THE CAPTURE OF NIU-CHWANG.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 10733, 13 August 1900, Page 6

THE CAPTURE OF NIU-CHWANG.

Niu-chwang, on the Lian-ho river, is one of the treaty ports of China, opened in 1861. The country around Niu-chwang is one vasr alluvial plain, which is rapidly extending seawards, as each year the deposits carried duwn by the rivers fill up the shallow waters of the bays on the coast of the Gulf of LiaoTonij. Niu-chwang is thirty miles from the Tiead of the Gulf of Liao-Tong. and, properly speaking, it is not a seaport, as only bouts of light draught can go up the river, and all deep saa going vessels have to discharge at Ying-tse, at the mouth of the river. Veseels discharge into gudowns or on to jettu-s. and are then taken up the river. The depth of water at Ying-tse varies greatly, owing to the direction of the wieds and state of the tides, and while some ordinary sprint; tide's may give 22ft of water on the bar, the duv following 15ft may be the greatest d?pth reached. The distance from Niu-chwang to tho port at Ying-tse is about eighteen miles in a direct lire, although it is thirty miks by river. This is tb> place that hus been bombarded by the Russ'un and Japanese forces, and the native city which has beon captured is probably tho one fuitlur up ihe river. The papulation amounts to 60,000, and the trade"of the port exceeds £2.000,000 per annum. Tho experts include beans and bean oil and skin rugs in irreat quantity, atid the imports are princiixtlly Indian yarn, Chinese raw cotton, and American sheetings. The port is usuuilv frozen from November 25th to March 20th of each year.