The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-26
A QUAINT. CHINESE TOWN
Taku, Like the Rest, Has Few Marks
Of Modern Civilization.
Originally n Fishing Village, the
Rendezvous of SmuEElers and PR
But Mounted With Krupp Guns
Formerly IA Junk Trading Centre.

The town of Taku, which has been cap
military settlement rather than city. l
is situated at the mouth of the Peh- ho
the chief river in the province of Chi Lii
1t was originally a fishing village and
| favorite rendezvous Of pirates and snug
| slers. Even before the first war of Chin;
with England it was fortified in the anti
! quated style SO dear to the Chinese heart
| The old forts are still in existence an.
are wondered at and laughed over by III,
few who visit the place. The walls arr
made of brick and earth and are re-en-
forced by mud banks made from the ooz3
soil of the neighborhooi. Originally theI
| were armed with smooth-bore, muZzle-
loading thirtytwo and sixtyfour Founders
| They were strongholds according to the
standards of the last century, but under
modern conditions practically worthless.
One Of them was neatly described to i
party of friends by the late Captain Grid
ley of the Olympia as the most satisfac-
1 tory cattle pen on the Chinese coast.
During the war between France and China
in fSS4-lSS5 this old fort was greatly
strengthened by earthwork batteries on
both sides Of the river and by number OF
krupp and Armstrong guns 1t was the
! intention of the Chinese commander in
chief to use the Armstrong; exclusively,
but the British agent refused to pay any
commission TO the Chinese officials or to
give receipts for amounts larger than those
he received. Negotiations were broken off
with him and the remainder of the arma-
nent supplied through Chinese interYnedi-
aries, who furnished Krupp guns at figures
satisfactory to themselves and the pur-
chasers.
Evidence of Corruption.
The corruption which marked this official
business was illustrated soon after the
breaking out of the war between China and
in stock turned out to be clay neatly
moulded, silvered. and japanned, so as 10
be almost indistipguishable from the real
article Two of these quaker" cartridges
were exhibited in Yokohama among other
relics of the international contest. 1t Is
said by old residents of Tentsin that al
least two of what seemed to be the largest
sized krupp guns were made of wood,
painted, silvered. and carved SO as to be
perfect images OF the steel and ircn
weapons of the famous German iTonmaster.
There is no harbor at Taiu, it being upon
the low coast of the Hoang-hai or Yellow
Sea. The settlement consists of barracks,
officers quarters, a small custom house,
and lot of poor Chinese houses or novels.
The land is part of the delta of the Peh-
no. This river though small, brings down
an enormous amount of silt, and is steadily
shoaling up the sea beyond. Although the
yellow Sea is rather turbulent. the fierce
river is moving the bar out steadily.
The charts show this movement very
clearly. Those of the early part Of the
century make the bar about three miles
from the shore. in 1850 it was about four
half miles, and today it is six miles. At
this distance from the land there il only
twelve feet at low tide. excepting in the
four channels. The bottom is mud. SO so-t
and so free from rocks that the coasting
captains who ply that part of the Chinese
waters think little CT running aground in
this neighborhood. For many years enter
pr;sing merchants have kept powerful
steam tugs at Tientsin. and they make a
handsome profit in towing vessels up and
down the Peh-ho. and in pulling luckless
ships of the numberless shoals within the
bar.
4 Desolate Landscape.
Taku is exceedingly desolate. Though
the soil is very rich and vegetation grows
with rapidity. yet the poverty Of the peo-
pie compels them to utilize the smallest
pieces OF vegetable matter. In the fall
the writer has noticed the natives gather
ing all the dead leaves. and just before
the first frost they dug up all
the roots. even the grass roots,
dried them and put them by for fuel
From October to April, therefore, the
ground is as bare as a newly ploughed
field. and the endless expanse Of clay,
sand. and silt forms as lugubrious bark
ground as the eye could rest upon. So
thorough is this robbery of green things
that the land birds go to more favorable
districts, and even such winged creatures
as the wild ducks make but short stay
in their long flight TO warmer climes.
The natives OF Taku belong to the same
type as those of utner towns in Chilli
and Shang-Tung. They are much larger,
heavier, and stronger than those of the
south. who give US SO per cent of our
Chinese population, and they are of much
lighter complexion. many Of them having
grey or hazel eyes. brown and even dark
red hair. They are proud and more in
dependent and often more unruiy thar
their colleagues in the south. In size and
stature they compare well with the aver
age American. Through this district is
found a strain Of very tall and powerful.
men, who, according to their own legends,
are descendants of famous Mongolian
horde that came from the north several
thousand years ago 1t is this breed which
produced Chang. the star giant of Bar
NUNS moral show in the years long gone
by. and Changes sister, a colossal maiden
eight feet four inches in height.
The climate Of Taku cannot be recon-
mended from any point of view. In winter
ii is bitterly cold. and all communication is
shut off by wall or great rampant of ice |
at sea and drifts of snow on land. For |
three months the place is thus buried alive. |
During the spring rains the territory is a |
marsh, and during the rest of |
he year it is hot, dusty, insect-ridden, and |
A Fine Sti1itary Road.
From Taku an excellent military road
-uns TO Tientsln. II owes its existence
md fine condition to Lii Hung Chang. who
Turing his long official residence there as
-iceroy bestowed more care and labor
pon the thoroughfares of his jurisdiction
han any other yiceroy. While the road
s not equal to the imperial Post Road
which runs through the empire. II is much
etter than the average Chinese road,
which goes up and down hill with no re-
ard to safety or comfort. 1t seems to
ave been tagged in the beginning of his
ory and not to have been repaired since.
my good points about 1t are due to the
Millions of feet, brute and human, which
ave trayersed its surface and the rain
nd wind which have brought dust and
chris to fill up Its inequalities.