New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-04-14
TIE PESCADORES.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CHINESE IsLANps
SEIZED BY THE JAPANEsE-THEY HAVE FINE
HARBORs AND ABUNDANT FISHING

HARBoRS AND ABUNDANT FISHING
GROUNDS, BIT LITTLE ELSE
In Selling the Pcscadores, the japanese only FOL.
lowed the example OF the French who captured
them in 1881 for straegical purposes. but retained
possession OF them account OF their remarkable
sanitary value The islands az a whole are STYLED
Pheng- Hoo by the Chinese maps. and are varously
known the Pescadores, Pescadors Fishers and
Fishermens islands by European navigators. They
are situated about twenty-five miles from Formosa
and ninety from the mainland. They are on tho
west side of the track taken by all steamers in the
far Eastern trade, and constitute a splendid base
OF operations against Formosa the hand and
China from Canton to Wen-Chow on the other
They are an archipelago OF about three hundred
islands. ranging in s.ze from rocks to surfaces
many square miles I'm extent. twenty-five are in.
habted. and ten regularly used as stations bv
the fishing fleets.
The land is mainly. II not entirely OF coral forma.
ton covered ages ago by bow lGers brought from
the mainland by glaciers II have been raised
from the bottom of the by the forces that
were employed in the upheaval OF Formosa. On the
shores OF nearly all the islands blocks OF coral
chiefly meandrina powders Of various kinds and
great pieces of iron stone and iron ore. On tho
beach the contrast between the white OF the SUM-
bleached coral and the rich black of the gives
the impression Of a fantastic checkerboard. Be-
tween the rocks and isles waterways, large and
small, bays and landlOcked harbors. There are 100
good anchorages affording room enough for the
biggest navy that floats The tides about nine
feet high although they are known to run high
as eleven times.
The largest Of the archipelago is Pheng- Hoo. Il
Is shaped ike a fantastic letter e. Though its ex-
IRENE length is more than five miles. it's cir.
conference is eighty miles. Next in size Is
Fisher Island. about one-thirI the size of Pheng-
Hoo. on he latter is the capital, Me-Kong. Like
all capital cities In China, It IS surrounded by a
strong wal! Of brick and stone. about twenty feet
high and twelve feet thick. Tho walls crene-
lated battiemented and supplied here and there
with lookout towers and sentry boxes II
strong place in the days when IL built. three
centuries ago and babe defiance to the numberess
pirates who infested those seas. to Portuguese
Dutch and Spanish freebooters alike. The arma-
ment consists Of Oil smoothDore cannon, ranging
from six thirty-twO Founders. All are rusty and
not a few useless. The carriages decayed and
everything about them Is in state Of dilapdaton
There are supposed to go soldiers to guard Ne.
Kong but the men themselves say there are not
100 They ire never drilled. wear neither hats shoes
nor stockings and have for uniform red cloak
worn. ragged and dirty. They are equipped with
percusson-cap mUskets. old and ruinous as TO b
dangerous to the users.
From the harbor the view OF the city Is very ro-
| mantle The walls rise from the waters edge and
| reach along the shore more than mile. In the
| water In front, iunks and small boats are moorei
or come and 20 IN endless procession. single
|
a couple OF soldiers. Custom House inspectors in
ternal revenue collectors pedlers and oilers. From
| the gate a rickety wharf runs 100 feet out into
| the bay. Within the walls are a few trees. many
| hagpoies and churchman's, and a long belt OF red
tile roofs There are abou, 100 souls, all told in the
! CITY and about 1900 in the archipelago Me-kons.
for a Chinese city. is pretty clean. The soil IS
porous ami tn land slopes toward the sea Thanks
| to this natural drainage. the streets are dry and
| comparatively slightly.
Tho chief Industry is fishing: next 10 II comes
| agriculture. Commerce l. small. and manufac;-
/ ures amount to practically nothing. There is
fair but cheap trade shells, particularly cowres
! The thousands Of square miles OF shoals beaches
and shallow protected from the surf arord an
excellent ground for this form Of marine lie. the
cowr!es are popular in china as ornaments and are
| also in demand by traders. who use them for barter
in the Philippines. Carolines and other districts.
-, % varietes Of i.l and Loo Of molusks.
| on Sand Island are the tomhstones which marx
i6st i'm the wreck Of The Perrsuar and oriental
Snnanv's Steamship Bokhara on the rocks near BY
on fP6engH Hoo island is A handsome monument.
erected By the French Government IN memory OF ne
| Shina Now and then a man-of-war visits the so..
tary epot and the officers decorate the granite SHAFT
WIN Tres er1ss S square nosa by low iron ,enc.
There are palaces no temples no castles on IN
ari plain yen the establishment OF the ,SyeTnSa
OF the Islands is poor and nsgniicant one sy' b
Near the courthouse IS telegraph once, httea n
| frpp EurOpedn
| ci@rks who speak read and write English. The
wires run across the Islands to JON a cable wrlCh
! connects them with Tai-Wan-Foo, in south For-
mosA From here land lines run TO Tamsui Enlca
| IL Joined bv cable 10 F0O-Chow. on the mainlan J.
IJsye is a station OF the Great Northern Telegraph
| Company of Denmark. and the Eastern Ext e,
Telegraph Company. Of London which lie me Oten.
t. the CIVILIZED world The telegraph system IRON,
mo Pesca, lOres 10 Foo-ChOw j. purely chinese ana
g. managed with considerable skill and business aoil-
| NV IL is utilized by commerce 10 report severe
storms and typnoons on the Formosa Channe ana
| also the condition OF the surf at Tai-Nan-Foo.
The fortincatons Of the Pescadores amount 20
rothing There is a so-called fortress near tlshec
Island Lighthouse. but ~ cannon are od;fashione,
! sn,nothborss is garrison a hundred ODD coolies
| and its walls and earihworks such as we're IN
! vogue a century ago The Pheng Hoo Fort Is IN
| even worse condition The only steam communica'
! ton is by the steamers OF the Douglas Steamship
| COMPANY one OF the best-managed corporations ~
| me Jar East one OF their lines runs from Hong
| Kong to swallow. Annoy, and thence 10 Ta-Wan-
| Foo via the Pescadores. steam launch occi-
! sionaliy runs from Tal-WanFoo TO the Stands The
! archlpelago has been explored ana descrioei by
! three American con-us. Legendre. Bedioe and FaeA
| Although known every one living IN the tar
| Fast the islands have been visited by Re" Euro
| reans and then at long intervals.