New-York tribune., 1885-01-17
WAR TOPICS IN CHINA.
THE pEFENCEs OF CANTON.


tPRoM A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE rR's"NhI
CANTON, Dec. 1.-The city OF Canton Is con:
nected with Hong Kong by line OF steainors w" -.
which leave the latter place alternately every ho' s
at 8 o'clock, third making q night trip every $50
day. The boats built in semi-Americah i"'"'o an
Lroad, shallow, and having tho spacious upper u
divided into forward cabin. with comfortaoie s'"o
rooms tor foreign passengers. and larger caon "' ~
the Chinese. The fare for foreigners s %, WIN % ~
added for each meal taken. The Chinese arc caf'0" "
so cents which found Improbable. rs they sono
times number 1000. The eOoe class are kept Oh '''o
lower desk doors and gratngs being closed soon a'er
leaving Hong Kong and sentinels. with cutlasscsh'u
Ing guard till the steamer reaches the mouth OF Te'ri
River and under Chinese military p-o'ec''on.
This prccauto has been taken since the capture o,
steamer by tho irates some years ago ana the "u'
OF all the white persons on board Rifles ana p'so'' H'o
freely distributed about the vessel and every passenger
finds cutlass in shis saterOom IL Is pincty mics '"
Canton and the scene changes when little more INA"
half this distance passed and the Lintn Bay narrow"
into the mouth OF the Pearl River. Here begin tooo
visible signs OF the extraordinary military activity ""
prevails everywhere the coast OF China ana DO QUO
witnesses Formosa elsewhere can DOUBT tna'
the Chinese least the party In the ascehuano'
at Pekn. very much In earnest In their deter'h"
ton TO fight 1t out with France TO the bitter END
The first Notifications Chucn Pee. an island OH
70 right OF the entrance rising somewhat abruptly o
peaks seaward side and fairly bfistng WIN o"'
mates and earhworks OF different forms OF construction
In some cases small peaks elevations have peehcu'
down perpendcuarly thirty forty feet for AL EN-
brasure which has aerward seen built over with heavy
masonry and filled In above with earth to nearly the
original height In other places Can be seen casemstes
Of heavy masonry and earth at the level OF tho water
With entrances through tunnel in the hill back OF them
Here and there long crenelatei lines OF intrcnch-
ment and In the valleys, little retired fortified camps
Tyeock0w Fort nearly opposite The Bogue forts are
two three miles beyond where the river narrows sun
One OF them Is Annunghoi Island on the rght'
two are small Islands in the river, while fourth
on the left Less seemed .o be doing here than
Chuen Pee though there signs OF acvity here
and there The fort on Annunghoi Is loW. apparently
brick faced with concrete. extending several
hundred feet along the Shore with frequent emDrasres'
fort OF moro recent construction crowns hilitop NJ
distance In the Most OF these forts seem OLD
fashioned and still bear ruinous traces OF the
tish bombardment OF 1853 mo knows the number
OF guns mounted these numerous works or their
calibre. but they must number many hundreds mah'
doubtless obsolete, while most OF tho rest arc
not OF the latest patterns. Tho reasons Tor this arc
seek. Canton, sitting behind her network OF
islands and intricate channels has not thought OF danger
to herself She has arsenal like tho q at shanghai
and Foo Chow whose excellent material goes first into
OF the provinces where they are situated
and II there Is surplus II Is sent afterrard where IL Is
most needed
Canton there little OF interest except slight sen.a
tion OF danger from the that you wind
ing your way among hidden explosives under the
guidance OF Chinese torpedo pilot taken at the Bogne
Here and tere may be seen the pretty little Chinese
st.nboa,s and the white steam launches used 10y the
maDdarins hut there Is not much TO vary the nonotony
till you reach the tarriot past which few vessels can
pass drawing more than ten Of The passen
ger boats only eight. Ocean vessels. OF which
saw goodly number. at the oil port OF Wham-
poa loaded by means OF cargo-boas sent down
from the city. The barrier Il made Of two lines OF piles
together the top, forming the framework for
cribs below the surface which are filed with stones
passage about a hundred feet in width remains open
south shore. which be closed at any moment
and which the Chinese authorities have declared II their
intention to close without regard 20 foreign commerce
and even without notice Whenever they see 1T Tho
barrier Is defended by batteries either side. The only
remaining hefences OF the river the hacaa Port.
circular fortress the middle OF the other channel at tho
upper end OF uonan Island, plainly seen from the
shamean and another fort. less important, on HOnan
Neither OF them IA nor Is supposed that either OF
them has armament more modern than those OF the
work. on the Peas River Both eectualy Command the
clanns sl winch caunot at this Tolnt he more than
quarter OF a mile in width All tho de'ences OF Canton
have similar advantage. for though the Pearl River
4, broad and imposing stream. vessel pass them
without coming within half u mile Of their guns
FOREIGNERS IN CANTON.
city of the empire But IT. people are Ingenious and
enterprising. All the Chinese cmlzraon TO America Is
from Canton and kwarg Tung province. OF which IT'S
the capital. The foreign settlement IS called the sha
ineen. "shameon sounds well, but means. AIN told.
merely mud bank: name applied 10 the locality when
il was an island OF sand. and reeds formed by the
swift ebbing and flowing OF the tide. II purchacd
by The English and French after the OF 1860 SUI
rounded by massive granite wall. aud divided between
the two nations proportion TO the relative expenditure
for the improvements. the latter getting much the
smaller part The French have occupied their
end which lies the dlsorerly quarter OF The
native CITY, only French citizens 81 Canton OF recent
years have priests, who have chosen to reside In
the new city. where tuey have lately built splendid
native and vie With the pagodls IN magnitude. II
architectural beauty Not frcnonnan pious or in
pious remains In the negnbOrhood 81 Canton. Their
churches scnU0ls and cinycs often Threatened by the
mob closed md sealed III the day their troops come
dnngerolsy near. wtrn nothing can save pcunys
Of all tns valuable property from uttel destruc-
The English portion OF the concession which has been
Handsomely improved ant ornamehtcd Is occupied by
ca1. or Germans as oncal duty or. the desire OF CON
mercial gain has drawn To the city. There Is tennis
ground "a public garden, bhnd 1.-THE name usually
applied In tie East to the walk along
@EaD. aud broad avenue with concrete walks aud
great shade trees, me residences are OF the oriental
pattern. OF generous proportions, with broad versnd s
about every story. cir walls are nnsslve, their cor
rdor5 wide, their apartments spacious. their ceilings
high. ani all ntofnt appointments are ARRANGED With
regard Ia com ort aud convenience Tue grounds being
In proportion and nllcd with tropical vegetation. form
suitable setting for these snowy .nanions whose Iuxni
ons app1rtrnduces aud scrytle domestic Attendance
relieve oriental life OF some Of It's nOnDtony and or all
need of personal effort
But foreigners here do not rest entirely beds Of
There IL the sense OF danger inspired by the cI
pernce riot, which resulted la the destruction Of
numerous the slameen. and might have ended
total destruction hut for the bpportune arrival OF
aid with the knowledge Of several others
quences been disastrous. The 7hamecn is
is shape and situation particularly exposed 10 dange
Ii Is about mile and quarter Ia ct aud nf
oval shape rnd being little broader than tho other.
In front IA the rVer always hed Win passing craft OF
all Sizes ON the Der side canal 100 feet In
WIDTH, such common In an Chinese aud japanese
cities, covered, especially night, class or
| boats which the only homes OF their occupants.
There several flights OF steps at several points by