post Office; new hong, for Messrs. Arnhold, Karberg & Co. (this building is the most notable of its kind in South China, and one of the few reinforced concrete structures in the East); the new International Banking Corporation's building; East Hall; Canton Christian College; Hospital buildings ("Hospital Paul Dormier"); Messrs. Deacon & Co.'s new premises; Canton Club, theatre, and extensions; and a group of residences and schools for the Southern Baptist Convention, London Mission, and others. Messrs. Purnell & Paget have also been retained in important arbitration cases, and consulted on proposed work for the Chinese Government, as well as for work in Manila, Shanghai, and Hongkong. Their practice is general, covering architectural and engineering work of a varied character, and their staff of Europeans and Chinese are trained and experienced in their respective lines. At the present time they are acting on behalf of the European contractors who are erecting the Canton Cement Works and brick plant for the Chinese Government. Mr. Charles Souders Paget was born in 1874 at Bridgeton, New Jersey, U.S.A. He comes of an old Quaker stock, who were among the oldest settlers of Cumberland County. His father was a Philadelphia manufacturer of cotton and linen goods. From the age of eight Mr. Paget lived and received his early education in the famous iron and steel centre—Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He was educated as an architectural and structural engineer under the well-known consulting engineer, Mansfield Merrimon, at Lehigh University. He received his early training as an engineer with Grant Wilkins in the laying out and construction of the Atlanta Exposition. In the war with Spain he was attached to the Corps of Engineers, United States Army, under Colonel J. G. D. Knight, who is now in charge of the defences of New York Harbour. In the Philippine campaign he was detailed on special reconnaissance work in Southern Luzon, and was placed in charge of the topographical survey of Corrigidor Island, preliminary to the fortification of that island for the defence of the city of Manila. Subsequently he was engaged in mining claim survey in Central Luzon. He came to China in 1902 with the late Captain W. R. Rich, and engaged in the preliminary survey of the Samshui branch and the main line (Hankow South) of the Yuet Han Railway. In 1904 he commenced private practice in Canton. Mr. Arthur William Purnell was born in 1879 at Geelong, Victoria, Australia. After attending MacManus' Preparatory School he continued his studies at Flinders School, Geelong College, Gordon College (honour class), and Geelong School of Arts. He passed the Government examinations in architecture, perspective drawing, and building construction in 1896, and holds the Government diplomas for these subjects. After studying under C. A. Heyward (Government architect) he passed the Geelong and Melbourne examinations with honours, and obtained certificates for theory and practice in advanced trade classes from the Victorian Education Department. A son of the senior partner in the old-established firm of Messrs. Purnell & Sons, architects, &c., of Geelong, he was trained by this firm, and some very important buildings and works were carried out to his plans and instructions, and under his supervision. He was successful at the Paris Exposition, and at Collingwood and Ballarat Arts and Crafts Exhibition. Subsequently he went on a tour of inspection for the firm to ​Africa, Europe, America, Honolulu, and New Zealand. He came to Hongkong in 1902, and joined the staff of the late Mr. W. Danby, architect and engineer. In the following year he proceeded to Canton to take charge of Mr. W. Danby's Shameen office, and in 1904 commenced practice on his own account.
DEACON & CO.
One of the historic hongs at Canton is that of Messrs. Deacon & Co., which for over half a century has taken an important part in the trade of the city. The business was founded by Mr. James B. Deacon in the great tea days, and for many years, with headquarters in Canton and a branch at Macao, traded very largely and almost exclusively in that product. At the present time, the tea business having dwindled into comparative insignificance, the firm acts as merchants, commission, shipping, and insurance agents, representing, among others, the Peninsular and Oriental Company, the Union Assurance Society, Ltd., the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, and the Hongkong, Canton, and Macao Steamboat Company, Ltd., who operate a regular service of fast river boats carrying His Majesty's mails to and from Hongkong. Messrs. Deacon & Co. deal largely, also, in waste and raw silk, matting, and other Chinese products for export, and in paper, glass, ribbons, &c., which they import. The firm occupy a fine new building, their own property, on the British Concession, Shameen, and Mr. E. A. Stanton, one of the partners, personally conducts the business with a staff of European and Chinese assistants.
SIEMSSEN & CO.
This firm, which, as will be seen from a sketch appearing in the Hongkong section, was established at Canton some fifty-two years ago, is one of the most important of the large houses carrying on business on the Shameen. The headquarters of the Company were removed to the British Colony some time ago, but, nevertheless, the branch at Canton still carries on an extensive trade with the native city and the countries of Europe. Raw silk and almost every kind of Chinese produce are exported, while goods are imported from Europe, America, and Australia. The firm also acts as agents, in Canton, for the Hamburg-Amerika line of steamers (which have large and splendidly constructed new godowns on the back reach of the river below Canton), and represents a number of insurance and shipping companies. Mr. R. Leissing is the manager of the branch.
HOWARTH ERSKINE.
This well-known firm of engineers and contractors, of Singapore, have, within the last two years, opened a branch office on the British Concession, Shameen, under the charge of Mr. W. H. Hill. They have already carried out several local contracts, including a boat-house for the Canton Municipal Council, built on reinforced steel piers. They have received the contract also for the whole of the steelwork in connection with the large new premises that are being erected for the Imperial Customs, and a very large contract, from the Chinese Government, for the South China Cement Works now being built outside the city. The building will cover an area of some 400 square feet, and some parts will be four storeys high. The firm are constructing the principal foundations for the chimney stack, the silo, and the kilns. In the case of the kilns the foundations are 145 feet long, and 28 feet wide, and will have to support a dead weight load of 10,000 tons. The silo foundations are 105 feet by 45 feet with a depth of 6 feet of concrete. The total weight of the building will be 900 tons, and the firm have undertaken to complete the construction within six months. The firm undertake all kinds of engineering work, and, being well and favourably known to the Chinese community, are securing a full share of local contracts.
BRITISH-AMERICAN TOBACCO COMPANY.
This well-known firm have for many years been at the head of the tobacco trade in Canton and South China. Their different brands of cigarettes are sold in immense ​quantities all over the provinces of South China, and the walls of Canton City and the delta towns are literally covered with the brightly coloured advertisement posters used by the Company. Both the cheap and high-grade brands of cigarettes are in great favour with the Chinese, and their well-known "Three Castles" are to be obtained in every part of the Empire. The Company are also agents for, and do a large business in the high-class cigarettes "Bouton Rouge" and "Felucca," manufactured by Maspero Frères, Limited, Cairo, Egypt. The head office for the South China territory is at No.18, Bank Buildings, Hongkong, and there are branch offices in Canton and all the important coast ports.
CHINA BAPTIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY.
This organisation at Canton publishes for all American Baptist Missionaries in the Chinese Empire, and it also prints for the general missionary body in the two Kwang Provinces, it was organised in February, 1899, and during eight years its presses have issued over 3.000,000 volumes. Over 750,000 volumes were sent out during 1907. The Society now has 120 different titles on its catalogue, and a number of new books are being put through the press. A Chinese monthly magazine of sixty pages is issued, which circulates throughout the Empire, and also in other countries whither the Chinese have gone. The Society prints "New East," a quarterly magazine in English, which is the organ of Baptist missionaries in China. Steps are being taken to erect a new and more commodious publishing house on a large site which the Society has recently purchased. The Society has large plans for the future, which should make it one of the leading mission presses of the world. As it is backed by the entire Baptist denomination of the United States, one of the wealthiest and most numerous in the world, it should not lack for funds. The Rev. R. E. Chambers, B.A., the secretary and treasurer, has charge also of the American library at Canton, which was established and is maintained by money received as an indemnity, from the Chinese Government, for damage done to American property during the riots some fifty years ago. Mr. R. T. Cowles is in charge of the printing works.
CHINA MERCHANTS STEAM NAVIGATION COMPANY.
Mr. Chun Lai To, who has represented the China Merchants Steam Navigation Company at Canton for some years past, is a native of Canton, and received an excellent English education at Hongkong. His father, Chun yue Ting, was formerly a merchant of Chefoo. The China Merchants Steam Navigation Company is the only purely Chinese company having ocean-going steamers calling at the port. Their offices are in Shak Kei Street, in the native city, immediately facing the British Concession, and the steamers have berths on the opposite side of the Shameen, only a few yards away from the shore. In addition to its splendid fleet of steamers, mentioned elsewhere, which maintains regular sailings to Shanghai, the firm operates the Kiang Tung between Canton and Macao. This is a night boat well fitted to accommodate both European and Chinese passengers.
MR. MIU NAI YORK.
Mr. Miu Nai York, the compradore to the Standard Oil Company of New York at their Shameen office, is a native of Canton who, having spent some eleven years in America, returned to China and went into business at Shanghai. Two and a half years ago he joined the Standard Oil Company, and now controls the whole of their important and extensive Chinese business in Canton.