Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-05
ROUND ABOUT CHIN kIANG.
Something About the Country Where
the Concord's Officers Are.


A naval lieutenant who spent some years
on the Chinese station, wintering and sum-
mering at Chin Kiang. near where the
Ccncords officers have been captured by
Chinese peasants. talks follows to q
New York World correspondent:
THE country around the town abounds
in pheasants and deer, and the water
ways are lined with ducks. 1t is a famous
shooting place, and / have no doubt that
some of the Concord fellows plugged a
Chinaman, for they are thicker than rab-
bits, and lie behind the bushes along the
river front so thick it is hard to miss them.
Lots of them have been winged accidental
ly. and the hole has been plugged with a
half dollar. You can settle with China
man for hurting him, if he is alive after
the occurrence. all the way from 10 to 80
cents.
But there are in the neighborhood at
this time of year many Chinese toughs.
Chin kiang is at the mouth of the Grand
canal, which is closed in winter. The
Chinese canaler is about as tough Speci-
men as exists. The caEalers form a large
fCaiing population in The city at this
son and they are ready for any kind Of
outrage they can safely commit. 1t is like
ly that one OF these tcughS was accidental
ly SHOT and that his injury aroused mob
OF canalers, who captured the officer who
shot him, and think that by holding him
ti1eN can get some money.
Jones, our consul there, is a very de-
termined man, and knows exactly how to
deal with that class of Cinnamon He
was there in 1889 when a terrible riot oc-
CURED, and he lost considerable property
He made the Chinese government come to
the center and make good, with proper
bonus, all he had lost and ell that other
Americans suffered. l haven't any doubt
that Jones and Captain Craig will settle
this little difficulty without the assistance
OF this government"
The Depth of the River.
In case anything serious should ensue.
there would be difficulty in getting aid to
the Concord. Seven other American war
ships are in Chinese waters but the great
er part Of the feet is at Chefoo GOO miles
away. 1t is feared there that the York
town is the only other vessel of the squad
ron that can sail UP the Yangtsekiang as
far as Chin Kiarg at this time of the year,
when there may be not more than twenty
one feet Of water in places. Like the Con-
cord, the Yorktown draws sixteen feet.
Ihe big cruisers, the Baltimore and Charles
ton draw twenty-foUr and twenty-five feet
respectively. The Monocacy and Petrol are
in winter quarters and could 10; be got out
until spring. The Detroit is at Singapore
and the MachiaS is at Colombo.
In the book containing sailing directions
on board the Concord is this description of
Chin Kiang:
Chin kiang Flu, treaty port, accessible
by sea-going vessels of heavy burden, is
stua ted On the right bank of the Yangtse-
kianG river, two miles above Silver Island
and 193 miles from the sea. 1t is walled
city about four miles in circuit and half
a mile from the bank of the river, the
space having been formerly covered with
an extensive suburb, which was surrounded
by a wall during the rebel occupancy of
the city. so that the fortifcations now eX-
tend tc the waters edge.
The foreign settlement extends along
the river side above the city, from the
custom house, at the mouth Of the Grand
canal, as far as Yinsham Garlic HID, a
steep acc!vity on the west, where is situ-
ated the British consulate. The settle
ment is entirely level and is divided into
eighteen lots, nine of which are on the
Bund fronting the river, and separated
from the remainder by a road parallel to
it.
I'm climate and temperature there is
little difference between Chin Kiang and
Shanghai, but the hilly surroundings of
this port are an advantage Shanghai does
not possess and are undoubtedly conducive
to health. Fever and dysentery, the dis
eases tnseparable from situations OF this
kind are prevalent during the summer
The winter is bracing and game abourds
in the vicinity"