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KUANG-TUNG PENINSULA 3
When the Trans-Manchurian railway was
being built, with French gold, by Russian hands,
through Chinese territory, the first plan was to
make Port Arthur its terminus. But the harbour
of Port Arthur, it soon became evident, was not
large or commodious enough to hold all the traffic
which was expected to grow out of the Trans-
Siberian trade, and as Russia saw fit, or saw
herself forced, largely to increase her naval
strength in Pacific waters, the harbour soon
became inadequate to accommodate much more
than the fleet. It was, besides, deemed unwise
to have the great commercial port bound up with
the fate of the naval station, and so de Witte,
the then all-powerful Minister, decided to find
another terminus for his railway. His choice fell
on a place on the shores of Talien Bay* which,
broad and large and deep, cuts into the Kuang-
tung peninsula not more than some twenty or
thirty miles up the coast from Port Arthur. The
bay is large enough to hold all the ships of the
world. It is somewhat exposed to easterly winds ;
but a large breakwater, costing about three
million pounds, was constructed, forming an inner
harbour where ships could anchor practically
sheltered against wind and waves.
So the towm was planned and built, and given tbe
name of Dalny {“ far away ”), the nearest Russian
equivalent for Talien. It was built with a lavish
hand, and nothing was spared to make it a worthy
entrance gate to the longest continuous land com-
munication of the world. It rose with towers and
turrets and ornamental gables ;
it was filled with
pretty villas in luxurious gardens, and it came to
look as its founder had dreamt and willed.
* Talienwan ;
Wan in Chinese means “bay.”
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