SCALE, to oF ax INCH TO A Foor. 1870. 1871. 1872. 1873. 1874. 1875. 1876. 1877. 1878. 1879. 1880. 50- 40 30- 20 TO Reports on trade at the treaty ports for the years 1865-1881 China. Hai kuan tsung shui wu ssu shu ) و : : اد Jibrary of the Follege of Bebe Jersey. Purchased in 187 من بعدها ووو روبوت مارنا CHINA. IMPERIAL MARITIME CUSTOMS. 1.- STATISTICAL SERIES: No. 4. REPORTS ON TRADE AT THE TREATY PORTS, FOR THE YEAR 1880. 16th Issue. CH PUBLISHED BY ORDER OF The Jüspector General of Customs. SHANGHAI: STATISTICAL DEPARTMENT OF THE INSPECTORATE GENERAL, MDCCCLXXXI. - - - - -. -.- CONTENTS. ᏢᎪᎡᎢ . INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. ... GENERAL ... ... ... ... ... ... ... The China Merchants' Steam Navigation Company's fleet The Lanchow-fu Woollen Factory ... ... ... The Shanghai Cotton Spinning and Weaving Company : : : : : ... IMPORT TRADE. : : GENERAL ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... Opium ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. Hongkong Opium market of 1880 Cotton Goods ... ... ... Table giving particulars of importation of Cotton Goods during the past three years Sizing of Cotton Piece Goods WOOLLEN GOODS ... METALS ... Shanghai Iron market of 1880 : : : : : : :: SUNDRIES ... : EXPORT TRADE. GENERAL : :: GENERAL ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ТЕА Commencement and growth of the Tea trade ... ... ... Table showing exportation of Tea to Foreign countries during the past ten years The Tea trade of 1880 ... ... ... ... ... Some remarks concerning the position and prospects of China Tea SILK ... ... ... ... ... ... ... The Silk trade of 1880 : : : : : : : : : : : : : SUGAR ... ... ... ... ... ... ... SO (RECAP) · HF2372 A3 1880 (RS 63266 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. PAGE. ... .... STRAW BRAID Cassia LIGNEA Other Exports ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... COAST TRADE. Character of trade Coast trade of 1880 ... ... .. . . ... . ... .. ... . ... ... ... ... ... .. ... . ... ... TRANSIT TRADE. ... .. Treaty privilege not availed of to a great extent Probable results of recent extension of privilege Transit trade of the various ports SHIPPING Table of shipping for past ten years ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... Comparison between number of steamers and number of sailing vessels engaged in China trade Increase and decrease of shipping under the various flags ... 56 ... 56 ... * A46 REVENUE. Foreign Customs Revenue of 1880 the largest on record ... Increase and decrease under the various headings . ... ... ... ... ... 57 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. ᏢᎪᎡᎢ II. PAGE REPORT ON TRADE FOR NEWCHWANG : :: TIENTSIN : „ CHEFOO ICHANG HANKOW : KIUKIANG WUHU : :::::: CHINKIANG : : : 124 » SHANGHAI ... NINGPO WÊNCHOW „ FOOCHOW 152 TAMSUI : TAKOW : :: 200 AMOY ... : 211 SWATOW : 238 CANTON : KIUNGCHOW ::: » PAKHOI : 273 APPENDIX. ... ... ... SERVICE LIST ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... i PART I. Ꭱ EᏢ 0 ᎡᎢ ON THE TRADE OF CHINA Within the Cognizance of the Maritime Customs under the Foreign Inspectorate, For the Year 1880. REPORT ON THE TRADE AT THE TREATY PORTS OF CHINA, FOR THE YEAR 1880. INSPECTORATE GENERAL OF CUSTOMS, STATISTICAL DEPARTMENT, SHANGHAI, ist May 1881. SIR, In accordance with your instructions, I have now the honour to hand you my Report on the Foreign trade of China during the year 1880. The state of unusual prosperity which marked the year 1879, due as it was to the combined action of causes which but rarely unite their influence, made it almost certain that reaction would follow, and that the year immediately succeeding would witness a considerable falling off in commercial welfare. This to a great extent happened. Even before the close of 1879 the briskness in some branches of the trade had considerably subsided, and 1880 opened with some important markets overstocked to a degree that might have been considered as auguring serious diminution in the Imports and Exports of the year. But the Foreign trade of China is essentially progressive; yearly increasing wealth and population in the West extends the use of Tea and Silk, while growing appreciation of Foreign ideas and appliances tends to promote an increasing demand among the Chinese for the manufactures of the West. It is a matter worthy of note, however, that the growth of the trade has not at all been accompanied by corresponding increase in gain to those who conduct it, as it may be said that during the last 20 years profits have been steadily becoming less, while the value of the commerce has been as steadily increasing. The history of the past two years exemplifies this fact sufficiently, for the trade of the year under review, although on the whole considerably greater than that of the year preceding, was not nearly so prosperous, but brought in many cases disappointment and loss to merchants, and was in few instances productive of satisfactory increase in capital. Notwithstanding this, 1880 was in some respects a fairly satisfactory year both for Natives and Foreigners. The crops throughout China were abundant, and, except in those districts of the TRADE REPORTS, 1880. Kwangtung province which suffered from inundation in the summer, agriculturalists had few reasons to complain of an unpropitious season. Impending war, it is true, threatened the Empire during many months, and actual hostilities seemed more than once imminent. But the stagnating influence which in an European country would have been the inevitable result of such was here notably absent. If we leave out of consideration such places as were directly affected by the levying and movements of troops, it will seem to us that the approaching trouble bore but lightly upon the spirits of the people, and that little appeared to denote a state of things more exciting than usual. Buying and selling went on as ever, the demand for many classes of Imports increased, and the staple Exports were produced and sent out of the country in quantities which compare favourably with those of any former year. The total value of each principal division of the trade was as follows:- Hk.Its. Foreign Import trade . ............ 79,293,452 „ Export „ ........... 77,883,587 Coast trade outwards . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136,938,509 „ „ inwards . . . . . . Í . . . . . 155,306,523 the entries and clearances of vessels at all ports amounted to 22,970, representing 15,874,352 tons; and the total Revenue collected was Hk.Tts. 14,258,583. The circumstances under which the Foreign trade of China is carried on are different from what they once were; in a word, the trade is no longer the monopoly of Foreigners. A new era was commenced when in the year 1872 the China Merchants' Steam Navigation Company began with a fleet of two ships its opposition in the coasting trade conducted in Foreign vessels. From a commencement so unpretending the Native company rapidly grew in importance; continued prosperity enabled it to add year by year to its fleet, which five years after it was formed had attained to 17 vessels. In 1877 and 1878 the purchase of the fleet owned by the Shanghai Steam Navigation Company increased the number of vessels to 34, although this number has since become somewhat reduced through losses and other causes. But the fleet is still a large one; at the beginning of the present year it consisted of 29 vessels, representing a carrying capacity of 20,747 tons, and all finding constant and profitable employ- ment. During the first years of its existence the company confined its operations almost entirely to trading between the different Treaty Ports, but lately it has been giving some attention to the trans-Pacific trade; and I am fully persuaded that before many years have passed Chinese vessels will possess their legitimate share in carrying the produce of the Empire to Foreign countries and the manufactures of Foreign countries to China, and that the Chinese flag will be seen flying over ships in every important seaport of the world. On the pages which immediately follow appear two tables, which I have introduced with a view to illustrate concisely the history of the China Merchants' Steam Navigation Company's fleet and to show its present dimensions. The first of the tables was compiled some time ago from the archives of the Shanghai Custom House by Mr. Deputy Commissioner HIPPISLEY, and gives the vessels acquired by the company in each year. The second table may be found interesting as giving the particulars regarding each ship: for this table I am indebted to the courtesy of the company's agent in Shanghai. CHINA. Tons. 181 VESSELS of the China MERCHANTS' STEAM NAVIGATION COMPANY in each YEAR from 1872 to 1880, inclusive. 1872. 1877. Tons, Aden . . . . . . . . . . 507 As above . . . . . . . . . . 11,553 Yungching . . . . . . . . 661 Hwaiyuen . . . . . . . . 762 Meli. . . . . . . . . . . 2 vessels . . . 1,168 Kiangteen . . . . . . . . . 1,079 Kiangching . . . . . . . . . 1,084 1873. Kiangyune . . . . . . . . . 768 Kiangwae . . . . . . . . . 1,123 As above . . . . . . . . . . 1,168, Haean . . . . . . . . 710 Fusing . . . . . . . . . . 532 Haeshin .. 763 Leeyuen . . . . . . . . . 735 Chintung . . . . . . . . Yungning . . . . . . . . . 342 Chinsi . . . Haeting . . . . . . . . . . 640 5 vessels. ... 2,777 Haesan. . . . . . . . . . 574 kiangchang . . . . . . . . 862 1874. Kiangpiau . . . . . . . . . 879 As above . . . . . . . . . . 2,777 Haiching (gun-vessel, borrowed), 409 31 vessels . . . 22,259 Tungting . . . . . . . . : 315 1878. Hochung . . . . . . . . . 850 Fuyew . . . . . . . . . . 920 As above . . . . . . . . . . 22,259 Leehang . . . . . . . . . . 134 Kiangfoo . . . . . . . : 857 kiangping . . . . . . . . . 392 10 vessels .. 5,405 Kiangtung . . . . . . . . 339 721 560 1875. 34 vessels . . . 23,847 1879. As above . . . . . . . . . . 5,405 Yehsin . . . . . . . . . 754 Tayew* . . . . . . . . . 444 Howsang. ♡ . . . . . . . . 795 Chingtah (s.v.) (borrowed from Arsenal) 457 Pautah. 870 Fungshun . . . . . . . . . 863 As above : : . . . . . . . 23,847 Deduct Aden, lost . . 507 Howsang, lost · · 795 Kiangchang, lost. 862 „ Kiangyune, broken up 768 „ Kiangwae, „ „ 1,123 - 4,055 9,588 Deduct Haiching, returned 409 Fusing, lost. :: 532 29 vessels ... 19,792 1880. 941 14 vessels ... 8,647 . .: : 19,792 As above. . . Kangchi (gun-vessel, borrowed) Meifoo . . . . . . . . Kangchi (gun-veci . . 688 1,284 1876. . As above .......... 8,647 Hankwang, .. 839 kiangkwan . . . . . . . . 1,030 Kiangyung ......... 1,037 21,764 Deduct Chinsi, sold... 560 „ Chingtah, returned 457 1,017 17 vessels . . . 11,553 29 vessels . . . 20,747 * Now the Hingshing. TRADE REPORTS, 1880. PARTICULARS regarding the China MERCHANTS' STEAM NAVIGATION COMPANY'S FLEET as it was at the End of 1880. NAME. Description. Of what Material constructed. Nominal Horse-power. Registered Net Tonnage. Length Breadth. Feet. Feet. Tons. 710 220 290 Paddle ....... ....... 200 574 204 300 Iron .......... Wood ........ , ........ Composite... Iron ........... Wood ........ 350 250 250 Iron .... 1,084 857 1,030 879 392 1,079 339 1,037 721 300 200 250 Screw 180 16. Haean ..... Haesan Kiangching ........ Kiangfoo.... Kiangkwan Kiangpiau .......... Kiangping.......... Kiangteen ......... Kiangtung ........ Kiangyung Chintung ........... Fungshun ........ Fuyew .......... Haeshin .......... Haeting. Hankwang *. Hingshing. Hochung * Hwaiyuen ... Kangchi ....... Leehang ... Leeyuen ... Meifoo 240 863 226 920 180 212 . . . . . . : 211 : 763 640 839 444 : 210 : 850 224 : : Wood ....... 224 : C 121 : Iron ..... 100 762 688 134 735 1,284 181 870 : 135 275 Meli. 120 Pautah ........ 240 226 315 161 Tungting ... Yehsin. 754 222 . . . . . . 130 Yungching.... Yungning .... 661 342 Wood ........ 156 * The Hankwang and Hochung were lost this year. Not least among the benefits which the Chinese derive from their new merchant fleet is that those among them who may emigrate can now sail to the United States and the Sandwich Islands under their own flag, and on board vessels where they are comfortable and well cared for. As the trade of the company grows this benefit will extend, and the country will be enabled to conveniently send abroad those who fail in the competition for employment at home. CHINA. The advantage of such to China is great; those emigrants who succeed, besides making frequent remittances of money to their friends at home while they remain abroad, generally return after some years moderately well off, and often with fortunes, and so contribute materially to the prosperity of the country. It is quite certain, too, that the Chinese intend to enter into still wider competition with Foreigners, and to deprive them, if possible, of every monopoly which they possess in the trade of the Empire. Evidence of this exists in the fact that in Lanchow-fu, the capital of Kansuh, a factory has been established where European machinery is employed to spin and weave into cloth the wool of the Mongolian sheep. This undertaking has been carried out in the face of immense difficulty. Lanchow-fu is many hundreds of miles away from the nearest place at which the necessary machinery could be landed from the vessels which brought it out from Europe. Hence there had to be encountered all the trouble, expense, and loss of time incident on a long overland transit through a country crossed by mountains, intersected by rivers, and devoid of good roads. But all obstacles were surmounted; the factory is in working order, and turning out 8 pieces of cloth daily. The fabrics woven are Broad, Medium, and Pilot Cloths, which are of good quality and much cheaper than Foreign goods of the same class. The supply of wool capable of being furnished by the numberless herds of sheep reared on the pasture- lands of Mongolia is practically unlimited, and the raw material for the carrying on of the manufacture is thus obtainable easily and in abundance. Judicious management, then, appears the only thing needed to ensure the success of the enterprise, which may hereafter develop into a great industry that will confer immense benefit on the country. Other evidence, too, of advancement in this direction is not wanting. A native company was formed some time ago under the denomination of the Shanghai Cotton Spinning and Weaving Company. China can produce cotton to any extent required, and the object of the company is to take advantage of this and provide the people with cheaper cloth than that imported from abroad. The details of this project have been so often given elsewhere that it is needless to enumerate them here; suffice it to say that the undertaking is favoured by many circumstances. It bears within itself the elements of success, and with a good administration may be made to realise all the hopes of its promoters. The erection of the mills was commenced about two years ago, but as capital was not forthcoming so plentifully as the originators of the scheme had been led to expect, operations were soon after suspended, and the buildings still remain in an unfinished state. The success of the Lanchow-fu Woollen Factory, however, cannot fail to awaken some enthusiasm and create confidence among the Chinese in enterprises of the kind. The Shanghai Cotton Manufacturing Company seems in the background for the present, but I think that we may expect before long to see such movements gaining ground in the country, and a large per-centage of the cotton and woollen fabrics consumed manufactured by Foreign machinery on the spot. It only requires the established success of one or two undertakings of this sort to insure their popularity and cause serious interference with the importation of Foreign Piece Goods. Turning, however, to what more immediately concerns this Report_namely, the trade carried on during the year 1880 by Foreign vessels at the 19 Treaty Ports,-I commence with a notice of the Import trade. TRADE REPORTS, 1880. IMPORT TRADE. The Import trade of 1880 showed a decrease amounting to Hk.Its 2,933,972 as compared with the Import trade of 1879, although an increase of Hk.Tts. 8,489,425 as compared with that of 1878. With regard to the value of its Imports, the year under review is in fact considerably in advance of any except its immediate predecessor. Referring to page 7 in Part I of the “Returns of Trade,” and comparing together the values of the Imports from the various countries there entered as trading with China, we find that the above-mentioned decrease was almost entirely due to falling off in the importation from India and the United States; in fact, the value of the merchandise received from the United States in 1880 was scarcely half that received during the preceding year. The decrease in the value of Imports from India arose, as page 8 of Part I shows, from a falling off under the heading of Opium to the extent of 11,396 piculs, or Hk.fts. 4,191,989; while the decrease in the Imports from the United States may, I think, be attributed to the fact that a much smaller quantity of Cotton Drills came from that country during 1880 than during 1879. But with the exception of India and the United States, all the countries which principally supply China with merchandise exhibit increase in their figures for 1880 over those for 1879, although none of them show any marked advance. The Imports from Great Britain increased by Hk.fts. 1,548,399, those from Hongkong by Hk.Fts. 611,706, those from the continent of Europe by Hk.fts. 546,769, and those from Japan by Hk.fts. 83,999. A glance at pages 8 and 9 in Part I of our Returns for 1880 will enable one to gather the following general facts relative to the various articles which went to make up the Import trade of the year; namely, that a considerable decrease took place in the importation of Malwa and Patna Opium, Grey and Figured Shirtings, Drills, Blankets, Long Ells, Copper Ore and Un- manufactured Copper, Iron Wire, Pig and Kentledge Iron, Pig Lead, Quicksilver, Spelter and Zinc, Raw Cotton, Grain and Pulse, Indigo, Mangrove Bark, Black and White Pepper, Sapanwood, etc.; and that a somewhat corresponding increase occurred in White and Dyed Plain Shirtings, T-Cloths, Sheetings, Jeans and Twills, Turkey Red Cloths, Dyed Damasks, Velvets, Velveteens, and Fustians, Jaconets, Cambrics, Lawns and Muslins, Cotton Yarn and Thread, Russian Cloth, Flannels, Crape Lastings, Lustres and Orleans, Linen Goods, Nail-rod Iron, Tea and Sheet Lead, Brown and White Sugar, Betel-nuts, Coal, Matches, Needles, Paints, Window Glass, etc. OPIUM.—The quantity of Opium imported through the Foreign Customs during 1880 was 71,655 piculs, valued at Hk.Tts. 32,344,628, as compared with 83,051 piculs, valued at Hk.Tts. 36,536,617, imported during 1879, thus exhibiting a falling off to the extent of 11,396 piculs, making a difference in value of Hk.Tts. 4,191,989. Malwa and Patna Opium contributed almost alone to this decrease in importation, “other kinds "—i.e., Persian, Turkish, etc.- only accounting for about 500 piculs of it. Benares was the only kind that showed increase. The foregoing figures refer, as stated, to the Opium which passed the Foreign Customs at the various Treaty Ports; the quantity which came to China during the year was really much greater. It must be remembered that all the Opium which comes to China reaches · it by way of Hongkong, from which a good deal is shipped to the mainland in Chinese junks CHINA. paying duty at the Native Customs. The fact that there are no official trade statistics published in Hongkong makes it impossible to ascertain the exact quantity thus imported into China, but a very fair estimate of it can be arrived at by subtracting from the total quantity imported into Hongkong the quantity presumably consumed on the spot, added to that re-exported to America, Australia, and other countries to which Chinese have emigrated. These last-mentioned quantities might, in so far as I am able to judge, be put down as aggregating about 5,000 piculs. The Opium imported into Hongkong amounted to 96,839 piculs, so that if from this we take the above-named 5,000 piculs, there will remain nearly 92,000 piculs, which must be considered as about the actual quantity imported into China during 1880. There is a circumstance regarding the importation of Opium during the last two years which is worthy of note, and that is that while the Opium passed through the Foreign Customs at all the Treaty Ports during 1880 was less in quantity and in value than during 1879, yet the importation into Hongkong, though also showing decrease in quantity, showed at the same time considerable increase in point of value. The explanation of this is that the price of Opium in China differed but little in the two years, while the price in Hongkong was much higher last year than it was the year before. Hence we may infer that the profits accruing from the trade between Hongkong and China fell off greatly during 1880. An examination of the statistics proves that last year's Opium trade was only moderately profitable. For example, the 71,655 piculs imported into China through the Foreign Customs were worth Hk.fts. 32,344,628 at the Treaty Ports, as stated on the preceding page; therefore, according to this ratio between quantity and value, the 92,000 piculs estimated above as the total importation into China would have been worth Hk.fts. 41,528,236. But we find that the 96,839 piculs imported at Hongkong were there valued at $64,235,582; consequently the value in Hongkong of the 92,000 piculs exported to China would at the same rate have been $61,025,760, or about Hk.its. 40,683,840. If this sum be subtracted from the Treaty Port value of Hk.fts. 41,528,236, there will remain Hk.Tts. 844,396, the difference between the value of the Opium in China and its value in Hongkong. This difference may be regarded as to a great extent profit accruing to Hongkong sellers, but it is a small per-centage on the total value of the trade. After steadily increasing for a number of years, the importation of Opium has suddenly assumed a downward tendency. The cause of this will not, I think, be difficult to find. The poppy crops are reported as having been generally good in China during last season, and as the production of Native Opium has increased of late to such an extent as to rival the importation from India, it has become so that the latter depends very much on the former. Moreover, if to the abundance and consequent cheapness of Native Opium last year be added the fact that speculation on the Indian markets prevented the price of Foreign drug from giving way, as it naturally would have done under the circumstances, the comparative neglect of the latter will not be wondered at. There was another circumstance, too, which contributed to the decrease mentioned above, and that was the inferior condition of many of the later supplies of old Patna, which turned out to be “chop-dollar,” or worm-eaten, and consequently greatly reduced in weight. Native Opium used by itself has not yet attained to such favour with smokers as Foreign, but a mixture of the two has been found to suit the taste of many, and the advantage in 10 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. cheapness possessed by the former allows the compound to be sold at a price sufficiently reduced to be within the means of those who cannot afford to indulge in the pure Foreign article. The reason, however, that the Native drug has hitherto been unpopular consists in its inferiority of flavour, due to an imperfect process of extracting the poppy juice, as well as to inexperience on the part of those who cultivate the plant. But time will doubtless remedy these defects. Indeed, it would seem only to require the removal of official prohibition against the cultivation of the poppy in China to gradually deprive Indian Opium of its market through mere absence of demand. The abundant Native poppy crops referred to above seem to have been almost general in their effect upon the importation of Indian Opium, for it will be noticed on looking through Part II of our Returns for 1880 that the decrease in the importation during this period was shared in by nearly all the ports, the only important exception being Amoy, which exhibited an increase of 24 per cent. To anyone looking at the Pakhoi Returns, however, it will appear as if the Opium imported at that place during 1880 greatly exceeded that imported during 1879; but it must be remembered that during 1879 trade in Foreign vessels at Pakhoi was only carried on for a few months at the end of the year, consequently this increase is only apparent, and cannot be taken as indicative of any marked growth in the trade of the place. The year under review opened with every prospect of the Opium importation being fully equal to, if not greater than, that of the preceding year. The “Customs Gazette” for the January-March quarter shows increase at most of the ports when compared with the Gazette for the same quarter of 1879. During the month of April reports that the crop of Malwa was likely to prove defective had the effect of considerably raising the price of this kind and stimulating the market for it in China. It was not, in fact, until June, when rumours that the season was likely to be a successful one for Chinese Opium became current, that any marked falling off in the importation was apparent. At this time, too, the heavy rains and consequent inundations which occurred in the Kwangtung province stopped the transit of goods in the south of China to a great extent, and so caused the Native dealers to suspend purchases. This continued also throughout July. In August the rumours regarding the abundant yield of the Chinese poppy crops became confirmed, cheap and good Native Opium appeared on the markets, and the consumption of the Foreign drug received a check which retained its influence until the end of the year. The following is a cursory review of the Hongkong market for Malwa and Bengal Opium during 1880; it may prove interesting to some as giving the details of what is summarily noticed above, and as showing the fluctuations of the trade month by month.* Malwa.—The year commenced with a moderate demand for Malwa Opium. The stocks had become reduced to about 420 piculs; prices, however, underwent very little change, and stood at $700 for new drug, advancing afterwards to $710, as the quantity for sale became still further reduced. January's supplies arrived from India between the 13th and 26th of the month, and raised the stock from 149 piculs to' 2,219 piculs, at which latter it stood on the 27th. Holders were, however, able to increase their prices to between $720 and $750 for new * The prices of Opium are given here in Mexican dollars ; one Mexican dollar and a half are equal to about one Haikwan tael. CHINA. 11 drug, and $800 for old, and at these rates a good many lots changed hands. The allowance was 6 taels for both old and new drug. On the ist February the stock amounted to about 1,000 piculs, and although shipments to Shanghai and other ports were continued until the quantity for sale became reduced to 320 piculs, the price experienced no rise, but stood at the previous month's rate of $750 for new, old drug meeting with no inquiries. On the 9th, 3,600 piculs arrived from India, and on the 20th another shipment of 1,566 piculs was received; but although a moderate business sprang up in the meantime, and continued until the quantity for sale became very much reduced, sellers were unable to keep up the price, which after the middle of the month declined to $740 for new, with allowance to 2} catties. Any sales of old which took place were, however, at the unchanged rate of $800, but with allowance to i catty. During March very little change occurred in the tone of the market. The demand was perhaps a little more brisk, but prices remained unchanged. At the end of the first week the stock stood at 577 piculs, and at the end of the third week, when some shipments had arrived from India, it attained to over 1,500 piculs. Towards the end of the month a good many sales of new were effected at $740, with allowance from 2 to 3 catties, and some old drug was disposed of at the advanced price of $820, with allowance of 6 taels. The prices obtained during April were high. News arrived from India that the poppy crops there were defective, 'whereupon holders raised their prices, which on the 3rd stood at $750, with allowance to i catty, and on the 6th had reached $775, without allowance. The highest price of the year for old drug-namely, $840, without allowance,—was obtained at the beginning of this month. The demand for new drug was constant and fairly brisk throughout the first half of the month. Transactions became considerably fewer, however, when rates advanced to $780, with allowance of 1 or 3 catties, according to quality. The stock at the end of the month was over 1,270 piculs. The month of May witnessed great variation in prices. The high rates of the previous month were found to interfere so much with sales that holders were obliged to make concessions, and at the commencement of May a serious decline took place in the price of new drug. Lots for which $780 were asked came to be offered for sale at $745, although a rise to $750 was effected towards the middle of the month, after which, however, prices again fell, this time to $720, with allowance to 2 catties. But as the end of the month approached business assumed a brisk tone, and rates again rose until they had attained the fairly remunerative figure of $765, after intermediate steps. There was very little allowance at the higher rates. On the ist June the market stock was 400 piculs. On the roth a shipment of 900 piculs arrived, and after deduction of re-exports, the quantity left for sale amounted to about 1,150 piculs. The demand during this month considerably improved, especially towards the end. At first the rates were almost the same as those which ruled in the end of May, but after the above shipment had been received holders were enabled to considerably raise their prices, and during the second week a good many sales were effected at $790, without allowance. Business continued brisk throughout the month; prices, it is true, receded in the case of some purchases 12 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. to $750, and even to $745, both rates accompanied with allowance to 2 catties, but a good many purchases were made at $790, with i catty allowance, and at the end of the month the market was cleared of all its stock except about 330 piculs. The high prices which prevailed at the end of June continued almost uninterruptedly throughout July. The market, too, preserved almost the same tone, and except that old drug made a temporary appearance, scarcely any novel feature was manifest. On the 7th, 760 piculs arrived from India, and on the 23rd a further shipment of 1,188 piculs was received. Business was fairly good, but without any excitement, and although transactions were pretty numerous, neither sellers nor purchasers evinced any marked anxiety. The price obtained for old drug was $835, without allowance, and that at which new was disposed of fluctuated between $770 and $790, with allowance of 20 and 28 taels and 3 catties, according to circumstances. The month of August was one of uniform rates. It began and ended with $770 as the quotations for new drug. The allowance per picul, however, which must always be considered with the price, differed at various times during the month, and was sometimes 2 catties, sometimes i catty, and sometimes 10 taels. There was no market for old drug. The business done in new drug resembled closely that of the two preceding months, and was very uneventful. The supplies which arrived were heavy, and the stocks were at all times during the month higher than had been the case for some time previous. September began with a stock of over 500 piculs on the market. The first arrival of supply from India was 1,124 piculs, on the 2nd; 1,215 piculs were received on the 16th; and 1,149 piculs on the 28th; thus making the month's supplies amount to 3,488 piculs. The monotony which had characterised the market for Malwa during the two previous months was fully sustained throughout September. The demand continued moderate, and sales were effected as supplies arrived. The prices realised during the month were variously $770, $760, and $740, with allowance between 8 taels and 2 catties. After receipt of the first shipment from India the stock stood at 1,520 piculs, and after the receipt of the second at 1,530 piculs, amounting at the end of the month to about 600 piculs. A decline in price had commenced at the end of September, and this continued during October; sales were first at $750, then at $740 and $720, until finally the very reduced rate of $700 was reached. This latter was the lowest price at which Malwa Opium was sold during the year, being in fact a return to that which ushered in the month of January. The allowances were from 1 to 2 catties at the higher rates, and from 2 to 3 catties at the lower. The demand was throughout the month moderate, with perhaps a little improvement towards the end; but buyers were able to a great extent to dictate terms and obtain from holders concession after concession. Inquiries for old drug, which had ceased for two months, were resumed, and some sales were effected at $720 and $745, with allowance to 12 taels. The stock at the end of the month was 320 piculs. The price of Malwa Opium, which during October had fallen to a very low ebb, rose in November in response to an increase in demand. October, in fact, closed with quotations at $720; this rate continued until the middle of November, when, on the arrival of supplies, the price stood CHINA. 13 at $735, decreasing, however, towards the end of the month, which ended with $725, and allowance to 8 taels. This was for new drug. The price of old drug also advanced, and was quoted variously during the month at $750, $760, $770, $775, and $790. The business of this month was slightly better than that of the two previous months. The year's market for Malwa Opium ended uneventfully. The demand in December was not so good as it was in November, and although prices to a certain extent kept up, the amount of business done was limited. The arrivals were 1,804 piculs on the roth, and about 1,100 piculs on the 26th, and on the 31st, after the various departures for Shanghai and southern Coast Ports, the stock remained at about 400 piculs. The rates during the month were, for new drug, $725 (with i catty allowance), $710, $715, $725, and $730 (free of allowance), and for old drug, $760, with allowance of 2 catties, and $730, without any allowance. Bengal. The stock on the market on the ist January consisted of 500 chests of Patna and 260 chests of Benares. The prices which ruled during the first week were, new Patna, $565 to $572.50 per chest, and new Benares, $540 to $542.50. Almost all the supplies from India which were received during the month arrived before the 8th, when the stock became increased to about 1,850 chests of Patna and 1,500 chests of Benares. The rates for both kinds gradually improved as the demand became greater and transactions more numerous, and at the end of the first fortnight the prices obtained were $575 for Patna and $550 for Benares, As the month advanced news was received from Calcutta that the market there had risen, and as Chinese buyers continued anxious to make purchases, further increase took place in Hong- kong rates, which finally reached $605 for new Patna and $575 for new Benares. A good many sales were effected at these prices, and before the month had ended stocks had become reduced to about 180 chests of Patna and 120 chests of Benares. Business, which before had been pretty brisk, rather fell off during February. The approach of the Chinese New Year festivities, at which time buying and selling in all branches of trade become temporarily suspended throughout China, produced its effect on the Opium market. The lowness of the stocks, however, preventing anxiety to sell on the part of holders, prices were maintained at rates only slightly reduced, and it was not until the receipt of the month's supplies, and stocks had become large, that buyers succeeded in obtaining concessions. Prices fell to $595 and $592.50 for new Patna (but with subsequent advances to $597.50 and $600), and $565 and $572.50 for new Benares. At these prices a good many sales took place, and the month closed with the stock on the market considerably reduced. The stock at the commencement of March consisted of 915 chests of Patna and 439 chests of Benares. Business, too, was dull, buyers preferring to await the arrival of the month's supplies before doing anything. Between the 5th and 7th of the month the expected ship- ments arrived, and when these were placed on the market inquiries commenced actively, and prices advanced to $618.75 for Patna and $590 for Benares, but afterwards decreased, as the demand fell off, to $612.50 for the former and $586.25 for the latter, rising again, however, as the stock became low, to $617.50 and $623.75 for Patna and $590 and $592.50 for Benares. A few superior lots of Patna were sold at $625. TRADE REPORTS, 1880. The month of April was one of steady increase in rates, followed by sudden decrease. The frequent purchases which took place towards the close of March had considerably reduced the quantity left for sale, and caused the advance in prices which has been already noticed. On the arrival of supplies prices further rose, and a good many lots of Patna were sold at $643.75 and $645, while the demand for Benares was active at $602.50 and $605. In the middle of the month prices were still higher, while business was as brisk as before. The shipments from India were almost entirely on account of large firms, and the market being thus in the hands of a few, prices were kept up, and again raised, this time to $660 and $665 for Patna and $615 to $620 for Benares. During the second half of the month, however, circumstances arose which caused prices to decline considerably. The rate of exchange on India advanced from R226 to R2304 per $100, and sellers were in consequence willing to dispose of what they held more cheaply. But as buyers had during the first half of the month made all the purchases they needed, these concessions met with little or no response, and prices receded to $645 for Patna and $605 for Benares. In May the demand revived to a certain extent on the receipt of supplies from India. These arrived between the 4th and oth of the month, and a good many transactions took place at the following prices: new Patna, $640 to $660; old Patna, $642.50 to $650; old Benares, $597.50 to $602.50. This was before the 15th ; after that date the activity subsided. Reports became current that a considerable increase was about to be made in the Likin taxes, and many who would under ordinary circumstances have purchased, perhaps freely, refrained from making any purchases at all. Prices naturally fell in consequence, and new Patna was sold at $642.50, while old drug was quoted as low as $635, and even $625, although a few chests changed hands at $642.50 and $645. The prices for old Benares were between $585 and $590. The stocks at the end of the month were 1,238 chests of Patna and 249 chests of Benares. - The month of June commenced with a slight revival of activity in the market, and an advance in prices to $650 for new Patna and $647.50 for old, and $602.50 for Benares. Before the middle of the month, however, prices had again fallen to $642.50 and $640 for new and old Patna respectively, and $595 for Benares, but with subsequent temporary advances to $650 and $642.50 for the former and $602.50 for the latter. The heavy rains and inundations with which the Kwangtung province was visited at this time, however, began to produce a marked effect in the demand. The transit of goods was stopped over a large tract of country, and Chinese buyers refrained from making purchases; holders had to make concessions, with the result that at the end of the month the price of new Patna had receded to $641.25, and that of old Benares to $595, a few select chests of the latter being, however, sold at $600. Old Patna did not meet with many inquiries, although a few sales took place at $642.50. It may be well to remark here that the inundations were almost without any effect on the market for Malwa Opium, a circumstance which is explained by the fact that in the districts supplied from Canton this kind of drug meets with very little sale. Rates steadily declined during July; the inundations in Kwangtung continued to affect the demand, and further reduction in prices took place. After the end of the first week, and when supplies had been received from India, the stocks stood at 2,995 chests of Patna and 875 CHINA. 15 chests of Benares, with prices from $637.50 to $640 for new, and at $630 for old Patna, Benares being sold for $590. Notwithstanding these reductions, the demand continued to fall off, very few sales were effected, and at the beginning of the last week in the month the market was dull in the extreme. Prices had fallen to $620 for new and $605 for old Patna, and to $577.50 for Benares. Subsequently, however, a reaction set in, and before the month had closed prices had again risen to $637.50 and $640 for new Patna, and $592.50 for Benares. August commenced with a stock of about 3,140 chests of Patna and 860 chests of Benares. The renewal of activity which began at the end of July was sustained throughout August; the prices for Patna fluctuated, but those for Benares considerably increased. After the month's supplies had been received, quotations were $636.25 for new Patna and $598.75 for old Benares. Holders of Patna, however, having evinced some desire to make sales, the price of this kind receded to $627.50. The rates for Benares were better maintained, and purchasers found it difficult to buy at lower figures than $592.50. As the month advanced the price of new Patna kept between $635 and $637.50, eventually falling to $632.50, while that of Benares was marked by an almost steady increase, which at the end of the month had raised it to $603.75. The few sales of old Patna were effected at the advanced rates of $612.50, $615, and $620. The stocks at the commencement of September consisted of 1,924 chests of Patna and 355 chests of Benares. The price of Patna began at $632.50 and $633.75 for ordinary chests, and $636.25 for select chests; but the demand did not prove sufficiently active to enable holders to maintain their rates, which before the middle of the month had fallen to $625 for ordinary chests of new Patna and $630 for select chests. There were very few inquiries for old Patna, the stock of which had remained for some time at more than 620 chests, but notwithstanding this the price was maintained at $615 to $620. During the second half of September the sales effected were few, and the price for new Patna finally receded to $620. The market for Benares was also characterised throughout the month by a steady decline in rates, which commenced at $598.75, fell gradually to $590, and subsequently to $586.25. The falling off in demand which marked the latter half of September had naturally the effect of considerably increasing the stocks, which at the commencement of October con- sisted of about 3,000 chests of Patna and 1,200 chests of Benares. A good many transactions took place during the first week, without, however, much animation in the market, and before the 15th prices, continuing the downward tendency which they had been exhibiting for a long time previously, stood at $607.50 for new and $610 for old Patna, and $577.50 for old Benares. These figures represent what may be considered as having been the average rates, although some sales were made at $5 or $7 less. After the middle of the month and on to the end the market was very unsteady, sometimes the demand was good, while at other times it was rather dull. At the end of the third week the price of new Patna was $600, and old was soon after quoted at $570. Before the month had ended, however, purchasers having evinced some desire to increase their stocks, prices again went up, and Patna changed hands at $610. Both old and new Benares were placed on the market' this month. The former, after having 16 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. been sold at $577.50, as above stated, fell to $570, while the latter varied in price between $600 and $616.25. The month of November was almost from beginning to end one of steady increase in prices. Business revived considerably, and transactions were numerous during the first fortnight. Rates, which had been at a low ebb when October closed, rose in response to a brisk demand, and advanced still further as stocks became smaller. By the middle of the month new Patna had risen to $627.50, and old Benares to $580, and before the end the prices of the two kinds stood at $640 and $602.50 respectively. New Patna, however, was afterwards quoted at $637.50. The price of old Patna was during the first fortnight from $628 to $640; after the middle of the month, however, a good many of the shipments of this kind which arrived turned out to be “chop-dollar,” or worm-eaten, consequently such sales as took place were by weight, instead of, as usual, by chest. The price thus reckoned equalled, variously, $600, $610, $620, and $625 per chest. On the last day of the month the stock consisted of 1,300 chests of Patna and about 50 chests of Benares. The revival of activity which took place at the commencement of November was well maintained throughout December. Prices slightly increased, too, although on an average they exhibited little change. New Patna was quoted at $637.50, $635, and $640 during the first fortnight, and $635, $637.50, $640, and $643.75 during the second. Old Patna continued to be sold by weight at prices which equalled about $600 or $605 per chest. The demand for new Benares was much more brisk during this month than that for Patna, the touch * of the former being much higher than it had been for some time previously. Throughout the month the price for Benares of high touch ranged between $640 and $643.75, while drug of low touch was sold at $627, $630, and $632.50. Transactions in both kinds were numerous, and the year ended with rates between 9 and 12 per cent. higher than those with which it had begun. COTTON Goods.—After Opium, Cotton Goods form the most considerable factor of the Foreign Import trade of China. The total value of the importation of Cotton Goods during the year 1880 was in round numbers Hk.Tts. 23,383,000; the value of the 1879 importation was Hk.Tts. 22,600,000 : thus we have an increase in favour of 1880 amounting to nearly Hk.Its 800,000, or between 3 and 4 per cent. The difference between the values for the two years is slight, and, in fact, a considerable decrease took place in the importation of some of the principal classes of Cotton fabrics. But it must be remembered that 1879 was an excep- tionally prosperous year in the history of Chinese Foreign commerce, and in most respects far ahead of any which preceded it, a small increase during 1880 as compared with 1879 might, therefore, be a considerable increase as compared with 1878 or preceding years. In illustration of this, I introduce on pages 18 and 19 a table which gives the importation of Cotton Goods during the last three years, and shows also the difference between the quantities imported during 1880 and those imported during 1878 and 1879 respectively. The values are also given. On looking at that table one is principally struck by the figures opposite the item Grey Shirtings, which fully exemplify the statement made above regarding the exceptional * The touch of Bengal Opium means the quantity of pure drug contained in each ball, and consequently the higher or lower per-centage of yield in preparation for smoking. CHINA. 17 increase of trade which marked the year 1879. While the quantity of Grey Shirtings imported during 1880 fell short by 948,816 pieces of that imported during 1879, it yet amounted to 1,866,097 pieces more than the quantity imported during 1878. It will also be observed that there are some items the importation of which during 1880, although only slightly in advance of that during 1879, yet shows considerable increase over the importation of 1878, and that, too, if we allow for the ordinary progress of trade. Examples of this will be found under White Shirtings, Sheetings, Jeans and Twills, Chintzes, etc., Turkey Red Cloths, Handkerchiefs, and Cotton Yarn and Thread, all of which show very large increase during 1880 as compared with 1878. Against this, however, must be put the fact that some classes of goods, notably White and Dyed Figured Shirtings, and Drills, exhibit decrease during 1880 as compared with either of the preceding years. But, taking everything into consideration, it will be found that the importation of Cottons during 1880 was on the whole sensibly greater than during 1879, and very much greater than during 1878. Grey Shirtings. The quantity of Grey Shirtings imported during 1880 was less than the quantity imported during 1879 by 948,816 pieces. On referring to Part II of the Trade Returns we find that the ports which contributed most to this decrease were Newchwang, Tientsin, Chefoo, Hankow, Chinkiang, Shanghai, Ningpo, and Tamsui. The causes of the general decrease were thus various, and a knowledge of them will be best obtained from a perusal of the Reports which form the second part of this volume. I may remark, however, that in consequence of an increased demand in India for Cotton fabrics a good deal of difficulty has been experienced of late in making advantageous purchases for China. In addition to this, too, the large quantity of Grey Shirtings imported during 1879 overstocked many of our provincial markets, and thus rendered necessary a diminished importation in 1880. The following are a few remarks on the Shanghai market for Grey Shirtings during the year under review.* January began with the stock amounting to about 895,000 pieces. In consequence of some brisk speculation, however, which had the effect of keeping up prices, coupled with slackness of demand on the part of Chinese buyers, this quantity became considerably augmented, and at the end of March the stock stood at 1,607,500 pieces, and exhibited very little diminution throughout the whole of April. With May activity commenced, a good demand sprang up, and continued until the end of June, when the stock had become reduced to about 998,000 pieces. Business was fairly brisk during the remainder of the year, which closed with a stock of 702,200 pieces. Prices were fairly maintained throughout. During January, 6-ih. Grey Shirtings were quoted at Pts. I to Pts. 1.07), by the end of March they had reached Its. 1.20, falling, however, until July, when they were again quoted at Its. I, but from this time they increased, and in December were quoted at its. 1.10 to Its. 1.22. Similar fluctuations took place in the prices of the higher qualities. Shirtings of 94 to 10 lbs. were sold in January at from its. 1.88 to Its. 2.35 per piece, in April they had risen to Its. 2 and Pts. 2.40, declining to its. 1.90 and Its. 2.25 in the succeeding month, and remaining with slight variation at these rates until October, after which a rise took place, and was maintained until the end of the year, when the quotations were Pts. 2 to Its. 2.321. * The remarks on this and the following pages regarding the business in Piece Goods and Metals have reference to the Shanghai market; the prices are therefore given in Shanghai taels : Sh. Tls. 111.40 equal Hk. Tls. 100. 18 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. TABLE giving the IMPORTATION of Cotton Goods during the Years the QUANTITIES imported during 1880 and those NET IMPORTATION IN Classifier of Quantity. DESCRIPTION OF GOODS. 1878. 1879. 1880. Quantity. Value. 1 Quantity. | Value. | Quantity. | Value. Hk.fts Hk. Tts. Hk.Ft. 8,141,599 4,653,736 2,787,639 880,677 Shirtings, Grey......... , White ..................... , Figured, Bro-} | caded, Spotted, etc. » Dyed ........... , Figured, Bro- caded, Spotted, etc. S T-Cloths ....... Drills, English, Dutch, and American.. 3,307 38,330 71,841 2,887,559 3,846,811 5,602,552 1,618,558 1,357,407 5,251 21,189 77,077 32,518 161,614 51,054 3,206,922 2,415,528 32,765 634 66,648 71,963 113,644 2,609,681 3,607,951 6,441,232 2,619,335 1,346 153,141 102,434 3,879,908 113,644 45,367 1,038,748 2,051,262 1,172,985 2,531,738 936,401 1,845,747 Sheetings ............. 429,232 877,806 926,788 274,389 688,626 299,364 1,607,986 486,412 2,075,073 779,800 Jeans and Twills. 185,358 486,049 Chintzes, Furnitures, and Cotton | Prints. 133,031 158,309 213,228 | 250,170 240,167 278,034 ........... Turkey Red Cloths ........... 213,513 389,279 305,215 Damasks, Dyed ................... 319,686 59,116 413,120 395,815 44,044 16,384 274,276 6,791 29,157 23,704 13,237 73,685 74,560 162,109 370,330 99,242 64,167 90,805 59,0841 155,390 93,677 Velvets, Velveteens, and Fustians Jaconets, Cambrics, Lawns, and Muslins.. Handkerchiefs ........................ Dozens Cotton Goods, Unclassed.......... Pieces , Yarn and Thread............ Piculs 78,2161 391,247 148,184 195,842 102,969 247,431 354,827 161,503 137,889 131,162 392,654 3,190,517 182,671 151,519 506,745 3,648,112 108,360 2,520,514 Total.............. Hk.Ita 16,029,231 22,599,679 23,382,957 CHINA. 19 1878, 1879, and 1880, and showing also the DIFFERENCE between imported during 1878 and 1879 respectively. INCREASE IN 1880 AS COMPARED WITH 1878. DECREASE IN 1880 AS COMPARED WITH 1878. INCREASE IN 1880 AS COMPARED WITH 1879. DECREASE IN 1880 AS COMPARED WITH 1879. Quantity. Value. | Quantity. Value. | Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value. Hk.Fts. Hk.As. Hk.Its. Hk. H& 2,594,421 948,816 1,700,367 1,866,097 638,498 1,000,777 161,768 208,808 2,673 3,905 20,555 31,419 33,633 76,064 39,445 86,493 26,474 59,180 5,687 11,210 720,392 672,986 1,192,423 1,270,227 102,347 205,515 236,584 685,991 467,087 448,574 | 1,148,285 300,691 505,411 189, 180 186,685 293,388 107,136 119,725 26,939 27,864 91,702 76,129 6,536 30,939 6,446 15,072 20,340 42,790 44,528 208,221 56,148 29,510 64,585 34,593 195,405 69,968 17,022 36,420 21,168 259,314 114,091 79,702 *43, 159 1,127,598 13,630 457,595 Net Increase in 1880 over 1878, Hk.Hts. 7,353,726. Net Increase in 1880 over 1879, Hk. Pts 783,278. 20 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. White Shirtings.—The importation of White Shirtings showed an increase during 1880 amounting to 161,768 pieces. This advance is slight, although satisfactory, as denoting continued progress. The demand for the article was steadily good throughout the year, and the business transacted was fairly advantageous to importers. The course of prices was very similar to that which ruled in the case of Grey Shirtings. 64-reed fabric was sold at Tts. 1.80 to Its. 1.97} in January, and rose in March to Its. 1.85 and Its. 2.05, falling again in May to Pts. 1.85 and its. 1.95; these latter rates held until October, when there was a reduction to its. 1.80 and Pts. 1.92}; in November a rise took place, and December ended with quotations at its. 1.85 to Its. 2.05. The stock on the market in the beginning of January was about 223,000 pieces, and exhibited very little deviation from these figures during the greater part of the year. T-Cloths.—These show an increase of 1,192,423 pieces when we compare 1880 with 1879. This increase is almost wholly accounted for by the large net importation at Shanghai, which amounted to over 1,000,000 pieces, while there had not been any taken for local consumption at that port during the year before. At the commencement of the year 486,000 pieces represented the stock upon the Shanghai market, which a fairly brisk, although gradually failing demand kept from being much augmented during the first half of the year. At the end of July, however, business began to be somewhat slack, and the stock rose to over 700,000 pieces; during autumn the demand considerably fell off, so that in the beginning of October sellers had on hand over 1,000,000 pieces; subsequently, inquiries from buyers became less and less frequent, and the year closed with the stock risen to the high figure of 1,200,000 pieces. The course of prices was what one might expect on being acquainted. with the foregoing. 6-ih. fabric was sold at from Its. 0.84 to its i in January, and at Its. 0.88 to Tts. 1.08 in March; in April a slight decline occurred, and prices were fts. 0.80 to its. 1.05. This downward tendency continued without intermission until almost the end of the year; in June quotations had receded to its 0.75) and its 0.88; in October to its. 0.70 and Tts. 0.85; in November to its 0.70 and Its. 0.80; in December, however, there was a slight increase, and some sales were made at its. 0.873. The prices of other kinds of T-Cloths were marked by similar changes. Drills, English, Dutch, and American.-A falling off to the extent of 236,584 pieces er this heading; the importation was also less than that of 1878 by 102,347 pieces. The year during which the greatest quantity of this class of Cottons came to China was 1873, when the importation reached 1,302,578 pieces; in the year following, however, only 909,171 pieces were imported, so that when we compare the last eight years together, thus : Pieces. Pieces. 1873 ..... 1,302,578 1877. . . . . . 914,344 1874. . . . . . 909,171 1878 ...: 1,038,748 1875 · · · · · 762,194 1879. .....1,172,985 1876. ..... 1,289,215 1880 ..... 936,401 we find that the trade in Drills has been by no means steady. CHINA. 21 It has of late been freely asserted that American Cottons are, by reason of their being free from adulteration, destined to largely take the place of English Cottons on the China markets, and there are many who seem to think that the time is at hand when this change will be brought about. But our statistics do not uphold such an assertion, so far at least as Drills are concerned. The importation of American Cottons has undoubtedly been increasing, but so has the importation of English Cottons, and I would refer any who desire information upon this subject to Mr. Commissioner HART's Report on the trade of Shanghai, contained in Part II of this volume, where there will be found a table giving the quantities of English and American Drills and Jeans respectively imported at Shanghai during the last six years. It will be noticed that American Drills fell off exceedingly in 1880. This decrease must not, however, be taken to indicate any serious diminution in demand, which was, on the contrary, very satisfactory to holders throughout the year. It originated in America from some cause which resulted in short shipments to China, and those best informed on the subject are of opinion that a supply equal to that of any previous year might have been advantageously imported. The following is a list of the prices of Drills during 1880:- PRICES of DRILLS in 1880. DESCRIPTION. JANUARY. FEBRUARY. MARCH. APRIL ΜΑΥ. JUNE. Ats Its Its. Its. 3.05 Fts. 2.87} 2.90 2.85 2.80 2.84 AMERICAN, P. M. C.:- Highest ............... Piece Lowest ................... English, Ordinary to Good:- Highest ..................V Piece Lowest .................... » Dutch, Geldermans:- Highest ................. P Piece Lowest .................. 2.05 1.90 1.93 to 2.05 | 2 to 2.20 1.94 to 2.15 1.80 to 2 1.90 , 2.05 | 1.95 , 2.15 | 1.84 , 2.05 | 1.80 , 1.90 1.86 to 2.03 1.85 , 1.92} 2.45 2.45 2.35 2.50 2.45 2.50 2.45 2.45 2.30 2.26 2.16 DESCRIPTION. JULY. JULY. AUGUST. SEPTEMBER. OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER Its. Ats. Its. Ats. 2.97 2.923 Its. 3.02} 2.925 2.85 3.05 2.02 3.173 3.05 Fts 3.25 3.221 AMERICAN, P. M. C.:- Highest .................. P Piece Lowest .................. ENGLISH, Ordinary to Good:- Highest ................. Piece ................... , Dutch, Geldermans :- Highest .................P Piece Lowest .................. 1.86 to 2.03 1.85 , 2 1.85 to 2.12 1.824 to 2.12 1.82 , 2.123| 1.80 to 2 1.773 , 2 1.75 to 2 1.725 , 2 1.721 to 2 1.75 , 1.95 2.32) 2.30 2.327 2.32} 2.34} 2.323 2.45 2.45. 2.343 22 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. Sheetings. The importation of Sheetings during 1880 exceeded that during 1879 by 189,180 pieces; it also exceeded the 1878 importation by 448,574 pieces. England and America compete under this heading in the China markets. Unlike in the case of Drills, however, the latter country has here a decided advantage. The quantity of American Sheetings imported at Shanghai last year was 678,589 pieces, while English Sheetings only reached 199,125 pieces, and as the importation of this class of Cottons at Shanghai in 1880 was almost as much as the total importation at all the ports during the same period, the foregoing figures may be taken as indicating with a very near approach to correctness the relative patronage which the two kinds meet with among Chinese consumers. With regard to the ports where most attention is paid to the American fabric, a study of Part II of our Returns shows that, with the single exception of Hankow, all the ports from Ningpo north to Newchwang, including the River Ports, took far greater quantities of American Sheetings than of English during 1880. Even at Hankow the importation of the former was by no means small, amounting as it did to 30,700 pieces, against 59,030 pieces of the latter. American Sheetings are much dearer than English, hence the foregoing is significant, and proves pretty conclusively that mere cheapness is not in every case an all-important virtue in the estimation of the Chinese. The following list of the prices of English and American Sheetings will afford a partial knowledge of the fluctuations in the trade during 1880:- PRICES of SHEETINGS in 1880. DESCRIPTION JANUARY. FEBRUARY. MARCH. APRIL MAY. JUNE. Its. Its ENGLISH:- Highest ................¥ Piece 2.20 to 2.25 Lowest.................. » its. its. 2.15 to 2.25 2.17} to 2.30 2.17% to 2.30 2.05 „ 2.25 2.10 „2.27 2.10 to 2.20 2.10 to 2.20 ... 2.05 „ 2.20 AMERICAN :- Highest ........ Lowest.................. Piece 2.80 to 2.95 2.90 to 3.15 3 to 3.153 to 3.15 2.85 to 3 2.80 to 2.95 2.75 » 2.90 2.80 , 2.95 2.95 » 3.15 2.90 » 3.10 2.80 , 2.90 2.70 , 2.93} DESCRIPTION. July. AUGUST. SEPTEMBER OCTOBER. NOVEMBER. | DECEMBER. Its. The 1.85 to 2.10 1.82 , 2.10 ENGLISH:- Fits. . Ats. Ats Highest ... 4 Piece 2.05 to 2.20 2.05 to 2.20 2.05 to 2.20 1.95 to 2.20 1.88 to 2.10 • Lowest... 1.58 , 2.10 AMERICAN :- Highest ................¥ Piece 2.70 to 2.931 2.70 to 2.92} 2.70 to 2.925 2.50 to 2.874 | 2.50 to 2.85 Lowest. 2.70 , 2.91 2.70 , 2.90 2.50 „ 2.88 2.50 , 2.85 2.50 to 2.85 CHINA. 23 Jeans and Twills.—These have shown a satisfactory increase latterly, although on looking at the statistics of past years it will appear that the trade in them has not been at all a steady one. The quantity imported in 1876 was 290,460 pieces, in 1877 it was 425,552 pieces, in 1878 it fell to 185,358 pieces, and in 1879 it rose again to 299,364 pieces. The importation during 1880 was 486,049 pieces. China is supplied with Jeans by three countries—England, America, and Holland. As in the case of Drills, the fabric manufactured in England receives the preference. The great bulk of the importation consists, in fact, of English Jeans. American Jeans are steadily increasing, but the Dutch article seems to have lost ground considerably. In 1875, 33,060 pieces of Dutch Jeans were imported at Shanghai, but in 1879 the importation had fallen, through intermediate descending stages, to 4,500 pieces; in 1880, however, the fabric seemed to meet with more attention, and 11,890 pieces were imported. The following table gives the prices of English, Dutch, and American Jeans during 1880 :- PRICES of JEANS in 1880. DESCRIPTION. January February. March. APRIL. ΜΑΥ. JUNE. Its. Its. Its. Ps. 1.52 to 1.85 1.45 to 1.80 1.34 „ 1.70 Fts 1.34 to 1.70 1.54 to 1.85 1.54 , 1.80 ENGLISH, Ordinary to Good:- Highest ............... P Piece 1.56 to 1.873 1.54 to 1.80 Lowest............... 1.52 , 1.80 1.52 , 1.80 Dutch, Ordinary to Good:- Highest ............... Piece 1.80 to 2 1.80 to 2.05 Lowest................. ~ 1.75 , 2 I 1.75 , 2 AMERICAN, P. M. C. J.:- Highest ...............P Piece 2.40 Lowest................. » 2.30 1.82} to 2 1.90 to 2.05 1.80 , 2.05 1.821 to 2 1.75 » 1.90 1.70 to 1.94 1.70 , 1.90 2.35 2.573 2.57 2.35 2.57% 2.40 2.30 2.55 DESCRIPTION. July. AUGUST. SEPTEMBER OCTOBER. OVEMBER. DECEMBER Its fts. 1.40 to 1.80 1.35 „ 1.80 Its 1.35 to 1.80 | 1.30 to 1.76 1.33 , 1.80 Fts. Its. 1.30 to 1.76 1.32} to 1.82} 1.30 , 1.75 1.30 „1.75 ENGLISH, Ordinary to Good:-| Highest ...............Piece 1.44 to 1.771 Lowest. ........... ~ 1.34 , 1.70 DUTCH, Ordinary to Good :- Highest ............... P Piece 1.75 to 2.05 Lowest................. , | 1.70 , 1.94 AMERICAN, P. M. C. J.:- Highest .............Piece Lowest................. 2 2.22} 1.75 to 2.05 1.75 to 2.05 1.70 to 2 1.70 to 2 1.70 to 2 1.70 „1.924 2.25 2.25 2.25 2.22} 2.30 2.177 2.20 2.17 2.17} 24 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. Cotton Yarn and Thread.—These are growing in importance as articles of import; although the quantity which annually comes to China has not steadily increased, yet the importation of 1880 was greater than that of any preceding year, and exceeded the importation of 1879 by 13,630 piculs. Chefoo, Amoy, Swatow, Canton, and Pakhoi are the principal distributing centres for Cotton Yarn and Thread, and all, except Canton, imported more in 1880 than in 1879. In fact, in many parts of China Native weavers prefer Foreign Cotton Yarn to Chinese, and a good deal of what is called Native Cotton Cloth is in reality Foreign, but manufactured in China by Native looms. Fancy Cottons.—Under this heading may be classed Dyed and Figured Shirtings, Chintzes, Furnitures, and Cotton Prints, Turkey Red Cloths, Dyed Damasks, Velvets, Velveteens, and Fustians, Jaconets, Cambrics, Lawns, and Muslins, and Handkerchiefs. The quantity of the whole imported was 1,296,905 pieces, worth Hk.Tts. 1,587,005, showing an increase over the importation of 1879 amounting to 223,060 pieces, * and a difference in value of Hk.fts. 358,440. Considered singly, all the foregoing articles, except Figured and Brocaded Shirtings, showed increase in 1880. The last mentioned fell off in quantity to the extent of 26,242 pieces, and in value to the amount of Hk.its. 42,629. Turning to page 11 in Part I of our Returns for last year we find that considerable quantities of Cotton Goods were re-exported. This re-exportation took place almost entirely from Shanghai and to Japan. The new commercial relations between Japan and Corea have greatly facilitated the entrance of Foreign goods into the latter country, which, when generally opened up to intercourse with the rest of the world, will no doubt afford ready markets for Western manufactures. This is in a measure proved by the fact that the Piece Goods trade between Newchwang and the Corean gate has almost ceased. This trade was conducted under many disadvantages, not the least of which was the long and tedious land journey which the merchandise had to undergo before reaching its destination. Now, however, the convenient sea route between Nagasaki and Fusan is year after year increasing in favour, and the time is undoubtedly not far distant when it alone will be employed. Sizing.Sized fabrics still meet with a good number of buyers, although they seem to have lost some of their popularity lately, probably because the Chinese have come to see that dearer and purer articles are better worth their money. The practice of adulterating Cotton Piece Goods is one which has given rise to a good deal of discussion. It arose in a great measure from a desire on the part of manufacturers to respond to a constant and increasing demand for a cheaper article than could possibly be made from pure Cotton. The imparting a superficial finish to their goods suggested itself as a means by which the demand might be satisfied. It may indeed be questioned if the expedient were attended with success for any length of time, and in the long run it has undoubtedly proved an unwise one; yet the assertion so often made that the practice of sizing resulted in widespread imposture on the Chinese cannot, I feel sure, be maintained. The first instalments of sized fabrics which were placed on the China markets may no doubt have taken in a good many when distributed among the shops and offered for sale to the multitude, but any imposition which took place accrued almost wholly from the fact that the cloth purchased * One dozen of Handkerchiefs are here counted as one piece. CHINA. 25 appeared worth much more than washing proved it to be; it was still, however, worth as much as was paid for it. Seeing what had been considered a good bargain, however, become divested, under the hands of the washerman, of all the gloss which had constituted its chief attraction, and changed into perhaps a coarse netting, produced the feeling which always attends on a consciousness of having been deceived, and resulted in an outcry which operated very prejudicially against the profitable sale of cheap Cotton Piece Goods. But notwithstanding all this, sized fabrics still hold a prominent place in the China markets, and meet with a demand which proves conclusively that although a few purchasers were victimised at the outset, yet the goods possess merits which are appreciated, and that they find many willing to take them at what they are worth. WOOLLEN GOODs. - Foreign Woollen Goods are not nearly so much patronised by the Chinese as are Foreign Cotton Goods. The fact is that the former, although greatly appreciated, are too expensive to be within the means of the vast majority of Chinese. A coat made from the cheapest kind of Woollen Cloth costs about $4, whereas a coat of Cotton Cloth, wadded for winter wear, only costs about $2, a serious difference in the consideration of those whose means are limited. The value of the Woollen Goods imported during 1880 was Hk.fts. 5,810,688; comparing this with the value of the 1879 importation, Hk.its. 4,954,472, there appears an increase in favour of 1880 amounting to Hk.its. 856,216. The following figures show that during the last seven years the importation of Woollen Goods has, speaking generally, steadily, though slowly, increased :- Hk.its. Value of Woollens imported in 1874 ...... 4,049,073 1875 . . . . . . 4,561,421 » » 1876 ... 4,259,281 1877 . . . . . . 4,797,654 1070 · · · · · · 4,875,594 1879 · · · · · 4,954,472 1880 ...... 5,810,688 Among the principal classes of Woollens, those which showed marked increase during 1880 were Dutch Camlets, Russian Cloth, Flannels, Lastings, and Lustres and Orleans; while those which showed marked decrease were Blankets and Long Ells. Blankets. During the last three years the importation of Blankets has steadily decreased, as the following comparative statement will show:- Pairs. Importation of Blankets in 1878 ....... 19,552 » 1879 ... ... 17,933 1880 ....... 8,495 The large importation of 1878 was probably due to there having been no importation at all in 1877; the decrease in 1879 was slight; the marked falling off in 1880 was no doubt caused to a great extent by slackness of demand in Japan. 26 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. Camlets.—English Camlets show a slight decrease. The importation of 1879 was 127,622 pieces, valued at Hk.Tts. 1,330,109; the importation of 1880 was 124,492 pieces, valued at Hk.Fts. 1,267,667: thus showing an advantage in favour of the former period to the extent of 3,130 pieces in point of quantity and of Hk.Tts. 62,442 in point of value. But it is pretty certain that had it not been for the existence of exceptional circumstances the importation of Camlets would have been still less than it was. The probability of a war with Russia having necessitated the placing of the Chinese army on a war footing, large quantities of Camlets were purchased during the latter half of the year to supply the increased demand for soldiers' uniforms, which are to a large extent made of this fabric. The following is a list of the prices which ruled for Camlets during the year:- . PRICES of CAMLETS in 1880. DESCRIPTION. JAN. FEB. MAR. APRIL. MAY. JUNE. July. Aug. SEPT. Oct. Nov. Dec. Fts. Ats. Pts. Pts. Its Its. Its Pts. Pl. Pts. Its S. S. G., Assorted:- Fts Highest .............4 Piece 11.35 Lowest .............. » 11.10 12.10 12.10 11.75 11.80 11.60 11.90 11.60 11.75 11.60 11.50 11.40 11.70 11.80 11.55 11.50 11.70 11.60 11.90 11.60 11.50 11.40 11.70 I1.60 11.60 It will be noticed in the foregoing table that prices were highest during the first six months, and fell off afterwards during the period when one might think that the demand ought to have been best. This anomaly finds its chief explanation in the mode of conducting the trade. Importing firms consider it necessary to keep certain kinds of Piece Goods—Camlets, for example—always before the market, and to attain this object auctions are held periodically at which such goods are invariably sold, whether the prices obtainable for them be remunerative or the reverse. During the latter part of 1879 the quantities of Camlets disposed of by auction were so large that prices fell to an unusually low figure; sellers thereupon began to hold back to a certain extent, and succeeded after a short time in establishing a more satisfactory proportion between supply and consumption. With the termination of the Chinese New Year festivities in the beginning of 1880 a good demand sprang up, and, stocks being reduced, prices again increased; larger quantities were then offered at auction, prices experienced a second decline, and remained comparatively low during the rest of the year. It is said that had it not been for the autumn demand, referred to above, prices would have fallen still lower than they did. Dutch Camlets show an increase of 536 pieces. The quantity of this class of Woollens taken yearly by China has for a long time been almost stationary; from 1871 to 1875 it averaged 3,567 pieces, and from 1876 to 1880 it averaged 3,100 pieces. Broad, Medium, and Habit Cloth. The importation under this heading amounted to 33,951 pieces, valued at Hk.its. 736,268, showing an increase of 3,184 pieces over the 1879 importation, making a difference in value of Hk.Tts. 80,747. A curious sameness characterised the market for Broad, Medium, and Habit Cloth throughout the year. The prices in January CHINA. 27 were Tts. 1.20 and its.0.65 per yard for good and inferior qualities respectively, and these figures remained unchanged during the whole year, a circumstance from which one may infer that the balance of supply and demand was maintained pretty exactly. Spanish Stripes.—These show an increase in quantity of 4,993 pieces, and in value of Hk.Tts. 118,781. The importation of Spanish Stripes has been well kept up during the past five years; it was 66,830 pieces in 1876, but fell the next year to 50,530 pieces, rising again, however, in 1878 to 58,002 pieces, in 1879 to 64,075 pieces, and in 1880 to 69,068 pieces. The trade in Spanish Stripes seems to have been satisfactory, although the stocks rose during the second half of the year. Prices for best quality were highest in February and March, when they ranged between its.0.594 and Its. 0.60. The lowest quotations were in December, when inferior quality was sold for its 0.548. At times during the year other than those mentioned, prices ranged between Its. 0.55 and its 0.59 for best quality, and between Tts. 0.55 and Its. 0.57 for inferior quality. Russian Cloth.—The quantity of Russian Cloth imported during 1880 was nearly three times that imported during 1879. It amounted to 25,413 pieces, valued at Hk.Its. 762,390. Shanghai, the Yangtze and Northern Ports take almost the whole of the Russian Cloth that comes to China, Foochow being the only port in the south of China that imported any at all either in 1879 or 1880. The article seems, however, to be losing its popularity at Newchwang, where only 950 pieces were imported during the year under review, as against 1,370 pieces in 1879. Mr. Commissioner Man says that it is being superseded by Lastings, and that the reason for the change is twofold. Lastings are laid down in Newchwang at less than one-third the price of the so-called “Döuga" Cloth, and are, from the buyer's point of view, intrinsically a better article, being less liable to be spoilt by the dust. Flannels.—The importation of Flannels has latterly increased very much. In 1876 it was only 2,556 pieces, in 1877 it increased to 5,476 pieces, and in 1878 to 6,134 pieces, slightly falling off in 1879, when it was 5,099 pieces, but again increasing in 1880 to 9,004 pieces, the greatest annual importation as yet. Lastings.—Of these, 96,783 pieces were imported in 1880, showing an increase of 14,103 pieces. Lastings have exhibited a steady increase for some years past; their average importation from 1871 to 1875 was 53,918 pieces, in 1877 the quantity imported was 74,967 pieces, and in 1879 it was 82,680 pieces. The trade in Lastings was fairly steady throughout the year, and supply and demand were at all times evenly balanced. I append a list of the prices ruling between January and December. PRICES of LASTINGS in 1880. DESCRIPTION. Jan. Feb. MAR. April. May. JUNE. July. Aug. SEPT. C. P. H., Lion, BLACK :- Highest ............ Piece Lowest .............P Piece fts for Pts. Its Tits 9.93 10.30 10.99 10.99 10.80 9.75 9.97 10.65 10.62% 10.60 Fts | Pts. Its Pos. 11.11 10.85 10.61 11.47 10.71 10.22 10.40 10.50 Its ... ... 10.89 10.80 28 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. Long Els.-A falling off is noticeable under this heading. The importation in 1880 was 114,671 pieces, against 128,383 pieces in 1879. The year 1880, however, is still con- siderably in advance of 1878, and it is generally believed that the above falling off was only due to the importation of 1879 having been in excess of the demand. Business in Long Ells was not very prosperous throughout the year; large sales at auction during 1879 overstocked the market, prices were low at the beginning of 1880, and still lower at the end, hence it may be inferred that importers did not reap very large profits. The following is a list of the prices for Long Ells in each month :- PRICES of LONG Ells in 1880. DESCRIPTION. JAN. FEB. MAR. APRIL. May. JUNE. Joly. AUG. SEPT. Oct. Nov. DEC. Ats. fts. It's Scarlet, C. P. H.:- Highest ............ Piece Lowest ............. » 6.18 6.17 6.05 | U. U. SCARLET:- Highest ............ y Piece Lowest ............. 2 6.15 6.15 6.30 6.121 6.14 6.05 5.97} 6 | 6.11 6.05 6.07 6.20 5.90 Lustres and Orleans.—The quantity of this class of goods imported during 1880 was 244,196 pieces; 189,409 pieces were imported in 1879, there was therefore an increase during the past year amounting to 54,787 pieces. The importation of Lustres and Orleans has greatly fallen off since 1867, when it was 431,571 pieces; 1868 was also a good year, its importation having been 306,508 pieces. In the 12 years which have intervened, the average annual importation has hardly amounted to 200,000 pieces. There has been a steady increase during the last three years, but the article does not as yet seem likely to regain its former status as an import. It is said that the increase in 1880 was in a great measure due to the fact that at the beginning of the year importers, anticipating a good demand, ordered considerable quantities from England. Subsequent events, however, acted against the fulfilment of such hopes, and an abundant Silk crop caused the consumption of Orleans to fall off, so that a great deal of what had been ordered out on speculation remained unsold at the end of December. The stocks exhibited a steady increase almost throughout the year. In January there were only about 25,000 pieces on the market, in March there were nearly 60,000 pieces, and in July 100,000 pieces; in October the quantity had risen to 125,000 pieces, but after this a slight decrease commenced, and the year closed with a stock of about 111,000 pieces. The variations in prices were largely in keeping with the changes in the stocks. Quotations were in January Its. 2.85 to its. 3.22}; in February, March, and April they were Its. 2.90 to its. 3.35; in May a falling off commenced, and while the best qualities were still sold at Tts. 3.35, inferior qualities had in some instances fallen to Tits. 2.80; in CHINA. 29 June prices were fts. 3.15 and Tts. 2.80 for superior and inferior qualities respectively, and these rates remained unchanged during the rest of the year. Sundry Woollen Goods.—Under this heading I include such Woollen Goods as are not particularised above, though mentioned in the table on page 8 in Part I of the Returns. They are Alpaca, Bombazettes, and Bunting. Alpaca is a very unimportant item of import; it showed an increase in 1880 comparatively with 1879, the figures being 54 pieces for 1879 and 98 pieces for 1880. Bombazettes rank very little higher than Alpaca as an import; 223 pieces were imported in 1880, as against 179 pieces in 1879. Bunting is a more important item than either of the forenamed; it showed a decrease in 1880, when 515 pieces were imported, as against 962 pieces in 1879. Miscellaneous Piece Goods.—These include Woollen and Cotton Mixtures, Linen Goods, and Canvas. The first mentioned showed increase, the quantity imported having been 9,119 pieces, as against 8,643 pieces in 1879. The importation of Linen Goods showed a considerable advance, and was 17,287 pieces, as against 11,904 pieces imported in 1879. Canvas also showed improvement, the importation having been 3,012 bolts in 1879 and 4,752 bolts in 1880. Taking everything into consideration, the trade in both Cotton and Woollen Goods during the year under review was fairly satisfactory. It is true that some articles, Lustres and Orleans for example, were expected at the beginning to yield considerable profits, and that such expectations were but faintly realised; notwithstanding, losses were, generally speaking, few, and gains, although not great, were still sufficient to repay merchants for time and outlay, and to maintain hopes for the future. METALS.—The value of the Metals imported last year is less than the value of the previous year's importation by Hk.its. 52,871, a small sum, however, considering that the importation of 1879 was represented by Hk.Tts. 4,132,067, and that of 1880 by Hk.Its. 4,079,196. The articles under the heading of Metals which showed most important increase as regards quantity in 1880 were Nail-rod Iron, Tea and Sheet Lead, and Steel; and those which showed corresponding decrease were Bar and Rod Copper, Copper Sheets and Nails and Muntz Metal, Copper Ore and Unmanufactured Copper, Iron Wire, Pig and Kentledge Iron, Pig Lead, Quicksilver, Spelter and Zinc, Tin Slabs and Tin Plates. In short, the quantities of the various Metals imported in 1880 were in the majority of instances less than the quantities imported in 1879. Bar and Rod Copper.—The quantity of Bar and Rod Copper imported during 1880 was 8,933 piculs; this, compared with the importation of the preceding year, 9,703 piculs, shows a decrease amounting to 770 piculs, a difference not sufficiently great to indicate anything more than ordinary fluctuation in the trade. During the last 14 years the annual quantities of Bar and Rod Copper imported have differed greatly. In 1867, 6,991 piculs ted; and in 1868, 8,317 piculs; but in 1869 the quantity fell off to 4,297 piculs; in 1870, however, the importation rose to figures not nearly equalled since, namely, 15,277 piculs, the closest approach having been in 1877, when the quantity imported was 11,476 piculs. Looking at the prices as based on the proportion between the quantity and value given in our Returns for each year, we also find a good deal of variation. In 1867, the price thus calculated was its 15.60 per picul, in the year following it was only Its. 13, while in the year following that we 30 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. again it was its. 20, decreasing in the next year to its. 15.20. Since 1875, however, uniformity has to a certain extent prevailed; the price in that year and in the three years following was between Hk.fts 16.60 and Hk.fts. 17; in 1879 it was Hk.fts. 15; and in 1880, Hk. Pts. 15.20. Copper Sheets and Nails and Muntz Metal.—There was a decrease under this heading of 2,362 piculs, the quantity imported during 1880 having been 6,352 piculs, as against 8,714 piculs imported during 1879. The quantities imported at several of the ports in 1880—Tientsin, Chefoo, Chinkiang, Ningpo, and Canton, for example-showed increase; and the decrease in the total importation was caused by comparatively small importations at four ports, namely, Newchwang, Shanghai, Foochow, and Amoy. Copper Ore and Unmanufactured Copper. The decrease under this heading is marked. 1,393 piculs were imported in 1879, and only 75 piculs in 1880. Nail-rod Iron.—Of Nail-rod Iron, 334,783 piculs were imported during 1880, and 247,844 piculs in 1879, thus showing an increase in favour of 1880 amounting to 86,939 piculs. The 1880 importation was the largest which has yet taken place; that of 1878 was the nearest approach to it, having been 302,527 piculs. Although since a period 14 years ago the quantity of Nail-rod Iron annually imported has greatly increased, the increase has not been at all steady. In 1867, 64,224 piculs were imported; in 1868, 163,390 piculs; and in 1869, 268,898 piculs; this was steady advance, but in 1871 the quantity had fallen to 131,599 piculs, and did not rise much above this until 1875, when the importation was 227,249 piculs; in 1876 it fell again, and was only 165,878 piculs; since the last-mentioned year the increase has been fairly steady. On referring to Part II of our Returns for the year under review, it will be found that the above-mentioned net total increase of 86,939 piculs is, roughly speaking, made up of a comparatively large importation at Shanghai, minus comparatively small importations at the three Northern Ports, Chinkiang, and Swatow. The quantity retained in Shanghai for local distribution was 154,713 piculs, as against 25,609 piculs in 1879. Mr. Commissioner HUGHES says that the decreased importation of Nail-rod Iron at Chefoo was caused by the large importation there of Old Iron, such as boiler- plates, horse-shoes, scraps, etc.; these are made into horse-nails and various other articles. Bar Iron.—The quantities of Bar Iron imported in 1879 and 1880 respectively were very nearly equal, having been 166,783 piculs in the former and 168,845 piculs in the latter year. The statistics of the various ports taken separately, however, show in some instances large increase, and in others large decrease; the channels of the trade, in fact, were different as to locality in the one year from what they were in the other, although the volume of the trade remained almost unchanged. Newchwang, for instance, imported 76,457 piculs in 1879, and only 32,870 piculs in 1880, while Shanghai retained for local distribution 49,973 piculs in the former year, and 103,246 piculs in the latter year. Iron Wire.—The quantity imported was 23,135 piculs, which, compared with the 1879 importation, 31,480 piculs, shows a decrease of 8,345 piculs. The quantity of Iron Wire annually imported has greatly increased within the last twelve years. It was only 2,542 piculs in 1869. In 1870, 13,062 piculs were imported, but after this there was a falling off, which lasted until 1875, when the quantity imported was 13,925 piculs. The importation of 1880 is greater than that of any year except 1879. CHINA. 31 Pig and Kentledge Iron.—Under this heading there was also a decrease, 69,928 piculs having been imported, as against 76,405 piculs imported in 1879. Shanghai Iron Market of 1880.—At the commencement of the year there was a good demand for all kinds of Iron, and numerous sales were made at prices satisfactory to importers. During the first week in January the quotations were as follow:- Dawes Nail-rod. (Per Picul.) Best Staffordshire. (Per Picul.) Belgian, No. 1. (Per Picul.) Swedish Iron. (Per Picul.) Pig Iron. (Per Ton.) Its. Its Tits Fts. Its. 2.55 to 2.65 2.45 to 2.60 2.40 to 2.45 3.25 to 3.40 19 to 23 Business continued brisk during the whole of January, and prices gradually rose without there being any falling off in the demand. Immediately after the end of the first week in February, however, the intervention of the Chinese New Year caused a cessation of purchases on the part of Native buyers; prices, with the exception of those for Pig Iron, which fell slightly, were, notwithstanding, maintained at the figures to which they had risen during the last week in January, viz.:- Dawes Nail-rod. (Per Picul.) Best Staffordshire. (Per Picul.) Belgian, No. 1. (Per Picul.) Swedish Iron. (Per Picul.) fls. Its Its Its 2.80 to 2.90 2.70 to 2.80 2.55 to 2.60 3.40 to 3.50 But with the cessation of the New Year's festivities there did not come the expected revival of demand, as Chinese buyers deferred entering into transactions until the markets at the Northern Ports had been fully opened, and, subsequently, until the state of the home markets had become more settled. Holders were in consequence obliged to lower their prices so considerably that in the beginning of April quotations had become reduced to the following figures :- Dawes Nail-rod. (Per Picul.) Best Staffordshire. (Per Pícul.) Belgian, No. 1. (Per Picul.) Swedish Iron. (Per Picul.) Pig Iron. (Per Ton.) Ats. Its Its. 2.50 2.45 2.30 to 2.35 3.25 to 3.40 21 to 24.50 Throughout April and May the market was very dull, and although Chinese dealers made a moderate amount of purchases, yet they only bought in small quantities, sufficient to meet their 32 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. requirements for the time being. Added to this, too, the Chinese, as a rule, deal in Metals but sparingly in the spring and early summer, as there is always a difficulty then in obtaining transit labour, owing to the peasantry being largely employed in agriculture. In the beginning of June a speculative movement sprang up amongst Foreigners, the demand improved somewhat, and about 1,000 tons changed hands. But the Native dealers still kept from buying to any great extent, and as shipments were being numerously received from home, and as prices in Europe were low, prices in China remained low too, and in fact continued to fall until by the beginning of July they had become very much reduced, and stood as under:- Dawes Nail-rod. (Per Picul.) Best Staffordshire. (Per Picul.) Belgian, No. 1. (Per Picul.) Swedish Iron. (Per Picul.) Pig Iron. (Per Ton.) Its. Tits Its. 1.70 to 1.72 Pts. 3.10 to 3.25 fts. 19 to 21.50 1.90 1.80 Towards the end of June, however, the demand was moderately good, and transactions, particularly in Nail-rod, were numerous. Very little change took place in the state of the market during July; in the middle of the month, however, the demand became slightly better, and the price of Belgian rose to its. 1.80 and Its. 1.85. In the beginning and middle of August there was an improvement in demand, and in prices too, which were quoted as follow:- Dawes Nail-rod. (Per Picul.) Best Staffordshire. (Per Picul.) Belgian, No. 1. (Per Picul.) Swedish Iron. (Per Picul.) Pig Iron. (Per Ton.) Tts. Its Fts. Its Hts 2.20 1.95 1.82 to 1.90 3.25 22 But these rates were not of long continuance; business again became dull, and quotations for all kinds except Swedish had fallen considerably at the beginning of October, from which time until the end of the year the market was almost uniformly dull, prices, with the exception of those for Pig Iron, not varying from the following figures:- Dawes Nail-rod. (Per Picul.) Best Staffordshire. (Per Picul.) Belgian, No. 1. (Per Picul.) Swedish Iron. (Per Picul.) fits 1.95 Its 1.85 Its. 1.75 to 1.772 Its. 3.25 The price of Pig Iron fluctuated between Tts. 19.25 and Its. 19.75 during the last three months of the year. Swedish Iron was sold at Tts. 3.25 during the greater part of the year. The Iron CHINA. 33 market of 1880 was, as has been seen, most brisk in January and the first part of February. During far the greater portion of the year business was dull; transactions were betimes numerous, but without indicating a demand sufficient to allow of prices being raised to high figures. The beginning and end of the year presented, in short, a strong contrast to each other. Lead.—There was a falling off under this heading; the quantity imported during 1879 having been 174,216 piouls, and that during 1880, 158,878 piculs, showing a difference of 15,338 piculs. The decrease was in Pig Lead; Tea and Sheet Lead showed increase. The importation of Pig Lead, unlike that of many other kinds of Foreign goods, has not been marked, latterly at least, by yearly increase. Thirteen years ago it was almost as great as it was last year, and in 1870 it was 268,297 piculs, a quantity nearly equal to that imported in 1878. In 1873 the importation fell to 89,440 piculs, rising, however, to 153,839 piculs in the next year, 1874; from this time there was an annual increase until 1878, when the importation was 295,314 piculs, the largest on record. The ports which contributed most to the decrease in 1880 were the three Northern Ports, Shanghai, Swatow, and Canton; the statistics of Hankow, Chinkiang, Foochow, and Amoy show increase. The importation of Tea and Sheet Lead was greater by 1,263 piculs in 1880 than it was in 1879. Quicksilver.—There was a very considerable decrease here; only 2,096 piculs were im- ported in 1880, as against 6,657 piculs the year before. Spelter and Zinc.— There was a decrease in the importation under this heading amounting, to 4,738 piculs. Steel.—The quantity of Steel imported during 1880 was 26,383 piculs, and during 1879, 22,064 piculs; an increase of 4,319 piculs thus appears to the credit of 1880. Tin in Slabs.—There was a slight decrease under this heading, the importation having been 53,231 piculs in 1880 and 58,684 piculs in 1879. The decrease was, however, only in quantity; there was a rise in value to the amount of Hk.Tts. 52,733. The largest consumer of this kind of Tin is Ningpo, “where," as Mr. Commissioner MOORHEAD remarks, “there is a large industry in the manufacture of sacrificial paper, known as Ningpo "Joss Paper.'” This article is made of paper covered with a layer of Tin. Shanghai retained for local distribution during the year under review a quantity almost equal to that imported at Ningpo. Next to these two ports come, as importers of Tin Slabs, Amoy, Swatow, Foochow, Kiukiang, and Hankow; these imported respectively during 1880, 6,981 piculs, 5,520 piculs, 4,482 piculs, 4,817 piculs, and 2,217 piculs. Tin in Plates.—Of these, 10,929 piculs were imported in 1880 and 11,050 piculs in 1879. During the last ten years the quantity of Tin in Plates imported annually has varied greatly. In 1871, for example, 2,201 piculs were imported, but in 1872 only 928 piculs; similarly, in 1877 the importation was 11,189 piculs, although in the next year it fell to 4,713 piculs. This irregularity has doubtless been largely occasioned by the importation of some years being too great for the demand existing at such times. SUNDRIES.—After having passed in review our trade in Opium, Piece Goods, and Metals, one may be considered as having bestowed a fair share of attention on the Chinese Import 34 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. trade. There still remains, however, a number of articles classed as Sundries, the values of which, taken collectively, make up a very large sum. It will be seen on reference to Part I of our Returns, page 9, that the value of the Sundries imported during 1880 amounted to Hk.fts. 13,506,599, a slight decrease under the corresponding figures of the preceding year, which were Hk.Pts. 13,880,230. Some of the articles under the heading of Sundries demand more than a passing notice. The most important in point of value is Coal. Coal.—The quantity of Coal imported during 1880 was 214,421 tons, valued at Hk.fts. 968,337, an increase over the importation of 1879, which was 175,763 tons, value Hk.Tts. 802,956. By far the greater portion of the Coal brought to China comes from Japan, and is imported at Shanghai ; a small portion comes from Australia, and a smaller from England. The following table shows the quantity of Coal imported during each year since 1867, inclusive :- Tons. Tons. 1867 . . . . . . 113,430 1874 . . . . . . 116,291 1868 . . . . . 157,727 1875 . . . . . 143,279 1869 . . . . . . 126,763 1876. . . . . . 127,565 1870 ..... 78,705 1877 ..... 168,251 1871 . . . . . : 85,555 1878 . . . . . . 203,746 1872 ..... 134,393 1879 ..... 175,763 1873 · ..... 115,113 1880 . . . . . . 214,421 It will be seen from the foregoing that the importation of Coal has been increasing during the last 14 years, not annually increasing, however, for in some years there was a marked falling off; but the quantity imported in 1880 was greater than that imported in any of the preceding years, and the average for the second seven years will be found to be considerably greater than the average for the first seven years. How long this increase will continue it is difficult to say. China, as is well known, possesses immense natural resources in Coal, though as yet the develop- ment of these has not taken a prominent place among the national industries. But the number of mines in the country worked by Foreign machinery is annually increasing, and it is quite probable that, after a few years have passed, the importation of Foreign Coal will be numbered among the things that were. Raw Cotton.—Of this commodity, 87,486 piculs were imported in 1880; 175,535 piculs were imported in 1879; the importation fell off by about one-half, therefore, during the year under review. Amoy, Swatow, Canton, Kiungchow, and Pakhoi are the only ports which took Foreign Cotton, so it is in the statistics of these places that the particulars of the above decrease must be looked for. With the exception of Pakhoi, each imported a much smaller quantity in 1880 than in the preceding year. Mr. Acting Commissioner EDGAR says, in his Report on the trade of Swatow, that the falling off in the importation of Foreign Raw Cotton there was partly due to deficient crops in Annam, though chiefly to the practice lately adopted there of cleaning the Cotton before shipping it to China, and thereby reducing the weight. Seaweed and Agar-agar.—There was very little difference between the quantity of Seaweed imported during 1879 and that imported during 1880. In the former year the importation was 443,795 piculs, and in the latter 439,985 piculs. The great bulk-in fact, almost CHINA. 35 all the Seaweed imported by China—is brought from Japan and the Amoor region. This commodity, as Mr. NOETZLI remarked in his Report for 1879, is eaten as a delicacy by the Chinese, so that its importation being kept up goes to prove continued prosperity among the people. Timber.—The importation of Timber shows a slight increase, having been valued at Hk.its. 591,836 in 1880 and Hk.fts. 540,964 in 1879. Matches.-Scarcely any article of Foreign manufacture imported by China has increased so rapidly in favour with the people as Matches. In 1867 the importation was only 79,236 gross, in 1872 it had increased to 297,121 gross, in 1877 it stood at 554,812 gross, and in 1880 it attained to 1,419,540 gross—the highest figures on record. The use of Matches by the Chinese is still almost wholly confined to that portion of the population living at and near the Treaty Ports; but although the match-box has not yet established itself among the household requisites of the people at large, it is yearly gaining in popularity, and surely, if slowly, superseding the primitive flint and steel. It is to be expected, therefore, that the importation of Matches will in a few years more be much greater than it is at present, unless, indeed, the Chinese commence to make the article for themselves; although it is not probable that this will be attempted to any great extent for some time to come. Last year a few enterprising Chinese started a match factory in British Kowloon, with the expressed intention of entering into competition against the sale of Foreign Matches in China. The concern has, however, turned out a failure, from what cause I have not been able to ascertain. But it is quite likely, notwithstanding, that when Matches come to be more generally used in China than they are at present, the manufacture of them will be undertaken in the country by the Chinese, who should be able to provide themselves with a cheaper article than that imported. Shell-fish, Awabi, Shrimps, etc.—The importation of these varied very little in 1880 comparatively with 1879, having been 48,552 piculs in the first-mentioned year and 47,307 piculs in the last mentioned. Bicho de Mar.—The remark of the foregoing paragraph also applies to Bicho de Mar, the importation of which was 19,667 piculs in 1879 and 19,819 piculs in 1880, showing but a slight difference. seng.—The quantity imported in 1879 was 3,586 piculs, and in 1880, 3,614 piculs. Ginseng is used by the Chinese as medicine, and occupies a very important place in their pharmacopæia; they consider it a panacea, and hold that there is scarcely any human disease that will not disappear before its effects. How the root came to be thought so much of is extremely difficult to conjecture, because Foreign physicians who have tested its qualities say that it is scarcely any use at all as a medicine, acting at best as a very mild aperient. The Chinese, however, pay almost fabulous prices for the best Ginseng—that found in Man- churia, and place the most implicit faith in its virtues. The Ginseng which is imported into China, and to which the above figures refer exclusively, comes from America, Japan, and Corea. The American Ginseng trade commenced a good many years ago, and a writer in the “Chinese Repository," vol. II, page 462, states that the profits afforded by it were at first 500 or 600 per cent., but subsequently decreased so much that, at the time he wrote, the commodity could scarcely be sold in China for first cost. This was in the year 1834; but notwithstanding that 36 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. the Ginseng trade was then so unprofitable, the importation was continued, and 11 years later, in 1845, appears to have been 2,532 piculs, valued at $155,549, or about Hk.Pts. 103,700. From this time until the year 1880 the quantity imported each year varied very slightly; for the 14 years beginning with 1867 and ending with 1880 the annual average is 2,903 piculs. A noteworthy feature presents itself, however, in connexion with this subject, and that is that while the quantities imported have differed only slightly, their values have varied immensely. Take, for example, the years 1845, 1877, and 1880. As above stated, the importation during the first-mentioned period was 2,532 piculs, worth Hk.its. 103,700; in 1877 the quantity imported was 2,990 piculs, valued at Hk.Its. 1,003,585; and in 1880 it was 3,614 piculs, valued at Hk.fts. 451,737. The importation of 1879, too, was almost equal to that of 1880, while its value was more than twice as great. The explanation of the above is that there are a good many different kinds of Ginseng imported, and that these vary in price from Hk.Tts. 700 or Hk. Pts. 1,500 per picul for Corean or best Japan Ginseng to Hk.Pts. 180 and Hk.Its 12 for Crude American and Root and Beard respectively. Therefore, when our Returns exhibit marked falling off in the value of the Ginseng imported, it is because the quantity consists of a larger proportion of the common and cheap article. Dry and Salt Fish.—The quantity of these imported was 66,582 piculs, showing an increase over the importation of 1879 amounting to 3,186 piculs. Birds' Nests. There was a decrease under this heading, the importation having been 774 piculs in 1879 and 655 piculs in 1880. Kerosene Oil.–Since the year 1863, when it first made its appearance as a separate item in our Returns, Kerosene Oil has grown rapidly in importance as an article of import. The ollowing table gives the quantity of Kerosene Oil imported during each year since 1863, inclusive. The figures given, particularly those for the earlier years, do not pretend to strict accuracy. In most issues of our Returns the importation is partially given in piculs, which it has been necessary to convert into gallons; in such cases, 22 gallons have been allowed to one picul. Again, Kerosene Oil is at some of the ports not a sufficiently important article of trade to be entered as a separate item in their Returns; hence it has not been found possible to arrive at the exact quantities imported. But the inaccuracy in the table resulting from these circumstances can only be slight, and I think that the figures are exact enough for ordinary purposes. Gallons. Gallons. 1863 ...... 2,100 1872 ..... 320,888 1864 . . . . . . 12,159 1873 . . . . . 744,006 1865 . . . . . . 6,268 1874 · · · · · 70,843 1866. . . . . . 44,416 1875 ..... 1,291,486 1867 ...... 29,842 1876 ..... 905,125 1868 . . . . . . 113,736 1877 ....: 292,023 1869 ...... 78,956 1878 ....2,408,192 1870. ..... 281,004 1879. ... 4,222,929 1871 . . . . . . 53,533 1880 ..... 3,429,423 sene CHINA. 37 One may see from the foregoing figures that the quantity of Kerosene Oil imported annually has not been invariably increasing. The statistics of 18 years show on the whole, however, an enormous increase in the consumption of the article in China, and lead to the conclusion that its importation is at present but small in comparison with what it may be in the future; provided, of course, that the Chinese do not take to utilising the ample mineral oil resources of their own country. That they may do this is quite possible, as anyone will know who reads the passage in Huc's “Chinese Empire,” quoted by Dr. HIRTH in his Report on the trade of China for 1877. The oil-wells of Szechwan have as yet only been worked with primitive appliances, and their full value is but little known to the people. Attempts have been made with some success, however, to apply Foreign machinery to the oil-springs of Formosa, and it is quite possible that the Foreign article may after all be deprived of its market in China through the competition of a cheaper rival. Needles are another of the Foreign manufactured articles which have found great favour with the Chinese. Their importation has been rather unsteady, as some years have exhibited marked decrease, but on the whole there has been increase, and the quantity imported during 1880 was far greater than that imported during any former year; it was 1,933,944 mille, against 892,236 mille imported during the year 1879. I have now passed in cursory review the articles under the heading of Sundries which were during 1880 the most important in point of value; there yet remain a few of minor note for which a passing consideration will suffice. Sugar showed increase; 57,382 piculs were imported, as against 45,446 piculs, the figures for 1879. Betel-nuts increased twofold, 15,045 piculs having been imported in 1879 and 34,138 piculs in 1880. Cloves and Spices.—Of these, 7,530 piculs were imported, which gives an increase amounting to 1,992 piculs. Grain and Pulse, and Rice.-Each showed very great decrease. The falling off is satis- factory, however, inasmuch as it proves that the crops at home were sufficient to supply the wants of the people without aid from abroad. Indigo.—The importation of Indigo was very much smaller during the last three years than it was before, as will be seen on looking at the following figures :- Piculs. Indigo imported during 1874 ......... 38,137 » 1875 . . . . . . . . . 40,447 1876 . . . . . . . . . 25,719 1877 · · · · · · · 36,889 » „ „ 1878 . . . . . . . . . 4,410 1879 . . . . . . . . . 3,150 1880 . . . . . . . . . 1,906 Isinglass increased by 1,811 piculs in an importation of 9,868 piculs. Mangrove Bark.-In this there was a great decrease, the importation of 1880 having been 41,907 piculs, as against 100,090 piculs, the importation of 1879. 38 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. Paints increased nearly twofold. The annual value of the Paints imported has varied greatly. In 1872 the value of the importation was Hk.Tts. 47,147, and in 1873, Hk.Tts. 108,137, but in 1874 it was only Hk.Pts. 29,412. Similar irregularity has characterised the importation of the past two years. Pepper showed a decrease of 16,196 piculs. Rattans increased by 6,316 piculs. Sandalwood decreased by 10,554 piculs. Sapanwood also decreased, to the extent of 55,572 piculs. Window Glass showed a considerable increase; 55,967 boxes were imported in 1880, as against 32,456 boxes in 1879. This increase must not, however, be regarded as the result of sudden increase in demand for Window Glass, as it would seem to be that the comparatively large importations of 1877 and 1878 overstocked the markets to such an extent that an ample balance was left with which to commence 1879, hence a diminished importation was rendered necessary during that year. Thus it will appear that the increase of 1880 indicated nothing more than a continuance of the previously existing demand. EXPORT TRADE. The value of the Export trade of 1880 was Hk.Tts. 77,883,587, an increase of Hk.Its. 5,602,325 over the corresponding figures for 1879, which were Hk.Its. 72,281,262. The 1876 Export trade still remains, however, the largest on record; but it must be remembered that the exceptionally high figures for that year were due to very unusual excitement in the Silk markets, and that in 1877 business returned to its ordinary state. The statistics of 1880 may be taken, then, as manifesting a continuance of the progress which has marked the Export trade of China for many years. The increase of last year was mainly due to comparatively greater exportation to Great Britain, India, and the continent of Europe; the figures for other countries also show increase, with the unimportant exception of those for South Africa, Japan, Cochin China, Siam, Java, and the Sandwich Islands. Proceeding to notice separately the various items which make up the Export trade, I shall commence with the one which is in the West more associated with the country of its origin than any other product of China; namely, Tea. TEA.—In order to form a just idea concerning the statistics of the present exportation of Tea from China, it is necessary to know something about the quantities exported during past years. The history of the Tea trade has often been written, and its outline is familiar to most people. I am inclined to believe, however, that a few remarks on the subject may be in place here, as sparing readers the inconvenience of reference to works which may not always be at hand. The China Tea trade may be considered as the growth of two centuries, and as having commenced in the year 1678, when the East India Company brought to England, as a venture 4,713 lbs. of Tea. The speculation was attended with promising results; the importation con- CHINA. 39 tinued, and, after a time, began to increase year by year. In 1711 the quantity imported was 141,995 lbs.; in 1735 it attained to over 1,300,000 lbs.; in 1760 it was more than 2,000,000 lbs.; and the importation for the year 1800 amounted to upwards of 20,000,000 lbs. Shortly after this the American and Russian trades began to assume importance. The exportation to the United States was more than 11,000,000 lbs. in 1832, and about the year 1819 the quantity carried overland to Russia viâ Siberia was annually upwards of 5,000,000 lbs. According to the “ Chinese Repository," vol. VIII, the total exportation from China in the year 1832 was about 53,000,000 lbs., and in 1839 about 65,000,000 lbs. The market prices in Canton were in the beginning of the latter year as follows:-- Congou. ........ Its. 22 to Its. 30 per picul. Caper Congou . · · · · · · · „ „ 25 Souchong. . . Hungmuy . . . . . . . .. Pekoe . . . . . . . . . 40 Orange Pekoe . . . . . . . Hyson . · · · · · · · · Young Hyson ........ Hyson Skin . ...... „ 18 „ „ 26 Gunpowder ....... » 48 „ „ 62 Imperial : ....... » 45 „ „ 59 » Twenty-four years later the exportation had increased nearly threefold, so that in the year 1863, just after the new Treaties had come into force, the total quantity exported was 170,292,267 tbs.; again, during six years more, the increase continued, so that in 1869 the exportation was 203,753,200 lbs. ; in 1870 it fell off rather, and only amounted to 184,133,067 Ibs.; but since then the advance has been on the whole fully kept up, as the table contained in the following four pages will show. Our Returns for the past 10 years may be considered as showing the correct quantities of Tea exported from China during that time. Prior to the year 1871, however, it was not found possible to obtain statistics of the very considerable portion of the Russian overland trade carried on from Hankow by way of Fanch'êng (ik h). It would also be very difficult to obtain reliable data concerning the exportation during any consecutive number of years before 1860. The figures which I have given above are, therefore, for periods separated from each other by considerable intervals; but I think that, notwithstanding, they will show sufficiently by what steps the Tea trade has risen to its present dimensions. I here introduce a table which shows the exportation of Tea to each Tea-consuming country during each of the past 10 years. The principal facts set forth in the table may be summarised as follows:—That the annual exportation of Tea from China has increased from 1,881,827 piculs to 2,204,754 piculs during the last 10 years; that a good deal more than half of all the Tea exported from China is taken by Great Britain and its possessions; that the exportation of Tea from China to the United States has decreased; and that the exportation to Siberia and Russia has increased. TRADE REPORTS, 1880. EXPORTATION of Tea from CHINA to 1871. 1872. DESTINATION. Black. Green. Leaf, Dust, and Brick. Total. Black. Green. Leaf, Dust, and Brick. Total. Piculs. Piculs. 976,700 77,099 Piculs. 64,573 Great Britain ........... Hongkong ........ 595 6,638 India.. 543 3,910 Piculs. | Piculs. Piculs. | Piculs. | Piculs. || 1,041,868 976,373 | 79,945 942 1,057,260 83,744 77,592 7,553 85,576 4,453 757 6,002 2,172 1,615 92,019 107,624 107,689 5,564 5,215 5,226 1,615 2,170 91,991 5,553 Singapore and Straits ....... Australia ......... New Zealand ............ British America ... South Africa..... Gibraltar ......... British Channel for Orders .................. 26 5,015 5,041 . . . . . . . 1,409 1,409 6,864 2 6,866 17,308 17,308 Total to British Possessions...... 1,172,799 80,177 602 || 1,253,578 1,176,040 92,821 L 1,373 1,270,234 147,030 298,549 120 I 20 314,572 United States of America ............. Continent of Europe, Russia excepted .... 151,519 647 151,998 3,6831 162,454 737 2,818 4,420 2,171 14,880 16,818 14,880 ... » » Russia......... Siberia and Russia vid Kiakhta .......... 35,125 37,980 94,927 | 83,403 202,184 292 Mongolia and Siberia via Fanch'êng ...... 35,125 132,907 148,964 1,818 100,221 202,184 674 382 868 148,964 950 659 206 350 405 1,074 Russian Manchuria ........... Japan ........... .............. Philippine Islands Cochin China ........ Siam .......... 144 . 167 . . . . . . . . . . 144 . . 2,980 2,980 1,935 594 594 1,632 6,401 Java................ 3,751 3,751 1,632 6,401 3,690 246 DOSSI South America ....... 879 225 1,104 4,132 Suez ......... 246 Sandwich Islands. TOTAL...... 1,362,634 232,617 | 286,576 1,881,827 1,420,170 256,464 246,993 1,923,627 CHINA. FOREIGN COUNTRIES, 1871-1880. 1873. 1874. 1875.. Leaf, Dust, Black. Green. and Total. Black. Green. Leaf, Dust, and Brick. Total. Black. Green. Leaf, Dust, and Brick. Total. Brick. Piculs. Piculs. | Piculs. 74,449 6,640 2,062 Piculs. 88,192 446 Piculs. Piculs. 984,026 1,032,724 98,790 120,815 4,326 496 Piculs. 3,399 629 Piculs. 1,124,315 124,682 Piculs. 70,016 Piculs. 983,295 119,849 90,088 3,238 2,750 Piculs. || Piculs. 2,592 1,055,903 491 123,090 7,448 1,960 514 4,846 5,342 224 7,224 1,047 2,179 2,179 1,047 87,845 8,272 1,960 106,024 88,097 99,904 99,994) 106,195 10,357 | 8,3171 9,321 9,404 10,292 826 156 3,488 3,428 3,861 2,644 3,428 3,861 2,644 7 1,096,897 86,024 2,508 1,185,429 1,268,239 99,781 4,028 | 1,372,048 1,228,940 80,226 3,083 || 1,312,249 74,539 373 224,122 209,514 91,903 129,889 221,792 149,210 71 96,646 2,058 445 516 112,868 98 3 2,156 12,270 90 12,360 33,204 33,204 53,099 32,820 28,237 53,095 36,029 47,713 100,315 148,028 ... 161,767 197,796 32,823 101,717 60,246 3,659 192,311 73,480 60,246 688 192,311 6,776 147,019 147,019 6,053 " 4,785 2,971 1,413 4,640 Ibo 33 202 195 222 852 929 144 144 238 238 317 312 1,909 1,909 2,075 2,177 : 2,075 1,482 2,177 951 1,552 951 : 1,552 9,582 9,582 8,576 10,664 : 10,664 1,482 8,576 662 50 S 715 : 3,495 2,602 3,593 2,706 104 541 : : 1,274,232 235,413 300,429 1,810,074 1,444,249 212,834 138,442 1,795,525 1,438,611 | 210,282 316,513 1,965,406 42 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. EXPORTATION of TEA from CHINA to 1876. 1877. DESTINATION. Black Green. Leaf, Dust, and Brick. Total. Black. Green. Leaf, Dust, and Brick. Total. Piculs. 960,263 118,777 Great Britain Piculs. 11,418 Piculs. 68,154 2,389 3,386 Piculs. 61,951 2,525 | Piculs. 1,079,437 190,650 Hongkong ....... India .......... 449 5,870 6,962 1,147 5,158 AT Piculs. | Piculs. Piculs. 3,809 1,032,226 1,006,068 - 74 121,240 188,125 3,835 1,092 1,189 113,512 102,409 6,189 8,221 383 3,383 6,644 Singapore and Straits ...... Australia. ....... 5,158 113,465 102,525 6,174 8,240 New Zealand .......... British America ........ 383 3,378 South Africa.............. 5 6,644 Gibraltar ..................... British Channel for Orders ...... Total to British Possessions......1,204,036 74,038 3,883 1,281,957 1,317,717 70,481 11,418 1,399,616 115,535 126,895 31 98,996 11,672 38,427 214,531 11,808 143,782 2,273 270,708 2,288 136 38,428 United States of America ...... Continent of Europe, Russia excepted .... 1 Russia.... Siberia and Russia vid Kiakhta ............ Mongolia and Siberia via Fanch'êng .... Russian Manchuria ............ 49,930 69,112 214,229 148,633 183,364 145,117 || 128,520 128,520 198,563 183,364 7,193 765 2,139 5,054 1,775 2,610 4,385 511 171 223 Japan ...................... Philippine Islands......... Cochin China............. 163 163 207 207 1,925 1,925 2,670 2,670 1,782 Siam .......... 2,234 2,234 1,785 Java .... 5,301 12,955 12,955 5,301 15 South America ... Suez ....... 4 6 16 Sandwich Islands ........... TOTAL... 1,415,349 189,714 341,188 1,946,251 1,552,450 197,410 287,748 || 2,037,608 CHINA. 43 FOREIGN COUNTRIES, 1871-1880—Continued. 1878. 1879. 1880. Black. Green. Leaf, Dust, and 1 Brick, Total. Black. Green. Leaf, Dust, and Brick. Total. Black. Green. Leaf, Dust, and Brick. Total. Piculs. 992,081 Piculs. 47,537 47,366 Piculs. 52,846 2,523 2,956 Piculs. Piculs. 14,224 || 1,059,151 163 174,868 4,218 3,852 Piculs. | Piculs. 5,270 4,884 761 8,244 Piculs. 13,445 275 Piculs. 1,112,874 168,467 172,182 7,083 Piculs. 934,217 166,934 802 3,580 98,279 6,452 11,987 Piculs. | Piculs. 986,853 1,051,892 172,579 161,109 9,046 1,310 3,587 3,673 98,416 143,563 6,475 8,597 1,262 3,825 97,347 9,065 13,297 3,729 97,509 9,101 143,870 8,669 2,854 150 2,704 10,977 10,999 7,679 12 2,981 2,987 3,818 3,818 1,290,557 58,572 14,387 || 1,363,516 1,217,943 60,673 6,031 1,284,647 1,373,275 69,752 13,720 1,456,747 114,581 113,407 227,988 144,934 | 122,019 118,743 254 150,743 5,651 2,638 2,638 40 266,953 2,048 13,648 479 2,008 13,648 132,098 479 41,155 77,210 269,740 5,716 41,218 296,869 107,636 19,238 84,496 190,058 275,400 267,456 92,246 400,004 92,246 55,149 2,583 55,149 5,440 1,647 219,659 107,636 13,468 7,323 5,770 TOI 10,964 144 167 168 170 209 209 235 235 4,363 2,460 1,574 4,363 1,509 15,611 2,460 762 1,509 762 1,653 1,574 1,653 3,859 15,611 4,686 4,686 3,859 4627 518 518 1,517,6171 172,826 263,662 1,954,105|1,523,419 183,234 373,056 2,079,709|1,661,325 188,623 354,806 2,204,754 44 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. The Tea Trade of 1880.—The Tea season which began in the summer of last year seems to have been an unsatisfactory one. Following closely upon a period of unusual prosperity, it was marked in a great measure by reaction. Purchases for the Foreign markets were in the majority of cases unproductive of profit, and merchants seem to have met with disappointment throughout. Former Trade Reports, notably Mr. HIPPISLEY's for 1876, have described very fully the various characteristics of the Chinese Tea markets, and I could hardly venture to add anything on the subject without danger of repetition. One thing, however, I may notice here, and that is the mutual agreement which Foreign Tea merchants entered into during the past two years to abstain from competition to purchase the first Teas of each season, and thus to deprive the Chinese of their arbitrary power over prices. The steps taken were attended with a good deal of success in the 1879 season, as the Foreigners united with a hearty goodwill to effect their purpose. The new-born zeal proved, however, of an evanescent nature, and at the commencement of the season under review the combination was not resumed with much energy. The Chinese, on the other hand, profiting by their experience of the previous year, acted as one man, and with a determination to hold their position. They kept back the new leaf from the Hankow market until the 15th May, and, in addition, offered at first only the best chops; the Russian merchants are always willing to purchase these at any price, hence the ordinary Teas which followed were made to appear unusually cheap by comparison, and so were bought at higher rates than they would have commanded under ordinary circumstances. Thus the Chinese, by judicious union, regained the ground from which they had been temporarily driven. The following few notes concerning the opening of each principal Tea market may prove of some interest. Hankow.—The season opened on the 15th May with the purchase of a chop of Ningchows at its. 48 per picul. The first sale of Hankow district leaf took place on the day following, when a chop of Laoyangs was purchased by an English firm at Pts. 24.50 per picul. The settlements effected during the first week were as follow: Ningchows. ... 67,440 half-chests at its. 28 to Tts. 52 per picul. Hohows .... 7,630 „ „ „ 22 „ „ 27 » Oopacks . . . . . 49,980 Oonams .... 39,460 Oonfaas . ... • 43,290 „ „ „ 25 » » 34.50 » Seangtams ... 14,300 „ „ „ 14 „ „ 16 „ Shanghai.—The season for Black Tea opened on the ioth June. The new leaf was not equal in quality to that of the previous year. Settlements during the first fortnight amounted to about 34,000 half-chests at the following prices :- Hohows .......... Its. 14 to its. 22.50 per picul. Tungmokwans ....... ~ 20.50 „ „ 27 Keemuns . ......... „ 25 „ „ 30 Ningchows . ........ » 16 „ „ 26 Oonams and Oonfaas . ....„14 » » 22 Oopacks . . . . . . . . . . » 15.25 » » Wênchows ......... „24 » CHINA. 45 The market for Green Tea commenced on the 16th June, the purchase of a chop of unusually fine Pingsueys at its. 31 being the opening transaction. The crop of Pingsueys turned out better than the average both in the cup and in purity of leaf, though in colour it differed little from the crop of the previous season. The yield of the various kinds of Green Tea was abundant, and prices ranged comparatively low. The settlements during the first week were almost entirely on American account, and amounted to 2,132 half-chests of Pingsueys at its. 19.50 to Its. 31. Foochow.—The market opened in the beginning of June with the following quotations for Congous : Sueykuts and Kienyongs ..... Its. 12.50 to Its. 21 per picul. Sayunes . . . . . . . . . . » Tonghingtongs......... „ 18 „ 21 Yunghows . ......... » 18 „ „ 25 » Panyongs .......... 23 „ „ 34 » Paklings .......... 18 „ „ 32 Paklus ........... „ 25.50 „ „ 38.50 , Seumoos and Kaisows ...... „ 20 „ „ 36 » Business in Pakling Congous was fairly brisk at the above rates, and Kaisows were also in good demand. Amoy.—The market regularly opened on the 8th June. Mr. Commissioner WOODRUFF says, “The quality of the first crop was about on a par with previous seasons. The common, fair, and good grades were scarce; the superior, fine, and better sorts in full supply.” On the Ioth June a settlement of Amoy Oolongs, consisting of 9,000 half-chests, was made on American account. Amoy Congous did not meet with much attention until some time after the market had opened. A good business was done in Formosa Oolongs at $31 to $45, duty paid. Canton.—The season fully opened in the beginning of April. The crop was considered a good one, although slightly inferior to that of the previous season; the infusion of the leaf was strong and bright. Business done was, as usual, large. Settlements from the commencement of the new arrivals to the end of the month were, in Canton, 27,500 boxes Congou, 1,500 boxes Orange Pekoe, and 8,000 boxes Scented Capers; in Macao, 23,000 boxes Congou. Considering the quality of the leaf, prices were in advance of the previous season's opening prices by Its. 6 to Tts. 8. The highest prices were obtained in the beginning of the month, a slight decline having taken place towards the end. Quotations were : Congou, “good medium to fine”. ..... Its. 22 to Tts. 25 , "medium". ......... , 18 , „ 21 "common” ..........» 15 » » 17.50 The stock at the end of the month amounted to nearly 30,000 boxes. Some Remarks concerning the Position and Prospects of China Tea.-Much has been written of late about the dangers which are threatening the supremacy of China in the Tea markets of the world, and times are certainly changed since she held the monopoly of Tea W 46 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. production. India has for the past 20 years been strenuously aiming at rivalship, and has succeeded in producing an article which has gained a good deal of favour in England. The United States, too, are coming into notice as growers of Tea, although a considerable period must elapse before their competition can exercise very much influence. But that Americans are sanguine of successfully establishing the industry in their country, and are commencing the cultivation of the leaf energetically, the Reports of the Department of Agriculture, published in Washington, amply testify. Many circumstances have combined to place Indian Tea in the position it at present occupies. The chief among these is that it is grown and manipulated under the supervision of Europeans, who can thus prepare the different varieties or qualities to suit the requirements of the markets. Another very important advantage exists in the fact that the yield of each season's crop can always be estimated beforehand with sufficient accuracy to guide buyers in making their purchases. In China the case is different. The Tea is grown and made ready for the market by Native agriculturalists, who pursue year after year a stereotyped system of preparation, with scarcely any knowledge of the changes which are ever taking place in the prevailing taste of Foreign consumers; the quantity likely to be forthcoming during any season, too, can only be roughly guessed at from the vague reports of compradors, etc., whose statements are as often misleading as not. It thus happens that buyers of Tea on the Chinese markets are constantly forced to pursue their operations to a great extent in the dark; not knowing the state of the crops, they are always ignorant of in what measure the supply will meet or outstrip the demand. Seeing that things are so, one may well ask how it comes that the Chinese are so careless regarding the trade of their country as not to have made any effort during all these years to place matters on a more satisfactory footing. It has to be taken into consideration, however, that China is a Tea-consuming as well as a Tea-producing country, differing herein essentially from India. Various estimates have from time to time been formed regarding the quantity of Tea annually consumed by the Chinese, and trustworthy authorities have placed it at 2,000,000,000 lbs.; but from calculations which I have made I am inclined to think that these figures are much lower than the actual quantity. Take, for example, the consumption of Tea in a European country. In the year 1879, the quantity of Tea retained for home consumption in the United Kingdom was 160,432,284 lbs. The population of the United Kingdom is about 35,000,000, and that of China about 300,000,000, or more than eight times greater; 160,432,284 multiplied by 8 gives 1,283,458,272, so that, supposing the Chinese to consume individually the same quantity of Tea that the people of the United Kingdom do, it follows that the annual consumption in China ought to be about 1,283,453,272 lbs. As is well known, however, Tea occupies an almost equal position among the wants of a Chinese with, collectively, tea, coffee, spirits, etc., among those of a European. Hence it will be quite fair, I think, to reckon the consumption of Tea in China at twice as much in proportion to the population as in England, and therefore at over 2,500,000,000 lbs. annually, or about eight times more than the total quantity exported to Foreign countries. If, then, almost all the Tea produced by China goes to supply the wants of her own population, it is not surprising that the Chinese do not take such pains as they might to suit the tastes of their Foreign customers. But the demand on Foreign markets for China Tea is as active as ever, and has been year after year steadily increasing. I think, therefore, that so CHINA. long as the Chinese abstain from adulteration, and try to prevent the making up of such spurious compounds as “Maloo Mixture," there need not be much fear of the leaf they produce losing its ground through Foreign competition, for increase of wealth and population and the spread of luxury will ensure constant and increasing demand for all the Tea that is likely to be grown in China and elsewhere. Silk.—The exportation of Silk during 1880 amounted to 114,721 piculs, valued at Hk.Tts. 29,831,444. In the matter of quantity, this is more by 15,445 piculs than the exportation of the great Silk year, 1876, although in point of value less by Hk.its. 5,980,894, thus proving a serious decline in prices since then. Comparing the figures for 1879 and 1880 with each other, we find that there appears on the whole an increase in favour of the latter year of 8,888 piculs; the several items also show increase, with the single exception of Coarse and Wild Silk, which exhibits a falling off of 615 piculs. Refuse Silk shows a very great increase, viz., 5,066 piculs in an exportation of 18,861 piculs, a fact which goes largely to prove Mr. NOETZLI's statement of a year ago, that fabrics made from this kind of Silk are rapidly coming into favour in Europe. Refuse Silk, when woven together with Cotton, forms a very durable and serviceable cloth, which has the advantage, moreover, of being sufficiently cheap to be within the means of most people. As regards the Silk trade of 1880, there was little to distinguish it from that of ordinary years; some losses occurred, but profit was realised in many cases, and, generally speaking, exporters fared satisfactorily, while the Chinese dealers made gain almost throughout the year. The following are short summaries of the principal features of the Silk markets of Shanghai and Canton during the year. Shanghai.—The year commenced with a good demand for nearly all kinds of Silk; the following were some of the quotations :- Koo Fongsing's ............ Its. 415 Mountain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . „ 395 Gold Elephant ............. 372.50 Yellow Silk :- Mienchows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . „ 245 Szechwans . . . . . . . . . . . . . , 230 Towards the end of January prices for Tsatlees declined Its. 10 to Its. 12.50, but remained unaltered for Taysaams and Yellows. In the beginning of February a few transactions took place in chop and market Tsatlees, with the effect of slightly raising prices. A large business was done, too, on American account in Re-reels, best chop Tsatlees selling at its. 462} to its. 4721. After the Chinese New Year holidays a few transactions took place in fine Yellows for the Con- tinent, and also in coarse Yellows and Taysaams for India. Blue Elephants were sold at Tts. 390. About the middle of March discouraging news was received from home, and buyers abstained from making offers. Tsatlees fell Tts. 5 to its 10 per picul, but without inducing purchasers to operate to any great extent. Re-reels were at this time briskly inquired after for the American market. The total settlements for the 1879–80 season amounted on the ist April to 62,000 bales. After the first week in April business became more lively, prices rose, and numerous sales of 48 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. best Tsatlees were effected; Taysaams were also in good demand, but the stock of them was limited. A large purchase of Dancing Bear took place at Tts. 382.50, and a small lot of Mountain Chop changed hands at the same price. Business in Re-reels for the American market was brisk, and a good many sales of Tsatlees were made at rates varying between Its. 365 and its. 460. In the beginning of May news was received that the crop in Europe promised well, and as a good yield was also expected in China, prices fell generally about its. 10 per picul. No. 4 Tsatlees were sold at Tts. 362.50; some purchases of market Kahings and Fooyungs also took place, the former being sold at Its. 305 to its. 317.50, and the latter at Pts. 235. Shortly afterwards there were a few sales of Red Peacocks at Pts. 365, and of Large Elephants at its 370. During the first half of May there was a good demand for Re-reels, Tsatlees being sold at its. 350 to Pts. 460, and Hainings at its 360 to its. 385. The 1879–80 season ended in the beginning of June, the total settlements amounting to 69,500 bales, against 65,200 bales the season before. The new season's Silk appeared on the 8th June, when some settlements took place at the following rates : Mountain No. I ........... Pts. 357.50 Blue Elephants . . . . . . . . . . . . „ 350 Bird Chop . . . . . . . . . . . . ) Fonglings . . . . . . . . . . . . S.S. S. Dollar ........... > „ 330 to Its. 332.50 T.C. K. Phænix ........... Fongyuen . . . . . . . . . . . . Market No. 5 Tsatlees . ......... ~ 310 „ „ 312.50 9/12 Moss............. ~ 260 „ „ 280 Throughout June business continued brisk, rates advancing its. 5 to its. 7.50, accompanied by a rise in exchange, which increased the cost laid down in Europe 6d. the pound. The commencement of July brought a decline in the prices of Tsatlees and White Kahings amounting to Pts. 10 to its 15 in the case of the former, and Pts. 2.50 in that of the latter. New Yellow Silks were placed upon the market during the first week of July, the following being the opening rates:- Fuyangs ........... Its. 328.75 Minchows . . . . . . . . . . . . 282.50 Szechwans .... ..... „ 205 to its 210 There were also some sales of Tsatlee Re-reels for the American market at rates varying between its. 340 and Tts. 440. During the middle of the month prices for some kinds again fell, although business remained fairly active; No. 4 Tsatlees were sold at its 335 to Its. 337.50, and Blue Elephants at its. 330 to its. 332.50. Best Kahings were scarce, and their value was kept up, No. i chops being sold at the high price of its. 360. In the first week of August a certain stringency in the money market caused an almost general decline in prices to the extent of Tts. 5 to Tts. 10; Best Kahings, however, still sold for its. 360. About the middle of the month a good demand sprang up for Wênchow, Fuying, and Szechwan Silks, prices for which advanced CHINA. 49 Its. 5. Some settlements of Re-reels were made for America, when Tsatlees were sold at from Its. 315 to its. 410, and Hainings at Its. 355 to its. 400. The total settlements for the new season were at the end of August 33,500 bales. During September the demand was generally good, and the month closed with the total settlements increased to 41,000 bales. In October there was a scarcity of money among Chinese dealers, who became anxious, in consequence, to dispose of their stocks; prices for higher qualities fell Tts. 2.50 to Tts. 5, though the decline was not so great as might have been expected under the circumstances. Business was brisk during November, but at first there was reduction in rates for Yellows, which fell its. 10 to its. 20; transactions for Europe were fairly large and Re-reels for America were also in good demand. Prices rose towards the end of the month, and Tsatlees were firm at Its. 350, while Fuyungs were sold at its. 227.50. The aspect of the market changed very little during December; a slight decline took place in the value of some chops, No. 4 Tsatlees were offered at its. 340 to Its. 342.50, and Hangchows were freely dealt in at its. 260 to Its. 290. The total settlements from the commencement of the season to the end of December were 66,000 bales. Canton.-A review of this market is given by Mr. Commissioner McKEAN in Part II of this volume, so, being studious of brevity, I will merely reproduce here, for the sake of convenience, a few of its principal features, as detailed in Mr. McKEAN's Report. The year was to a great extent an unsatisfactory one for exporters of Canton Silk. The demand for Europe and America was small, but, as if to balance this, shipments to India were on a much larger scale than usual, and stocks were thus prevented from accumulating, as they would otherwise have done, to the serious disadvantage of holders. Prices for Raw Silk fluctuated little during the year. The new season's Silk began to arrive in May, but did not find any purchasers until June, when a fair business was done on Continental account, but at lower rates than those which had ruled in the preceding April for the previous season's Silk. Business was desultory from June to the end of September; during October there was a slight improvement, but in the beginning of November prices again fell; towards the close of November, however, a rise of $5 or $10 took place, the advance being maintained until the end of the year. SUGAR.—Next in our list of Exports after Tea and Silk, but at a great distance from either, comes, in point of importance, Sugar. The quantity of Sugar exported from China during 1880 was 1,238,196 piculs, valued at Hk.Its. 3,263,889; the quantity exported during the previous year was 726,836 piculs, valued at Hk.Tts. 2,223,882: thus we have an increase of 511,360 piculs, and a difference in value of Hk.Its. 1,040,007. The increase is almost wholly due to the fact that nearly twice as much Brown Sugar was exported in 1880 as in 1879; White Sugar shows a slight falling off, and the increase in Sugar Candy is but trifling. The ports of Takow and Swatow were the principal contributors to the increase in Brown Sugar, the former in a special degree. Mr. RUSSELL, in his Report on the trade of Takow, attributes the advance to two causes : firstly, “a report was current in Europe that the beet-root crops in France were likely to be a failure; and secondly, the American Customs in the earlier portion of the year raised the Tariff rate on imported Sugars, but such Sugars as were on their way to the States, or as could be proved to have been settled before the fixed date, were passed in under the old duty. Hence a tremendous rush was made to secure Sugars.” 50 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. VING as STRAW BRAID.—There was a great increase in the exportation of Straw Braid, which amounted to 48,970 piculs, as against 35,898 piculs exported in 1879. The increase was almost equally shared in by Tientsin and Chefoo, although there was proportionately a greater increase at Tientsin than at Chefoo, as the exportation from the former port is not so large as the exportation from the latter. Straw Braid has rapidly increased in importance as an article of trade between China and Foreign countries, and a great future may be in store for it, provided only that the Chinese who manufacture it can be made to vary their patterns more, and thus better meet the changes which fashion is ever bringing about. CASSIA LIGNEA.—The exportation under this heading during 1880 amounted to only 38,785 piculs, a very great decrease when compared with the exportation of 1879, which was 99,633 piculs. The falling off is attributed by Mr. McKEAN to the fact that the quantity exported in 1879 was so far in excess of that for which there was demand that the markets both in Europe and the United States became largely overstocked. It is even said that this is affecting the exportation of 1881, which is expected to be less than it might have been had circumstances remained as usual. MATS AND MATTING.—The quantity of Mats and Matting exported during 1880 was 384,680 pieces, valued at Hk. Pts. 533,027, as against 482,479 pieces, valued at Hk. Pts. 290,021, exported the year before. It will be noticed that there is a considerable decrease in quantity, but, on the other hand, an increase in value still more considerable. This proves, of course, that the Mats exported in 1880 were of a much more valuable kind than those exported in 1879. CHINESE CLOTHING, BOOTS, AND SHOES.—These are exported from China for the use of Chinese who have settled abroad. The value of the exportation of 1880 was Hk.fts. 327,548, as against Hk.Pts. 448,598, the value of the 1879 exportation; thus exhibiting a decrease amounting to Hk.Tts. 121,050. CHINAWARE, EARTHENWARE, AND POTTERY.—Of these, 75,142 piculs, worth Hk.Its. 379,574, were exported in 1880, and 89,913 piculs, worth Hk.Its. 338,371, in 1879, showing a decrease in quantity of 14,771 piculs, although an increase in value of Hk.its. 41,203, which is, of course, due to a difference in cost between the articles exported in the one year and those exported in the other. A good deal of the Chinaware which leaves the country should, according to Mr. Commissioner DETRING, be classed under the heading of Curios, consisting as it does of articles of virtu rather than of articles of utility. HAIR shows an increase of 1,392 piculs in a total exportation of 19,570 piculs. FIRE-CRACKERS.—Like many other articles in the list of Exports, Fire-crackers are exported for the use of Chinese in various places, and so cannot be regarded as of much importance in the trade between China and Foreign countries. The quantity exported during the year under review was 27,051 piculs, valued at Hk.Its. 260,010, as against 35,521 piculs, valued at Hk.Tts. 334,700, exported the year before. HIDES.—This was a very insignificant article of export prior to the year 1871, and even then the quantity of Hides exported was only 329 piculs; in the year following, however, the CHINA. exportation amounted to 3,971 piculs, and it increased afterwards so quickly that in 1877 it had reached 56,627 piculs; since that time it has fallen off considerably, and was only 20,623 piculs in 1880. The great exportation of 1877 was partly caused by the unusually large demand for military accoutrements, occasioned by the war then going on between Russia and Turkey. The decrease of late has been doubtless due to ordinary causes. MUSK.—There was very little difference between the quantity of Musk exported in 1879 and that exported in 1880. The figures for the latter year are 30.17 piculs, representing a value of Hk.Its. 234,162, as against 34.32 piculs, value Hk.Its. 238,424, the figures for 1879, thus showing a decrease during 1880 of 4.15 piculs, and a falling off in value of Hk.Its. 4,262. NUTGALLS.Of this commodity 23,330 piculs, value Hk.Tts. 227,605, were exported, as against 24,656 piculs, value Hk.Tts. 177,844, exported in 1879. It will be remarked that although the quantity shows decrease, the value shows increase, a fact which proves either improvement in quality or higher prices for the same class of article, or perhaps both. RHUBARB.—The exportation of Rhubarb has been increasing slowly during the past fourteen years. It was 2,174 piculs during 1867, but for the eight years between that and 1876 it only averaged annually about 3,500 piculs; a considerable increase took place in 1876, when 5,248 piculs were exported; in 1878, however, the exportation fell to 4,835 piculs. The last two years exhibit satisfactory increase, the quantity exported during 1879 having been 5,292 piculs, and that exported during 1880, 6,153 piculs. PRESERVES.—By far the greater portion of the Preserves exported from China is shipped from Canton. The Preserved Ginger manufactured by the confectioners of that city is a highly esteemed sweetmeat both in Europe and America. The quantity of Preserves exported from China in 1880 amounted to 24,360 piculs, valued at Hk.Pts. 205,169, being the greatest exportation on record. MEDICINES.—Of these, 28,676 piculs, worth Hk.fts. 194,451, were exported, as against 18,402 piculs, worth Hk.Its. 108,071, exported in 1879. Raw COTTON.—Of this commodity 18,077 piculs, valued at Hk.Pts. 180,071, were exported, showing an increase over the exportation of the previous year amounting to 5,716 piculs. The increase is doubtless largely due to the fact that last season was a favourable one for the cultivation of Cotton in China. GLASSWARE, BANGLES, ETC. The exportation amounted to 8,769 piculs, worth Hk.Tts. 169,132, as against 7,935 piculs, valued at Hk.Pts. 153,312, exported in 1879. TOBACCO. According to Mr. Commissioner WHITE, about 4,000 piculs of Tobacco were shipped to Great Britain during the year under review. Many parts of China are capable of producing Tobacco of excellent quality, and if the Chinese growers possessed a knowledge of what suited Foreign taste, they would no doubt find means to cultivate a leaf that would find a ready market in Europe. The quantity of Tobacco exported during 1880 was 19,077 piculs, worth Hk.Pts. 167,931, as against 16,207 piculs, worth Hk.Its. 161,842, exported the year before. 52 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. BEANS AND BEANCAKE.— These are exported in the first place from Newchwang and Chefoo. The greater part of what is produced is consumed in the country; what is exported goes chiefly to Japan. The exportation of 1880 was 154,645 piculs, as against 70,848 piculs exported in 1879; the large increase was probably caused by improved demand in Japan. SKINS.—Representing as this heading does all kinds of Skins, from Rabbit to Sable, which are shipped from China, it is not surprising that the quantity and value entered under it do not always bear the same proportion to each other. Both, however, show increase in 1880, the quantity exported having been 244,193 pieces, valued at Hk.Its. 152,486, as against 145,852 pieces, valued at Hk.Its. 96,615, the exportation of 1879. HEMP.— There were exported of this 19,548 piculs, worth Hk.Its. 160,602. GRAIN AND PULSE.—There was a decrease under this heading of 47,692 piculs. SAFFLOWER.—Of this commodity 1,781 piculs were exported in 1880 and 2,352 piculs in 1879. Safflower is used generally as a dye, and large quantities of it are employed in China in the manufacture of rouge; the Chinese also use it for medicine. GRASSCLOTH.—This is largely exported for the use of Chinese abroad, but it is also used in Europe and America, to a limited extent, for making ladies' summer dresses. The quantity exported in 1880 was 1,185 piculs, as against 1,548 piculs in 1879. CAMPHOR.—Chinese Camphor comes from Formosa; 12,327 piculs were shipped from Tamsui in 1880, as against 11,133 piculs the year before, showing an increase of 1,194 piculs. Mr. Commissioner Lay attributes this increase to competition among the steamer companies and consequent low freights, which induced shipments. The demand for the article in Hongkong was, it appears, dull throughout the year. COAST TRADE. The designation of Coast Trade, being applied in our Returns exclusively to the trade carried on between the Treaty Ports of China by means of vessels entering and clearing at the offices of the Foreign Customs, includes but a portion-in some respects a small portion of the actual home trade of the country. In so far as concerns the transport of Foreign goods from one port to another, our statistics may be taken as comprehending almost the whole, but the interchange of Native products between port and port is so largely effected through the medium of junks, of whose cargoes there are no published records, that its extent and value cannot even be guessed at. These facts have been often put forward before; still it may not be amiss to once again remind those interested in the Returns of the Treaty Ports that the Coast trade treated of there is only a peculiar portion of a trade the actual dimensions of which are unknown to any. The table contained on pages 26 and 27 in Part I of the Returns divides the Coast trade into two parts, outwards and inwards, the former having reference to all the merchandise shipped at one Treaty Port for another, and the latter to all arriving at one Treaty Port from CHINA. 53 another. As both parts, therefore, represent to a great extent the same goods and vessels, the value of the trade and the tonnage employed in it are expressed by the figures pertaining to either. It will be noticed, however, that these figures do not agree; this is because vessels leaving a port near the end of one year do not perhaps arrive at their destination until the beginning of the next, and are thus not carried to account in the Returns of both ports for the same period. Another reason is that the values under the heading of Outwards are those at the port of shipment, whereas the values under the heading of Inwards are those at the port of discharge, which are presumably higher. The value of the Coast trade outwards during the year 1880 was Hk.fts. 136,938,509, showing an increase over the corresponding figures for 1879 amounting to Hk.Pts. 2,253,296 ; the value of the Inward trade was Hk.Fts 155,306,523, an increase in comparison with the Inward trade of 1879 amounting to Hk.Its. 8,318,627. Looking at the statements of the shipping engaged, we also find increase, the clearances of vessels at. all ports having been 9,177, representing a carrying capacity of 5,880,106 tons, as against 8,812 vessels, with a capacity of 5,353,860 tons, cleared during 1879. The entries at all ports were 8,938 vessels, representing 5,959,635 tons, as compared with 8,455 vessels, representing 5,332,347 tons, the entries of the year before. The Coast trade carried on in Foreign vessels has been steadily increasing since its commencement, and there is no doubt that it will continue to increase in the future. Each year extends the feeling among the Chinese that Foreign vessels possess immeasurable advantages over Native, and as time wears on we may expect to see the antiquated junk pass out of use and become forgotten. I think that the telegraph system just commenced will go far towards hastening this change, as it will accelerate the conduct of business and create a general want for the quickest means of transport. TRANSIT TRADE. The value of the merchandise carried inwards and outwards between the Treaty Ports and the interior of the country under cover of Treaty Transit Passes was during the year 1880 as under :- INWARDS. OUTWARDS. Hk.Pts. 12,384,402 Hk.Tts. 2,441,644 When we consider that the value of the Foreign goods imported was Hk.fts. 79,293,452, and also that the value of the Native goods exported was Hk.Tts. 77,883,587, it will appear that the Transit Pass privilege is not availed of to any great extent. The principal cause of this is that the Likin taxes are, as a rule, no greater than the half-Tariff Duty, and that there is, in consequence, no inducement to depart from the old system. Another cause may lie in the fact that until the end of last year the Transit system was at most of the ports carried out 54 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. under the provisions of the Treaty of Tientsin, only Foreign goods owned by Foreigners being considered entitled to the cover of Transit Passes when conveyed to the interior; now, however, that the provisions of the Nanking Treaty are allowed to operate generally, and that Passes can be taken out at all ports for Chinese-owned goods of Foreign origin, there will perhaps be an increase in the Transit trade, and it will be interesting to watch the effect produced in our Returns by the change. Mr. Commissioner HANNEN thinks that so far as Foochow is concerned the only difference will be in the number of Passes; these will now be taken out by the small Chinese dealers, and there will thus be more Passes granted, but each will cover a smaller quantity of goods than was the case when the privilege was only open to Foreign and, consequently, large firms. The following statement shows the value of the Transit trade of each port last year:- PORT. Transit Trade Inwards. Transit Trade Outwards. Total Transit Trade. PORT. Transit Trade Inwards. Transit Trade Outwards. Total Transit Trade. wow............ Foochow Hk.Fts. Hk.Its Hk.Fts Hk.fts Hk.fts Newchwang Brought forward... 11,845,430 1,974,228 13,819,658 Tientsin. Wênchow 12,309 12,309 Chefoo ........... 310,083 208,755 518,838 Ichang ................... 989,188 689,995 || 1,679,183 Tamsui .... 2,423 2,423 Hankow.. 5,053,266 386,674 | 5,439,940 Takow. Kiukiang.......... 879,191 879,191 Amoy ........... 215,409 251,176 466,585 Wuhu .................... 279,092 279,092 Chinkiang ............. 2,922,652 197,386 || 3,120,038| Canton................. Shanghai .......... 864,672 568,959 1,433,631 Kiungchow .......... 522 4,547 5,069 857,369 131,214 1 988,583 Pakhoi.. 649 1,164 Carried forward...[11,845,430 1,974,228 || 13,819,658 TOTAL............. 12,384,402 2,441,644 14,826,046 260.002| Swatow.............. Ningpo..... 515 The Transit trade of Ichang has increased rapidly since the place was opened to Foreign commerce, and bids fair to become a large one. It is probable that after a time Ichang will become a very important distributing centre for Foreign goods, and monopolise the trade at present carried on between Hankow and Szechwan. The outward Transit trade at Ichang was last year greater than that at any of the other ports; the commodities brought under Pass for shipment to Foreign countries were Medicines, Musk, Rhubarb, Safflower, Silk, White Wax, and other articles of minor note. Hankow, as seen above, has the largest inward Transit trade of all the ports; this is largely due to its central and generally convenient situation. Eight provinces are named in our Returns as supplied with all kinds of Foreign goods from Hankow; these are Hupeh, Hunan, Honan, Szechwan, Kweichow, Shensi, Shansi, and Kwangsi, but it is likely that the latter province will before long be entirely supplied from Pakhoi, as it belongs naturally to the trade district of that port. The outward Transit trade of Hankow is CHINA. 55 small, and consists only in Tea and Tobacco. Kiukiang occupied the fourth place last year as a distributor of Foreign goods; a great portion of the articles imported by China are represented in the Transit trade of this port. The area of distribution from Kiukiang, too, seems to extend farther in one direction than it naturally should, as Mr. Commissioner GLOVER points out in his Report that Passes were granted last year to cover goods to Wuchang-fu, the city on the oppo- site bank of the Yangtze to Hankow. It is most likely, however, that these Passes were taken out on behalf of Native boats belonging to Wuchang and trading to Kiukiang; the supercargoes of these boats, if unable to obtain cargoes of Native produce, would probably purchase of Foreign goods what was necessary to defray the expenses of the homeward voyage, and place the goods, perhaps, under cover of Transit Passes. This is the explanation given of similar occurrences by proportion to the Import trade of the place; Mr. Acting Commissioner Palm is of opinion that it would be still greater if Wuhu possessed better accommodation for the storage of goods. Chinkiang comes next to Hankow in the value of its Transit trade inwards. A good deal of the merchandise which ought naturally to be distributed from Wuhu is distributed from Chinkiang, because, as mentioned above, the former port does not possess good storage accommodation, and therefore is not a place where goods can be conveniently collected pending opportunity for sale. Shanghai has a very small Transit trade in comparison with its Import and Export trade; the value of its trade outwards under Pass was, however, greater than that of any of the ports except Ichang. Ningpo ranked sixth last year in the value of its inward Transit trade, and came immediately after Shanghai. The inward trade of Ningpo was considerably greater in 1880 than in 1879, on account of increase in the quantity of Lead and of Kerosene Oil, for which Passes were taken out. The Transit trade of Foochow and Amoy is small in proportion to the Foreign trade of those ports. The following are the names of the provinces supplied under Treaty Transit Pass with Foreign goods, and also the names of the various Treaty Ports from which the provinces are supplied. The particulars have special reference to the year 1880:- NAME OF PROVINCE. PORT FROM WHICH SUPPLIED. NAME OF PROVINCE. PORT FROM WHICH SUPPLIED. Shansi... Hankow. Shantung.......... Kiangsu......... Shensi. Honan... Anhwei..... Hupeh ......... Szechwan.......... Hankow, Wuhu, Chinkiang, and Shanghai. Hankow and Kiukiang. Ichang, Hankow, and Shang- Kiangsi.... Shanghai, Chinkiang. Wuhu, Chinkiang, and Shanghai. Kiukiang, Wuhu,Chinkiang, Shanghai, and Ningpo. Kiukiang, Chinkiang,Shang- hai, and Ningpo. Shanghai, Ningpo, and Wên- chow. Shanghai,Ningpo, Wênchow, Foochow, and Amoy. Kiungchow. hai. Chekiang.................. Hankow. Hunan..... Kweichow ......... Kwangsi .......... Fukien............. .......... L 12 Hankow and Pakhoi. Kwangtung ....... 56 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. SHIPPING. The entries and clearances of vessels at the Foreign Customs of the Treaty Ports during 1880 amounted to 22,970, representing 15,874,352 tons of shipping, being an increase over the corresponding figures for 1879 of 1,561 entries and clearances, and 1,947,131 tons. The following statement shows the number of entries and clearances and the tonnage in each of the past 10 years : Entries YEAR. Entries and Clearances. Tonnage. YEAR. and Tonnage. Clearances. 1871........... 1872......... 1873.......... 1874.. 14,963 17,090 15,381 15,622 16,994 Tons. 7,381,557 8,486,473 8,227,754 9,305,801 9,867,641 1876............. 1877.. 1878..... 1879.... 17,946 18,807 20,928 21,409 22,970 Tons. 10,226,421 11,983,591 13,446,394 13,927,221 15,874,352 1875.. 1880... The ratio of the number of steamers to the number of sailing vessels engaged in the China trade is becoming larger year by year; this is almost entirely caused by increase in steamers, sailing vessels not having lost ground to any great extent. In 1871 the entries and clearances of steamers numbered 8,218, and those of sailing vessels 6,745; in 1880 the former amounted to 17,300, and the latter to only 5,670. The average tonnage per vessel, too, has increased as regards steamers, but remained nearly stationary as regards sailing vessels. The increase in shipping last year was participated in by most of the nationalities whose vessels trade in China waters, the only falling off having been under the Dutch, French, German, Siamese, and Spanish flags. There was a considerable decrease in the number of Dutch vessels, although the tonnage exhibited very little change. Chinese shipping reached higher figures in 1880 than in any former year. The rapid increase under this heading has been already noticed. Foreign-built Chinese vessels have now a much greater share in the carrying trade than any other vessels except British, but the difference between the number of Chinese vessels and the number of British vessels engaged in the trade will probably after some years be greatly reduced. American shipping, after steadily falling off for some years, showed increase in 1880. The vessels under the Japanese flag are increasing in number rapidly: the entries and clearances of Japanese vessels in 1875 amounted to only 92, representing 96,553 tons; last year there were 201 entries and clearances, representing 167,902 tons. During the last 10 years the annual number of Russian vessels trading to China has varied greatly. In 1871 there were 88 entries and clearances under this flag recorded in our Returns; in 1872 the number fell off to 31, but rose the next year to 62, again decreasing, however, to 40 and 30 in 1874 and 1875 respectively; the year after there was an increase to 47 entries and clear- ances, but a gradual falling off took place after this, and in 1879 the number had fallen to 12. CHINA. 57 In 1880 there were 41 entries and clearances of Russian ships. The share. taken in the trade by Siamese vessels has decreased considerably since 1875; in that year there were 150 entries and clearances under the Siamese flag, while last year there were only 60; the tonnage also has fallen off proportionately. The entries and clearances under the Spanish flag decreased from 316 in 1879 to 75 in 1880. nces REVENUE. The total amount of the dues and duties received by the Foreign Customs last year was Hk.fts. 14,258,583, an increase of Hk.Pts. 726,913 over the receipts of 1879, and the largest Revenue collection on record in our Returns. Owing to the great falling off in the importation of Opium, the Import Duties showed a decrease of Hk.fts. 224,751 ; they were, however, much greater than those of any year except 1879. There was a large increase in Export Duties; the receipts under this heading amounted to Hk.fts. 8,268,682, as against Hk.fts.7,385,070, the collection of 1879. The increase is, of course, explained from the table of Exports, by which it is seen that greater quantities of Silk, Tea, etc., were exported in 1880 than in the previous year. The Coast Trade Duties showed an increase of Hl.fts. 72,749. There was also an increase in Tonnage Dues; these amounted to Hk. Hts. 249,591, as against Ak.its. 247,833 collected in 1879. Transit Dues fell off by Hk. Pts. 6,455. I have, etc., JAMES ACHESON, Acting Assistant Statistical Secretary in Charge. ROBERT HART, ESQUIRE, Inspector General of Customs, PEKING. PART II. REPORTS ON THE TRADE OF THE TREATY PORTS OF CHINA Within the Cognizance of the Maritime Customs under the Foreign Inspectorate, For the Year 1880. NEWCHWANG TRADE REPORT, FOR THE YEAR 1880. [Received 10th April 1881.] Custom HOUSE, YINGTZŰ, NEWCHWANG, 1st March 1881. SIR, The trading year, 1880, upon which, as concerning the three provinces of Manchuria, it has now become my duty to remark, may be said to have commenced with the opening of the port of Newchwang at a somewhat unusually early period in spring. By the 15th of March the ice in the Sira Muren or Liao River had, consequent upon the prevalence of southerly winds, already shown certain signs of weakness, and on the day in question it broke suddenly up. A few hours of fierce tide swept the channel partially clear for several miles, and the opportunity was promptly grasped by the master of a well-known liner, who crossed the bar in safety, and, proceeding along the lane of water, skilfully navigated his steamer to an anchorage in front of the concession about noon on the 17th. Thus, for the first time in the history of Yingtză, the Native coasters were outdone by their Western competitors. Hitherto, spurred by the prospect of immunity from taxation granted yearly to the pioneer of their fleet, the Chinese sailors have always been able to reach our harbour some days in advance. The shapeless yet handy craft they man have braved the ice such rude forms seem little calculated to resist; and season after season we have been used to look for a clump of bare masts over the Point as a harbinger of the square sails or the dark funnel of a Foreign vessel. This year the Tientsin, in successfully breaking through the ice she met, broke through, likewise, the idea just alluded to; but she did not escape scot free. The floes, as they surged upwards a second time on the flood, caused her to drag both her anchors, and to experience during the next 48 hours no small amount of danger. They blocked the way of the junks emulating her venturesome course, and drove again out to sea, on the 21st, the solitary one that had then effected a portion of the passage. Not until the 24th was the river moderately safe, and, naturally enough, not until then could lighters be hired in any number for the shipment or discharge of cargo. It is a question that few possessing knowledge of the circumstances will hesitate to answer in the negative whether any good result is attained by vessels coming here before the 26th, at the soonest. Without peril to property—to life, not even an iron screw TRADE REPORTS, 1880. steamer can rest quietly off this settlement at the time of the first breaking up of the ice. Experience has shown that, taking one year with another, a margin may be considered to lie between the 15th and 25th of March, and that on those few occasions when ships have entered the port within these limits they have invariably been subjected to ill-treatment, have had great difficulty in obtaining labour, and have, in the end, gained no time worthy of mention, or to be placed for a moment in comparison with the risks run. Numerous Customs Reports speak of these facts,* and I am aware that they have been insisted upon also by Consular authority. But competition being the order of the day on this Newchwang line as elsewhere, advice is wasted unless the firms interested can agree in the necessity for a caution I would fain re-urge. The local agents of the most powerful companies fully coincide with me, and in their so doing I find at once an excuse and a warrant for the words I am writing. The state of our markets on the approach of spring will be shown as I proceed, and the actuating motive of that eagerness to be first in the field, which was the cause of the ice blockade being raised as above recorded, will become apparent. Taken alone, the inward freight lists of the Tientsin and of the vessels quickly following in her wake hardly afford a sufficient key; for, turning to printed statistics, it is at once to be noted that the IMPORTS of 1880 exhibit a decline when compared with those of the previous twelve months. Not, it is true, as regards the first quarter, for Table III, at page 4 of “Customs Gazette,” No. XLV, *“I perhaps should add, as information of advantage to the public, that the shipmasters who arrived here on the 21st of March found that they had entered the river prematurely. Their vessels were exposed to danger from the floating ice, and were obliged to be beached, and for some days were unable either to discharge or ship cargo. It seems to me that no vessel should cross the bar before the 27th of March.”—Mr. Commissioner MACPHERSON: “Trade Reports," No. III, March 1866, p. 4. “The first vessel that arrived was the Miaca. She came in on the 11th March, long before the river was free from drift ice, and was, in consequence, obliged immediately to run ashore, in order to escape the imminent risk which she would otherwise have encountered in the river.”—Mr. Assistant-in-Charge ENGELHARDT: “Trade Reports ” No. I, New Series, March 1868, p. 35. “On the 16th March the steamer Tapanngo entered the river and arrived within sight of the settlement, but was unable to approach it on account of the solid ice. On the 20th the river opened here, on which day the steamer Kiushu arrived and landed her mails, but was obliged to leave almost immediately on account of the floating ice. On the 21st the steamer Tapanngo anchored abreast of the settlement, but was also compelled to leave on the same day. On the 23rd the steamers Tapanngo, Kiushu, and Chihli anchored off here, but their operations were much impeded by the large masses of floating ice in the river. On the 25th the steamer Kiushu left for Shanghai; on this day no communication was possible with the vessels in port, owing to the great quantity of ice and the prevalence of a strong north wind. Even on the 31st there was still much floating ice in the river."- Mr. Acting Commissioner LUSON: “Customs Gazette," No. V, March 1870, p. 9. “The ice broke up above the Custom House on the night of the 17th March, but, owing to the large masses that kept floating about for several days afterwards, the river remained unnavigable until almost the close of the month.”—Mr. Deputy Commissioner-in-Charge J. H. Hart: “Customs Gazette,” No. XIII, March 1872, p. 10. “The steamer Shaftesbury arrived in the lower river on the morning of the 18th, but was unable to come up to the anchorage until the 21st, on which day the ice in front of the Custom House broke up. On the 24th the steamer Taku arrived. For four days both steamers were much troubled by the floating ice, being dragged by it several times, and one of them losing two anchors.”—Mr. Acting Commissioner TAINTOR: Report to Inspector General, March 1873. “The river was this season ice-bound until within a few days of the termination of the quarter. Junks, indeed, managed to cross the bar and, at great risk, ascend the stream a short distance on the 23rd. No Foreign merchant ship, however, was foolhardy enough to venture the passage before the 28th.--Mr. Commissioner Man: Report to Inspector General, March 1874. NEWCHWANG. shows the blank due to that rather exceptional season of 1879, but during the time-April- June—which covers the really steady period of our opening activity. I shall not be far wrong if I put down the year as, upon the whole, a dull one, answering in most particulars to the conclusion likely to be arrived at by any inquirer who might chance to study the matter through the medium of our periodical“ Returns of Trade.” Let us lightly analyse a few of the figures there to be found, taking always round numbers. COTTON Goods show, on the total, a falling off of Hk.Pts. 270,000 in value and 190,000 pieces in quantity. This decrease, subdivided under the chief varieties, is principally made up of Shirtings, 130,000 pieces; Drills, 50,000 pieces; Muslins and Lawns, 12,000 pieces. On the other hand, a single instance of improvement is found in the advance of T-Cloths, 38,000 pieces = Hk.Its. 32,000. WOOLLEN Goods have been imported to a net value of Hk.Tts. 164,000, a falling off when compared with 1879 of, say, Hk.Tts. 5,000. Lustres and Orleans have declined by over 5,000 pieces, but Lastings, presently making up the bulk of our Woollen Imports, have improved by 2,000 pieces. The latter description of Piece Goods has of late been gradually coming more and more into repute amongst our well-to-do classes, both of town and country, and it occupies to-day the place of that Russian manufacture formerly almost exclusively used. The reason for this change is two-fold. Lastings are laid down here at less than one-third the price of the so-called “Qöuga” cloth, and are, from the buyers' point of view, intrinsically a better article, being less liable to be spoilt by the dust in which he moves and lives. As regards both Cotton and Woollen Piece Goods, I think that the cause of the adverse figures above noted can be traced by glancing back at the conditions locally governing this branch of trade since 1878. That year was, during the open months, unprecedentedly favourable to importers, and, because of the good business done at the chief trading centres supplied from this port, heavy consignments were thrown on the market before the close of the season. These consignments—largely of American origin—were not taken off quite so rapidly as had been anticipated, and as the excellence of their quality most surely deserved. Hence, although 1879 opened with many of our distributing marts more or less gutted, considerable stock remained on hand, and was added to by importations from Shanghai in the first half-dozen steamers. It is not to be wondered at that a reaction was soon experienced, and that the demand during 1880 should show the change and its consequent effect upon our tables. Furthermore, owing to a want of confidence in a peaceful issue to the dispute with our northern neighbour, there was amongst all classes of Native traders a general hanging back from speculative transactions. Many influential hongs made no secret whatever of their feelings in this connexion, and took every pains to keep their floating capital at a safe distance from what they appeared to consider a possible seat of war. Another event has worked against us, affecting injuriously the prospects of the year. The business formerly done at Yingtzŭ with or for Fênghuang-ch'êng buyers has, during the period we are noticing, almost completely come to an end. Corean traders—sometimes through brokers at the frontier gate, less frequently in person—have heretofore purchased on our market large quantities of heavy Shirtings and moderate supplies of English Drills. These articles being now more conveniently obtained at the door lately thrown open to Japanese commerce at Fusan, TRADE REPORTS, 1880. a prognostication of five years ago * has been verified, and, as said above, it touches our Returns adversely. Yet even so, it is not a matter about which it is possible to express deep regret. This port at best served but as a side entrance to the tributary state—a side entrance approached by a steep pathway and fenced in by jealously-guarded stipulations of ancient date. Those who came from the stranger side to use it have, too, not proved themselves altogether desirable constituents to the Chinese with whom they dealt. Very surely, however, it is not to be supposed that such pedlars as they as a rule were, fairly represent the mercantile classes of Corea, and perhaps in their case, as in that of others of more moment, the absence of controlling power in the shape of an official Consular officer has had much to answer for. METALS.—The decrease in the value of these Imports is just one-half—say, from Hk.Pts. 400,000 to Hk.Tts. 200,000,—and is not confined to any particular branch of the trade. With the exception of a gain of some Hk.fts. 1,500 on Iron Wire, all the items show a large individual decline. The following are the descriptions mostly contributing to the fall: Bar Iron, Hk.Tts. 80,000; Nail-rod Iron, Hk.Tts. 17,000; Old Iron, Hk.Fts. 49,000; and Quicksilver, Hk. Pts. 10,000. Of the last named, none was imported during the year. Old Iron figured in our Returns for the first time in 1879. It began coming here towards the latter end of the previous year, and there quickly ensued for it a great demand. Chancing just then that the supply of Native ore was extremely limited, it was soon discovered that the wonderful assortment of broken and discarded Foreign implements, technically called “Old Iron,” could be made to answer admirably for all the purposes the rough home-manufactured metal had heretofore been applied to; while, at the same time, the price of the articles required to be produced could actually be lowered. Many of our people at once rushed into this new business, and ordered from Shanghai large consignments. At first start the profits realised were handsome, but as supplies quickly succeeded supplies, the market became eventually overburdened, and the stocks at the end of 1879 precluded the import of the year following from being of anything like equal importance. Even now much remains on hand, and prices are consequently kept low. Dealers, in fact, have begun to despair of retrieving to any appreciable extent their heavy losses. OPIUM shows the large decrease of 1,300 piculs in quantity and Hk.Tts. 700,000 in value. Sufficient is this one item to account alone for about one-half of the falling off in the net value of the whole trade, when we place it in comparison with figures proper to the previous year. Judging from appearances at the commencement of the season, a belief might well have been formed that a result such as above recorded would not only be impossible, but that, on the contrary, an increase was certainly to be looked for. The spring of 1880 opened with conditions tending towards a large importation. The Native poppy crop of 1878 had proved a very short one, owing at first start to want of rain, and later on to an incessant downpour. The yield of 1879 had been much restricted. The latter failure was due to a drought that distressed the major portion of Kirin, and was co-existent, so it chanced, with an outburst of repressive energy on the part of the authorities. Consequent on express orders peremptorily issued at the capital, a *"If the treaty said to have been arranged with Japan bears fruit at all, it cannot fail to strike a death-blow to 'the Gate' and to the influence of Yingtzŭ in her connexion with that relic of a fast disappearing system of restricted barter." -"Reports on Trade," 1875, p. 62. + It fell from 3,000 piculs to little more than 1,000 picule. NEWCHWANG. proclamation was posted throughout the province named, exhibiting in Chinese and Manchu (whilst the paper it was printed on withstood the weather) the well-known admonitions. Whatever the cause, it is certain that in March last no home-grown stocks of any consequence interfered with the Foreign drug, of which what remained over from 1879 had been almost entirely consumed. With these facts before them, dealers were sanguine of fair profits being realised, and as a direct consequence the few vessels reaching here at the end of the first quarter of 1880 brought up about the heaviest consignments of Indian and Persian Opium known to have entered this port during any corresponding period since it became an emporium of Western trade. By the amount thus thrown suddenly on the market, the high prices ruling throughout the winter months received a check; but a check not of sufficient importance to warrant immediate change in the opinion already formed by the persons interested. These speculated on the probability of a large import being required for the year, basing their calculations on the experiences of the preceding seasons. Hardly, however, had they taken action, and hardly had the heavy arrivals just mentioned come in, when news came also that the prospects of the poppy all over the northern districts were extraordinarily good. The reports thus circulated had the effect of causing at once a rapid falling off in the demand for the Foreign article, and when the favourable impressions formed of the Native crop were verified, towards the end of the month of May, it was seen, too late, that the decision come to had been founded on untrustworthy data. Those who had committed themselves to the costly venture received in the result a lesson they are not likely to soon forget; and in an outturn of Native Opium, now ascertained to be far in excess of the most sanguine expectations, we have a renewed proof—if proof be needed that the much-condemned culture is nevertheless certainly destined to retain the high place it has taken in the agricultural economy of these three provinces. The average prices during the year under review were for the Indian drug Its. 620, and for the Native Tts. 350, per 100 catties. * Besides this, its recommendation of comparative cheapness, the last named is gradually gaining ground with smokers for the sake of its own special qualities and effects—or, rather, want of effects. The Foreign drug, it is well known, causes a feeling of lassitude, and, not unfrequently, leads to continual craving for further indulgence. The use of the Native Opium, on the other hand, does not, I am told, produce these baneful results, and a man may inhale it in moderation without running the grave risk of becoming a slave to its sensuous pleasures. Hence daily increasing numbers prefer its use.t The fiscal disadvantages under which Foreign Opium labours, when competing with that Native grown, are enough, one would suppose, to turn the scale against it. The former has to pay Tariff Duty at the rate of Hk.Tts. 30 and a Likin tax of its. 29 per picul; the latter is charged only Likin, and that at a reduced rate of its. 19. Not a chest of the Foreign drug can escape the octroi charges, the particulars of its import being easily ascertainable by the Likin officials; * The prices of prepared Opium at the divans in Yingtzŭ are as follows :-Indian, Hk. Tls. 0.0.6.4; Persian, Ak. Tls. 0.0.4.6; Manchurian, Hk. Tls. 0.0.4.2, per i mace=1 oz. avoirdupois. + To show the extent to which this preference has gone, I may mention that when the Native supply fell short towards the middle of summer, the dealers supplemented their fast-dwindling stock by importing from Shanghai 8.45 piculs of Szechwan drug, valued at Hk. Tls. 2,730. TRADE REPORTS, 1880. but of the Native Opium that reaches Yingtzŭ, a mere fraction is assessed. For example, when it is packed at the up-country depôts, the drug is placed in the same long square pine boxes with Bean Oil, a small compartment being cleverly prepared for its reception. It is thus inside surrounded by oil, and the chance of detection is rendered next to nil, from a very simple cause pertaining to the habits of the land. Carts travel southward along the high roads in groups or caravans, necessarily accompanied by numerous well-armed attendants, with whom the Yamên runners are for good reasons exceedingly loath to interfere. A stoppage of any single vehicle for the purpose of searching its contents would assuredly lead to a block in the traffic, to consequent collisions one cart with another, to wrangling, and to free fights. In the end an appeal to the nearest magistrate might, quite as likely as not, result in a decision adverse to the over-zealous agents of the law. The town consignee and the up-country merchant have, of course, a mutual understanding, and the Oil once taken delivery of by the former is stored in his premises and the Opium safely exhumed at leisure. At the time of the closing of the port there were about 150 chests of Malwa in our godowns, and by the end of December only a few of these had been disposed of. This of itself appears a striking result when we bear in mind that for former winters a stock of 300 or 400 chests has not usually been considered excessive. Large supplies of Native drug are now entering the town, and it is tolerably evident that, malgré official discouragement, and in spite of competition which will die hard, an event long foreseen, and by the farmers of Manchuria long hoped for, must ere long be brought about. I fully expect that this year's Returns will show Opium numbered amongst our Exports. The net value of the various articles grouped under the heading FOREIGN SUNDRIES shows, in the aggregate, a rise of about HK.Tts. 60,000, notwithstanding that certain commodities have fallen. Dyes and Colours, Window Glass, Matches, Seaweed, and White Sugar contribute to the increase; Sapanwood and White Sharks' Fins are factors reducing the total. Dyes and Colours have advanced Hk.Tts. 13,000. They have thus largely been imported to assist in the development of an industry that has lately taken root here. Paper of the 2nd Quality is, after undergoing the process of colouring, passed off as ist Quality at a much enhanced price. Dyes and Colours could be purchased cheaply at Shanghai during the early part of the year, and shops in Yingtzŭ engaged in this business took advantage of the fact. Window Glass has improved by Hk.Tts. 4,800, and Matches by Hk.fts. 24,000. These figures point to the steady progress to be expected in manufactures of a kind such as are in daily use, and require but to be better known throughout the regions beyond the Wall to ensure for them a market as good as that they now claim in other portions of the Empire. Window Glass is put to another use besides that implied by its name. Considerable quantities are sent to Moukden, and are there utilised in the making of looking-glasses and the small fancy mirrors for which that city has a speciality. The demand for Glass so much exceeded the supply laid in that by the end of the year it was difficult to obtain even a single box. Heavy consignments may be looked for when the port opens. Seaweed arrived in excess of last year's import to the value of Hk.Pts. 17,000. The bulk of it was Russo-Manchurian, and reached here viâ Chefoo. The use of Seaweed as an article of NEWCHWANG. diet has for a long time been general amongst all classes in these provinces, and since new outlets for population have been found in the reclaimed hunting grounds and in the heretofore neutral territory on the Yalu, it has become to many an article of positive necessity. Carts that bring in our heavy produce and return otherwise empty-handed, supply a ready and cheap means of transport; they being willing, for small remuneration, to go out of their way in order to deliver loads at the country depôts. An interesting feature in connexion with the trade in Seaweed last year was the arrival in October of the American brigantine Cadet, which had taken in a full cargo at Vladivostock. She is the first vessel entered direct from the Muscovite settlements since Yingtzŭ was thrown open to Foreign trade. White Sugar has risen from Hk.its. 18,000 in 1879 to Hk.Tts. 27,000 in 1880. With the exception of very small quantities imported by the way of Shanghai and Chefoo, it has reached here from Hongkong, and was chiefly “refined.” The increase in this import was not brought about by any great local demand, but was a consequence of the very unfavourable rates of exchange on this port that ruled in the South. Native merchants were induced to accept return goods rather than pay high premiums on their remittances. This view is borne out by the fact of transactions in this branch of trade having been far from profitable. Sapanwood.— The decrease in the import and in the value of this commodity was owing to the surplus that remained over from 1879. Its low price here during the entire course of the year did away with the possibility of a margin to would-be speculators. Sharks' Fins.-As the market consumption of White and Black Sharks' Fins combined is stated to be annually about the same, the falling off in value of the better variety this season has been put down by some to the unusually large import of the coarser quality by junks. NATIVE SUNDRIES show a net total decline of about HK.fts. 78,000, chiefly owing to much smaller arrivals from Canton and Amoy. Raw Cotton has fallen Hk.Tts. 36,000, that being the amount of the previous year's impor- tation under Foreign flags, against a blank now appearing to the credit of our Returns. It must not be supposed from this that Cotton has ceased altogether to enter the port. The case is simply one of change in the mode of carriage. The over-sea supplies that reached Yingtzŭ during 1880 were brought up entirely by Native craft, and do not, in consequence, appear upon the records I have to deal with. Still, I believe that the actual quantity imported was smaller than during 1879 by several thousand bales, and that this was due to the crop in many parts of Manchuria having been a heavy one. It is, however, necessary to bear in mind that we have no absolutely reliable statistics to guide us in this matter; for the Cotton trade, always shared in to a large extent by the Native carriers, is one over which, as this year proves, they still retain an unrelaxed grasp. Paper.-Ist Quality has declined Hk.Its. 20,000, its place being usurped by that inferior or 2nd Quality which the newly sprung-up industry before mentioned manufactures into and substitutes for it. . Silk Piece Goods have dropped by Hk.Pts. 12,000, and Silk Ribbons by Hk.Pts. 10,000, consequent on the high prices ruling in the South, and the natural hesitation of well-to-do folk, TRADE REPORTS, 1880. who habitually wear expensive dress, to spend money thereon during a year that, to many of them, was likely to result in unfavourable trading balances. Brown Sugar shows a loss of Hk.its. 51,000. This falling off is in the value more than in the quantity, there being only a positive difference of 7,000 piculs under the latter heading. The lesser import is accounted for by three vessels sugar-laden from Amoy having been compelled through stress of weather to relinquish their voyages. As regards the fall in value, the difference in price (its. 3.11 in 1879, Fts. 2.77 in 1880) between the two years almost accounts for it. Against the articles commented upon as showing a decline, Nankeens, Prepared Tobacco, and certain items of minor importance have increased. Nankeens, as a rule, are imported in Native bottoms. This year Foreign shipping was, for some cause unexplained, constantly availed of. The increase amounts to Hk.Its. 25,000. Prepared Tobacco has advanced to the value of Hk.fts. 47,000. A brand that hitherto had almost the monopoly in Manchuria was that of a well-known Canton firm, who usually made up the weed into 9-candareen packets. But within the last two years an establishment in Shanghai has entered into the business, has imitated the original trade mark, and has undersold its predecessor. The rivalry between the two has of late become very keen. Both are now wooing the market with an improved article at a cheaper rate, and, as a consequence, persons who before only thought of the crude now find themselves able to smoke the prepared leaf. The total value of the EXPORTS from this place last year was, say, Hk.Tts. 3,400,000, against HK.Tts. 3,700,000 for 1879. The reasons for this decrease in value, in the face of the increase our Returns show in quantity, are three, viz., a falling off in prices, attributable to the large stocks at the opening of the season- stocks which had to be disposed of; an exceptionally good harvest, lying ready to fill up our granaries when their contents should run out; and the poor demand for Beancake during the autumn, consequent upon the drought at Swatow and the floods at Canton. On the other hand, the cause of the augmented shipments tabulated of nearly every item of our chief Exports, except Beancake, is to be found in the lesser number of junks and lorchas trading here last season, and in the, therefore, additional employment of Foreign tonnage. It would seem from this that steamers and square-rigged vessels are surely, if slowly, monopolising the transport of our heavy staples, and that speed, safety, and facilities for insuring cargo are advantages to which the Chinese of this port have at length fully awakened. The books at the Superintendent's office go to prove that the duties there collected fell very short. Consequently, although the statistics of the Foreign Inspectorate may, for the hibit an increase, I yet fear that the real total export-i.e. the total by both Native and Foreign bottoms—was, in truth, considerably less in 1880 than in 1879. Notwithstanding the decline in prices last season to figures far below those obtaining for several past years, the Export trade, on the whole, was fairly remunerative to the majority of our merchants. This is due to the fact that though a great drop in rates would prove disastrous to Foreigners embarked in local produce speculations here, it would not so materially affect NEWCHWANG. Chinese houses, because the latter have in the places of production agents who are employed solely for the purpose of keeping their principals advised as to the state of the crops and other matters likely to effect fluctuations in the market. By this means they are to a certain extent prepared for and secured against any sudden change. Owing to the singularly good harvest last year and to the excellent condition of the roads throughout Lower Manchuria this winter, very large quantities of bulky produce are now stored in Yingtzŭ, T'ienchuang-t‘ai, and Newchwang, awaiting shipment. Low quotations for many of our commodities may consequently be expected after the opening of the port. In the course of a few months a tolerably close estimate of the new crop will be ascertainable, and prices rule accordingly. The period between November and March is that when our inland transport is in full vigour. It is this season computed that 4,000,000 piculs of Pulse and Sorghum have come to hand. If we allow, on an average, 60 piculs as the carrying capacity of each waggon, we have, in round numbers, 67,000 entering the east gates of this town with grain alone during the four months we are shut in. These figures show how extensive is the wheeled traffic of Shêngking and Kirin, for the carriage of but one article has been taken note of. To arrive at a grand total, it would be necessary to add the numberless vehicles bringing other kinds of merchandise from the immediately surrounding country and from afar. Millet of various kinds can be purchased at Kwangchung-tze for from its.0.03 to Tts. 0.05 per teo of 40 catties, and it sells here at from Its. 0.18 to its. 0.25. Beans are bought at Kwangchung-tze for Its. 0.06 per teo of 36 catties, and are sold here at an average of its.0.22. The cost of covering the 330 miles of road separating us from the great central depôt of the northern districts is Its. 22.50 for each waggon employed, or at the rate of its.0.15 per teo. A sum of 50 cash per teo is paid here for storage, unless the time for shipment is extended over a second winter, when a similar amount is again demanded. Carts take under five weeks to accomplish the journey, and the expenses incurred en route are ordinarily about its. 12 for the single trip. Fifty-two per cent. of the total value of our Exports is represented by the item Beans. In it the excess over the previous year is 267,000 piculs in quantity, but Hk.Tts. 5,000 only in value. The quantity is over the average of the past eight years by more than 600,000 piculs. The mean price per picul was 15 per cent. less than in 1879, and 40 per cent. less than in 1877; say the medium rate per picul was Its. 0.82 in 1880, Its. 0.94 in 1879, and Tts. 1.15 in 1877.* Coastwise, 2,000,000 piculs were shipped. Hongkong took 371 per cent. of the whole; Canton, 91 per cent.; Swatow, 291 per cent.; Amoy, 17 per cent.; Foochow, 2} per cent.; and Shanghai, 4 per cent. Excepting the first-named port, Japan is the only Foreign country on our list; it took upwards of 134,000 piculs. The partial destruction of the crops down South was doubtless the cause of the renewed demand for Beans in that part of China. This demand had no immediate effect in advancing the * It would be manifestly unfair to compare 1880 with 1878, because markets during the last-named year received a stimulus in consequence of the famine then raging over the north of China. The extension of the Sugar-cane cultivation in Fukien and Kwangtung, following the European demand for that article, still further tended to an increased demand for our fertilising agents, and, low freights happening to rule, our people were encouraged to ship every picul of their produce. 2 10 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. price here, for it continued to fall until near the end of the season, when it rose, owing to the non-arrival of the last contingent of the boat fleet from the Upper Liao. The river transit had, it appeared, been temporarily stopped by the construction of a pontoon bridge not far from Moukden, built to ensure an easy passage to the cortege which was just then solemnly conducting the Imperial genealogies to the ancient home of the reigning House. The pressing of carts at this time, for national service during a campaign then supposed to be imminent, further affected the expected deliveries of new Beans, and in consequence of these hindrances several vessels cleared out in ballast or but half loaded. Beancake is the second most important factor in our Export tables, covering about 27 per cent. of their total valuation. The quantity removed to the coast of China and to Japan was less than the return of the previous year by 450,000 piculs, but more than the average of the past 10 years by 400,000 piculs. This article was quoted at its. 0.77 per picul' during 1878 and 1879, against Tts. 0.67 for 1880-a falling off in value of 15 per cent. If we take the mean rate of these three years and compare it with the Pts. 0.90 of 1877, a difference of 20 per cent. will be observed. Swatow is our largest customer, absorbing 72 per cent. of the total coast export; Shanghai comes next with 214 per cent.; Amoy takes 6 per cent.; Foochow, i per cent.; and Chefoo, à per cent. The demand for Beancake in Japan was greater than it had been for some years. The total imported by that country was 59,000 piculs, showing an excess over the preceding season of 47,000 piculs. The demand in Swatow was comparatively a small one; neither was the season at Shanghai favourable. The low prices offering for Sugar did not admit of the southern farmers using much Beancake as manure for their fields, and the heavy losses so recently incurred prevented neighbouring business men from purchasing on speculation. The re-establishment of sea communication in March found prices at its. 3.50 per 10 pieces. They almost at once dropped to its. 2.80, but rose again before the closing of the port to its. 3.60. The whole of the last season's stock was eventually got rid of. In 1876 a cargo was shipped at Yingtzŭ direct to Ceylon, with a view to its trial on the coffee plantations of that island. I have been told that the merchants who made the venture did not actually lose by their spirited attempt, but that the margin of profit was too fine to give them encouragement in pressing the enterprise. Very possibly the depression that has sadly marked the last few years in the British colony has prevented our staple from gaining a footing on this new and important market. It is therefore with great satisfaction that I record a renewed effort, albeit on a small scale, which was made last season to push the matter. Early in the summer a parcel of Cake was sent from Shanghai to the order of a Colombo house. The result will be awaited with some interest. Ginseng.—This celebrated nostrum of the Chinese pharmacopoeia occupies a high place on our records, and its several varieties appear well represented in the tables just published. The root brought from Corea, and divided in mercantile parlance into ist and 2nd Quality, is, unitedly, third in importance amongst the Exports from Yingtzŭ, amounting to nearly 5 per cent. of their total value. There is an increase in quantity of over 12 piculs, or 1,600 lbs.=Hk.Pts. 5,000, or, say, £1,500. The first-class article fell—not from deterioration, but from excess of supply over demand—to an average of Its. 14.50 per catty of i} lbs. It had stood firmly for a number of years at about its 17. NEWCHWANG. The cultivated Manchurian root takes not quite 4 per cent. of our total Export values. In this case the increases over last season are 227 piculs and Hk.its. 12,000. The Wild Native root is the most prized of all. Sundry boxes of this much-vaunted specific passed examination during the year, but their total shows an advance scarcely appreciable upon the figures of 1879. 'The planting of Ginseng is extending step by step over the newly occupied country on both banks of the Yalu and over the adjacent territory to the north and west of that river. Under these circumstances, the high quotations of the past can hardly be hoped for, more especially as I find that old beliefs in the extraordinary medicinal properties of Ginseng have now a much less steadfast hold than formerly upon the public mind. We already see a difference in the price it commands upon this market; the years 1877, 1878, and 1879 showed an average of Its. 62.50 per picul, whereas in 1880 the rate was its 50. In Bean Oil there is the marked increase of 15,000 piculs—an excess of 11,000 piculs over the average exportation since 1872. Like nearly all other items, this one shows, however, a great decline in value. The price at the opening of the port was its. 3.70, which gradually declined to its. 2.70. Speculators incurred heavy losses. Although the demand at Shanghai was small, in consequence probably of the widespread use of Kerosene, still our Returns, as above stated, record an increase in the export. This is due entirely to the decreased shipment by junks. These craft, from the fact of their holds being specially constructed with a view to the carriage of oil boxes, have always been in high favour with the trade; but during the season we are considering, dealers were permitted to transport Oil by steamers at a low freight, and they largely availed themselves of the privilege. I may mention that, according to rumour here, the use of our Bean Oil has been discovered to be far more economical than the southern Wood Oil for builders' and painters' purposes. Silk. — Transactions last year are said to have been highly profitable to speculators, fortunate individuals realising even 30 per cent. The demand was great, and quotations rose, ere the stores were exhausted, from 4 to 8 candareens per tael weight. Comparing this single year 1880 with the total export for the three seasons 1877, 1878, and 1879, the increase is remarkable, i.e. 1,031.19 piculs = Hk.Its. 89,777, against only 498.78 piculs = Hk.Tts. 33,362. In 1877 the ruling price was Tts. 72 per picul; in 1878, Tts. 65; in 1879, Tts. 60; and in 1880– such was the eagerness of purchasers—it jumped to its. 88. The oak-fed Silk produced in Shêngking is bought, in its raw state, by dealers from China who, towards the end of each spring, arrive at the small outports of the province. These men rarely secure the cocoons of what is styled the first crop; that growth is, as a rule, kept back for home consumption. It is the second crop that furnishes the Silk for export, and it leaves the country immediately upon the rivers opening the following year. Corea is known to furnish, by way of Fênghwang-cheng, certain supplies of white mulberry Silk to the dealers above spoken of; but to what an extent this traffic affects our Exports, or whether it has itself been affected by the opening of Fusan, cannot be ascertained with any degree of exactitude. There can be little doubt but that the Treaty town in which we are immediately interested has heretofore practically failed to attract a most valuable branch of the local 12 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. trade. The reason is not clear. Kaichow, a city once the sole emporium of the low country and the actual port of Moukden, has retained almost all the profits derivable from this source. Takushan, on the eastern side of the Kuantung peninsula, has alone shared in them—although unimportantly. If it be true, as currently reported, that the Silk which left our ports by steamers and by junks during 1880 is eventually destined for Europe, a vista of prosperity has assuredly opened before the eyes of the frugal peasant farmers of this old dominion. Favourably situated as they are, both in regard to the producing qualities of their mountain slopes and to the propinquity of these to convenient sea outlets, any fresh market for the raw material cannot fail to encourage an industry which is here undoubtedly capable of very considerable and important extension. Skins.—The steadily increasing demand in America and Australia for Manchurian skins of all kinds is instanced by the number of pelts shipped this season having exceeded the total of the three preceding years by over 29,000 piculs. Dogs, Goats, Sheep, Wolves, Bears, and Deer of many kinds, each contribute their quota to these figures. But the values do not keep pace with the increased export, for the reason that some of the most expensive varieties are not presently to be purchased of the great size and fine quality once common. Thus, those of the Tiger in particular are now individually much smaller, with shorter hair, than were the truly magnificent specimens formerly brought in by the trappers. Neither does the Revenue collection keep pace, pro rata, with the extension of the trade, because many valuable furs of the less bulky kinds, such as the Sable and the Otter, although they certainly reach this port in large numbers from the wilds of Kirin and Tsitsihar, and are as certainly exported hence, yet appear as a mere fraction only upon our records. Moukden remains the chief depôt of the trade, but the frontier traffic northwards, that not very long ago was described with perfect accuracy as "considerable," would seem almost to have died out. The better and more certain market to be found at Yingtzŭ has overcome the element of distance in this case also. Fungus, Deer Horns, Medicines, Samshu, and Liquorice Root are items of our Exports having figures set against them indicating in each case healthy advance. They do not, however, appear to call for further or special mention. SHIPPING. The Flag Return.—During the year 1880, 337 Foreign-built vessels visited Yingtzŭ, and although this total is less by 18 than that of 1879, the registered carrying capacity it represents is 846 tons more, i.e. 160,867, as compared with 160,021 of the previous year. This increase in tonnage, with at the same time diminution in numbers, is consequent on the development of steam navigation; and I may, in example of this, quote from the entry boards of this office for the past season, where five steamers are shown to aggregate upwards of 6,000 tons. To particularise: Great Britain is at the head of the list with a total of 144 sail = 77,719 tons, or nearly half of the whole; as against 142 sail = 70,996 tons, in 1879. A fact at the same time curious and significant is that these 144 British vessels are exactly divided betwixt steamers and sailers. The actual numbers of separate British vessels engaged in the coasting trade, as it is represented by entries at this port, were, last year, 19 steamers = 15,323 tons, and 50 sailing NEWCHWANG. 13 are vessels = 17,860 tons. Of these, I steamer of 404 tons and 21 sailing vessels of 7,769 tons are registered in Indian and Colonial ports and in Shanghai. To these must be added 8 steamers of 5,656 tons, which, although bearing on their sterns the names of towns in the United Kingdom, yet belong to the local fleets of two of our shipping companies, and were built for and y employed in the China coasting trade. Of the entire British tonnage, therefore, 9 steamers and 21 sailing vessels may fairly be called “country ships,” the remaining 10 steamers and 29 sailing vessels being from home. Germany is again second with a total of 117 sail = 47,404 tons, made up by ii steamers = 9,755 tons, and 106 sailing vessels = 37,649 tons. Her real floating strength in these waters was 4 steamers and 64 sailing vessels, of 3,877 and 24,042 tons respectively. We see at once from these last figures that she still heads the British return very considerably (viz., by 14 sailing vessels of 6,182 tons) on a line where strength in tonnage should, and in fact generally does, imply the possession of strength of another kind, which is perhaps apart somewhat from the purely commercial aspect of the question. I mean, of course, the power of producing native sailors given to a fleet manned through the operation of judiciously-framed apprentice laws. Most deservedly, German sailing vessels are popular on this coast, both with the Foreign critic, who can appreciate the sobriety and general good behaviour of their crews, and with the Native freight-givers, who think solely of the safe conduct they thereby find ensured. The last few years have, however, shown plainly enough the direction our coasting trade is likely to take in the immediate future. The beautiful barque from the Hanse towns, which has so long graced the waters of Asia, is, I fear, destined to give place to floating iron godowns under the British and Chinese flags. It is permissible for me to express an earnest hope that this foreshadowed change may not be altogether fatal to the existence of a body of mariners whose characteristics have been in pleasing contrast to those distinguishing too many pseudo-seamen belonging to the English race. The United States and France ran closely for the fourth place, but the former, having a slight advantage in tonnage, though fewer vessels, is entitled to precedence. When compared with last year, the American shows an increase, whilst the European Republic shows a decrease in both the number and the tonnage of vessels. The difference in both cases is so slight as to be unworthy of special comment. The exact figures are:- 1879. 1880. United States . 8 sailing vessels = 4,000 tons. 9 sailing vessels = 4,314 tons. France ... 14 „ = 4,461 „ 12 1 = 4,117 » Siam is on our list with 8 sailing vessels of 3,568 tons; Denmark, with 7 = 1,902 ; Scandinavia (Norway 2, Sweden 1), with 3 = 1,221 ; Holland, with 2 = 526; and Russia, with I steamer of 451 tons. China in 1873 first entered on the roll with Western-built shipping. In that year her flag covered 2 steamers of 1,266 tons. In 1880 she took, for the second time in succession, the third place on this list, with a total of 34 steamers, representing 20,645 tons, against 26 of 19,377 the previous year. The dragon flag was worn by 8 individual steamers, showing 5,924 registered tons. Our old friend the little Millet, alias Meli, paid us no less than 13 visits, and the yacht-like Hankwang is entered six times. 14 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. The number of junks taken note of by the Intendancy during 1880 was as follows:- 362 from Shanghai, Ningpo, and Foochow; 322 „ ports in Shantung; 833 „ „ Chihli, and 260 „ Tientsin, after discharging Tribute grain. 1,777 Comparing these figures with those given in the Reports for 1878 and 1879, a great falling off is observable. I am told that a very large junk owner has lately failed in business, and that his difficulties were brought about by the depression of freights for this class of carriers at the northern ports. Casualties, etc.—Accidents to shipping have, unhappily, been rather numerous in this district during the year under review. On the 7th April the Russian steamer Grand Duc Constantin, inward bound, and under the care of a pilot, came into collision with a junk in the Liao River, near Everlasting Point. On the 16th of the same month the German barque Anton Günther, outward bound, and without a pilot, collided with a junk lying in the anchorage called Deep Hole, near this port. On the 13th May the Chinese gunboat Chêntung, forming part of a small Imperial flotilla then on a cruise of instruction, touched upon an unknown sunken danger lying about a mile to the westward of Haiyūn Island, in the Yellow Sea. Owing chiefly to the great presence of mind displayed by the European officers serving with the squadron, this valuable vessel was saved, and navigated to Shanghai. The position of the rock has now been ascertained with accuracy, and a hydrographical notification concerning it has been issued by the British Admiralty. On the 3rd October two collisions took place outside the bar of the Liao. In one case the American pilot-sloop Geo. F. Seward was run into, whilst in the act of heaving-to in a gale of wind, by a Tientsin junk; both vessels were seriously damaged. The other collision was between a German barquentine, the Formosa, and a small Native craft; it resulted in no loss. On the 24th a sudden tornado from the north-west burst over the settlement, and three vessels, the British barques Woodville and Alexander Newton, and the German barque Hausa, were blown on shore in the harbour. Two of them floated the same day; but the Woodville, which was under weigh when the squall struck her, in charge, fortunately, of one of our most skilful pilots, took the ground as she was being brought up, and did not get off until the 26th. She sustained no damage. On the 25th November a tremendous gale set in from the north, causing large quantities of ice to form in the Liao River and in its estuary. The former was completely frozen over next day, and H.B.M.S. Mosquito was beset in front of the Custom House, and lay for some hours in extreme peril. Providentially, about noon on the 27th the ice broke up, and the gunboat was enabled to steam through it to a place of safety. During the height of the gale the British barque Minnie Carvill and the British three-masted schooner Mount Lebanon were driven on shore at the Deep Hole. They were both seriously injured by the ice cutting into them, but, being handled by able pilots, eventually escaped. NEWCHWANG. 15 I have on former occasions drawn attention to the danger to which Siamese vessels are exposed when visiting these seas towards the termination of the season. Manned by Natives of warm climates, they are utterly unfit, from this cause, and from the general rickety state of their equipment, to encounter the fierce gales and Arctic cold so often experienced. Of the eight vessels that left Yingtzŭ in 1880, homeward bound, one is as yet unaccounted for, having too probably shared the fate of not a few of her predecessors, and of another I have lately, from those whose unfortunate lot it was to be the sufferers, heard the last. She was Bangkok built, of 329 tons, called the Kimyungtye, and cleared for Hongkong with a cargo of pulse on the 27th October. Soon after getting clear of the Gulf of Liaotung, fearful weather was met with, a leak was sprung, and early on the morning of the 2nd November, Mr. Kofoed, her Danish master, resolved to make for the nearest land. Late that night, there being then seven feet water in his ship's hold, he obtained an anchorage. For two days every endeavour was made to repair the damage, but at 10 A.M. on the 5th, while standing in for the west Corean coast, then five miles distant, the barque foundered. Out of a total number of 29 souls on board, only two—the mate (a Dane) and one Siamese seaman—were lost. The poor folk reached the shore in an absolutely destitute condition, and in deadly fear; they were at once met and hospitably treated by the inhabitants. The master learnt that the locality was known as Pijên-hsien, and it is probably the peninsula to the north of Basil Bay. On the 30th November, or 25 days after the catastrophe, the shipwrecked people set out—the men on horses and bullocks, Mrs. KoFOED and child, and the wife of the boatswain, in chairs—for the Corean capital, whither they were escorted by a guard of soldiers. Seoul was distant 460 li, and this journey, along a road described as rough and rocky, they accomplished in 10 days, passing on their way the large town of Yashan, and being there most liberally treated by the Governor. Seoul itself they were not permitted to enter. It appeared a city of mud houses situated on hills, near a wide and deep river, with forts instead of a wall for its defence. Having rested for 24 hours at an inn in the suburbs, they started for the Chinese frontier, and, after a few days hard travel, reached the prehistoric capital of Corea—Pingjang.* Two days more brought them to the Yalu, where they were handed over to the Chinese authorities, and in due course sent to Yingtzŭ. I received them on Saturday, January 22nd. One Siamese seaman perished of cold after entering Manchuria, one lost both his feet, and several others were less seriously frost-bitten. It speaks volumes for all concerned that the two females and the child retained perfect health. On the oth August 1866, the British barque Swiftsure, Captain STRUCKMANN, which had left Yingtzŭ the day previously, in charge of one of the men who then filled the ranks of the pilot body, went on shore at the north end of the East Bank, near the mouth of this river. She finally became a total wreck, and sank in the quicksands. Salvage operations were soon begun upon her by a company of Chinese belonging to this place, and last summer they succeeded in raising the hulk and depositing it on the hard beach. She has since been broken up, and I am told that this finale to operations which for 14 years have been persevered in by means the most primitive, and in the face of difficulties quite exceptional, has resulted in the return of an excellent profit to the speculators. * It was here that, 15 years ago, the crew and passengers of the American schooner General Sherman were put to death. 16 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. I will close this Report with a brief notice of an act of great gallantry performed here on the afternoon of the 8th December. A ferry-boat crossing over to the town had, the morning before, been swept away by the ice, and was supposed to be lost. About 3 P.M. on the day in question it again, however, came in sight, and the alarm being given by the sentry posted on the Bund, a corporal and five privates of the police force * launched a large sampan, and, at the imminent risk of their own lives, pushed off through the floating masses to attempt the rescue of their perishing countrymen. They just succeeded; being themselves within an ace of being lost. The occupants of the ferry-boat were completely prostrated by 30 hours' exposure, without food or a sufficiency of clothing to protect them from 25 degrees of frost, and but for the aid thus bravely given must inevitably have succumbed. We Westerns now and again find out that our old school-book ideas anent the absence of certain high qualities in Chinese human nature are not slightly absurd. To the grand modern discovery that men of the Middle Kingdom can show resolution and valour on the battle-field, I venture to contribute, by the facts above recorded, an humble rider. The virtues we so justly prize would appear capable of expression amongst this people, not alone during the heat of combat and under the impulse of European example, but in cold blood, and, be it remembered, without hope or prospect of reward. we I have, etc., J. ALEX. MAN, Commissioner of Customs. To ROBERT HART, ESQUIRE, Inspector General of Customs, PEKING. * The appended Despatch, from the Inspector General to the Commissioner, explains the origin, nature, and strength of what is referred to as a “police force” here and elsewhere. No. 34. Newchwang Series. PEKING, 19th September 1873. SIR, 1.-In view of the lawlessness which reigns at Newchwang every winter, and the comparatively unprotected condition of the place, I think it advisable to authorise you to employ and equip a small Native guard to co-operate with the Customs employés for self- protection in the event of the approach of the brigands with whom the province is said to be swarming NEWCHWANG. 17 2.—Counting the members of both In-door and Out-door Staff, there will always be a dozen Foreigners under your orders; in addition to the Foreigners, there will be some 20 boatmen and coolies strong enough to handle rifles. To these I propose to authorise you to add 20 specially enrolled men, to make up a force of, say, 50 men, all told. For these you will be authorised to procure as many stand of arms, Sniders or Martinis, and a proper supply of ball cartridge. With such a number of well-armed men, acquainted with the use of their weapons, and bound to you by pay and constant employment, you will be quite able to hold your own against even 10 times the number of undisciplined marauders. 3.—As regards the 20 men you are authorised to employ, you will take particular care to find a good set of men—active, muscular, and of good character. You may pay them Tts. 4 or, if necessary, Its. 5 a month each to begin with, promising them an increase of a tael a month by-and-by if they work well. 4.—As regards the 50 stand of arms, etc., possibly the Municipal Council at Shanghai could let you have them from the volunteers’ Sniders, lately discarded for Martinis: if not obtainable at Shanghai, they can most likely be got at Hongkong. It is, however, so near the close of the season that but little time remains to find them. 5.-As regards the disciplining of your force and accustoming them to the use of their rifles, what you have to particularly remember is that it is a small irregular force, and not a regiment. The chief thing will be to make each individual a good rifle shot; the second, to divide the force into, say, four parties, giving each party a chief, and to make each man know to which party he belongs and which leader he is to follow; and the third, to accustom all ears to a few simple words of command. Any attempt to play at soldiers will draw an inconvenient kind of notice on the little force; and for any hope that pains taken with individuals may fit them for other positions, you have only to think of GORDON's sergeants and Brown's cavalry. All you need aim at will be to put 50 good shots at the Commissioner's disposal, for the Commissioner's own protection first of all, and after that to assist his neighbours as much as may be. 6.—Mr. CLARKE, the Examiner, was a sergeant or sergeant-major in an infantry regiment, and drilled the first body of Foreign-armed troops at Canton: you will find him of much use as an intelligent and painstaking man, and it may be well to place him in charge of the arms and ammunition; and Mr. St. Croix, an old volunteer officer and an excellent shot, will be able to assist you materially. 7.-As for uniform, a boatman's dress with the words “Customs Police" on it will be the best style to adopt. 8.—The additional 20 men can be employed to keep watch on the traffickers in arms, and may be specially rewarded for every seizure they make. Their pay is to be accounted for in A/C A, Chinese wages' heading. I am, &c., (signed) ROBERT HART, J. ALEX. MAN, ESQUIRE, Inspector General. Commissioner of Customs, NEWCHWANG. 18 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. TIENTSIN TRADE REPORT, FOR THE YEAR 1880. [Received 16th June 1881.] Custom HOUSE, TIENTSIN, 10th June 1881. SIR, I HAVE the honour to report on the trade at the port of Tientsin during the year 1880 as follows. VALUE OF THE TRADE. The figures representing the value of the various branches of the trade of Tientsin, as put down in the statistical compilations accounting for the transactions of the year under review, show that, on the whole, commerce has not been prosperous in the same degree as in 1879. Its total net value, amounting to Hk.fts. 24,365,442 in 1879, sank in 1880 to Hk.its. 21,668,434, owing to a fall of over Hk.Tts. 3,000,000 in Foreign Imports, the total estimated value of which in 1879 was · HK.fts. 13,279,624, while in 1880 it only could be estimated at HK.fts. 10,169,133. The decrease in the value of Native produce was but a slight one, Hk. Pts. 8,940,205, against Hk.its. 9,105,582 in 1879. As to the value of Exports, the fact of an increase of nearly Hkits. 580,000 is to be rejoiced in as a token of the steady growth of the productive powers of the region of which Tientsin is the outlet: while the estimated value of goods exported from Tientsin in 1879 amounted to Hk.Pts. 1,980,236, the Returns of 1880 represent it by the figure Hk.fts. 2,5 59,096. Deducting the latter sum, plus Hk.fts. 5,389,610 of Treasure shipped off in 1880, from the estimated value of Imports (Hk.fts. 21,668,438), there remains a sum of Hk.its. 13,000,000 unaccounted for, which in one way or other-probably by banking operations must be remitted by the North to the South in order to establish the economical equilibrium. SHIPPING. During the year there entered the Peiho 409 merchant vessels of the Foreign type, of an aggregate tonnage of 246,860 tons; the number of steamers counted therein being 292, with 209,944 tons, and that of sailing vessels, 117, with 36,916 tons. This shows, compared with the Shipping of the three previous years, when the more or less complete failure of the crops in the north of China gave an extraordinary spurt to the grain-carrying trade, a decrease in the number of trading vessels and their tonnage. TIENTSIN. 19 Foremost in importance again stands Chinese shipping, with 161 steamers and 124,718 tons; second, British interests, with 128 steamers and 56 sailing vessels, of 83,828 tons and 18,037 tons respectively; while German shipping-third in importance—was only represented by 44 sailing vessels, of 13,598 tons burden, showing, therefore, that the coasting trade carried on under the German flag is still steadily on the decline. Comparatively few accidents were noted during the year. On the ist October the German schooner Adeone, having, through bumping on the bar when entering the river, sprung a leak, sank into deep water between Taku and Hsinchêng, and became a total wreck. On the 4th November the British brig Victory ran ashore on the Shaliuteen Banks; at the request of the British Consul, the Chinese gunboat Chennan, Captain JOHNSTONE, was sent to her assistance, and succeeded in towing the vessel off and, for repairs, to Taku. Through the sudden setting in of the ice on the 23rd December, the China Coast Steam Navigation Company's steamer Pechili, while discharging a cargo at Taku, got caught, and, all efforts to cut her out having proved ineffective, had to winter there. By the consummate skill nowadays displayed by the commanders of the steamers regularly trading to the port, collisions in the river- in former years so numerous—have dwindled down remarkably, although the number of junks did not differ materially from the number observed in the various anchorages in previous years. Two events deserve special notice as interesting the Shipping of the port. On the 27th August the lightship Taku, specially constructed for service outside the Taku Bar, exhibited for the first time a dioptric light, in the place of the temporary light shown, since the foundering of the hulk Aden, from the lighter Gorilla. The second event referred to was the opening of a dry dock at Taku on the 20th November by His Excellency the Imperial Commissioner LI. The dock is capable to accommodate vessels drawing 15 feet, and 300 feet long. It was constructed in the course of 1880, and originally intended for the use of vessels of the Imperial navy; but it is understood that its use will also be accorded to merchant vessels in need of repairs. It is the intention of the Government to supply the dock with all appliances wanted for building and repairing ships. IMPORTS. The noticeable decrease in Foreign Imports, already referred to, may be attributed to two main causes,-rumours of impending war, and over-trading towards the close of 1879. The dark clouds which overhung the political horizon of China throughout the past year had, as a matter of course, a depressing influence on trade, but still Chinese buyers did not by far feel so concerned and restrained in action by the general uncertainty prevailing as Foreigners, placed in their position, would have felt and acted. As to the other cause, one must bear in mind that the year ned with a lively demand for Foreign Imports, and that traders were only too apt to try and make up for the past meagre years. Thus it happened that during 1879 a greater quantity of Foreign goods was thrown on the Tientsin market than its powers of consumption demanded. The consequence was that the year 1879 closed, leaving great stocks on hand, and that a good part of 1880 was required for reducing them. W re 20 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. OPIUM.— In 1879, as much as 5,246 piculs were imported, while in 1880 the demand was met with 3,219 piculs only. Comparison, therefore, is showing a falling off of more than 2,000 piculs. Of Cotton Goods, Grey Shirtings fell from 1,218,885 pieces to 975,075 pieces; White Shirtings, from 442,067 pieces to 421,881 pieces; and T-Cloths, from 570,767 pieces to 494,130 pieces; while American Drills, which in 1879 had found favour in the Tientsin market to the extent of 259,380 pieces, sank again to 114,780 pieces. WOOLLEN GOODS.—Of all species there were imported 42,444 pieces, against 66,913 pieces imported the previous year. METALS show an increase of nearly 8,000 piculs; the total of the various kinds of Metal imported during 1880 being 49,127 piculs, against 41,032 piculs the year before. SUGAR, for which there was a good demand throughout the year, shows a considerable increase; the importation of Native and Foreign Sugar amounting to 389,912 piculs, against 291,808 piculs imported during the year 1879. As to direct importations from Foreign countries, one vessel arrived, as for some years past, from Antwerp with Sundries, mostly of German origin; and another vessel brought a cargo · of Kerosene Oil from New York. Apart from these arrivals, direct communications with Foreign countries were limited to Japan and Hongkong. From Japan came Coal, Copper, Tea, Camphor-wood, etc., the aggregate value of which during 1880 was Hk.its. 206,373. Imports from Hongkong consisted chiefly of European commodities and Native goods from southern ports. With the exception of Opium and a few articles, such as Dyes, Matches, Needles, and Kerosene Oil, Coal for the use of coasting steamers, spasmodic arrivals of Japan Teas, Seaweed, a few Metals, and Sundries of minor importance, the main Import trade in Foreign goods remained in the hands of Chinese merchants, who, whether they be Tientsin wholesale dealers or merchants trading in the interior, continued purchasing their goods through agents or branch establishments in Shanghai; nor can any of the above-mentioned exceptions be considered the uncontested monopoly of Foreigners. The importation of Native goods (Brick Tea, perhaps, excepted) has entirely remained in Chinese hands. EXPORTS. The Tientsin Export trade has shown more than the customary yearly advance in importance, chiefly owing to the unprecedented large exit of Camel's Wool and Straw Braid. It is, however, to be regretted that purchases in China were made with too little judiciousness, whereby only few of the invoices sent to the European and American markets realised profits, while, on the whole, ventures in these articles are reported to have met with more or less severe reverses. STRAW BRAID, produced in Chihli and Honan, of which 19,961 piculs were exported, against 10,937 piculs in 1879, is an article in the manufacture of which great and constant care should be displayed, and which should be enforced by the Foreign exporter, by his subjecting to thorough scrutiny and personal examination every bale and every bundle before taking it off the TIENTSIN. 21 hands of the Native manufacturer or dealer, and running the risk of sending it into the market where competition is rife. Last year much carelessness was shown in this. Besides, the eagerness with which many exporting firms bought up all Braid coming into the market caused dealers and manufacturers to think that Straw Braid made up anyhow would do to realise profits. Thus it came that, for the sake of momentary gain, the reputation and future of this important branch of the North China trade has been seriously jeopardised. It is to be hoped, as well in the interest of the population of the Straw Braid-producing districts as in that of the Foreign merchants, who still hold the export of this important article in their hands, that its increase will be promoted by increased vigilance displayed in its selection and manufacture. CAMEL's Wool.-In 1879 there were 9,802 piculs exported, and during 1880 exportations rose to 16,442 piculs, a figure also quite without precedent in commercial annals of the port; the largest exportation anterior to 1880 being that of 1877, when 13,384 piculs were shipped off from Tientsin. Camel's Wool, it appears, has as yet not become an article for which there exists a regular, well-sustained demand in Foreign markets. Its chances of profitableness, therefore, still very much depend on the general state of the Foreign Wool markets. This seems to be confirmed by the report of losses experienced on the Camel's Wool sent from Tientsin to London last year. Black TEA AND BRICK TEA.--77,212 piculs of the former and 219,271 piculs of the latter were passed through Tientsin in 1880, against 132,098 piculs of Black Tea and 269,937 piculs of Brick Tea, which passed through in 1879. To the political uncertainties prevailing during the year the obvious decrease must be ascribed. Some of the Tea transported beyond the Wall in the fall of last year was insured against the risk of war. RHUBARB is an article which seems worthy of more than a passing notice, as by study and attention to its sources it may be brought to play a more important part in the Export trade of Tientsin than it has hitherto. The Returns show great fluctuations in the quantities exported during various years; its exportation depends, therefore, seemingly upon desultory arrivals from the producing districts. It is natural to suppose that the supply would become more regular if Tientsin could be made a regular market; this would no doubt also stimulate its production. That its export is capable of expansion was shown during 1875, when it reached 1,485 piculs. Rhubarb (* *) is the dried root of a genus of plants, the Rheum, undoubtedly indigenous in China, growing wild in most of the northern and western provinces, as well as Thibet, but which is nowhere, as far as I can ascertain, brought under cultivation. The roots are dug up when from six to seven years old, just before the flowering season, which occurs during the third or fourth moons, and again during the seventh or eighth moons, after the seed has ripened. They are then peeled and cut in lengths measuring from 4 to 5 inches, bored through the middle, placed on strings, and hung up to dry. This process, however, seems to be only applied to the larger and better roots, as the sections of thin roots that form the bulk of the cheaper grades met with here have seemingly received no further care than a thorough drying. The Rhubarb exported from Tientsin is produced in the north- western districts of Chihli, in Honan, Shênsi, and Kansuh. It is not improbable also that some of the best is brought from Thibet by merchants following in the wake of the Tribute and Government caravans constantly passing to and fro. It varies greatly in quality, and 22 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. bears external evidence of being the product not only of widely separated tracts of country, but distinct varieties of the Rheum plant. There is reason to believe, too, that some of the inferior quality is the root of the Dock plant, Yangt'i ( #), which, on account of its resem- blance to that of the Rheum, is honoured by the name of Rhubarb, and is sold as such. The great difference in value would alone seem to point towards such an assumption. The following are the best-known varieties of Rhubarb in this market: Hsining (PET ), which stamps it as coming from the place of that name, in Kansuh, and Chungchi (**), worth from its. 15 upwards; the next grades, Chihuang (Til and Taihuang ( ), are worth from Its. 3; and Shanhuang (u ), only Its. 2.50 per picul. The best of the former is firm in texture, dry, of good weight, and, when cut, of a reddish yellow colour; the three last-mentioned kinds are very hard, darker coloured inside, and, when chewed, deficient in taste and flavour. No record has been kept of the proportion in which the various qualities are exported, as all kinds of Rhubarb pay duty alike, according to Tariff rate; but, as rear as I can ascertain, the better grades predominate. About five years ago Rhubarb was exported from Tientsin by Foreign merchants, who have since then withdrawn from the trade, but whether on account of inability to procure a good quality and steady supply here, or unremunerative prices at home, I am unable to say. It will be remembered that in former days most of the Rhubarb consumed in Europe was obtained from the Chinese at Kiakhta, and brought over- land to Russia, where, naturally enough, the best was selected for home use, and the rest disposed of to other countries under the name of “Turkish Rhubarb.” But this monopoly in the prized drug gradually passed out of Russian hands as the Chinese found nearer markets at the Coast and River Ports, when these were opened to Foreign trade. I have, unfortunately, no data at hand from which to ascertain how much, if any, is now sent overland to Russia. CURIOSITIES.—Under this heading are classed cloisonnés, émaillés, old bronzes, lacquer-ware, paintings on silk, and numberless other articles of virtu, the great bulk of which is destined to figure in the curiosity shops of London and Paris. A great deal of valuable old Chinaware exported from this place might also be brought under the same heading, were it not passed, according to Tariff, as Fine Chinaware. A marked increase has taken place in the export of Curiosities since the late famine, when so many well-to-do families were forced, on the verge of starvation, to part with cherished heirlooms, which, doubtless, in a great many instances had been treasured up for centuries. Foreign connoisseurs were not slow in improving such an opportunity for the acquisition of “rare bits,” and agents of European houses were busily engaged during the year in collecting and sending away all kinds of curios, which brought up the value of those enumerated under “ Curiosities” alone to nearly Hk.its. 30,000. CLOISONNÉ. — The making of cloisonné at Peking and its export from this place is steadily increasing. As the art is quaint and interesting, and the process of manufacture not generally known, a description may find room here of the various processes an ordinary vase has to undergo before it becomes that quaint bit of grotesque colouring which so delights the soul of the bric-à-brac hunter. The requisites for its manufacture are a copper vessel beaten out into the required shape, bits of copper wire flattened and bent to form the desired pattern, a kind of glass or silicic substance, great skill, and, above all, consummate patience and plodding perseverance. The flattened copper wires which form the divisions or walls between the TIENTSIN. 23 various colours are dexterously shaped into curves or leaflets of a given pattern by little boys, who have no other implement than a pair of pincers in each hand. These bits of wire are then grouped upon the surface of the copper vessel to make the outlines of flowers, birds, or arabesques, and temporarily secured with glue. When the whole pattern is complete it is firmly fixed to the background by strewing a quantity of silver filings thereon and exposing it to the sharp heat of a charcoal fire. It is now ready for the filling in of the coloured glass, which is crushed and mixed with water, in order to make it adhere to the surface. Each colour is carefully filled into its proper compartment by means of a tiny spoon or ladle. The filling in being completed, the whole vessel is entirely surrounded with charcoal fire, until the glass is melted, and then taken out to cool. This process of filling in and burning has to be repeated several times before every cavity is filled to the surface, and once more after the whole has been ground down, if any inequalities are discovered. When a completely eqnal surface has been thus obtained, it is elaborately polished and the copperwork gilded. But what has taken so short a time to describe takes several weeks to accomplish. The manufacture of cloisonné had its rise and fall, like everything else. It flourished especially during the King Tai ( ) reign of the Ming dynasty, and again during the reigns of Kang Hsi ( ) and KIEN LUNG (EL ), of the Ta Ch‘ing dynasty. Among the productions of those epochs are to be found many pieces of high art, for which there exists an increasing demand. During the reigns of Tao Kwang (jú *) and HSIEN Fêng cho ), this industry, like that of porcelain, fell off very much, and during the times of rebellion the art in it got almost extinct. However, since Foreigners are residing at Peking, a great demand has gradually been springing up for the article, and much progress made towards conquering for it the admiration bestowed 20 years ago only on the cloisonné produced in days gone by. REVENUE. The total amount of Revenue collected was HK.fts. 382,679, standing thus with nearly Hk.Tts. 40,000 behind the collection of 1879, and being entirely due to the great falling off in the importation of Opium. GENERAL Telegraphs.—The event of the year under review has been the resolution passed by the Imperial Government to have a telegraph line between Shanghai, Chinkiang, Nanking, and Tientsin. The construction of the line has been confided to the Great Northern Telegraph Company, which bids fair for the technical execution of the first great land line. The line will follow as closely as possible the embankment of the Grand Canal; it will have two wires, and it is to be in working order before the end of 1881. At Tientsin a college has been opened in which a number of young Chinese are being instructed in the rudiments of the use of the telegraph. The importance of the step taken by the Imperial Government in this matter can hardly be overrated. Although as yet no definite arrangements have been made for extending the 24 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. line to Peking, yet, it may be confidently expected that this link will not long be missing once direct telegraphic messages between Tientsin and Shanghai are exchanged. It likewise may be expected that after one wire has crossed the high walls of the capital, the telegraph will prove in China as irresistible as it did in every other country, and that its meshwork will before the close of the century expand all over the Empire: ce n'est que le premier pas qui coûte. It is to be hoped that the Foreign tree—the telegraph-transplanted on Chinese soil will not be devoid of the sap—.e., a sound administration,—which alone can make it flourish, and that the first great line will not turn out a great financial failure. That Tientsin will be commercially benefited by the telegraph there is no reason to doubt. Railways.—Although as yet not, like the telegraph, an established fact in China, the railway is, it may be augured, not far from becoming one. It is no secret that in the course of the past year a strong movement, prompted by the political and military difficulties of the moment, was set on foot in favour of its introduction; that all possible advantages and disadvantages of the institution were freely and exhaustively discussed by the leading statesmen of the Empire; and that even many memorials bearing on this interesting subject were deposited on the steps of the Throne. That a decree ordering or authorising the construction of railways would change the whole political, military, and commercial status of the Empire, who, conversant with the history of the past 60 years, could doubt ? China is still by many considered as being 200 years behind the countries of the West. The discussion that marked proceedings last year sufficiently proves that China is getting aware that nowadays she, too, must follow in the wake of nations in order to hold her own in the hour of competitive test. Discussion, it is true, has for the present ceased, but there are signs that soon it will be revived, and once revived it will lead to action. Mining. In various directions Native explorers have been busy to perfect the estimates of the mineral wealth of this province and the adjacent regions beyond the Great Wall; and, to judge from certain reports circulated and specimens of ore exhibited, it would appear that rich copper mines have been discovered between Kupeikou ( i ) and Jehol ( D). These mines, it is understood, will shortly be worked. At Kaiping (W ) mining operations have been pushed on with great vigour, and the managers expect to furnish the Tientsin market with the required quantity of coal before the end of 1881. A tidal canal, over 60 li in length, by which the coal is to be brought in barges to Lutai (), on the Peitang (HE W) river, has been dug out according to programme, notwithstanding opposition on the part of some of the owners of the land through which the canal had to pass. In Chihli, as in other parts of the Empire, the mining question—with and without Foreign appliances—is practically legalised, but it is still to be feared that mining will not develop, pay, and offer inducement for carrying it on on a larger scale until the railway question is solved too. To illustrate this, it had better be mentioned that by inquiries made in the course of last year, it was ascertained that at the Chaitang (pen ) mines, about 180 li to the west of Peking, coal, equal to the best Welsh coal, can be had at Pts. I per ton. Those mines, worked in the primitive Chinese style, are fully capable of turning out 200 tons a day, and it would appear that by the use of Foreign appliances the cost of extracting the fuel could hardly be diminished. The whole difficulty of securing to coal of such excellent quality as Chaitang coal is generally TIENTSIN. 25 acknowledged to be, an extensive consumption at Tientsin and elsewhere lies in the present costliness of transportation, for the minute inquiries referred to led to the result that the coal, costing at the mouth of the pit its. I a ton, could not be delivered at Tientsin without loss for less than its. 9 a ton; while, on the other hand, it was clearly established that by the construction of a tramway from Chaitang, north of Peking, to Tungchow, the same coal could be brought to and sold at Tientsin, with great profit, for from Its. 4 to its. 5 a ton. Canalisation.-Besides the canal already mentioned as dug from Lutai to the Kaiping mines, a great deal has been done by the Government for drainage and irrigation in those parts of the province which for a succession of years have been suffering from either drought or floods, especially in the prefecture of Hochien (from). In spring last year a canal of over 100 li in length was made by the military from the camp of Machang ( to that of Hsiaochan (oba tá), whereby the river going under the name of “Grand Canal” (1 ) will be relieved during the rainy season of a portion of the volume of water it brings down. The chance of seeing the plains around Tientsin under water have thereby been considerably removed. Climate.—The year was, as far as the health of the population is concerned, a very good one. Rain fell in proper time to help on the crops, and the harvest turned out what the Chinese call a seven-tenth harvest. There was little of the misery to be seen in and around Tientsin which characterised the preceding two or three years. I have, etc., DETRING, Commissioner of Customs. ROBERT HART, ESQUIRE, Inspector General of Customs, PEKING. CHEFOO. A greater number of beasts of burthen were said to have been sold in the eastern section of the province than in any former year, and droves of them were to be met constantly coming from the South for sale. From the Ichao ( H) district, and to the West, the reports were not so favourable. In consequence of the absence of summer and autumn rains, the land in many places was so parched that it could not be ploughed with the rude implements in use; therefore the winter wheat was not sown, and in October droves of cattle were driven to more favoured localities for sale, the people saying that they feared they would be unable to winter them. Subsequent heavy snowfalls have, it is confidently expected, removed all cause for apprehension of distress in this region. The people of Chimei (en %), who usually derive a considerable sum from their date and pear orchards, were also unfortunate; these crops, which in the previous year were more abundant than usual, being almost a total failure, attributable perhaps to severe hailstorms in May, which destroyed the young buds and blossoms on the fruit trees. With these exceptions, the prosperous condition of the province has been most marked, and there is every reason to anticipate that it will be blessed with a fruitful yield in the coming seasons of 1881, and that that year, will be one of increased commercial activity. IMPORT TRADE. Foreign goods were imported from Foreign countries, Hongkong, and Chinese ports representing a gross value of Hk.Its. 4,383,490. Of these there were re-exporteil, chiefly to Swatow, Tientsin, and Newchwang, goods valued at Hk.Its. 220,763, leaving a balance, valued at Hk.Pts. 4,162,727, representing the local consumption. Native produce was imported, chiefly from Shanghai, Swatow, Takow in Formosa, Amoy, and Newchwang, representing a gross value of Hk.fts. 2,511,150. Of this, Hk:Pts. 165,739 worth was re-exported to other Chinese ports, leaving a balance, valued at HK.fts. 2,345,411, for local consumption. The most valuable item of the Foreign Import trade was OPIUM. The importation of all descriptions of this drug amounted to 2,641.18 piculs gross, valued at Hk.Tts. 1,416,483, against 4,172.99 piculs in 1879, which was, however, a somewhat exceptional year, being 370.45 piculs in excess of 1878, and over 1,000 piculs in excess of the importations of the two preceding years— years of famine. Of the quantity imported in 1880, 230 piculs were re-exported to other Chinese ports. The deficiency arose principally in Malwa, 2,098.76 piculs, against 3,575.79 piculs in 1879, and may be attributed chiefly to the unsettled state of the political horizon, partly to the increased production and cheapness of the Chinese drug, which was sold at considerably lower prices than during the previous two years, and partly to the importation of “ Lie Opium” (221.75 piculs, valued at HK.Tts. 3,335, or Hk.Pts. 15 per picul, and charged a duty of five per cent. ad valorem). This spurious Opium is called in Chinese indifferently Chihma-kao ( ), prepara- tion of Sesamum Seed; Liaoping (** 09), Cake-stuff; and Chiayên-kao (a ), preparation of false Opium; under which latter designation it appears in Table No. IV, “Annual Returns of Trade." It is made from Sesamum Seed, mixed with several other ingredients—amongst them, probably, Opium Husks and sweepings, of which, however, we have been unable to detect any 28 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. trace,—and is used to adulterate Opium. It is of a dark colour, and reaches here in packets of about 2 catties each, wrapped in oiled paper, viâ Shanghai, from Hankow for the most part. In 1879 the latter port exported 617.98 piculs, and Chefoo received 197.68 piculs only; thus it would appear that it is largely used elsewhere. Preparations of crab apples and of sugar, or molasses extracted from wheat, are also used in this province to adulterate Opium, sometimes to the extent of from 40 to 60 per cent. Native Opium is as highly adulterated; in fact, it is adulterated as ordered. Prepared Opium (of course adulterated) can be obtained in the Opium dens of Chefoo for 40 cash per mace, whereas the genuine article cannot be profitably sold at less than 98 to 100 cash per mace. Benares, 321.48 piculs, against 330.60 piculs in 1879, was next in favour, averaged its. 450 per picul, and was generally in fair demand. Patna, never largely consumed here on account of its higher price, receded from 59.60 piculs in 1879 to 31.26 piculs. Persian, 188 piculs, for which, when of good quality, there is usually a market, fell short of the importation of 1879 by 19 piculs. A small quantity, 1.74 piculs, of Native Opium was imported from Shanghai. In 1877 and 1878 a few catties of Prepared Opium were imported, but during the last two years none has passed through this Custom House. As compared with 1879, there was the very serious falling off in the value of the Opium trade at this port of no less than Hk.its. 623,329. COTTON GOODS.-In nearly every item under this heading there was a falling off as compared with the importations of 1879. Grey Shirtings fell from 422,936 pieces to 284,515 pieces, White Shirtings from 28,414 pieces to 24,982 pieces, and Dyed Spotted Shirtings from 10,260 pieces to 638 pieces; T-Cloths from 352,073 pieces to 350,413 pieces; English Drills from 4,177 pieces to 2,700 pieces; English Sheetings from 2,850 pieces to 1,967 pieces; Turkey Red Cloths from 67,908 pieces to 63,770 pieces; and Brocades, Chintzes, Damasks, Handkerchiefs, Lastings, Mahomedans, and Twills each exhibit a decreased import, although not so marked as in the items above recorded. These deficiencies were in no wise compensated for by an increase of 1,090 pieces in English Jeans, 321 pieces Muslins, 1,141 pieces Dyed Shirtings, and 400 pieces Velveteens. In American Cotton manufactures there was an increase of 1,705 pieces Jeans, but Drills decreased from 68,643 pieces to 41,695 pieces, showing the large deficit of 26,950 pieces, and Sheetings dropped from 97,647 pieces to 95,816 pieces. The total number of pieces of every description of Cotton Piece Goods imported in 1880 was 956,584, valued at Hk.fts. 1,729,361, being 190,238 pieces, valued at Hk.fts. 413,529, less than the importation of 1879. This reduced importation of English and American Cotton Cloths may be accounted for, as in the case of Opium, by the apprehension of approaching war which overshadowed the middle and later months of the year, and also by the increased activity in the Native weaving trade, already alluded to, indicated by a largely augmented import of Cotton Yarn and a decrease of nearly one-half in the receipt of Native Cotton Cloths. Cotton Yarn, 11,849.37 piculs, still continues to increase, being 1,828 piculs in excess of the importation of 1879, which was three times greater than the importations of any of the CHEFOO. 29 five preceding years. This increase is due to the extension of the Shantung weaving trade, as above stated. Cotton Thread, 20.35 piculs, was less by 14 piculs than in 1879; and Cotton Quilts, which were 680 pieces, are this year unrepresented. WOOLLEN GOODS.—In 1879 there was a very remarkable increase in Woollen and Crape Lastings, which attained to 24,447 pieces, against a usual annual import of from 1,300 pieces to 1,500 pieces. These goods have now decreased to 3,010 pieces, the result, probably, of the exceedingly large import of the preceding year, although liability to fade and want of durability are also reasons assigned. Figured and Plain Orleans Cloths, 13,784 pieces, are far below average ; 27,470 pieces and 17,508 pieces having been imported in 1878 and 1879 respectively. Camlets, 1,570 pieces, Long Ells, 401 pieces, and Spanish Stripes, 2,574 pieces, represent the usual requirement of the port. Woollen and Cotton Mixtures to the value of Hk.fts. 1,663 were imported. The trade in Woollen Goods is represented by 22,496 pieces of all descriptions, valued at Hk.fts. 142,802. These figures would be greatly increased if an article could be manufactured to successfully compete with wadded cotton clothes in warmth, cheapness, and durability. METALS.-In 1879 there was a large increase in all the articles forming this list, with the exception of Lead, Steel, and Tin Slabs. This year there is not an article which does not show a decreased importation. Nail-rod Iron, which in 1879 was 39,904 piculs, is now 15,660 piculs; Iron Wire, which in the same year reached 8,051 piculs, is now 3,900 piculs; and Bar Iron has fallen from 16,067 piculs to 14,502 piculs. The explanation of this may be found in the importation of an 67,878.26 piculs, valued at Hk.Tts. 92,580. These are worked up into nails, which are a most important manufacture here, into shoes for the thousands of mules, asses, and horses—the carriers of Shantung,—and they also enter into the manufacture of most of the articles coming from the blacksmith's shop. The trade of blacksmith and farrier is a flourishing one. At night Yêntai is aglow with furnaces and resonant with the blow of hammer on anvil, as these industrious artizans pursue their craft far into the night. Lead, 1,432.40 piculs, was only a fourth of the import of 1879; Foreign Steel fell from 4,091.89 piculs to little over half that quantity; Native Steel, from 2,109.70 piculs to 360.11 piculs; and Tin Slabs drop from 6,243.47 piculs in 1878 and 1,960.90 piculs in 1879 to the insignificant import of 59.80 piculs. Quicksilver, 19.68 piculs, shows a deficit of 404.73 piculs when compared with 1879. SUNDRIES.-Foreign Coal, 5,100 piculs, was again in excess of previous importations. Window Glass, 330,100 square feet, was nearly treble the quantity imported in 1879. Matches, 58,070 gross; Rice, 107,291 piculs; and Kerosene Oil, 11,610 gallons, were also greatly increased importations. In Isinglass, 680 piculs; Needles, 211,550 mille; Russian Seaweed, 94,887 piculs; Japan Seaweed, 13,218 piculs; and Sapanwood, 12,917 piculs, there was a marked depreciation in quantities and values. 30 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. Foreign Brown Sugar and Foreign White Sugar, to the amount of 8,275 piculs and 769 piculs respectively, were imported from Siam and Hongkong. Foreign Umbrellas reach the value of Hk.Tts. 1,467. NATIVE PRODUCE.—The value of goods of Chinese origin forming this division of the Import trade was estimated to be Hk.Its. 2,345,411 net, as before stated. This trade, although so valuable, being worth more than half the value of the trade in Foreign Imports, was not largely competed in by Foreigners. The principal articles consist of those enumerated in the following comparative table : DESCRIPTION OF Goods. Classifier of Quantity. 1875. 1876. 1877. 1878. . 1879. 1880. to Arsenic. Buttons, Brass ............ Cotton, Raw ................ Grasscloth, Coarse............ Medicines.............. Paper, ist Quality ........... 3 2nd ............. , Joss ...................... R ice.............................. 1,731.53 1,326.39 1,527.27 1,921.38 2,565.68 1,323.94 986.96 646.77 375.23 789.87 1,033.80 5,100 508.24 7,016.62 6,849.16 9,596.58 6,607.04 946.79 1,043.83 939.94 391.75 739.59 1,593.88 1,889.70 2,658.17 1,485.29 1,334.37 2,715.84 2,454.92 2,941.95 8,097.39 3,668.38 2,682.52 10,207.78 10,942.48 6,319.33 | 31,411.90 26,441.431 33,062.80 43,838.49| 26,732.07 31,929.07 5,021.25! 4,061.93 5,285.21 6,324.36 4,324.66 1,712.71 8.90 59,999 195,113.16 72,488.25 100,430.55 107,291 885 1,450 1,636 10,035 / 7,821 7,893 Piculs 25.10 25.46 11.95 16.20 13.36 15.86 15.95 3.12 4.86 373.51 204.98 187.03 276.39 320.12 108.77 37.87 26.57 52.09 106.39 111.71 12.84 9.45 - 7.07 10.18 19.70 23.97 25.94 230,257.48 250,137.94 | 105,795.23 | 127,144.22 177,670.87 168,865.98 12,174.44 954.50 723.661 5,682.89 10,956.46 7,722.72 95,105.55 | 46,663.21 27,023.38 34,821.31 52,599.76 77,500.74 3,012.46 1,618.95 1,139.39 2,007.44 1,810.89 4,571.74 2,193.41 1,757.61 2,257.771 2,469.01 4,302.53 3,901.32 5.38 Silk Caps .. , and Cotton Mixtures. ......... Embroideries ............... Piece Goods ............ ,, Ribbons..................... Sashes ...... Thread...... Sugar, Brown... Candy.. White.............. Tobacco, Prepared Turmeric.... 326.11 in a : : : The most important item in the foregoing table is Sugar, all descriptions of which attain to the value of Hk.fts. 1,161,789, or, roundly, to half the entire value of the Native Import trade. Brown Sugar, 168,865.98 piculs, falls short of the importation of 1879 by 8,805 piculs; but this deficiency is more than redressed by the receipt of 77,500.74 piculs White Sugar, against 52,599.76 piculs. There is a decrease, when compared with 1879, of 3,233 piculs in Sugar Candy; but the present receipt is so largely in excess of those of the three years prior to 1879 that it must be held to be eminently satisfactory. Silk Goods, consisting of Pieces, Ribbons, Thread, and even 84 catties Pongees, valued at Hk.Tts. 236,929, represent a valuable import. In Silk Piece Goods there have been considerable fluctuations during the past five years. The present receipt is 320.12 piculs. Ribbons, 111.71 piculs, compare very favourably with the average for the previous five years. Silk Thread, 25.94 piculs, is a steadily progressive and satisfactory import. Rice, 107,291 piculs, valued at Hk.Pts. 136,864, as against 100,431 piculs in 1879, and 8.90 piculs in 1875. The bulk of the importation probably went to feed the southern troops CHEF00. now in this province, but it is nevertheless evident that an increasing market for Rice exists at Chefoo. Native Raw Cotton. The remarkable falling off in the importation of this staple in Foreign bottoms will be best illustrated by the following figures:- 1878. 1879. 1880. Piculs 9,596.58 Piculs 6,647.04 Piculs 946.79 This depreciation, coupled with the fact that the manufacture of Native Cotton Cloths in Shantung had largely increased, induced me to make many inquiries amongst Chinese, the result of which is that I am informed that it is not found profitable to bring Cotton here in steamers, excepting in cases of emergency; that its transport has reverted to junks, which bring from Chiangpei ( #) and Tungchow ( h), in Kiangsu, to Chefoo, some 25,000 bales annually, at a charge of 7 mace per bale, and from those ports and Shanghai to Huanghsien (* ) and Put‘ai (# ) about 17,000 bales, on which duty is levied at the rate of i mace five candareens per picul of 130 catties. Judging from the number of cotton-laden cargo-boats constantly passing from junks to the Native Custom House here, it would appear that the statement that much of the carriage of Cotton has reverted to junks is substantially correct. Paper.—Ist Quality, 6,319 piculs, is less by some 4,000 piculs than during the two previous years, although the importation contrasts favourably with those of 1876 and 1877. 2nd Quality, 31,929 piculs, is largely in excess of 1879, but nearly 13,000 piculs less than the import of 1878. Joss Paper, 1,713 piculs, is but a third of the average annual import. These deficiencies proceed from no lack of demand, but rather from the fact that during the past few years the manufacture of Paper at Weihsien (5E ) and its vicinity has largely increased. Formerly, only a coarse kind was produced. Now almost all kinds are manufactured and sent in various directions in the province for sale. The value of all kinds of Paper imported in 1880 reached the high figures, Hk.Tts. 352,633. EXPORT TRADE. The surplus productions of this and the adjoining provinces, exported viâ Chefoo to Foreign ports, and removed coastwise to Hongkong and Chinese ports in Foreign shipping, is estimated to value Hk.Its 3,397,677. To this may be added the re-export of merchandise to Foreign countries and to Hongkong and Chinese ports, valued at Hk.Pts. 165,739, making a total Export trade valued at Hk. Its. 3,563,411, a higher valuation than ever before attained to in any one year. The merchandise represented by these figures consisted of Straw Braid, Beancake, Silk Pongees, Wild Raw Silk, Yellow Silk, etc., Vermicelli, Beans, Bean Oil, Dates (Red and Black), Medicines, Ginseng, Liquorice, Dried Shrimps, and Sundries too numerous to detail, and was carried in 169 vessels, making 601 trips, aggregating 385,255 tons; and the duties levied amounted to Hk.Pts. 126,689.6.2.0. Shanghai was the largest recipient, receiving, for shipment to Foreign countries and redistribution in China, Straw Braid, valued at Hk.Pts. 1,099,832 ; Silk Pongees; 32 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. Wild, Yellow, and Waste Silk, valued at HK.fts. 554,833; Vermicelli, valued at Hk.Hts. 262,032; Dates, valued at Hk.Tts. 45,099; and Medicines, Liquorice, Almonds, and Sundries; making a total trade valued at Hk.Pts. 2,246,480. The trade with Swatow was next in importance, consisting of Beancake, valued at Hk.Tts. 393,352; Beans of all kinds, valued at Hk.Its. 33,393 ; Vermicelli, valued at HK.Tts. 87,664; Black and Red Dates, valued at Hk.Tts. 6,367; and Sundries, valued at Hk.Tts. 49,155. Amoy was a consumer of Beancake to the value of Hk.Its 317,769; Beans of all kinds, valued at Hk.Tts. 53,292; Dried Shrimps and Prawns, valued at Hk.Pts. 14,865; Dates, Bean Oil, and Sundries; forming in all a trade worth Hk.Tts. 465,647. The value of the merchandise taken to Hongkong for redistribution to other Chinese ports was Hk.Its. 59,198; that for exportation to Foreign countries, Hk.Tts. 51,813. The produce consisted of Beans, Dates, Medicines, Vermicelli, and Straw Braid. Tientsin took Exports valued at Hk.Its. 1,156, and Re-exports valued at Hk.Pts. 39,806; these goods consisted of Brown Sugar, Sugar Candy, ist Quality Paper, and Felt Caps. Newchwang is fifth on the list, taking Shantung produce, such as Prepared Tobacco, Medicines, and Huaimei Dye, valued at Hk.Its. 2,282; and Re-exports, consisting of Brown and White Sugar, Prepared Tobacco, ist Quality Paper, White Lead, and White Wax, valued at Hk.Tts. 30,774. Foochow was a customer for Beans, Beancake, and Red and Black Dates, to the value of Hk.Tts. 27,808. Canton received Hk.its. 18,611 worth of the same description of merchandise; and Ningpo received Beans and Red Dates to the extent of Hk.its. 7,981 only. The shipments to Foreign countries were represented by Hk.Its. 4,520, Straw Braid, to Great Britain ; an export of Liquorice, Medicines, and Silk Pongees, valued at Hk.Tts. 6,668, and Re-exports, valued at Hk.fts. 13,113, consisting entirely of Brown Sugar, to Japan. Russian Manchuria was supplied with Cotton, Cotton Clothing, Brown Sugar, Ironware, Mats, Nankeens, ist Quality Paper, Shoes, Silk Pongees, Vermicelli, and Sundries, valued at Hk.Tts. 17,558. The value of Chefoo Exports and Re-exports to Foreign countries and to Hongkong for shipment to Foreign countries is estimated to be Hk.Its. 93,692. Straw Braid.-Fourteen years ago this export amounted to 1,463 piculs; since then it has expanded to 33,368.09 piculs, valued at Hk.Fts 1,115,925, in 1880, the largest shipment from this port ever recorded. This business, notwithstanding, can scarcely be looked upon as a satisfactory one either to exporters or Native dealers, owing to the low range of prices consequent upon excessive supply. In addition to the general supplies of ordinary makes, several novelties in colours were introduced by the Native manufacturers, but the combinations which suggested themselves to the Chinese mind were unfortunately not calculated to meet with great favour in the eyes of Foreigners. There were Blues, light and dark, and Green, mixed each with White and Yellow or Golden. There were also Red and White, Magenta and White, and Golden and White. The latter differed little from common Mottled, and might have been taken for it but for the regularity of its pattern.' All were worked in the two patterns common in Black and White. The only kind which met with noticeable demand was the Magenta and White, of which some 300 bales were brought in from the interior, and about 150 bales sold, pre- sumably at remunerative prices, the balance remaining in the hands of Native dealers. With the other kinds scarcely anything has been done, and the exports of all amount to a few piculs only. The new ideas, being purely Native, point to a certain amount of enterprise, and it is to be regretted that the combinations of colours were not more in accordance with CHEFOO. 33 Foreign taste. One or two samples of Chütze-ya, or saw-toothed, and other Foreign fancy makes were suggested, but as they were so widely different from what the Chinese plaiters have been accustomed to make, the latter failed to grasp at once the idea, and their productions were defective. The bulk of last year's trade was in Mottled Plait, but the production has so increased in quantity and decreased in quality that even at from 2d. to 3d. per score yards (at which it can be sold in the London market), it commands very little attention. The Shansi kind forms about the same proportion of the total export, say 10 per cent., as it did in 1879. It cannot be procured at present in the right qualities to make it a very desirable export, and the movement of soldiery and consequent uneasiness of feeling have tended somewhat to check production. Chefoo White Braid has fallen off considerably, owing to the greater preference shown for a White Plait made near Peking, which is of a much lighter straw and generally of a better colour than the Laichow plait. The Shantung plaiters will not pay sufficient heed to the requirements for a purely White Plait. Black and White Braid is said to pay the producers better, because so much time is saved in using the whole length of the straw when dyed, instead of having to join so often, as with White, and consequently the production has been excessive. Beancake, 967,717 piculs, valued at Hk. Pts. 722,949, were exported, against 1,184,535 piculs, valued at Hk.its. 985,781, in 1879. The shipments of 1880, although somewhat less than those of the two previous years, do not compare unfavourably with those of 1876 and 1877. The deficiency was accounted for to me thus: for the last three or four years it has been the practice for certain manufacturers in the interior to mix foreign substances with the cake, in order to increase its weight. This was known to the southern buyers, but they were unable to trace with certainty the adulterators. Another practice also sprang up, viz., that of making some cakes lighter by 2 or 2} catties than the established weight (56 catties), which were nevertheless sold as of full weight by a manipulation of the balance scale. This led to protests from the Swatow Guild, and proposals that each cake should be stamped with the hong of the manufacturers, which being refused by the Shantung manufacturers, all dealings with them were stopped by the guild for nearly four months until their wishes were complied with. The adjustment of this difficulty will probably lead to an augmented export of Beancake in 1881. Bean Oil.-In four years this export has risen from 327 piculs to 7,028 piculs, being five times the quantity shipped in 1879. The cause of this expansion is that in 1879 the price was Its. 3-4 per picul, while in the year under review it has been about Tts. 2.5, at which cost the article was remunerative to shippers. Beans.—Black, Green, White, Yellow, and various, 189,873 piculs, valued at Hk.Tts. 183,622, are 3,729 piculs less than in 1879, though greatly in excess of the three preceding years, and are therefore a satisfactory export. Silk Pongees, 1,940 piculs. The export of Pongees was progressive from 1,083 piculs in 1875 to 2,436 piculs in 1878, from which it decreased to 1,798 piculs in the next year, and thence rose to its present figure. This article is sold by weight. Each piece measures about 20 yards in length and 11 feet in width, and weighs about 2 catties, the weight being recorded on its edge. Its cost varies from $3 to $6 per piece, according to weight and quality, and is but 34. TRADE REPORTS, 1880. little above that of imported dress stuffs, while the Pongee has the advantage of being more durable. It can be washed in the same manner as cotton dresses without injury, merely losing slightly in its original lustre in the process. One objection to this manufacture is that it does not readily take a dye, the chemical process necessary to extract the lye not having yet been discovered by the Chinese. Their attempts so far have not been very successful; the colours generally look faded, and some threads darker than others, which give the cloth, especially when made into robes, a checkered appearance. It is estimated that there are about 950 looms at work in this province for the manufacture of Pongees from Wild Silk (oak cocoons); Ch'angyi-hsien ( ) is estimated to possess 500 looms; Ninghai-chow ( ), 100 looms; Ch'ihsia-hsien (! ), 150 looms; and Chefoo, Messrs. CRASEMANN & HAGEN'S “Filanda,” with Foreign machinery, 200 looms. The finer products of the Native looms come only from Ch‘angyi-hsien. The fine White Pongee is chiefly used by the Native gentry for summer robes; some of it is also used by Foreign ladies in China for morning dresses. The coarse and dyed kinds are made up into clothing and worn by the Native middle classes. Ninghai-chow Pongees are coarse, but exceedingly durable, and are for the latter reason mostly worn by the poorer classes. Ch'ihsia-hsien manufactures but one kind, which is also of very coarse quality, and finds favour with those who desire durability rather than fine texture. Only one house at Chefoo deals in these latter Pongees, which are in demand at the Coast Ports. Little of the finer descriptions of Pongees leaves the province, the export as recorded in our Returns consisting chiefly of the coarse and inferior kinds. Wild Raw Silk, the produce of the silkworm fed on oak leaf. The annual production of this Silk amounts to about 7,125 piculs, and of this, 1,732 piculs were exported in Foreign bottoms in 1880. Since 1875 the export of this article has largely fluctuated. In that year 283 piculs only were exported; in the following year the export amounted to 1,597 piculs; in 1877, 1878, and 1879 it decreased to 161 piculs, 425 piculs, and 475 piculs respectively; and in 1880 it reached 1,732 piculs, as before stated. In the spring, after the young worms—the producers of this Silk-are hatched, they are, if the weather is still cold, fed for some time in houses, but never longer than 10 days, when they are placed on the oak trees, where they are left-care being taken to prevent them from being destroyed by birds_until the cocoons are ready for gathering. The yield of 1,000 cocoons, weighing about 4 catties, is from 11 to 17 taels of Silk. Fine Raw Silk has receded from 36.27 piculs in 1879 to 18.66 piculs. This Silk prior to 1879 did not appear in the list of Exports. Waste Silk is a highly satisfactory export, which has increased from 29.15 piculs in 1876 to 747.48 piculs in 1879, and thence attained to the large export of 3,018.56 piculs. This Silk is now largely imported from the opposite coast of Kuantung, in Manchuria, in junks, and exported hence as Shantung produce. Vermicelli.—The manufacture of Vermicelli is a notable industry in this province; it is estimated that the annual production is about 60,500 bales of a picul, calculated at 135 catties, each. It is of three qualities : the first being made from green beans only, and worth at the place of production, Huanghsien ( ), from Its. 4.40 to Tts. 5 per picul. The second quality, worth Its. 4 per picul, is made at Chaoyuen-hsien (18 ) of green and other beans; CHEFOO. 35 and the third quality, worth from its. 3.40 to Its. 3.80 per picul at the places of production, Ch‘ihsia-hsien ( E ), L'aiyang-hsien ( 5), and Fushan-hsien ( ), is made from green beans mixed with millet. This export has expanded from 64,906 piculs in 1877 to 103,320 piculs, valued at Hk.Tts. 412,760, in 1880. Fresh Fruit.—With the facilities offered by steamers, a large trade appeared to be springing up in Pears, Apples, Apricots, and Cherries, which are among the most abundant products of Shantung. In 1877, 21,914 piculs were exported; this quantity fell to 10,583 piculs in 1879, and has further decreased to 4,976 piculs in 1880. The cause of this decrease may be found in the failure of two out of the four Fruit-shipping hongs, and in a severe hailstorm on the 4th May, which destroyed the blossoms on the fruit-trees in this neighbourhood. Straw- berries of large size and delicious flavour, the famous Bartlett pear, and other choice fruits, have been successfully cultivated by Foreigners. One gentleman, who has introduced several of the best varieties of Californian fruit trees, has been good enough to give away cuttings of them. When the Chinese discover the price such fruit will fetch, they will eagerly seek to grow it, and in all probability in a few years the delicate Bartlett and other highly esteemed fruits will have displaced the inferior varieties indigenous to the soil. Walnuts to the extent of 2,469 piculs, valued at Hk.Tts. 6,671, were exported. Of enumerated Dried Fruits, Almonds (the kernel of the Apricot), 1,625 piculs, valued at Hk.Tts. 15,761, and Black and Red Dates, 34,414 piculs, valued at HK.Tts. 84,821, are the most important. The trade in other descriptions of preserves, under the generic name of Dried Fruits, has been steadly progressive from 360 piculs in 1877 to 2,170 piculs in 1880, or nearly double the export of the preceding year. RE-EXPORTS. The re-export of Foreign Goods to Foreign countries consisted of T-Cloths, 1,650 pieces, valued at Hk.Tts. 2,324; Iron and Unclassed Metals, valued at Hk.Fts. 536; and Sundries, Unclassed, valued at HK.fts. 754. These goods went to Russian Manchuria, Japan, and Hongkong. The re-exports of Foreign Goods to Chinese ports amounted in value to Hk.Tts. 217,419, and consisted principally of Opium, valued at HK.fts. 124,251; a small quantity of Cotton Piece Goods and Woollen Piece Goods; un piculs Yarn; 694 piculs Tin Slabs; some Iron, Wire, Lead, and Quicksilver; Hk.Its. 8,028 worth of Dyes; 128 piculs Deer Horns, Young; 19,500 mille Needles; Hk.Its. 3,068 worth of 2nd Quality Seaweed; some Pepper, Woods, and other Sundries; which were re-exported to Newchwang, Tientsin, Shanghai, Amoy, and Swatow. The re-export of Native produce to the above five ports amounted to HK.Tts. 151,148; that to Hongkong, Russian Manchuria, and Japan, to Hk.Its. 14,591. It consisted principally of Caps; Corean and Native Ginseng; ist Quality Paper; Raw Silk, valued at Hk. Pts. 35,775; Straw Braid; Sugar, Brown, White, and Candied; and a number of small Sundries unnecessary to enumerate. VALUE OF THE TRADE. During the year under review the net value of the Import trade of this port amounted to Hk.Tts. 6,508,138=*£1,952,441; that of the Export trade to Hk.Its. 3,397,677=£1,019,303 ; * Haikwan Tael calculated at 6s. 36 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. the total to Hk.Tts. 9,905,815=£2,971,745. This sum is Hk.Pts. 1,057,683=£317,305 less than the value of the trade in 1879, although it is greater than its value in any other year since the opening of the port of Chefoo in 1863. It is in the value of Foreign Imports, which are Hk.Tts. 1,190,056 less as compared with 1879, that this deficiency has arisen, and on two items chiefly, namely, Opium and Cotton Piece Goods, which show a deficiency of Hk.Its. and Hk.its. 413,529 respectively. There is also a falling off of Hk.Fts. 16,779 in the value of Native Imports during the same period, but this is scarcely appreciable. The value of the Export trade, Hk.Tts. 3,397,677 net, is Hk.fts. 149,152 more than in 1879, and is much higher than ever attained to during the previous 16 years. The excess in the value of the Import over the Export trade amounted to Hk.its. 3,110,461; the export of Treasure to Hk.its. 3,1 20,620, and its import to Hk.Its. 498,896. REVENUE. The total amount of the collection of dues and duties was Hk.fts. 288,146.2.9.8, showing a decrease of Hk.its. 52,884.0.4.7 as compared with the collection of 1879. This deficit arises principally in the Import Duties on Opium, which are Hk.Tts. 41,611 short; but there is a falling off under each heading, viz., Hk.Pts. 4,862 on Import Duties, Hk.Tts. 2,007 on Export Duties, Hk.fts. 973 on Coast Trade Duties, and Hk.its. 3,529 on Tonnage Dues. Of the total Duties collected, the British flag contributed Hk.its. 109,570; the Chinese flag, Hk.Its. 105,020; the German flag, Hk.Tts. 56,891; the American flag, Hk.Tts. 4,193; the French flag, Hk.Pts. 3,766; Non-Treaty Powers, Hk.its. 5,135; and the balance was contributed by vessels flying the Danish, Dutch, and Swedish and Norwegian flags. SHIPPING There were 338 vessels employed making 1,196 trips, aggregating a tonnage of 768,477 tons, entered and cleared. These figures show a decrease in the total tonnage, entered and cleared, of 180 vessels and 35,888 tons as compared with last year. It will be at once seen that the decrease in tonnage bears no proportion to the decrease in the number of vessels, and an examination into the figures under the different flags fully corroborates this view. The decrease, too, must be wholly set down to the falling off in the sailing-ship trade, as the steamer return shows an increase of 4 vessels and 28,959 tons as compared with last year, thus indicating a considerable increase in the carrying capacity of the steamers frequenting this port. British.—Taking the flags in the order of the shipping table, the British figures show a decrease as compared with last year of 33 vessels, but of only 2,215 tons. The number of steamers (360) entered and cleared in 1880 corresponds exactly with the number entered and cleared in 1879, but their tonnage shows an increase in favour of the year under review of 13,899 tons—an increase that has been nearly sufficient to compensate for the loss in carrying power denoted by the decrease of 33 sailing vessels. Here there is a marked illustration of the gradual transfer from sail to steam which is continually going on on the coast, and is especially true of that portion of the trade carried under the British flag. CHEFOO. 37 American.-In the American return a large deficit is apparent, viz., 10 vessels=4,328 tons, as against 96 vessels=45,588 tons, in 1879, or a difference of 86 vessels and 41,260 tons. The principal falling off is in steamers, and is explained by the fact that in 1879 the American steamer Pingon was a regular trader here, while in the year under review neither she nor any other American steamer paid us a visit. Still, even allowing for this, there is a deficit as compared with last year of 14 sailing vessels and 7,790 tons. German.—The German return, as compared with the previous year, shows a large decrease in sailing vessels, but, on the other hand, a not inconsiderable gain in steamer tonnage. There is on the one hand a decrease of 121 sailing vessels=34,931 tons, and on the other an increase of 26 steamers=21,548 tons, thus leaving a net decrease of 95 vessels and 13,383 tons. Again there is observable the utter want of proportion between tons and number of vessels, and the figures would seem to lead to the conclusion that here also we have to deal rather with a gradual transfer from sail to steam than with a serious loss of position in the carrying trade, which the large falling off in the number of vessels might at first sight suggest. Sundry.—Under the French flag there is an increase of 4 vessels and 1,134 tons; but the Danish vessels have fallen from 12=3,180 tons in 1879 to 6= 1,250 tons in 1880. The Dutch flag also shows a serious decrease of 12 vessels and 3,148 tons. In Swedish and Norwegian vessels there is a slight increase of 2 and 250 tons; while Siamese remain the same in number and within a few tons of last year's figures. Chinese.—The Chinese flag shows the satisfactory increase of 48 vessels and 26,068 tons as compared with 1879. Casualties.—The disasters amongst shipping frequenting this port were neither so numerous nor so serious as during the previous year. On 9th April the British three-masted schooner Floral Star went ashore on the south side of Martha Point, about 18 miles south-west of the Shantung Promontory. H.B.M.S. Pegasus proceeded to her assistance, returning on the 16th with her master and crew, the vessel having been abandoned as a total wreck. The Chinese gunboat Chêntung arrived on the 26th May from Thornton Haven with her bottom damaged, having struck upon an unknown rock at that place. On the 27th May the French sloop-of-war Champlain, from Shanghai, reported having collided with and sunk a junk during the passage. The crew of the junk were saved. During the dark, rainy night of the 27th September the American schooner Annie S. Hall, from Hongkong with a general cargo, ran on a reef to the north of Stick-up Rock, the Chefoo Lighthouse bearing S.E. by E., and the Sentry Rock N.W. } W. Having discharged part of her cargo, she, with the assistance of the United States man-of-war Alert, got off the reef and sailed into port on the 9th, little damaged by her mishap. Chefoo was visited by a heavy gale from the north-west and west on the 24th and 25th October. A tremendous sea dashing into the harbour caused considerable damage to junks and shore property. Several large junks were washed high up on shore, and a number of sampans destroyed. The Siamese barque Fortune, bound for Newchwang, was compelled to put back, with loss of sails, etc. From the 25th to 27th November a severe gale from the north-north-west, accompanied by a heavy fall of snow, occasioned great loss of life and Native shipping. About 70 men and two junks were reported lost off Kungkung-tao, the site of the Chefoo Lighthouse; and four Natives who had escaped the perils of the sea and taken shelter under a ledge of rocks on an adjacent small island, by lighting 38 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. a fire to warm themselves caused the fall of their temporary shelter and were killed. Three men and about 200 pieces of dressed stone for the Houki Lighthouse were lost by the capsizing of a junk chartered by the Customs. The American schooner Louise, from Newchwang, bound to Swatow, put in with loss of topsail yards; and the German barque Anton Günther, lying off the Fairway Rock in the harbour, parted both her chains, but a hawser having been sent off from shore in the Customs lifeboat, she was saved from going on the rocks. About 30 junks were reported as having been driven on shore during the gale. TREASURE. According to the returns furnished this office by those concerned, Treasure was imported in Foreign shipping to the value of Hk.Tts. 498,896, or nearly double the import of 1879. Newchwang sent us Hk.Its. 4,700 in Gold, and Hk.Its. 242,190 in Silver; Shanghai, Hk.its. 14,377 in Gold, and Hk.fts. 134,459 in Silver; and Tientsin's contribution was Hk. Pts. 117,547 Sycee. The export amounted to Hk.Its 3,120,620, or Hk.Tts. 239,864 in excess of the export of 1879. Shanghai, as usual, was the principal recipient, taking Hk.Pts. 61,253 in Gold, and Hk.Tts. 2,575,014 in Silver; Tientsin, Hk.Tts. 327,115 Sycee, was next in amount; Newchwang received Hk.Pts. 148,627 Sycee; Russian Manchuria, Hk.fts. 7,184; and Swatow and Japan the small remainder. The total movement of Treasure, representing a handsome freight, reached the high figures, Hk.its. 3,619,506, against Hk.Its. 3,154,864 in 1879, and Hk.Tts. 2,231,356 in 1878. CHINESE PASSENGER TRAFFIC. The most noticeable feature in the movement of Chinese passengers in the Gulf of Pechihli and to the South is the preference shown to steamers, 16,502 persons travelling to and fro by them, against 747 persons availing of Foreign sailing vessels. The number of travellers is 2,311 in excess of the previous year's traffic. 10,065 persons passed to and fro between Chefoo and Tientsin; 3,983 went to Newchwang, and, according to the table, only 455 returned, the balance probably availing of steamers direct to Shanghai and Swatow, or of junks; 1,007 passed to and fro between here and Shanghai; 200 went to, and 391 returned, in sailing vessels from Russian Manchuria; and there was an insignificant traffic of 156 passengers by sailing vessels between here, Newchwang, Amoy, Swatow, Hongkong, and Japan. LIGHTHOUSES. During the year the Chefoo and Shantung Lighthouses were visited as often as practicable, and their staff found to be alert, sober, and efficient. Their illuminating apparatus, plant, towers, dwelling-houses, offices, oil-rooms, tanks, signal guns, and miscellaneous gear were in good order and repair, and all books and records properly kept. A sufficient supply of spare lamps, cylinders, oil, wicks, and lighthouse stores of every description for the ensuing year have been landed at each station. CHEF00. 39 Houki Light.-Pending completion of the erection of this Lighthouse, on the 28th August a temporary sixth-order dioptric fixed white light, elevated 300 feet above the sea, was exhibited a little to the south of the summit of Houki Island, which in clear weather should be visible for a distance of 10 nautical miles. This light will be obscured over a small angle in a northerly direction by the lighthouse buildings now in course of erection. This temporary light has been efficiently maintained, and several masters of steamers have expressed to me their high appreciation of it. The stonework for the tower of the lighthouse in course of erection was cut, dressed, fitted, and erected on the Customs jetty here, then taken down and conveyed, together with all woodwork—first duly fitted here,-ironwork, etc., in junks to Houki, a distance of 55 miles. These materials, together with much of the stone, bricks, etc., for the lightkeepers' dwellings, have been carried to the summit of the hill, a work of great labour and time. All contracts have been entered into, and at the close of winter, during which building is impossible, the work will be actively recommenced. The tower and buildings will be completed and the light exhibited in the summer of 1881. I have, etc., GEO. HUGHES, Commissioner of Customs. То ROBERT HART, ESQUIRE, Inspector General of Customs, PEKING. TRADE REPORTS, 1880. ICHANG TRADE REPORT, FOR THE YEAR 1880. [Received 11th March 1881.] CUSTOM HOUSE, ICHANG, 22nd February 1881. SIR, I HAVE the honour to submit to you my Report on the trade of this port for the year 1880. When at the commencement of the year 1877 junk owners became aware of the fact that Ichang would soon be opened to Foreign commerce, they naturally anticipated that a large influx of steamers would at once follow on the upper Yangtze, and soon monopolise all the shipping business, of which, until then, they had the absolute command. In order to prevent such an occurrence, and to upset the calculations of steamer agents, it is said that they informed all the leading merchants doing business with Szechwan that they would not accept for shipment at Ichang to that province a single bale of Piece Goods or any other merchandise from merchants who chose to give the preference to steamers for the carriage of their goods to this port, leaving them to arrange as best they could further conveyance to Szechwan. How far they attained the result aimed at is well known. The steamers, three in all, that visited the port during the first year of its existence came empty and returned in ballast. The next year (1878) the China Merchants' Steam Navigation Company established an agency at Ichang, and the s.s. Kiangtung (4 ;) was selected to build up the trade of the port. This steamer made 16 trips that year, carrying a cargo estimated at little over Hk.Its. 70,000. In the business done by her, however, besides the China Merchants' Steam Navigation Company, Messrs. BUTTERFIELD & SWIRE were also interested. It is needless to say that both companies sustained heavy losses, and the latter firm, looking upon the enterprise as a decided failure, thought it expedient to withdraw its agency from the port. Since the year 1879 the China Merchants' Steam Navigation Company has had to go on with the task unaided; and so little did this company seem to regard the financial reverses of the preceding year, that it decided upon the extension of its business into the very midst of Szechwan. Accordingly, about the middle of the same year a branch agency was opened at Chungch'ing-fu ( 1), the most important commercial centre of that province. Through this medium Szechwan merchants were offered the facilities of settling locally through freights to Shanghai, or, indeed, to any other Treaty port on the coast. In the meantime an American firm from Hankow succeeded in ICHANG. 41 securing the services of a few Native craft, and undertook the taking out of Transit Passes for goods of Foreign origin, and the conveyance of such goods to any desired point on the Yangtze, the same means being adopted for the carriage of Native goods to this port. The sudden impetus which characterised the growth of the Transit trade in 1879 was mainly due to these two subserving influences. The statistics for the same year showed that the value of the trade had increased from Hk.Tts. 70,000 in the preceding year to over Hk.Its. 600,000. In the course of time the anti-steamer demonstration of the junk owners also subsided, and came to be looked upon as an event of the past. They gradually came to the conclusion that their chief ally is nature—i.e. the numerous obstacles which prevent navigation from being easily accomplished on the upper Yangtze,—and that they have but little to fear from the competition which at one time they seemed to be in excessive dread of. They also noticed that instead of the fleet of steamers which they anticipated would invade these unexplored parts of the Yangtze, only a modest-looking little craft is seen, at great intervals, to toil her way up river. As a result, junk owners and merchants soon came to terms, and the difficulty of finding Native craft for the conveyance of steamer-imported goods hence to Szechwan was happily removed. It was under such circumstances that the financial year of 1880 opened; and everything seemed to concur in auguring well for the forthcoming prosperity of the port. There were not a few who thought that an increase in the tonnage would inevitably ensue, and that a possible competition arising between the steamer companies would reduce freights to a minimum, and further the prospects of a profitable season. Although some of the anticipations did not prove to be well founded, inasmuch as the traffic was not increased by the appearance of any additional craft, nor did the rates of freight suffer any alteration, yet, I am happy to state, the fourth year of Ichang as a Treaty port is distinguished from the preceding ones by a marked increase in each branch of the trade, and a new commercial era for the port seems to have commenced. SHIPPING. Ichang will hardly ever boast of a large figure in the tonnage. Situated as the port is—1,000 miles away in the interior of China, it does not come within the sphere of the steamer traffic, established so long ago, between Shanghai and Hankow, and requires a separate line for itself. During the first three months of the year a small steamer, under the British flag, plied between this port and Hankow. In April she was succeeded by the Kiangtung. The latter vessel continued to represent the shipping until the middle of November, when she was prevented from making any further trips on account of the insufficiency of water in the Yangtze. There have been in all 44 steamers and 92 junks entered and cleared, and their aggregate tonnage was 22,696 tons, showing an increase of over 10,000 tons above the tonnage employed in 1879. VALUE OF THE TRADE. The net value of the trade of the port amounted to Hl.fts. 2,093,780. It is larger by Hk.Tts. 1,405,673 than the summarised value of the trade for the preceding three years. This 42 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. swelling of the figures is especially noticeable in Foreign Imports, which have increased from Hk.Tts. 223,516 in 1879 to Hk.Pts. 1,010,756 in the past year. Native Imports have also extended in proportion, the share taken under this heading being Hk.its. 224,471, against Hk. Pts. 35,143 in 1879. Exports of Native origin do, in a similar way, show a steady advance- ment, the figures being Hk.Tts. 859,053 in 1880, against Hk.Its. 353,849 in the previous year. FOREIGN IMPORTS. OPIUM.—This heading remained blank in the Returns for 1880. From this fact the following conclusions may be drawn :- 1°. That steamers have so far been unsuccessful in securing the carriage of that article to this port; or 2°. That there is no market in this part of China for the Foreign drug. Judging from the result of inquiries made at the Likin Office, the latter supposition seems to hold good. The importation of Foreign Opium at Ichang, as declared at the Likin Office, varies in quantity from 1 to 3 piculs a year. It may naturally be surmised that a large quantity may reach the port through clandestine sources, and perhaps this is true to a certain degree. However, according to such information as I could obtain from the local Opium shops, it would appear that the average annual importation of Indian Opium at Ichang does not exceed 10 piculs. The reason for the absence of a greater demand for the Foreign drug is, of course, well known. Szechwan, which province is in our immediate neighbourhood, dedicates large tracts of country to the exclusive cultivation of the poppy, and the outturn of the crops raised annually is so large that it allows the exportation abroad of a considerable quantity beyond what is required for the use of local smokers. Poppy gardens may be seen in the Ichang prefecture itself, and the quantity produced here is estimated to be over 1,000 piculs per annum. COTTON GOODS.—The net importation of Foreign Cotton Piece Goods during the year under review amounted to 269,049 pieces, against 51,937 pieces in 1879, and 2,788 pieces in 1878. These rapidly increasing figures evince the fact that Ichang will in a comparatively short time become an important receiver of Foreign textiles, and that the expectations founded in it at the time of its opening were not altogether miscalculated. True, the port itself will require but a trifle for local use; it is nevertheless beyond doubt that a quantity averaging from 1,000,000 to 1,500,000 pieces of Cotton Goods will be wanted here annually for distribution in Szechwan and Yünnan. By far the largest portion of the Cotton Goods for Szechwan is still conveyed from Hankow by Native junks, and some time will necessarily elapse before a complete change in the mode of conveyance is effected. Naturally, however, this change must come sooner or later ; Native craft will then only be required from Ichang onwards. WOOLLEN GOODS.—The total quantity of Woollen Piece Goods imported during 1880 was 24,839 pieces. These figures are very satisfactory if it is considered that the importation of these fabrics during the previous three years amounted to only 3,849 pieces. Great improvement ICHANG. 43 may also be expected in Woollen Goods, the demand for this commodity in Szechwan increasing remarkably from year to year. METALS and SUNDRIES.—The only item among Metals which has so far found a market at Ichang is Quicksilver. Of this article, 253.68 piculs were imported, exhibiting a fair increase over the importation in 1879, when it only amounted to 176.77 piculs. Among Sundries, the most marked improvement noticeable is in Bicho de Mar, Cuttle-fish, Dyes and Colours, American Ginseng, Seaweed, and Isinglass. The increase is not quite so large in Clocks, Fish Maws, Black Pepper, Sandalwood, and Sapanwood, but they all promise to be permanent articles of import at this port. NATIVE IMPORTS. Among the few goods enumerated in the table of Native Imports, articles of food and luxury are predominant; the quantity, however, imported of each kind is so insignificant that it is hardly possible to draw a conclusion as to their probable increase or decrease in the future. The only article of any moment which promises to develop considerably is Raw Cotton. Of this commodity, over 12,000 piculs were imported, as against 889 piculs and 531 piculs in the years 1879 and 1878 respectively. The quantity imported would have largely exceeded this had it been possible for merchants to find suitable steamers at Shanghai for the conveyance of Raw Cotton to Ichang. The one or two offers made to the leading shipping firms on the Yangtze were for some reason or other declined, and in the absence of a quicker mode of transportation, Native junks had to be employed. It is estimated that the quantity of Raw Cotton required at Ichang for further conveyance into Szechwan amounts to about 200,000 piculs annually. This calculation does not seem to be exaggerated when it is considered that from the month of October until about the end of February of the following year, more than 60 per cent. of the numerous junks and cargo-boats of all sizes which pass at Ichang every day are laden with Cotton for Szechwan. NATIVE EXPORTS. The Export trade of Ichang has developed considerably during the past year, the figures exhibiting a marked increase above the Exports of previous years. Most of the export goods from this port are brought here under transit from Szechwan; and up to the commencement of 1880, Ichang had nothing whatever to contribute under this heading. The fact has been in former Reports explained by the poverty of the people, the barrenness of the soil, and by the difficulty attending the transportation of merchandise across the rugged mountains. Notwithstanding the correctness of these Reports, and which tend to confirm all hopelessness of a future Export trade at Ichang, it is nevertheless a fact to be noted that a significant portion of the Exports during the past year were produced in the Ichang district, and that their transportation to this port did not prove to be an insurmountable difficulty. 44 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. A good deal of Yellow Silk, Hemp, Fungus, Vegetable Tallow, Wood Oil, Cotton, and Tobacco is produced in the immediate vicinity of Ichang; and a gradual development of these articles, in contributing to the Export trade of the port, may be looked forward to. Medicines, Musk, Rhubarb, Safflower, and White Wax are exclusively from Szechwan. Coal is brought here from the neighbourhood of Patung-hsien (et ), situated on the right bank of the Yangtze, near the frontier of Szechwan, and from Chingmên-chow (#1 P9 ), a place due east from Ichang, and distant about 70 miles. The Chingmên mines are worked on Government account by the Natives, and without machinery. Good hard Coal is said to be excavated from them, and the quantity obtained is on the increase every year. TRANSIT TRADE. The confidence expressed in the Report for 1878 that Ichang would at some future period become a considerable distributor of Foreign fabrics is well nigh an established fact. The value of the Transit trade in the past year was Hk.Tts. 1,679,183, exhibiting an increase of Hk.Tts. 1,241,338 over the figures given for 1879. Of this, Hk.Tts. 989,188 represent the value of Foreign goods sent inland, and Hk.its. 689,995 the value of Native goods brought from the interior. For the protection of goods of Foreign origin while on their way to the interior, 883 Passes were issued, all of these documents bearing the destination of Chungch‘ing-fu. The applicants for the Passes were chiefly British or American firms from Hankow, represented here by Native agents. The China Merchants' Steam Navigation Company took out 20 Passes only; and no applications were made by ordinary Chinese merchants. Native goods brought here in transit were in all covered by 295 Passes. All these documents, with the exception of a few, had been issued in 1879. During the past year 313 Passes were issued, and they will in all likelihood be used and surrendered in the current year. The articles called for in these Passes are—Yellow Silk from Mienchow ( F M) and Hsich'ung ( P E); Medicines, Musk, Nutgalls, from Chungch‘ing-fu; Safflower from Chienchow ( H) and Shunch‘ing (T); Rhubarb from Kuanhsien (W ); White Wax from Chiating ( ); and Tea from Enshih-hsien (2 t ). All these producing districts are in Szechwan, with the exception of Enshih-hsien, which is situated in Hupeh. REVENUE. The total collection for 1880 forms 68 per cent. of the whole of the dues and duties collected at Ichang since its existence as a Treaty port; or, in other words, the Revenue of Ichang for the past year was Hk.Its. 68,627.6.2.5, as against a total of Hk.fts. 31,625.4.3.3 collected in the three preceding years. To this the Transit contributed the largest share, namely, 46 per cent.; Export gave 42 per cent. ; the rest being divisible between Tonnage Dues, Coast Trade, and Import Duties. ICHANG. 45 GENERAL REMARKS. During the year 1880 several important Native hongs opened business at this port, and not a few of the well-to-do Shashih merchants sent over representatives to look after their interests here. The considerable increase in the importation of Foreign textiles is mainly due to these facts; and it is to be hoped that after the achievement of last year a steady development in the trade of the port will follow. What Ichang requires above all is a steamer that could ply on the Yangtze, even in winter time, without the fear of a stoppage for insufficiency of water. Such a steamer is not yet built; and, as a consequence, communication with Ichang is interrupted for at least four months out of twelve every year. No attempts have yet been made to navigate the river from Ichang to Chungch‘ing, and although opinions vary as to the reasonableness of such an undertaking, it will certainly be a matter for great consideration before anyone will venture on taking up the task. The number- less hidden rocks and rapids make it impossible, even to the most expert navigators, to be sure of completing the journey successfully. The Foreign residents at Ichang are composed of officials and missionaries; Foreign merchants being quite unrepresented. The former, namely, the officials, are quartered in the Chinese houses and temples facing the river, which form the south-eastern portion of the suburbs of Ichang city. It must be owned that this site, selected by our predecessors, has proved to be a most fortunate one for several reasons, but chiefly from a sanitary point of view. During the greater part of the year there is a strong breeze in the afternoon blowing from the south-east, which, having to pass among woods and hills, reaches us in a perfectly pure condition, acting thereby very beneficially on individual health. Those who have the misfortune to be located inside the city walls, or in the suburbs due north-west from the city, can have no such enjoyment. The sanitary measures adopted in the city are most detrimental to health. Most of the cities in China have, I believe, much to improve on this point, but I doubt if any other place can vie with Ichang for uncleanliness. Were it not for this drawback, Ichang would be a most enjoyable place for residence. The surrounding country is hilly, partly wooded, and the scenery, especially at the entrance of the Ichang gorges, is strikingly fine. I beg to append a summary of meteorological observations taken during last year, also a table showing the rise and fall of the Yangtze at Ichang during the years 1879 and 1880. I have, etc., EDM. FARAGÓ, Assistant-in-Charge. ROBERT HART, ESQUIRE, Inspector General of Customs, PEKING. 46 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. Appendix No. 1. ABSTRACT of METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS during the Year 1880. TIDES, RISE AND FALL OF THE RIVER. THERMOMETER. BAROMETER. / WEATHER. WINDS. ΜοΝΤΗ. Highest. Lowest. Highest. Lowest. Average Highest. Average Lowest. Highest. Lowest. No. of Days Rain. Rainfall in Inches. No. of Days N. to E. No. of Days E. to S. No. of Days S. to W. No. of Days W. to N. No. of Days Variable. No. of Days Calm. Ft. in. Ft. in. o 52 No record. I January ...... 5 1 1 7 February..... March ........ 2 1 4 April ......... 14 2 4 3 May .......... 21 9 7 June .......... 29 4 18 1 July ........ 41 821 August ...... 40 318 8 September.. October ...... 22 6 17 November... 17 6 8 u December ... 30.63 30.18 No record 30.44 29.42 15 29.92 29.42 30.16 29.61 30.30 29.86 30.56 30.77 30.01 29.92 Appendix No. 2. SCALE, EMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER LOOF AN INCH TO A Foot. $ 18 21 24 27 30!3 6 9 12 15 18::1 21 27 303 6 9 12 15 18 21 24 27 30 3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24 27 30 TO BUND. du pe 1880 1880 1879 1879 HANKOW. HANKOW ᎢᎡᎪᎠᎬ ᎡEPOᎡᎢ , FOR THE YEAR 1880. [Received 28th March 1881.] Custom HOUSE, HANKOW, 31st January 1881. SIR, I BEG to furnish you with the subjoined Report on the trade of Hankow for the year 1880. The total net value of the trade is the largest on record, amounting to Hk.Tts. 42,285,209, and giving an increase over 1879 of Hk.Its. 6,090,715. This satisfactory result was but little anticipated when the year opened ; indeed, the most gloomy forebodings were expressed, which were to a certain extent warranted by the critical state of the relations between China and Russia at that time. Trade generally, it was feared, would be restricted, and the export of Tea to an especial extent. Happily, these alarms have proved groundless. There has been no breach of friendly relations between the two countries, abundant harvests have raised the prosperity of the masses to a high level, and, supported by an unusually full Tea crop, the general trade has attained proportions hitherto unequalled. An analysis of the figures given above shows the following results. The gross value of Foreign goods imported from Foreign countries and Chinese ports amounts to Hk.its. 13,331,335, which, after deducting Re-exports to Chinese ports (Hk.Its. 1,144,219), gives an increase over last year of Hk.Tts. 1,472,900. Of the above net total, Foreign goods received from abroad only represent Hk.Its. 27,841. The gross value of Native goods imported amounts to Hk.Pts. 13,513,967, from which must be excluded Re-exports to Foreign countries, Hk.Its. 2,544,638, and to Chinese ports, Hk.fts. 1,520,807. The net increase in this division, therefore, amounts to Hk.Its. 4,209,023; the total value of Native Imports in 1880 having been Hk.Tts. 5,239,499, and in 1879, Hk.Tts. 4,632,325. Of this increase, however, Hk.Its. 3,235,234 were contributed by one staple alone—Raw Cotton,- so that the general improvement is not so marked as would at first appear. Native produce exported to Foreign countries direct has a value of Hk.Its. 5,099,638, and to Chinese ports, Hk.Tts. 15,549,933, giving an increase in the former of Hk.Tts. 589,176, and a decrease in the latter of Hk.Tts. 180,384. 48 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. IMPORTS. The general Import trade shows an improvement on 1879. In Cotton Piece Goods, nearly all varieties were in active demand, although the abundant crop of Raw Cotton in the province of Kiangsu, and its consequent cheapness, induced large shipments at Shanghai in the last two months of the year, which doubtless interfered with the sale of manufactured goods. The drought also, which extended from the end of summer up to the close of the year, made it difficult to transport goods inland by water, and another check to their free distribution was thus experienced. The net amount imported reached 2,540,314 pieces, against 2,510,241 pieces in the preceding year. Grey Shirtings show a falling off of 76,264 pieces on an import of 1,334,904 pieces, and Drills of 52,333 pieces on 231,284 pieces; whilst White Shirtings, T-Cloths, Sheetings, Chintzes, and Velvets, all exhibit satisfactory results,—the details being, White Shirtings, an increase of 72,994 pieces; T-Cloths, 27,668 pieces; Sheetings, 49,234 pieces ; Chintzes, 4,443 pieces; and Velvets, 6,041 pieces. The quantities imported were,—White Shirtings, 326,991 pieces; T-Cloths, 462,554 pieces ; Sheetings, 89,730 pieces; Chintzes, 55,150 pieces; and Velvets, 25,090 pieces. The advance made by Sheetings is remarkable, the import having more than doubled itself within the year. The net quantity was 89,730 pieces, of which 59,030 pieces were English, and 30,700 pieces American. The increase on the whole equals 40,234 pieces, which is due to the greater popularity which the former has undoubtedly enjoyed; the receipts having risen from 8,970 pieces in 1879 to 59,030 pieces in the year under review. American Sheetings, on the other hand, receded from 40,496 pieces to 30,700 pieces. The reason for this change in the public estimate of the rival fabrics appears to be the greatly improved quality of English Sheetings, which has put them nearly on a level with the American manufacture, at a comparatively cheap cost; the price for good qualities of the former averaging its. 2.55 per piece, and for the latter, Its. 2.85. Woollens of all descriptions, except Camlets, show a decrease,—214,331 pieces having been imported, against 249,327 pieces in 1879, or a difference in favour of the latter of 34,996 pieces; as, however, the receipts for that year were unusually large, the present deficit may be considered only a comparative one, the demand for Woollens having been beyond the standard of previous years. All the principal Metals have been in good demand,–Iron (Nail-rod and Manufactured), Lead, and Tin showing an increase respectively over the preceding year of 4,142.89 piculs, 2,885.10 piculs, and 453.70 piculs. The quantity imported of each was,-Iron, 30,162.06 piculs ; Lead, 22,335.40 piculs; and Tin, 3,705.06 piculs. Quicksilver gives a falling off of 955.96 piculs on a total of 1,190.32 piculs. Opium, which last year gave signs of an improving trade, has again retrograded,—2,953.95 piculs having been imported, as against 3,293.84 piculs, exhibiting a decrease of 339.89 piculs. This is to be attributed to an abundant crop of Native drug, which has fallen in price from an average of its. 300 to its 230; whilst the rates for the former being maintained both in India and China, an unequal competition necessarily followed, with the result above stated. HANKOW. 49 A large business has been transacted in Raw Cotton, the Imports—375,648.90 piculs, showing the enormous increase of 124,755.24 piculs over 1879, which year, again, was 7,254.79 piculs in advance of its predecessor. There appears to have been a fair average crop in the middle Yangtze provinces, but the abundant supply and low rates at Shanghai stimulated business, and it is also probable that the possibility of war and an interruption of trade acted as additional incentives to speculators here and at Chungch‘ing. Matches now form an important item in the inward trade, as the statistics for the last four years show. In 1877 the net import was 42,980 gross; in 1878, 129,527 gross; in 1879, 274,933 gross; and in 1880, 324,317 gross. Several descriptions are on the market, the best being the “Safety” Matches of English and Swedish manufacture; but these are principally in consumption at the port, and amongst the middle classes, who can afford to pay for a good article. Imitation Swedish Matches, manufactured in Japan, are sent inland in large quantities, where they are sold for about Tts. 15 per 600 dozen, while the ordinary English article sells for its. 20 for the same quantity, and the Swedish “Vulcan” for its 18 per 380 dozen. The two last-named varieties are fair value at the price, but the first is anything but a creditable counterfeit, and, if it rest on its merits, will soon be neglected. The import of Medicines has been slightly above the average, there being an increase of 1,531.42 piculs on 40,347.82 piculs. Kerosene Oil has continued its onward progress, 285,157 gallons having been imported, showing the enormous increase of 135,837 gallons, which is only 13,483 gallons less than the whole amount received in 1879. The active demand thus evidenced, moreover, existed in the teeth of strong opposition on the part of the dealers in Native Oils, whose business has unquestionably suffered by the popularity of Kerosene. Taking advantage of the occurrence at Ch'angsha-fu (the capital city of Hunan) of some fires which followed each other in close succession, their jealousy found vent in an outcry against it as dangerous, and they created so much alarm that they succeeded in obtaining official proclamations forbidding its use. This action for a time had a serious effect on the inland trade, but the proclamations were soon forgotten, and as they were not renewed, probably because the real cause of the outcry had meanwhile become known, the people reverted to their former habits, although, perhaps, more cautiously than before. In connexion with Kerosene Oil, a large business has sprung up at Hankow in Lamps of Native workmanship, supplied from Canton, and a much safer and more sightly article is now in general use than was the case two years ago; at a very slight cost also, a fairly good lamp being obtainable for the small sum of $1. Of the remaining chief import staples there is little to be said. The demand has been a steady one in the majority of cases, and though there is a falling off noticeable in some, still the balance is a favourable one. Sandalwood shows an advance of 6,272.84 piculs; Silk Piece Goods, of 101.82 piculs; and Brown Sugar, of 27,768.56 piculs, on receipts respectively of 21,855.33 piculs, 1,363.76 piculs, and 207,655.32 piculs. On the other hand, Pepper, Sapanwood, Seaweed, and White Sugar—of which 21,349.74 piculs, 27,099.60 piculs, 101,573.24 piculs, and 100,114.15 piculs were respectively imported-give each a decrease of 3,704.97 piculs, 8,163.62 piculs, 24,722.75 piculs, and 4,966.35 piculs. were ells -50 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. In the case of Sapanwood, the figures for the year are nearly the same as those for 1877, and in that of Seaweed, there is a difference between 1878 and 1880 of only 280.52 piculs. The deficit in White Sugar is more important, although the receipts were largely in excess of either 1877 or 1878. The provinces of Shansi and Shênsi appear to be now the principal consumers, very little going into Szechwan, which not only supplies its own wants, but also possesses a surplus that would find its way to Hankow were it not that the inland charges are too high to allow of its competition with the Sugar of the South on anything like even terms. A small quantity also finds its way into Honan, but that province is more accessible from Chinkiang viâ the Grand Canal, and obtains its main supplies from thence. Taking an average of prices during the year, White Sugar was worth its. 5 to its. 6, and Brown Sugar, Tts. 3.5 to Tts. 5, per picul; whilst in 1879 rates averaged its 7 for the first and its. 4.40 for the second. It is more than probable that the war scare gave an additional impulse to the importation of this staple, and that the existing large stocks are due more to prudent preparation for the future than to a large demand in the present. EXPORTS. The Export trade is shown by the statistics to have made good progress during the year, most of the chief articles having been shipped in largely increased quantities. Some, of course, give contrary results, but where in the one case the advance has been great, the retrogression in the other has been comparatively insignificant. I do not propose in this Report to review seriatim each article of export, as, with a few exceptions which will be duly touched on, they offer nothing of interest to Foreigners, nor have they any part in the trade with Foreign countries. Cow Hides have been in steady demand during the year, and the export rose from 21,063.32 piculs in 1879 to 22,288.88 piculs. They are shipped to Shanghai, where they are cured, pressed, and then re-exported abroad. The chief demand has latterly been for the American market, the high rates—its. 12 to its. 13 per picul-making consignments to Great Britain unremunerative. The fact that the supply of Hides to this port has not only not fallen off but increased during the year gives colour to the statement that cattle are now being reared in Honan to supply the drain upon its resources. As a large per-centage of the population are Mahomedans and beef consumers, there should be no difficulty in disposing of the carcases for food, whilst the Hides, Horns, and Hoofs have their own special value for exportation. The export of Native Opium has risen from 120.08 piculs in 1879 to 927.46 piculs. In the former year the trade had sunk to a very low ebb, consequent upon a short crop in Szechwan and the stoppage of supplies from the other producing provinces—Honan, Kweichow, and Shênsi,—where poppy cultivation was strictly prohibited; but in 1880 the yield in Szechwan was unusually abundant, and a considerable surplus has thus been available for the Hankow market. The average cost was its. 235 per picul, as against Tts. 560 to Its. 580 for Malwa Opium. HANKOW. 51 Szechwan Raw Silk was in steady demand for the Shanghai market, and 7,471.33 piculs. were shipped, giving an increase of 4,214.09 piculs over 1878, and of 621.55 piculs over 1879. TEA.-As I have stated elsewhere, it was generally anticipated that the Tea crop of 1880 would be an unusually small one, instead of which it turned out to be the largest on record; the amount exported reaching 517,263.29 piculs, and exceeding that of 1876—which previously held first place—by 39,121.28 piculs, and 1879 by 94,101.66 piculs. Of this, 201,017.34 piculs went to Foreign countries direct,-namely, to Great Britain, 176,099.69 piculs; and to Odessa, 24,917.65 piculs,—and 316,245.40 piculs to Shanghai. The direct export in the preceding year fell short of these figures by 8,520.91 piculs, and the shipments to Shanghai by 81,072.78 piculs. The total quantity of Tea shipped equals 617,229.31 piculs, composed as follows: Hankow Tea ............ Piculs 517,263.29 Kiukiang Tea, re-exported. ....... 98,781.17 Wuhu „ „ ........ „ 643.44 Sundry „ ....... „ 541.41 TOTAL ......... Piculs 617,229.31 Of the re-exported Teas, Kiukiang and Wuhu show a decline compared with the previous year of 13,050.74 piculs and 849.70 piculs respectively, whilst those classed under the heading of Sundry give a small increase of 323.08 piculs. Samples of the new season's Teas were shown on the 13th May for Kiukiang leaf, and on the 16th for that from the Hankow districts; the market for the first being opened on the 15th, and for the second on the 16th. Prices opened somewhat higher than last year, but the leaf was generally considered superior, and after the first rush a drop took place, which placed buyers in a more favourable position. The following are the comparative rates for the two years 1880 and 1879 of some of the principal chops :- 1880. 1879. Ningchow ........ Pts. 28 to 52 Pts. 28 to 49 Hohow. . . . . . . . . » 22 Sunyang ......... » 23 „ 29 » Yanglow-tung ... · · · · Cheongsow-kai. ...... „ 22 » 30 ' » 16 , 27 Nipka-see . . . . . . . . . » 20 „ 23 „20 , 21 Tungsan ......... „ 24 » 30 „20 , Oanfa . . . . . . . . . . „ 25 9 34 The trade in Black Brick Tea has continued to make progress, 152,339.05 piculs having been exported, as against 144,756.26 piculs in 1879,-an increase of 7,582.79 piculs. This result is, however, more than counterbalanced by a decrease in the export of Green Brick Tea, which HANKOW. 53 The share taken by each flag under each class was:- River steamers, inwards and outwards : VESSELS. Tons. . 532 British . Chinese : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 444,158 345,089 351 TOTAL . . . . . . . 883 789,247 Ocean steamers, Tea-laden, for Europe direct, inwards and outwards: VESSELS. Tons. British .......... 22 33,850 French . . . . . . . . . . . 2,302 German .......... 2 2,272 Russian . . . . . . . . . . 8,390 TOTAL . . . . . . 46,814 Steamers under Chinkiang Pass, for Shanghai and Europe, inwards and outwards: VESSELS. Tons. British. . . . . . . . . 4,228 Steamers under Chinkiang Pass for Shanghai, inwards and outwards: VESSELS. Tons. British (in ballast). ...... 2 2,480 Lorchas, inwards and outwards : VESSELS. Tons. American . . . . . . . . . 125 18,346 British . . . . . . . . . . . 12,588 Danish . . . . . . . . . . 6,527 German . . . . . . . . . 35 5,000 Spanish . . . . . . . . . . 4 697 TOTAL. ....... 272 43,158 Hulks: British, 3 clearances and 3 re-entries, 1,576 tons. Junks under Special Junk Pass : VESSELS. Tons. Chinese . . . . . . . . . . 342 22,963 River steamers give an increase of 229 vessels (or trips), 167,275 tons; steamers under Chinkiang Pass, other than those clearing direct to Foreign countries, 6,568 tons; and Lorchas 54 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. (including hulks), 17 vessels, 6,824 tons; while direct ocean steamers show a falling off of 4 vessels, 2,194 tons; and Chinese junks chartered by Foreigners, 27 vessels, 1,342 tons. The American flag exhibits an increase of 27 vessels, 4,240 tons; the British flag, of 158 vessels, 95,915 tons; the Chinese flag (exclusive of junks chartered to Foreigners), of 66 vessels, 66,765 tons; the Danish flag, of 29 vessels (lorchas), 5,201 tons; the German flag, of 2 vessels, 648 tons; the French flag, of 2 vessels, 2,302 tons; and the Russian flag, of 4 vessels, 8,390 tons. The Spanish flag shows a decrease of 42 vessels, 4,848 tons. The Shipping trade has not changed its character in any way during the period under review. All the river steamers being divided, as before, between the British and Chinese flags, the former having greatly the preponderance. Three flags-American, Danish, and Spanish-were only represented by lorchas; whilst the Tea trade was divided amongst four nationalities, in the following proportions:- STEAMERS. Tons. Great Britain ........ 22 33,850 France. . . . . . . . . . . 2 2,302 Germany. ......... 2 2,272 Russia . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 8,390 In 1879 the direct tonnage to Europe was, as already stated, greater, but it was confined to the British and German flags only; the former monopolising 46,778 tons out of a total of 49,008. With the exception of the Russian steamers Petersburgh and Moscow, which cleared for Odessa, all the Tea steamers loaded for London. The first steamer to get away was the Glencoe, on the 22nd May, followed on the 26th by the Loudoun Castle, and on the 28th by the Glenartney. The Glencoe loaded at £6 108. per ton, and the Loudoun Castle at £5 108.; but these high rates were exceptional, and soon fell, for ordinary first-class steamers, to about £3, and later in the season to £2 158. REVENUE. The total Revenue collection for the year 1880 is the largest on record, amounting to Hk.fts. 2,003,217.2.6.4, and giving an increase over the year preceding of Hk.Fts. 228,960.0.6.7. • The Export Duties alone exceed the total receipts of 1879 by Hk.fts. 27,675.3.4.2, and this marked increase is principally due to the large Tea export. The following are the details:- INCREASE. DECREASE. Hk.Tts.m.c.c. Hk.fts.m.c.c. 319.8.2.7 5,814.2.1.9 HkIts.m.c.c. Import Duties . . 515.4.7.5 Coast Trade Duties 73,393.5.3.3 Export Duties... 1,801,932.5.3.9 Tonnage Dues .. 3,394.3.0.0 Transit . . . . . 123,981.4.1.7 254,167.8.5.3 303.1.0.0 18,770.6.4.0 TOTAL. . Hk.Pts. 2,003,217.2.6.4 254,167.8.5.3 25,207.7.8.6 HANKOW. 55 The payments under each flag were :- INCREASE. DECREASE. Hk.Its.m.c.c. Hk.Tts.m.c.c. Hk.Its.m.c.c. American . . . . . . . 44,803.9.7.4 16,762.7.2.4 British . . . . . . . . 1,163,934.8.4.4 122,036.3.5.6 Chinese · · · · · · · · 547,439.4.9.6 34,207.7.1.6 Danish . . . . . . . . 12,430.3.6.4 9,958.7.8.8 r rench · · · · · · · · 15,666.4.2.5 15,666.4.2.5 German . . . . . . . 34,311.4.6.0 609.1.2.5 Russian . . . . . . . . 59,941.7.2.5 59,941.7.2.5 Spanish ....... 707.5.5.9 11,452.1.5.2 To these amounts must be added the Transit Dues on Foreign goods inwards and Native goods outwards, paid by each nationality as under :- Inwards :- INCREASE. DECREASE. Hk. Its.m.c.c. Hk.Tts.n.c.c. 5,520.0.0.0 America . . . . . . . China . . . . . . . Great Britain . . . . . Hk.Its.m.c.c. 15,237.3.2.0 1,571.5.3.0 84,445.1.1.0 104.2.6.0 19,060.2.4.0 TOTAL .. Hk.fts. 101,253.9.6.0 5,520.0.9.0 19,164.5.0.0 Outwards :- INCREASE. DECREASE. Hk.fts.m.c.c. Hk.Tts.m.c.c. Great Britain Russia . . ..... . . . . . Hk.Its.m.c.c. 1,618.4.3.4 21,109.0.2.3 1,537.0.7.6 6,626.9.4.6 6,626.9.4.6 TOTAL .. Hk.Tts. 22,727.4.5.7 1,537.0.7.6 INLAND TRANSIT TRADE. Trade with the interior in Foreign goods shows a slight deficit compared with that of 1879, but this is probably caused to a great extent by the establishment of Ichang as a Treaty Port, which, now that there is fairly regular steam communication between the two ports, offers a more convenient point of distribution for the remoter consuming districts than Hankow. Cotton Piece Goods to the extent of 1,383,583 pieces and Woollens, 103,356 pieces, were sent away under Transit Passes, showing a decrease of 117,228 pieces and 32,498 pieces respectively. As during the year 293,478 pieces of the former, and 24,077 pieces of the latter, which would formerly have gone forward by Native boats, were re-exported hence to Ichang by steamer, my view of the discrepancy has ample corroboration. The details of this branch of trade will be found in the Appendix to this Report. 56 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. GENERAL REMARKS. From my preceding remarks it will be seen that the trade of Hankow during the year 1880 was exceptionally prosperous, and that, too, under circumstances which might reasonably have been expected to produce exactly contrary results; for it is not when a country is on the eve of a war that commerce flourishes. It is, however, quite possible that the people were never seriously alarmed, and that even when affairs were at their most critical stage they were confident in the ability of those in power to tide the country over her difficulties. One of the most remarkable features in the general trade is the large increase in the steam tonnage regularly employed on the river. It seemed to be the general opinion four years ago that the river fleet then employed was more than sufficient for the requirements of trade, but this has proved to be fallacious, as tonnage has steadily increased, and will probably continue to increase. Freights, naturally, have fallen in the face of competition, and this has attracted various kinds of cheap merchandise which under a high tariff could not bear the expense of shipment by steamers. Increased cargoes at low rates do not perhaps compensate for the losses sustained by the reduction, but a wider field is thus opened to Native shippers- who form the most important section for conciliation,—which should ultimately have a beneficial effect. The port was visited in April by His Royal Highness the Duke of Genoa, in the corvette Vettor Pisani, arriving on the 16th of that month. His Royal Highness remained until the 2ist of the month, during which time visits were exchanged with the Viceroy, who paid the highest honours to his distinguished visitor, and received the same in return. Mr. HAAS, Vice-Consul for Austro-Hungary, accompanied His Royal Highness as interpreter. The Vettor Pisani took her departure for Kiukiang, on her return to Shanghai, on the morning of the 21st. In my last year's Report I mentioned that a company of Russian merchants had been formed to run steamers direct from Hankow to the Amoor with Tea, but nothing further has been done towards carrying the project into active operation, although it is understood to be merely temporarily in abeyance. The port again escaped the dreaded annual flood, the highest point reached by the river being only 39 feet 7 inches. Its lowest point was touched on the 31st December—2 feet 11 inches. The rise of the water was a gradual one until the first week in June, when it increased from a few inches to more than a foot and a half a day. Simultaneously with the rise of the river the velocity of the current increased, augmented by freshets from the Han, and one serious accident and some minor ones happened to the ocean steamers. The Breconshire parted both her cables, and was carried across the bows of the Moscow, receiving such serious injury that she was only beached on the right bank of the river in time to prevent her from sinking. It was discovered on examination that she was cut down below the water-line, and so soon as the necessary temporary repairs could be effected, she was sent to Shanghai to be docked. The Moscow's cables fortunately stood the strain upon them, or the steamers lying astern would also have suffered. HANKOW. 57 The steamer Achilles, when leaving, Tea-laden, on the 2nd June, touched ground close to the China Navigation Company's hulks, and hung for several hours in an apparently critical position, the force of the current pressing her over on one side. She was finally towed off by one of the river steamers without injury, and proceeded on her voyage to London. The existence of a shoal there was not known or suspected, and it is supposed to have been caused by the grounding, about four ships' lengths above, of the large ocean steamer Petersburg, when trying to go alongside one of the China Merchants' Company's hulks a short time previously. It has now entirely disappeared. I have, etc., FRANCIS W. WHITE, Commissioner of Customs. ROBERT HART, ESQUIRE, Inspector General of Customs, PEKING. 58 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. Appendix No. 1.- 0.—Table showing the Destinations of the various Goods forwarded DESTINATION. Grey Shirtings. White Shirtings. Dyed and Figured | T-Cloths. | Drills. Shirtings. Chintzes. Brocades. PROVINCE. PREFECTURE. Pieces. Pieces. Pieces. Pieces. 200 Pieces. 300 50 50 il 30 3,714 - 630 7,975 380 27,160 12,724 16,230 1,600 100 3,170 1,300 3,210 360 00 2,525 11,540 16,135 8,745 1,750 306 2,675 9,630 2,050 2,260 12,650 3,275 1,350 182 270 1,500 945 50 66 330 100 500 950 225 825 200 250 309 500 200 75 72 6,075 2,610 Pieces. Chingchow ...... | Wuchang...... Yünyang ........... 448 HUPEH ... Hsiangyang........ 21,842 Nganlu............ Hanyang .. Ichang Changsha. 102,770 Hêngchow......... 34,068 Yungchow. 88,272 Chingchow 30,900 Chênchow.... 5,350 Yunghsün ... 750 Hunan.... Changtê.... ..... 9,200 Lichow ... 26,700 Paoking ..... 2,600 Taochow .. 1,650 Ch'anchow.. 2,250 Yochow... 1,400 Yuenchow ......... 592 Nanyang ........... 11,000 Kaifeng............ 250 HONAN .. Chengchow......... Honan Chungching. 287,731 Kweichow 1,650 SZECHWAN... Yuyang ..... 2,350 Paoning ..... Chengtu.... Tungjên... 56,199 Kweiyang.... 2,314 KWEICHOW.. Ssủnan........... 200 Chinyuen ........ Shangchow Hsingan........... 43,642 Hsinan .......... 8,815 SHÊNSI ....... Hanchung ........ 28,450 Fenghsiang........ 1,530 To 4 Tungchow ... 1,064 平陽 ​Pingyang.......... 600 SHANSI....... Puchow ...... 400 KwangSI ....... # Kweilin ............ 32,250 TOTAL QUANTITY........................... 807,487 TOTAL VALUE...................... Hk.Its. 1,372,720 荆武襄安漢宜長衡永靖辰永常澧寶道林岳沉南開陳河重夔西保成同貴思鎮商西新漢鳳同平浦桂 ​州昌陽陽陸陽昌沙州州州州順德州慶州州州州陽封州南慶州陽寧都仁陽南遠州安安中翔州陽州 ​124,667 7,495 20,719 50 58,855 1,215 I 20 19 JUI 200 630 TO 2,250 140 9,534 355 6,820 504 1,320 394 14 1,457 te pt 5,344 50 200 298 730 16,674 3,695 8,360 1,194 575 175 225 4,120 11,200 5,916 14,185 407 1,237 330 72 4,995 HII DE 4,450 320 94,083 206,982 694 1,457 | 238,400 | 138,527 357,599 318,612 27,047 16,629 HANKOW. 59 TRANSIT TRADE. under Transit Pass to the Interior during the Year 1880. Damasks. Damasks. Velvets | Turkey and Red Velveteens. Cloths. Muslins and Cambrics. Twills and Jeans. Sheetings. Handker- chiefs. Taffa- chellas. Cloth, Italian. Cotton Yarn. Lustres. Pieces. Pieces. Pieces. Pieces. Pieces. Pieces. Pieces. Pieces. Piculs. Pieces. 142 742 178.50 356 120 3,860 Io 2,680 374 1,195 1,910 561 240 1,734 1,782 1,900 2,860 660 ... 200 70 5,060 1,280 144 : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 410 :::::::::::::::::::: 180 260 170 910 3,305 3,361 1,489 16,281 500 360 16,420 I 20 I 20 : : 630 2,210 : : 112 : : 14 : : 708 1,063 13,155 192 655 :::::::::::: 330 625 20 126 1,670 480 1,185 140 - 24 125 40 40 252 2,222 15 480 2,715 1 | 500 360 1,060 | 3,789 15,156 8,873 65,661 1,020 122,008 40,832 1,020 37,411 | 114,329 10,720 6,432 2,224.50 200,205 27,676 83,028 5,158 2,000 3,240 2,650 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. a.—Table showing the Destinations of the various Goods forwarded DESTINATION. Cloth, Camlets. Medium, Lastings. Lastings. Long Ells. Spanish Stripes. Woollen and Cotton Mixtures. Iron Wire. PROVINCE. PREFECTURE. etc. Pieces. Pieces. Pieces. Pieces. Pieces. Pieces. Piculs. 20 EL HUPEH ..... 118 90 202 I11.20 14.40! 700 258 190 22 850 1,190 2,050 1,060 19.20 520 460 1,460 170 400 601 1,392 870 1,692 354 336 60 960 80 ..... | HUNAN...... 120 300 20 20 ITO Chingchow ...... Wuchang........... Yünyang ........ Hsiangyang...... Nganlu ......... Hanyang ........ Ichang ........... Changsha ....... Hêngchow.. Yungchow... Chingchow ........ Chênchow Yunghsün Changtê....... Lichow ....... Paoking....... Taochow Ch‘anchow ......... Yochow.. Yuenchow ....... Nanyang ....... Kaifeng.......... Chengchow........ Honan.. Chungching ....... Kweichow.. Yuyang ..... Paoning....... Chengtu Tungjên. ......... Kweiyang Ssŭnan ............ Chinyuen ......... Shangchow ........ Hsingan........... Hsinan ......... Hanchung.... Fenghsiang..... Tungchow Pingyang.......... Puchow ....... Kweilin ....... 10 襄安漢宜長衡永靖辰永常豐實道林岳沉南開陳河重要酉保成同貴思鎮商西新漢鳳同平 ​州昌陽陽陸陽昌沙州州州州順德州慶州州州州陽封州南慶州陽家都仁陽南遠州安安中翔州陽州林 ​Honan...... 14,915 1,530 171 11,036 120 7,447 30 180 11,610 260 60 501.60 244.80 4.80 V JIL SZECHWAN 60 20 24 2,195 139 1,180 468 448 288 KWEICHOW.. 1,330 1 26 : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 81 12 Basta pt 544 192 280 SHÊNSI .... 16 105 247 12 28.80 IL DE SHANSI ..... KWANGSI ...... hele 14 320 375 156 546 TOTAL QUANTITY... ........ 21,793 10,697 17,178 18,662 7,350 193 1,188.80 . . . . . . . TOTAL VALUE......................Hk.Its. 299,516 137,424 | 113,838 | 113,190 2,895 5,825 HANKOW. 61 under Transit Pass to the Interior during the Year 1880—Continued. Lead. Quicksilver. Sugar, Brown. Sugar Candy. Sugar, White. Cuttle-fish. Pepper. Sandal- wood. Sapan- wood. Seaweed. Aniseed, Star. Betel-nuts. Piculs. Piculs. Piculs. Piculs. Piculs. Piculs. Piculs. Piculs. 195.80 39 Piculs. 84.60 Piculs. I 12.11 Piculs. 209.36 1,286.17 451.23 130.50 12.50 31.30 156.15 1,371.15 120.02 1,086.42 828.09 3,595.05 1,058.80 34.12 169.04 3,066.81 74.40 15 4.25 63.30 11,148.82 2,218.68 69.66 13.43 408.36 1,976.83 50.80 882.92 56.31 48.70 15.55 2,501.89 1,175.78 948.65 104.31 13.50 5,100.70 2,760.44 1,534.77 15.90 610.77 398 144.50 42.50 210.60 24.50 17,265.16 3,797.99 4,784.88 524.30 89 87.51 202.84 38.10 93.60 391.71 280.50 125 7.80 7.50 26.79 26.95 788.87 330.99 48 292.80 84.80 110 3,113.07 1,585.93 1,570.68 28 43.80 187.11 591.75 17.20 17.70 2,126.55 158.68 1,600.24 1,825.61 9.75 42.43 226.32 23.75 256.86 26.50 242.75 76.80 3,388.55 I 30.50 983.64 18.50 221.60 69.40 50 38 39.18 80.60 4,114.92 96.80 1,950.05 150.40 1,097.56 12.75 3,902.06 | 19,128.21 409.50 2,872.90 15.68 2,411.22 44.10 12.30 i : 15.60 | 46.34 45.77 274.25 14.30 20 91 i ::::::::::::::::: 13.50 115 42.50 3,264.10 641 331.20 813.34 388.27 26.90 70.65 714.42 1,466.57 2,884.82 534.34 851,14 58.11 75.64 317.25 176.28 147.50 298.60 527 59.45 947.75 56.67 4.36 72.53 228.32 55.40 203.43 3,237.31 22.50 25.50 24 ΙΟ 76.50 58.65 125.47 129.10 I 12 88.50 I01.20 12.40 14.96 6.60 2.80 5.40 35 14,926.69 838.20 | 10,236.92 1,091.70 9,969.16 5,820,21 | 10,090.52 12,900.51 | 20,559.16 61,493.76 318.54 3,834.05 77,619 36,881 37,875 8,733 58,818 71,588 90,814 154,806 78,122 154,157 5,733 26,838 62 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. a.—Table showing the Destinations of the various Goods forwarded DESTINATION. Cloves, Bicho de Mar. Birds Nests. Bone and Horn Ware. Brass Buttons. Carda- moms, Inferior. Carda- moms, Superior. Mother PROVINCE. PREFECTURE. Piculs. Piculs. Piculs. Piculs. Piculs. Piculs. 1.65 HUPEH ...... 37.43 52.69 220.72 0.05 65.34 4.40 319.46 4.20 200 ::::: : | HUNAN....... 20.16 59.03 0.40 2.90 Chingchow ........ Wuchang.......... Yünyang ......... Hsiangyang....... Nganlu Hanyang ..... Ichang ............ Changsha ..... Hêngchow. Yungchow.. Chingchow ........ Chênchow Yunghsün Changtê.... Lichow ......... Paoking... Taochow.......... Ch‘anchow ..... Yochow .......... Yuenchow ........ Nanyang Kaifeng Chengcho... Honan ............. Chungching ....... Kweichow Yuyang .... Paoning. Chengtu.. Tungjên .......... Kweiyang...... Ssånan.......... Chinyuen ..... Shangchow... Hsingan...... Hsinan ....... Hanchung .... Fenghsiang....... Tungchow ...... Pingyang........ Puchow ........ Kweilin ::::::::: 23.50 荆武郵襄发漢宜長衡永靖辰永常遭實道郴岳沉南開陳河重夔西保成同貴思鎮商西新漢鳳同平浦桂 ​州昌陽陽陸陽昌沙州州州州順德州慶州州州州陽封州南慶州陽寧都仁陽南遠州安安中翔州陽州林 ​::::::::: 1.18 Honan.... 8 345.44 2.10 0.32 419.65 DE JI SZECHWAN... ::::: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; : 1.20 貴州 ​KWEICHOW.. : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 11.82 11.56 Date Post to SHÊNSI ....... 136.94 20.90 31.97 ::::::: SHANSI....... DE PE 1.24 KWANGSI. TOTAL QUANTITY.................. 640.85 2.72 28.56 65.66 1,839 2,347 7,041 1,086.58 33,684 45.14 7,854 TOTAL VALUE...... 16,021 6,528 1,313 HANKOW. 63 under Transit Pass to the Interior during the Year 1880—Continued. seno. | Ginseng, Cassia Lignea. Clams, Dried. Clocks and Watches. Cloves. Dyes. Dyes. Ginseng, | Fish Maws. American, American, Clarified. Crude. Glass, w Glassware. Isinglass. W um. Piculs. Pieces. Piculs. ns. Piculs. Piculs. 2.32 Boxes. 223 1.76 1.47 4.66 48.67 : : : 11.40 134.28 : ... 42.29 148.12 24 10 1,617 183 8,924.66 10.43 10.43 64.70 63 4.36 9.36 0.80 542 ; : 2.40 O 13.11 : : 3.50 : : : : : : : : : 29.80 1.20 U1.60 $:::*:: 19::*:8,5 : 1 2 1 **:::8:::****::* 1.20 14.52 28.10 3.50 445.88 49.06 976 171.37 127.24 163.481,965.25 27.80 1.55 93.82 34.14 15.42 2.20 52.82 150.77 1.44 15.10 11.70 10.70 II.20 :: 7.60 4.56 825.68 | 8,999.78 1,069 1 283.17 296.23 220.97 6.86 3,071 2,241 276.87 | 2,464.62 12,715 9,789 9,789 2,070 2,670 8,195 8,495 51,575 23,698 2369896,125 96,125 1,372 12,715 51,575 1,372 12,284 12,284 1,193 1,193 1,938 1,938 64,080 64 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. a.—Table showing the Destinations of the various Goods forwarded DESTINATION. Lead, Lamps. Yellow. Lung- ngans, Dried Lung- ngan Pulp. Matches. Needles. Nutmegs! rooms. PROVINCE. PREFECTURE. Piculs. | Piculs. Gross. Piculs. Piculs. Mille. | Piculs. 荆武則 ​33.80 23.28 4.40I 1,000 50 406.08 29.55 15.91 Irolo 1,425 I.I 2,500 4.29 1424 2,500 I, I0 143 Dozens. Piculs. Chingchow...... Wuchang...... Yünyang ....... 湖 ​北 ​| HUPER .……… Hsiangyang.... Nganlu.......... Hanyang ....... Ichang .………… Changsha ...... | Hengchow, Yungchow... Chingchow ... Chênchow 永順 ​Yunghsün 湖南​「HonAN.. 常德 ​Changtê.. 灣州 ​Lichow. Paoking... 道州 ​Taochow .. 郴州 ​Ch‘anchow..... 岳州​, Yochow. …… Yuenchow ...... Nanyang .…… … 開封 ​Kaifeng……… 河南​| HONAN.. Chengchow..…… 河南 ​| Honan Chungching ...... Kweichow 四川 ​| SzECH WAN.. Yuyang. Paoning. Chengtu. Tungjen. Kweiyang. 貴州 ​KWEICHOW.. Ssanan.…… Chinyuen ....... Shangchow ...... Hsingan.…… 126.19 新安 ​Hsinan .……… 17.64 SHENSI ...... 漢中 ​Hanchung . Fenghsiang.…. 同州 ​Tungchow. 平陽 ​Pingyang... 山西 ​SHANSI..... 浦州 ​Puchow ..... 廣西 ​KWANGSI.…… 桂林 ​Kweilin.... :::::::::::::::::::::: 1,500 襄安漢宜長衡永靖辰永常遭賽道梆岳沉南 ​州昌陽陽陸陽昌沙州州州州順德州慶州州州州陽封州南慶州陽都仁陽南遠州安安中翔州陽州林 ​重變酉保成同貴思鎮商西新漢鳳 ​::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :::::::::::: ::::::::::::: 192.32 5 71.42 | 41,224 |135.63 2,500 4,250 1,500 Oo :::::::::::::: ::::::: 96.08 5,944 207.80 99.04 2,375 7,410 61.45 2,500 1.10 ::::::| II.92 60 TOTAL QUANTITY..……. 1912 || 143.83| 972.88 | 289.66 | 63,948 | 463.48 | 108.31 | 21,694 26.21 TOTAL VALUE.... .H.7% 1,358 | | 1,582 || 15,8371 2,172 | 28,344 | 2,696 | 2,491 13,068 | I, ICO HANKOW. 65 under Transit Pass to the Interior during the Year 1880—Continued. Oil, Kero- Put- Ver- Orange Prawns, and | Dried. Pre- serves. ans, Rattan Sharks' | Mats. Fins. Silk Piece Goods. | milion. Sundries, Unenu- merated. VALUE. sene. Gallons. Piculs. Piculs. 200 Piculs. 1.30 Piculs. Pieces. Piculs. Piculs. Piculs. Piculs. Hk.Fts 4.40 13.33 23:49 21.92 174 200 30 181,258 31,110 52.31 10 1.25 400 200 1,200 100 3.63 Hk.fts Hk.Its 6,985 7,012 831 386 | 164,476 1 658 900 396 2,529 638,249 141 254,026 113 557,973 120,433 18,151 2,418 70,111 85,302 11,804 10,390 11,670 15,728 3,665 731 85,345 367 6,073 173 4,570 10.50 453 1,799,920 35.70 5.57 1.20 109 135.72 133.80 91,700 Sl. 4.42 10,215 2,079,105 17,482 100 400 84.05 1.10 26,832 7,818 336 114 200 204,625 2,114,205 9.30 17,711 386 223,131 33.09 118.35 8.66 : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 48.95 12.96 4.52 17.84 1,556 409 161 288,451 54,937 161,806 1.30 39 100 70.04 4.50 411 200 8,158 9,341 2,978 3,325 522,854 3.30 30 200 | 113,895 6,303 113,895 56,842 93.99 118.61 | 250.87 72.50 269.25 218.99 4,145 361.89 | 63.29 92.42 4.43 3,761 1,5338,290 24,608 1,903 2,272 2,772 17,468 8,279 2,537 1,424 5,018 1,015 - 5,053,266 66 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. 6.- Table showing the Places from which Native Go he Places from which Native Goods were brought under Transit Pass from the Interior during the Year 1880. PLACES OF PRODUCTION. Goods: PROVINCE.. PREFECTURE. DISTRICT. BRICK TEA. TEA, VALUE. ToBACCO LEAF. BLACK. Chinese English. Chinese English. Chinese. English. Black. Green. Piculs. Piculs. Piculs. 2,838.09 Piculs. 5,696.86 | Wuchang. ...13 16 (71 Hupeh.... 漢陽 ​Honan..... 1 JH 935.88 Yanglow-tung Tsungyang...... Hankow......... | Têngchow.......| 羊崇漢鄧 ​Hk.Tts 41,224 30,883 304,372 10,195 55,071.86 7,945.10 Hanyang..... Têngchow.... Yo 2,039.09 TOTAL QUANTITY................. 2,039.09 935.88 / 57,909.95 | 13,641.96 Total VALUE ............ Hk. Its 10,195 30,883 | 279,705 1 65,891 386,674 C.- Table showing the Number of Passes issued for, and the Amount of Duties collected on, Foreign Goods forwarded to the Interior under Transit Passes, as divided between the various Nationalities during the Year 1880... NATIONALITIES. TOTAL. AMERICAN. BRITISH. CHINESE. QUARTER. No. of No. of Passes. Transit Dues. Transit Dues. No, of Passes. No. of Passes. Transit Dues. Transit Dues. Passes. 324 . . . . . . . . . . . ist quarter ... 2nd , 3rd , ........... 315 186 64 . . . . . . Hk. Its.m.c.c. 2,586.7.1.0 2,383.4.5.0 4,190.0.5.0 6,077.1.1.0 . Hk.Item.c.c. 4,8971 23,678.7.2.0 6,701 24,523.6.8.0 7,519 24,293.4.3.0 3,371 11,949.2.8.0 509 Hk.Fism.c.c. 637-3.9.0 207.9.5.0 387.2.3.0 338.9.6.0 1,571.5.3.0 5,407 7,080 8,067 4,534 25,088 Hk.Tits m.c.c. 26,902.8.2.0 27,115.0.8.0 28,870.7.1.0 18,365.3.5.0 101,253.9.6.0 4th 1,120 TOTAL .......... 2,268 15,237.3.2.0 22,488 84,445.1.1.0 332 d.— Table showing the Number of Passes issued for, and Amount of Duties collected on, Native Goods brought from the Interior under Transit Passes, as divided between the various Nationalities during the Year 1880. NATIONALITIES. TOTAL. BRITISH. RUSSIAN. QUARTER. No. of Passes. Transit Dues. No. of Passes. Transit Dues. No. of Passes. Transit Dues. r e r . .......... ....... Ist quarter 2nd , .... 3rd ...... Hk. Pts.m.c.c. 8.8.7.8 1,169.8.5.0 327.9.0.3 28.2.7.2 HK.Tts.m.c.c. 3.0.3.0 3,114.9.4.8 7,844.9.8.5 2,925.9.7.5 20 Hk.Ftsm.c.c. 11.9.0.8 4,284.7.9.8 8,172.8.8.8 2,954.2.4.7 22,727-4-5-7 4th 60 66 TOTAL... 16. 1,618.4.3.4 127 21,109.0.2.3 143 HANKOW. 67 Appendix No. 2. METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS during the Year 1880. Height Barometer, DATE. of Rise. Fall. Therinometer. Hygrometer. Max. Min. Dry. Wet. Dry. Wet. 19 A.M. 3 P. m. 9 .M. 9 4.M. | 3 P.M. Direction of Wind. Rainfall. Water, 9 A.M. 3 P. M. A.M. 9 A.M. 3 P.M. In. January Ft. in. Il 24 2 3 I I IO In. 30.45 30.30 30.40 30.45 30.40 30.40 30.35 30.35 30.45 30.45 30.45 0 II 100 23 100 II 12 30.50 30.50 0 II 30.50 30.50 naavaw::wwwwww: --:::::::::::: :::::::NL::::::::::wwnninn-A- 30.40 30.35 30.40 30.40 30.40 30.35 30.35 30.30 30.45 30.45 30.45 30.50 30.50 30.50 30.50 30.50 30.50 30.45 30.45 30.45 30.55 30.70 30.75 30.65 30.70 30.75 30.65 30.50 30.45 30.65 ddddddzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzឋ 30.55 30.50 100 30.50 20 100 42 100 66 100 21 22 23 24 30.45 30.55 30.70 30.75 30.65 30.70 30.75 30.65 30.50 30.45 30.65 30.50 30.50 Ezzera zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzszzzzzanisz I February 1 E. N.E. 100 N. 53 100 har hatt wo oo S. E.N.E. E.N.E. N.E. N.E. N.E. Liwau a obtinuvaapui au acowni:::- :::::::::::::::::::::::: www 30.35 30.45 30.35 30.40 30.45 30.40 30.35 30.45 30.45 30.40 30.40 30.40 30.40 30.30 30.35 30.25 30.30 30.35 30.35 30.40 30.45 30.35 30.55 30.50 30.45 30.35 30.35 30.50 30.55 30.30 30.45 30.25 30.40 30.45 30.35 30.40 30.45 30.45 30.30 30.40 30.40 30.30 30.30 30.35 30.25 30.30 30.30 30.35 30.35 30.50 30.50 30.50 30.45 30.40 30.30 30.35 30.50 30.55 zzrizza 6 BE EB er stort hvor man HANKOW. 69 METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS—Continued. Barometer, DATE. Height of Water, Rise. 1 Fall. Thermometer. | Hygrometer. Direction of Wind. Max. Min. Dry. Wet. Dry. Wet. A.M.13 P.M. A.M. | 9A.M. | 3 P. M. 19 A.M. | 3 P. M. Rainfall. In. May :op:poo BE sssNNss ssssNN -oooooo =ostoo on S.W. S.W. W. N.E. :::::::o::: N.E. S.E. N.E. 2 19 A. M. | 3 P. M. In. 30.20 30.15 30.25 30.20 30.20 30.20 30.10 30.05 30.05 30.05 30.20 30.20 30.20 30.10 29.95 29.90 29.90 29.90 29.90 29.90 29.80 29.80 30.10 30.15 30.15 30.15 30.10 30.15 30.20 30.20 30.25 30.25 30.25 30.25 30.15 30.15 30.05 30.05 30.25 30.30 30.30 30.25 30.15 30.10 30.10 30.10 30.10 30.10 30.05 30.00 30.00 29.95 29.95 30.00 29.95 29.85 29.80 30.05 30.05 30.20 30.20 N. 10元 ​100 2I 21 2I 2I +:-: 30. IO lojo or Cu ooo~ -- នៅបាំ បាំ បាំ ។ :po ov+ S.E. S.E. N. N. 7%仍​%B8刀刀​&B引8888852乃刀87乃​%%%%%乃B 一​。刀刀为8乃小四​%%%%乃刀687外仍乃乃​%88%B9%8必叫一刀​%%%乃四四a%%%a2%88%品​%84%88%%9585 一​。8588958%刀的刀刀55885585852刀刀刀仍​%25 。722%252刀郎8528 B85%仍刀​%%乃​%%8=5刀仍8一2乃小刀从​%%仍manag仍仍刀刀​%&%%%%%a8888 如​」。8892585%外刀刀658a88888582刀仍​%%%75一897刀刀见乃乃的四刀四9%仍为小叶乃乃叶乃乃乃刀​%8品仍必 ​2乃仍​%仍仍升m8887仍仍​%%%88%8刀​%88888 52%仍仍9刀刀​%%%%99刀刀刀仍刀​%外刀仍仍仍仍仍仍力仍 ​BBan masm anxwxMWVGARMaaaaaawwxx_ asiankmsung anWadidaisinawun | E证BBBBH&Madam HsinawwaaS&M ManaBWSRM&BMan Sams alistianadaM | June 21 :::: S. E. S. E. S. W. S. E. D. E N.E. 3456789png345B SB9%a884%%%%%% 99mmo 285542 o92927om9m4792468o3 WANNNAwwarno Surunvuo oo oooiin 30.20 30.15 30.05 30.05 29.95 30.00 30.05 30.00 30.00 30.05 30.10 30.00 30.00 29.95 29.95 29.90 29.90 29.90 29.95 ::::::::::::::::::::::::: 30.20 30.10 30.05 30.05 29.95 30.05 30.05 30.00 30.00 30.00 30.05 30.00 30.00 29.95 29.95 29.90 29.90 29.90 29.95 30. IO 30. IO 30.15 30.15 30.15 一刀外​%乃刀​%%%%%aa%乃刀8刀仍仍​&仍NB8%82% S.W. Calm 30.10 S. 30.10 30.10 30.15 30.15 30.15 30.10 30.00 29.90 29.90 29.85 29.85 29.90 29.90 29.90 29.85 29.85 ជំហំz 100 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS—Continued. Height Direction of Wind. DATE. of Rise. Fall. Rainfall Water. 9 1.1. 3 P.M. July oo zuzu 2 BE DE C S.W A 10. OOO O O O O O O II II II II Thermometer. Hygrometer. Barometer. Max. Min. Dry. Wet. Dry. Wet. 9 A.M. 3 P. M. 9A. M. 3 P.M. 94. M. 9 A.M. 3 P. M. In. In. 29.95 29.95 30.00 30.00 30.00 30.05 30.00 30.00 30.00 30.00 29.90 29.85 29.85 29.85 29.90 29.90 29.90 29.90 29.95 29.85 30.00 30.00 30.00 30.00 29.90 29.90 29.95 30.00 30.00 30.00 30.00 30.00 30.00 29.95 29.95 29.95 29.95 29.90 29.90 29.85 29.85 29.85 29.85 29.86 29.80 29.85 29.83 30.00 30.00 30.00 30.00 30.00 30.00 30.00 30.00 30.00 30.00 29.90 29.95 II avuw-ouroaw Ewuvo SE-SOA--0Ō cow 30.00 N.E. N.E. N.E. : min::::::::::mmmmmmNnn E. O N.E. N.W. N.W. N.E. N.W. N.E. 100 37 100 N N.E. 29.80 O O E. 29.95 N.W. Que ចាំបាំបាំ August 1 ocovan awn- :::::::::::::: &c. && a Soomes 29.95 29.95 29.95 29.90 29.85 29.90 29.95 30.00 30.00 30.00 29.95 29.95 29.85 29.85 29.90 30.00 30.00 29.95 O o o 5 año wOANO000-Aan-NawabonaőO-nun 50 ::::::wuNwnian-inn Awww NAAN-Air- Lise ti nieszzseZZS diese Zezza 100 29.95 29.95 29.90 29.90 29.85 29.95 29.95 30.00 30.00 30.00 29.95 29.90 29.80 29.85 29.95 30.00 30.00 29.95 30.00 30.05 30.10 30.10 30.05 30.00 30.00 30.00 30.00 30.00 30.10 30.10 too much oh o sisi hizozizzi sikisirisi 30.00 30.05 30.10 30.10 30.05 30.00 O ::::::::: Annun Home 30.00 30.00 30.00 30.00 30.10 30.10 30.20 OT BONA N. ääsi 30.20 ELT HANKOW. · METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS—Continued. Height Direction of Wind. DATE, of Rise. Fall. Thermometer, | Hygrometer. Barometer. Max. Min. Dry. Wet. Dry. Wet. 9 A. H. 13 P... 9 A. 1.3 P.A.9 A. A.9A... | 3 P.M. 19 A.M.13 P.A. Rainfall. Water. Ft. in. In. Sept. 加8n36go2446899642ong629962n762g- ::::::::::::::::::run:NNNEL + Coup TAA-Awarna--NnNw:::::::::::: In. 30.25 30.25 30.25 30.25 30.15 30.10 30.15 30.20 30.25 30.15 30.05 30.05 30.15 30.25 30.30 30.25 30.20 30.15 30.10 30.10 30.10 30.15 30.30 30.35 30.35 30.30 30.30 30.35 30.30 30.25 30.30 30.25 30.25 30.25 30.15 30.10 30.15 30.25 30.25 30.10 30.05 30.05 30.20 30.25 30.25 30.20 30.20 30.15 30.10 30. IO 30. IO 30.15 30.30 30.35 30.35 30.35 30.25 30.30 30.25 30.25 N. N.E. N.E. N.E. N, N.B. N.E. N.E. N. N.E. N. N.E. N.E. 乃以刀​&ag8乃外的刀8刀的刀刃为​%85刀刀刀5刀乃乃乃77 一刀的刀乃乃叶仍仍​%乃乃的仍仍水乃乃乃刀​%8796558 885 。为​%88%88%9888588aag8848小刀刀​%8刀刀一刀平的3们​%%88%98%的四分的体​%叶乃​%%a1974仍必 ​。乃77仍​%%%%%刀乃外外2刀刀刀开乃外刀刀99997898-8885729278222892588588556888888 尔乃​%%82%2乃乃乃乃乃乃​%%水刀​%%%%%%%乃小小29-297乃乃乃少儿乃外的乃乃乃乃刀刀刀刀999885855855 。77%的刀仍9%刀2乃55858刀刀刀2288882855一8558599287778458588584848988588 。外仍a8588 仍​%83%8a%8a% 888乃​%%D8%9仍一的乃乃8乃乃刀​%%%%%%%%%乃乃的小叶乃​%a8%刀外仍​%5 Bass=HHHHMMMMus跟Mau | Wmnawawas muMEBMMBBusuwan BABERBHKna RMBausag亚MMSEME | WNEWns October 1 wNv S.E. E. Calm. Calm. Calm. Salm D. N.W. 62965II H6 08406 18392w50606o728 I8 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 4444-4 3 256444655567455666655675 30.30 30.30 30.30 30.30 30.40 30.35 30.35 30.40 30.40 30.25 30.25 30.35 30.40 30.35 30.35 30.40 30.35 30.35 30.40 30.40 30.35 30.30 30.35 30.30 30.45 30.40 30.30 30.30 30.35 30.45 30.50 30.30 30.30 30.30 30.30 30.40 30.35 30.35 30.40 30.35 30.25 30.25 30.35 30.04 30.35 30.35 30.40 30.35 30.40 30.40 30.35 30.30 30.30 30.35 30.30 30.45 30.35 30.30 30.30 30.35 30.45 30.45 N.W À LUZ EiBiizi N.E. N.E. 72 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS—Continued. Direction of Wind. DATE. Height of Water. Rise. I Fall. Thermometer. Hygrometer. Barometer. Max. Min. Dry. Wet. Dry. Wet. 9 A.M. 3 P.M. 94. m. 3 P. m. 94. m. 91. M. 3 P.M. | 9 A. M. Rainfall. 3 P.m. Ft. in. November 1 | 215 21 Calm 20 In. 30.40 30.35 30.30 30.35 30.40 30.45 30.55 20 30.60 Bijzeżžsieni izziuzzsiniz N.E O coño 5oo São Ocov av awna Annun ruvoonwinno now ovneno ANONOON I-iingiwieNunvaovvoan cooovui a aw way In. 30.45 30.30 30.30 30.35 30.40 30.45 30.50 30.55 30.50 30.55 30.50 30.65 30.65 30.55 30.50 30.40 30.45 30.45 30.45 30.35 30.35 30.45 30.40 30.35 30.50 30.60 30.60 30.55 30.50 30.40 N . . 30.50 30.55 30.55 30.65 30.70 30.60 30.50 30.45 30.45 30.45 30.50 30.40 30.35 30.45 30.45 30.40 30.45 30.65 30.65 30.55 30.50 30.45 12 II II II IO N.W. W. N. N.W. S.W. W. N.W. ΙΟ E. December 1 30.35 30.35 30.40 30.40 30.40 30.40 30.50 30.50 30.50 30.50 30.50 30.50 N.E. N.W. N.W E BiBizizz FOFannaöw aun AAA ANAO - Agongono - NWNNWwwwwAAAAAAA Avrutui aaaarvoo 00 -:vi:Auw::::::Ő NANWW NAAA Avruww z zzzzini oriituzzzzmanizezi sizzzzzZeZertis izaziva si zisizizzzzzz zzzsizdi: 30.50 30.50 30.60 30.55 30.50 30.45 30.40 30.40 30.50 30.50 30.45 30.45 30.55 30.60 30.50 30.45 30.50 30.70 30.60 30.55 30.60 DO 30.50 30.40 30.40 30.45 30.50 30.45 30.50 30.55 30.65 30.55 30.45 30.50 30.70 30.60 30.60 30.55 30.80 30.80 mo 30.85 30.66 sikisirisi 30.55 30.60 30.50 30.50 30.60 Appendix No. 3. SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVENLER DECEMBER SCALE, TOOFANINCH TO A Foor. 6 9 12 15 18 21 24 27 30 3 6 9 12 15 15 91 21 27303 6 9 12 15 15 21 2+2730,3 6 9 12 15 15 21242730 60- BUND. 30- 20 KIUKIANG. 73 KIUKIANG TRADE REPORT, FOR THE YEAR 18 80. [Received 12th March 1881.] Custom HOUSE KIUKIANG, 9th March 1881. SIR, In compliance with your instructions, I have the honour to hand you my Report on • the trade of Kiukiang for the year 1880. VALUE OF TRADE. The value of the trade of this port for the past year reached Hk.Its. 12,700,000, which is larger than it has been for any year since 1876, when it exceeded it by HK.fts. 200,000. In 1879 it was Hk.Pts. 11,200,000, giving an increase of HkIts. 1,500,000 for 1880. ast year the crops of this province were abundant, which brought an amount of prosperity to its inhabitants and increased their capital. Signs of this prosperity are shown in an enlarged trade in Imports and Exports, with the exception of Black Tea, of which the shipment was not materially different from that of the previous year. 1 a mon FOREIGN IMPORTS. Im Of the above, the value of Foreign goods imported was Hk.fts. 2,950,000, an advance of nearly Hk.its. 300,000 over that of the previous year. This increase is in Opium, Cotton Goods, and in nearly all the articles of Foreign origin brought into port. Of Opium, there were 159 piculs more of Malwa brought in than in 1879, while there was a decrease of 26 piculs in the importation of Persian. Patna finds but a small market here, the receipt never having reached 20 piculs per annum. Of Persian, the importation was but a few piculs per annum until 1878, when 170 piculs were brought in, which rose to 201 piculs the next year; the importation of this is governed by its cost, for when the price is low the dealer can use it advantageously in mixing with other Opium. Malwa is in general consumption here, and the amount has gone from 1,475 piculs in 1878 to 2,104 piculs last year. In August last year the Governor of this province ordered the Opium-smoking shops to be closed, which caused some diminution in the use of this article, and although the Returns show an increased import, this is owing to the fact that a larger quantity has been brought in 10 74 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. direct from Shanghai than in former years, when a portion of that consumed reached the province through Canton and Swatow. Cotton Piece Goods have been largely dealt in, the receipt of all descriptions being much in advance of that of the year before. An increase was experienced of 34,000 pieces in the importation of Grey Shirtings, and of 2,500 pieces in White. T-Cloths reached 116,000 pieces, against 90,000 pieces the year before. There was a slight' increase in the receipt of Chintzes, Velvets, Velveteens, and Handkerchiefs. Of Brocades there was a falling off of 1,600 pieces, due to an extreme importation of the previous year, when the amount brought in was 2,500 pieces in excess of that of 1878. The trade in Woollens has slightly decreased. There was a small falling off in the import of Camlets and Broadcloths of a few hundred pieces, and a decrease of 2,200 pieces in Long Ells. The price of Lead was low in 1878, and a large import of 31,000 piculs was the consequence, which was beyond the requirements of the trade; the next year there was a falling off of 18,000 piculs; last year the import reached 14,700 piculs, which was 1,700 piculs in excess of that of 1879. The receipt of Foreign Brown Sugar was increased from 15,100 piculs to 20,800 piculs, and of White from 1,200 piculs to 3,300 piculs. There was an improvement in the amount of Pepper and Sandalwood imported of 400 piculs of each. NATIVE IMPORTS. The value of Native goods brought in was HK.Tts. 960,000, while it was HK.Pts. 800,000 in 1879.. The most important article imported was Cotton, which reached 62,200 piculs, valued at Hk.Its. 432,400, against 2,200 piculs, valued at Hk.Its. 17,000, the previous year. The largest amount brought in since this port was opened to Foreign trade was in 1866, when 21,000 piculs were received; since then the amount gradually declined until 1876, when it was but 6,000 piculs ; and for the past two years it has not gone above 2,500 piculs. The large import of last year is to be attributed to the unusual dry weather in July, August, and September, which injured the Cotton crop, and the amount produced was small. However, the profits derived from the flourishing state of the other crops in this province enabled the dealers in this article to take advantage of the abundant production at Shanghai, which brought prices down to such a point as to make it to their interest to import it in large quantities. In consequence of an increased production of Sugar in the province, the amount of Native Sugar received fell from 30,300 piculs of Brown to 22,900 piculs, and from 75,900 piculs of White to 37,700 piculs. In 1879, Bean Oil to the extent of 17,000 piculs was imported, valued at Hk.Tts. 64,000 ; previous to that time none had been received, nor was there any brought in last year. The import was owing to the destruction by the floods of 1878 of the crop which produces Cabbage Oil (# F ith), in general use here in cooking and for lamps. Last year the crop was satisfactory, which obviated the necessity of importing this article. KIUKIANG. 75 EXPORTS. The value of Exports reached Hk.Tts. 8,820,000, while the previous year it amounted to but Hk.Its. 7,770,000. The shipment of Chinaware was 12,100 piculs, against 5,000 piculs in 1879 and 6,700 piculs in 1878. Last year the dealers in this article represented to Peking that the falling off in the shipment from 14,100 piculs in 1876 was due to the breakage caused by the rigid system of examination which it underwent when being shipped, and in August last an order was issued that, experimentally, until the close of the year 1881, the declaration of the shipper was to be taken as to the amount of fine and coarse each shipment contained, and, beyond ascertaining that the export was bonâ fide Chinaware, no further examination was to be made. Since this order has been acted upon, the amount passed by this office has more than doubled. Owing to abundant crops, the export of Hemp and Tobacco was much increased. Of the former, 40,900 piculs were shipped, against 29,700 piculs the previous year; and of the latter, 46,300 piculs, against 15,400 piculs. The amount of Grasscloth sent away was a trifle in excess of that of 1879, being 6,100 piculs, against 5,900 piculs. The export of this article is gradually increasing. The largest shipment previous to 1879 was in 1873, when 4,700 piculs left this port; since then the amount has been between 3,000 piculs and 4,000 piculs per annum. TEA.-Musters of the new season's Tea commenced to arrive on the 12th May, and the market was opened on that day at from its 40.50 to Its. 42, and later in the day several other Ningchows at Its. 37 to its 39. These prices were remunerative to teamen, and the Teas comparing favourably with those of last year, there appeared every prospect of a fair business being transacted at this port; but on the arrival of the crack chops at Hankow, the fancy prices paid for Russia induced teamen to imagine that inferior Teas would realise in proportion, they therefore asked such high rates that for the time business was restricted, many of the Teas selling subsequently in Hankow at lower prices than those offered here. The first musters of the Keemuns arrived on the 15th May, but the asking prices were so high for the first chops, teamen preferring to take their chance in Hankow, that only a few chops were settled here at its. 28 to its 31.50. The Hohow district was represented on the 17th, and business resulted at its. 17.25 to its. 22. Musters of second crop Teas arrived on the 22nd June, and the market opened on that date at Pts. 15.75 to its. 16.75 for Ningchows; but these prices cannot be taken as a standard, as the best chops were shipped direct to Shanghai, where, after a few settlements made here, the majority of the Teas may be followed. The second crop Teas found no favour on the home market. The consequence was that teamen, anticipating excite- ment like that experienced last year, held for cost at least; and as soon as they made concessions, the market fell, and continued to do so almost without intermission, until the price established showed very heavy losses to Natives, and, taking the whole season through, the result has been unfavourable to teamen. KIUKIANG. 77 TRANSIT PASSES. Transit Passes to convey goods inland to the value of Hk.Pts. 879,181 were issued, which was Hk.fts. 25,000 in excess of 1879. Details of the goods protected by these Passes are given at the end of this Report. Transit Passes for 1,065 piculs of Sugar, 12 piculs of Pepper, and 182 piculs of Seaweed were issued here for Wuchang-fu, the city opposite Hankow. No Transit Passes to bring cargo from the interior were issued last year. REVENUE. The duties collected during the period under review reached Hk.Tts. 764,571. This is the largest amount received in any one year since the port was opened to Foreign trade. The revenue of 1878 was within Hk.its. 8,000 of that of last year, while that of 1879 was Hk.Tts. 53,000 less. Duties on Imports are levied at Shanghai. The small amount of Hk.fts. 104, which appears in the Returns as Import Duty, is on cargo which has not paid the correct duty at Shanghai. ACCIDENTS TO SHIPPING. On the 11th May the British lorcha Kineon, bound from Shanghai to this port, was struck by lightning off Tatung, and sank immediately. The cargo was salved, and the vessel eventually raised and taken back to Shanghai. At 6 o'clock on the morning of the 19th November the British steamer Hunyang, belonging to Mr. McBain, of Shanghai, on her way to this port, and Kungwo, of Messrs. JARDINE, MATHESON, & Co.'s line, on her way to Shanghai, came into collision at Two Fathom Creek, in the province of Anhwei, about 40 miles above Wuhu. A considerable number of Natives lost their lives, but the exact number is unknown. Efforts are being made to raise these vessels, which it is supposed will be successful. On the 2nd December the American lorcha Chinchang, on her way to Shanghai, went ashore at Olyphant Island Crossing, sprang a leak, and was obliged to discharge her cargo. After undergoing some repairs, she reloaded and proceeded to her destination. HEALTH. During the past year the health of the Foreign community resident at this port has been fairly good. In the early portion of last summer there was little or no sickness, but during the autumn remittent and intermittent fevers of specially obstinate types were very prevalent, from one or other of which a very large proportion of the community suffered. It was remarked that those who were in the habit of bathing in the lakes after the water began to subside over the flooded districts suffered from malarial fever of the most persistent character. With these exceptions, other diseases common during the summer were infrequent and readily yielded to treatment. During the winter months catarrhs were common, and there was one case of acute 78 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. pneumonia, extending over 14 days, which made an excellent recovery. During the year there were three births and no deaths. In the summer and autumn a larger number of missionaries resident in the interior of this province came here for medical aid than usual, and they reported that in the districts they belonged to sickness was unusually prevalent. GENERAL REMARKS. Those interested in this province must certainly feel satisfied at the general results of last year's trade. Fair profits were realised on the articles exported and consumed, with the exception of Tea, and the people are to-day placed in an improved position to what they were in last year at this time. An increase of buildings of a good character is seen in certain parts of the city, and what a few years ago was tillage ground is now being appropriated to dwellings A few years continuance of good crops will doubtless place Kiukiang where it was before the Taiping rebels destroyed it. An effort is being made by the officials to introduce mulberry trees, that the inhabitants may produce Silk, and thus add another important article of export to the trade. There is no reason why Silk may not advantageously be produced here as well as in the neighbouring province of Chêhkiang. Many thousands of trees have been planted, which will in two or three years be large enough to provide food for silkworms. The movement of the water in the river did not differ much from that of last year. On the 12th July it reached its highest point, 38 feet 8 inches, which is more than 2 feet below the level of the Bund. On the 13th January it reached i foot in inches, its lowest point at the beginning of the year; and on the last day of the year it was 3 feet 6 inches. The thermometer varied from 22° Fahrenheit on the 22nd of January to 94° on the 12th of August. Tables of the meteorological and barometrical readings for the year, and a metrical table showing the rise and fall of the Yangtze, drawn up by Mr. Tidesurveyor and Harbour Master MOOREHEAD, are appended to this Report. I have, etc., GEO. B. GLOVER Commissioner of Customs. ROBERT HART, ESQUIRE, Inspector General of Customs, PEKING. Appendix No. 1. SCALE, SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER OF AN INCH TO Foor. 60- 9 12 15 18 21 24 27 30 3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24 27 30 31 6 9 12 15 18 21 24 27 30 3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24.27/30 50- BUND. 30 1879 1830 1879 1880 Rainfall, 1879............ , 1880............ 5?) inches. 320 32 inches. 0. 2% inches. 0.. inches. 010 O KIUKIANG. 79 Appendix No. 2. TABLE showing the Rise and Fall of the River during the Years 1870 to 1880. SCALE, OF AN INCH TO A Foor. AX isch 1870. 1870 1871. 1871 1872. 1872 1873. 1874. 1875. 1876. 1877.1 1878. 1879. 1880. I TT * The Bund raised i foot. FALL. Rise. DATE OF Low WATER. REGISTERED BY GAUGE. DATE OF HIGH WATER. REGISTERED BY GAUGE. Feet. Inches. Feet. Inches. 7 inches 25 42 44 feet 2 feet 3 ) 1 inches بیا ه م 41 37 39 foot 8 37 م 1870, nth March .............. 1871, 6th February ..... 1872, 28th January 1873, 5th March 1874, 28th January ..... 1875, 31st December .... 1876, 29th January ...... 1877, 30th January .... 1878, 31st January 1879, 31st December ... 1880, 13th January ... 1870, 8th August..... 1871, 8th September........... 1872, 3rd July 1873, 1st August .. 1874, 30th October .. 1875, 2nd July ... 1876, 3rd July....... 1877, 23rd June ........... 1878, 14th August ..... 6th and 11th July...... 1880, 10th July ... ON-00 aaoo 32 37 ه oon aovo-00 39 31 ب با ما با پا 37 1879, 35 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. Appendix Table of the principal FOREIGN GOODS sent INLAND DESTINATION. Shirtings. Drills T-Cloths. | all kinds. of Chintza and Cotton- ades, English. Chinese. Province. | Grey. White. Dyed and Brocaded. Nanch‘ang-fu.. Kiangsi... Ining-chow.. Pieces. | Pieces. | Pieces. | Pieces. | Pieces. | Piers 62,500 1,388 31,820 3,495 | 3,600 16,000 2,335 13,070 12,350 12,660 13,600 | 2,260 950 HHokou-chen..……… Chingtê-chên........... Jaochow-fu.…………. Lop'ing-hsien ... Wannien-hsien ..... 6,550 2,400 I50 150 2,700 250 Wuning-hsien ......... Wantsai-hsien........ I5-700 3,900 義河景 ​饒樂萬武萬吉浮健南 ​貴廣撫玉 ​昌常口 ​德州平年常載安梁昌豐溪信州山 ​府州续续府縣縣縣縣府縣府縣縣府府縣 ​100 5,045 1,26o 1,300 Chian-fu .…………. Fouliang-hsien Chiench'ang-fu.... Nanfêng-hsien .......... Kueich‘i-hsien ......... Kuanghsin-fi .…………… Fuchow-fu.…………. Yüshan-hsien......... 210 ISO 1350 1,350 I, I50 1,980 5,331 TOTAL, KIANGSI. 130,930 | 10, 40 1,988 81,141 8,440 | 426 Anhwei.. 350 2,390 安慶府 ​太湖縣 ​16,590 | 260 12.035 | 400 I do Anch fing-fu..……………… Taihu-hsien .…………. Tungcheng-hsien ........ Wuyuan-hsien .......... Chrimen-hsien..……. 太桐婺称 ​源門 ​縣縣 ​TOTAL, ANHWEI.… 16,850 | | 350 | 12,435 2,570 KIUKIANG, 81 No. 3. under TRANSIT PASSES during the Year 1880. Total Sugar. Long Velvets and Vel. veteens. Turkey of Cotton Handker- chiefs. | Reds. Total of Woollen Goods. Cotton Goods. Sandal. wood. Lead. Sapan- wood. Tin. Black and White Pepper. and Cut Seaweed. Brown. White. Pieces. Piouls. Piculs. Piculs. | Piculs. Piculs. Piculs. Piculs. Pieces. 1,080 Dozens. Pieces. | Piculs. | 15,305 490 396 Pieces. 113,453 8,335 26,930 4,176 3,158 2,278 27,570 3,435 124 9,490 200 PISODES 2,950 22,653 1,968 200 140 9,513 2,560 i 610 : 500 102 2,560 7,866 144 : : 1,480 546 | 238,825 9,940 20,455 8,614 : 31,425 1,282 6,276 2,754 : 300 32,265 |-- 1,82 12,698 1,120 558 1,282 12,698 1,120 62 3,073 3,073 79 | 500 11 82 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. TABLE of the principal FOREIGN GOODS sent INLAND DESTINATION. Shirtings. T-Cloths. Drills of all kinds. Chintzen and Cotton- ades. English Chinese. Province. Grey. | White. Dyed and Brocaded. | Pieces Pieces. Pieces. | Pieces. Pieces Hupeh..... Hsingkwo-chow ...... Ch‘ichow Tungshan-hsien ....... Lungchiang-chên ........ Wuhsüeh-chên.......... Wuchang-fu .................... Wangchow-fu......... 與載 ​通龍武武黄 ​黄州府 ​TOTAL, HUPEH. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.000000 oo GRAND TOTAL, 1880.......... 148,380 10,140 2,238 93,576 11,070 4,260 . . . . . . . . . . 111,799 19,345 Quantity sent Inland, 1877..... > . . 1878..... » » » 1879................ 4,029 7,510 8,178 1,600 1,680 108,440 126,480 78,641 77,370 79,465 10,140 2,263 2,678 3,040 9,904 KIUKIANG. under TRANSIT PASSES during the Year 1880—Continued. Velvets Total Sugar. Turkey Cotton of Handker | Woollen Total of Cotton Goods. and Vel veteens, Sandal. | Sapan- wood. I wood. Lead. Tin. Black and White Pepper. Long and Cut Seaweed. Reds. chiefs. Goods. Brown. | White. Pieces. Pieces. Pieces. Dozens. Pieces. Piculs. Piculs. Piculs. Piculs. Piculs. Piculs. | Piculs. | Piculs. 556 151 945 332 278 708 89 38 844 221 823 139 660 10 | 4,003 1,139 L 39 1,901 1,540 271,750 9,940 21,747 16,701 2,259 11,726 120 149 2,420 220,710 23,437 14,118 2,084 14,325 147 184 2,013 1,764 9,880 8,370 1,478 1,965 30 || 210,012 22,074 13,273 / 732 26,371 420 142 1,964 300 231,411 5,930 25,665 18,091 1,067 III 12,792 252 168 2,343 84 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. Appendix METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS taken JANUARY. FEBRUARY. MARCH. APRIL. MAY. JUNE. DAY OF THE MONTH. | Bar. Ther. Bar. Ther. | Bar. Ther. Bar. Ther. Bar. Ther. Bar. Ther. 12 M. Мах. Min. 12 M. Max. Min. 12 M. Max. Min. 12 M. Max. Min. | 12 M. | Max. Min. 12 m. | Max. In. 30.20 30.10 In. 30.38 30.38 42 In. 29.88 29.92 72 65 30.20 30.42 29.90 In. 30.10 30.22 30.08 30.14 30.26 30.14 30.12 30.28 In. 29.88 29.80 29.72 29.70 29.56 30.20 30.40 30.26 30.18 30.13 29.70 30.16 30.06 30.06 30.20 30.22 30.22 30.16 30.22 29.64 29.66 29.66 30.30 30.12 In. 30.18 30.22 30.12 29.98 29.92 29.98 29.85 29.72 29.80 29.94 30.15 30.18 30.20 30.10 30.18 30.32 30.10 30.00 29.88 29.72 30.20 30.21 30.20 30.20 30.14 30.06 30.08 30.12 30.10 30.10 30.28 30.32 30.28 30.30 29.78 29.62 29.86 29.84 29.62 29.59 29.60 29.52 29.80 29.84 29.86 29.95 29.96 29.94 29.84 29.72 29.86 29.94 29.80 29.76 29.78 29.74 29.64 29.66 29.64 29.50 29.60 29.82 29.79 29.73 29.66 29.58 29.64 29.60 29.58 29.60 30.10 30.16 30.04 30.30 30.20 30.36 30.54 30.56 30.46 30.46 29.89 29.80 30.00 29.98 29.82 29.94 29.84 30.28 30.26 30.20 30.28 30.40 30.28 30.14 29.95 29.82 29.80 29.98 29.78 30.30 30.40 29.76 29.74 29.80 29.84 29.84 30.38 29.80 29.94 29.76 29.84 29.86 29.80 29.68 29.94 30.10 30.06 30.02 30.58 30.28 30.22 30.08 30.12 30.30 30.40 29.62 29.58 29.54 30.46 30.32 30.28 30.44 30.28 29.50 29.44 30.06 65 55 KIUKIANG. 85 No. 4. at the PORT of KIUKIANG during 1880. JULY. AUGUST. SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER DAY OF THE MONTH. Bar. Ther. | Bar. Ther. 1 Bar. Ther. Bar. Ther. Bar. Ther. Bar. Ther. 11 M. Max. Min. 12 m. Max. Min. 12 M. Max. Min. 12 M. Max. Min. 12 m. Max. Min. 12 M. Max. Min. IS In. In. 29.62 29.66 29.74 29.52 29.60 29.52 In. 29.60 29.56 29.52 29.48 29.44 29.52 29.50 29.56 29.64 29.60 29.56 29.58 29.60 29.60 In. 29.92 29.90 29.92 29.84 29.78 29.74 29.78 29.80 29.90 29.74 29.74 29.74 29.80 29.90 29.90 29.90 In. 29.98 29.94 30.00 29.96 30.06 30.02 30.06 30.06 30.02 29.88 29.84 30.02 30.04 In. 30.16 30.12 30.14 30.24 30.21 30.24 30.26 30.36 30.36 30.30 30.29 30.13 30.12 30.18 30.30 29.62 30.04 30.02 29.92 30.02 30.10 30.18 30.22 30.32 30.22 30.26 30.34 30.42 30.42 30.34 30.22 30.12 30.14 30.16 30.22 30.08 30.04 30.16 30.16 29.60 29.52 29.60 29.64 30.00 29.60 30.26 29.60 29.82 29.60 29.80 29.66 30.00 30.02 30.02 29.98 30.00 30.04 29.96 29.96 30.02 30.32 30.34 30.43 30. 32 30.22 30.32 29.74 29.70 29.65 29.62 30.50 29.60 29.55 29.54 29.54 29.50 29.48 29.40 29.50 29.54 29.60 29.60 29.60 29.64 29.60 29.54 29.92 29.78 29.72 29.72 29.76 29.98 30.06 30.02 30.02 29.92 29.90 29.90 29.94 30.08 30.20 29.62 29.59 29.62 29.68 29.78 29.72 29.80 30.40 30.14 30.04 29.92 29.96 30.02 30.12 30.40 30.32 30.32 30.16 30.48 30.42 30.35 30.56 30.56 30.36 30.38 30.38 29.90 30.18 86 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. TRA WUHU TRADE REPORT, FOR THE YEAR 1880. [Received 21st March 1881.] CUSTOM HOUSE, WUHU, 15th March 1881. SIR, In compliance with your instructions, I now have the honour to hand you my Report on the trade of Wuhu for the year 1880. The net total value of the trade of the port for the year amounted to Ak.Tts. 3,934,144, against Hk.Tts. 3,563,573 in 1879. This increase will be found in the value of our Export trade, for while there is a slight increase in the value of Foreign goods imported, there is a corre- sponding decrease in the value of the Native produce imported. IMPORTS. increa The net value of Foreign Imports was Hk.fts. 2,374,575, against Hk.Tts. 2,323,857 in 1879. OPIUM ranks first, showing a net value of Hk.Its. 1,762,535 (after deducting. Hk.Tts. 401, being the excess of re-export above import of Benares), or 74.23 per cent. of the value of the trade in Foreign Imports. During the year there have been 3,430.80 piculs net imported (or an average of 286 chests per mensem), being an increase of 289.80 piculs over the year 1879, 1,049.90 piculs over 1878, and 2,269.31 piculs over 1877. Of this amount, Malwa alone represents 3,367 piculs. . In 1879 Wuhu ranked as the eleventh of the 19 open ports as a distributing centre for drug, but, basing my calculations on the figures given in the “Customs Gazettes” for the four quarters of 1880, she will now be found to be the eighth It is said that at the close of the year there remained some 300 chests on the market unsold; and of the quantity sold, about }ths were sent to Lüchow-fu, Wuwei-chow, and Hochow; ths to Ank'ing; ths each to Hweichow-fu and Ch‘ihchow-fu; nth to Ningkwo-fu; and the balance of ths to T'aip'ing-fu (including local consumption at Wuhu). WUHU. 87 The system of farming the Likin, referred to in my Report for 1878, not having met with the approval of the higher authorities, was abolished very shortly after its introduction. Cotton Goods amounted to Hk.Its. 207,779, or 8.75 per cent., being Hk.fts. 10,564 in excess of 1879. The quantities imported of most of the items vary but slightly from the figures of the previous year. The most noticeable exception being English Sheetings, which prior to 1880 do not appear to have found a market at this port; the net importation for the year was 3,840 pieces, valued at Hk.Fts. 8,064,—a sum which of itself almost accounts for the increase in value of our total Cottons. WOOLLEN GOODS amounted to Hk.Its. 80,658, or 3.40 per cent., being Hk.its. 20,031 less than in 1879. The principal items were English Camlets, 2,620 pieces; Broad and Medium Cloth, 702 pieces ; Long Ells, 2,800 pieces ; Lustres and Orleans, 900 pieces; and Spanish Stripes, 690 pieces; all of which, with the exception of Spanish Stripes, show a falling off. METALS only represented 0.90 per cent of the value of the Foreign Imports, or Hk.its. 21,411, being Hk.rts. 4,118 less than in 1879. With the exception of Tin in Plates, the importations have all been in slightly smaller quantities than last year. SUNDRIES amounted to Hk.Pts. 302,192, or 12.72 per cent. Of this amount, Sugar alone represents Hk.fts. 164,352; there having been 13,373.27 piculs of Brown and 17,609.48 piculs of White imported during the year, the whole of which, with the exception of 475.17 piculs, has been sent inland under Transit Pass. This branch of the trade shows a falling off of about 6,650 piculs in comparison with last year. Sandalwood only attained to 5,664.85 piculs, valued at Hk.fts. 22,065, against 7,161.16 piculs in 1879; of which about one-third was forwarded inland under Transit Pass. The demand for Kerosene Oil appears to be steadily increasing. In 1877 the net importation was only 2,190 gallons, in 1878 it was 20,040 gallons, in 1879 it was 59,190 gallons, and last year it was 69,410 gallons. The net value of the Native Imports was Hk.Pts. 544,860, and the gross value Hk.Tts. 552,971. Of this amount, Shanghai contributed Hk.fts. 347,140, or 62.78 per cent.; Hankow, Hk.Tts. 163,437, or 29.55 per cent.; Kiukiang, Hk.its. 33,574, or 6.07 per cent.; Chinkiang, Hk.Tts. 6,803, or 1.23 per cent.; and Ningpo, HK.fts. 2,017, or 0.37 per cent. The net quantities of the principal articles imported were :- Dates, Black and Red ..... Piculs 1,438.96 Hl.fts. 6,545 Fans, Paper ........ Pieces 67,025 , 4,051 Fungus . . . . . . . . . Piculs 496.53 14,902 Grasscloth, Coarse and Fine .. » 996.87 29,741 Iron, Unmanufactured ..... » 2,785.50 6,069 Lung-ngans, Dried . ..... » 1,176.60 9,291 Medicines . . . . . . . . . » 2,197.64 12,552 Nankeens . . . . . . . . . 954.16 32,378 Oil, Wood ......... 10,259.46 54,451 Sugar, Brown . . . . . . . 15,567.98 61,943 88 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. Sugar, White ........ Piculs 32,914.26 Hk.its. 207,590 » Candy . ....... ~ 756 » 6,744 Tallow, Vegetable. ...... „ 2,234.40 18,993 Of the above, Fans, Wood Oil, and Sugar show an increase, while Dates, Nankeens, and Vegetable Tallow have decreased. With the exception of Wood Oil and Nankeens, however, the fluctuations call for no comment. With regard to the former, I am inclined to the opinion that the increase is owing to a less than average yield of the seed in the producing districts in 1879 having caused a less than average importation during that year, consequently the small stocks in hand at the commencement of 1880 were soon exhausted, and caused dealers to send forward larger orders during the year to meet the demand. This trade, however, is carried on principally in Native bottoms. Nankeens reach us from Shanghai and Hankow. Those from Shanghai are principally Foreign Cottons which have been dyed in China, and thus changed their origin. The importations of these goods have been in average quantities; but the Hankow Native Cloths have decreased by about one-half. I am told by one of the principal local dealers in this class of goods that Hankow Nankeens, laid down at Wuhu by Native boat, cost for freight and Customs dues about its. 1.2.5.0 per bale of 90 catties. Consequently, if this man's statement can be believed, the decrease in our Returns of this article is not to be wondered at, for if carried by river steamers the Customs duties alone (Export and Coast trade) would be Hk.fts. 2.2.5.0 per picul, and the freight would be about another 5 mace per picul. Szechwan Opium, which has not previously figured among our articles of import, has this year come to hand to the extent of 8.78 piculs, valued at Hk.Its. 2,539. Its cheapness, in comparison with the Foreign drug, will doubtless commend it to the poorer class of consumers. RE-EXPORTS. The total value of the Foreign and Native goods re-exported was Hk.its. 45,965. Of this sum, Opium alone represented Hk.its. 35,835, and Grasscloth, Hk.its. 7,333. EXPORTS. The value of our Native produce exported has steadily increased year by year. During the year under review it amounted to Hk.Tts. 1,014,709, against Hk.Tts.635,374 in 1879, Hk.fts. 594,945 in 1878, and Hk.its. 365,669 in 1877. The proportion of trade with each port was as follows:- Shanghai. .......... Hk.Pts. 840,948, or 82.88 per cent. Hankow ........... „ 81,049, „ 7.99 » Canton ........... „ 70,975, » 6.99 » Kiukiang . . . . . . . . . . . 16,131, „ 1.59 Chinkiang ........... 5,606, „ 0.55 WUHU. 89 and consisted of Silk Piece Goods . . . . . . . . Hk.Its. 401,014, or 39.52 per cent. , Raw . . . . . · · · · · · 118,553, „ 11.68 Rice . . . . . . . . . . . . - 265,271, „ 26,14 Teas . ............ „ 67,c76, „ 6.61 , Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . 63,381, „ 6.25 Cotton, Raw .......... „ 40,723, „ 4.01 » Other articles and Sundries unenumerated , 58,691, „ 5.79 Coal shows a decrease of 2,305 tons in comparison with 1879. The quantity hitherto produced has been of so indifferent a nature that there has been but little demand for it. Of the 1,010 tons exported during the year, Shanghai has taken 840 tons, and Chinkiang the balance. I am told that a seam of superior quality has lately been found, and hopes are entertained that a large demand will spring up during 1881. Soochow is spoken of as a probable market for it. Raw Cotton was shipped to the extent of 5,701.39 piculs, being about four times the quantity exported during 1879. Of this amount, 4.397.25 piculs were supplied by Wuchiang- chên, and 1,295.31 piculs by Hochow. The increase is partly owing to favourable crops, and partly to shippers coming to the conclusion that transport by steamer, though more expensive, is quicker and more profitable in the long run than that by Native boats. Liquid Indigo was exported to the amount of 653.09 piculs, valued at Hk.fts. 2,308. It reached us principally from the province of Kiangsi, and was shipped to Shanghai and Chinkiang—536.66 piculs to the former port, and 116.43 piculs to the latter. Medicines, in comparison with last year, show a falling off of 1,266.23 piculs. There were 32 different sorts, against 29 in 1879. The following list of the varieties exported during the last three years may perhaps be of value to those who take an interest in Chinese materia medica :- 1878. 1879. 1880. NAME. Quantity. Quantity. / Value. Quantity. Value. Piculs. | Hk. Its Piculs. Hk.Ft. Piculs. | Hk.Fts. 10.32 20.64 118.87 346.20 2,674.30 8,022.29 27 118.53 14.05 1,614.84 4,482.79 Ch‘aihu ( Chikêng ( Ch'ienshih # Chihling to Chinghsiang ( ) Ch'iushih (FX T). Chungshu ( Di).. Fengshuyeh (楓樹葉​) Hsiehtzŭ ( )... 42.01 1,835.41 0.70 1.17 5,512.90 2.80 4.68 3.90 27.80 56.20 564.96 14.25 11.24 188.32 0.95 56.23 180.29 34.25 500.33 694.27 68.60 12 90 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. 1878. 1879. 1880. NAME. Quantity. Value. | Quantity. Value. | Quantity. Value. Piculs. Hle. Its Piculs. Hk.fts. Hk. Pts. 5.89 Piculs. I1.78 0.97 2.83 3.88 2.83 作曲 ​1.93 71.81 | 2.13 2.89 281.24 16.72 689.80 46.96 | 0.74 | 1.70 4-50 IO.20 172.45 15.87 1.30 1.40 6.50 5.60 15 | 0.53 18.89 5 | 1.12 5.04 989.56 | 9517.99 685.26 1.75 4.03 2.50 5-42 75.03 6,460.92 10.jo 18.14 17.50 10.84 300.12 32.52 I30.08 花​)..……. Huashih (滑 ​Hungniangtza (紅娘子​)..… Imutzů Kutsen 參​)..…… Kuangku 菇​).…… Kueipan 板​)..………… Lienhsü 最​).........… Lupa 巴​).. …. Mapo 勃​)..…… Maoshu 花​).……… Menghua 花​).…… Mingtang 紫​)..……. Nanhsing 星​).……… Paiho (白 ​合​).…… Paiputs'ao (百 ​部草​)..…………. Paihsienpi ( 百 ​藤皮​).……… Paishao 药​)……… Paishu Panhsia ・ 夏​).....… Piehchia ( 繁 ​甲 ​)..…… Shancha ( 山 ​楂 ​).…… Shanyujou Shouwu ( 首 ​烏 ​)..…… Sutzů 子​).… … Tanhsü (丹 ​最​).......... Tankên 根​).……… Tanp'i 皮​)..……… Tants tao 草​).……… Tantsên 參​).………. Tsangchu 花​)..…… Tsaojên 仁​).…… Tuchingp'i (£ Tuchung 仲​).………… Tzůsutzů 蘇子​).…… Tzüyüan 施​).……… Yaoku 豬​).…… Yichu ( 玉 ​竹 ​) 「娘母 ​紅位借光能建僅馬茅業明南白百百白白 ​一部蘇 ​石子子參荔板鬚巴勃机花紫星们草皮劫加夏甲樹如鳥羽根皮草參加台女仲于施嘉价 ​旭丹借儒生杜 ​荆 ​蘇 ​33.53 24.22 242.92 135.02 II.67 21.73 16.10 36.16 29.20 185.80 87.60 | 3-42 167.30 48.27 17.80 131.76 非常非常非常 ​5.20 20.82 1.6L | 7.09 54.93 164.79 8.66 0.80 353.35 3.42 24.60 1.60 1,693.52 10.26 2.92 115.0L 53.87 523-74 13. II 41.83 5.42 8.76 1325.80 15492 2,665.80 37.73 136.74 16.26 373.61 65.18 14.83 1,868.15 230.45 42.46 19.62 9.81 | 0.80 6.40 我有 ​… 2.72 5.44 | 0.50 15 33 1.75 3.96 61.25 17.92 34.58 情義 ​13.30 1.36 132.30 | 132.74 0.66 32.34 127.96 6.07 24.28 WUHU. 1878. 1879. 1880. NAME. Quantity. Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value. Piculs. Hk.Fts. Piculs. Hk.fts. Piculs. 2.50 Hk.fts 30 13.68 18.16 Yüjou ( Yüpři (# Yuanchih Yinhua ( Wuyao ( .. ). ).. 7€). ). 0.50 1.60 1.19 3.60 10.71 10.80 . . . . . . . . . . . 4.20 9.20 Paper has been exported to the extent of 1,501.05 piculs, against 1,192.59 piculs in 1879, and has come from Chinghsien. Rice has been greatly in demand for the South. The crops in this province have been remarkably good, but, owing to the large quantities on the market, rates have ruled low, and the farmers feel disappointed at their profits having been thus curtailed. Shippers, on the other hand, have been able to realise handsome prices. The total exportation was 210,369.96 piculs, or more than three times the quantity that left the port in Foreign bottoms during the preceding year. Of this amount, about eight-tenths are said to have come from Ningkwo-fu and T'aip'ing-fu, while only two-tenths from the large Rice-producing districts of Lüchow-fu. There have been 86,312 piculs shipped under Huchao, and free of duty, for use in the distressed districts in Kwangtung Raw Silk shows an increase over last year of 152.67 piculs; the export in 1880 being 534.54 piculs, against 381.87 piculs in 1879. Nearly the whole of this amount came from Chinghsien, in Ningkwo-fu, a small portion coming from Chingyang, in Ch‘ihchow-fu. The bulk of the Chingyang Silk, I am told, is sent direct to Nanking. Silk Piece Goods, which are almost all Nanking Satins, were exported to the extent of 985.90 piculs, valued at Hk.fts. 401,014, against 639.81 piculs, Hk.Its. 294,315, in 1879. Tea has not yet developed into an important branch of the trade of this port. The total export was—Black, 1,027.04 piculs; Green, 780.39 piculs; and Leaf, 380.13 piculs; against Black, 2,154.03 piculs, and Green, 232.30 piculs, in 1879. TRANSIT. The value of the Foreign goods sent inland under Transit Passes was Hk.its. 279,092, or 45.60 per cent. of the net Foreign Imports (excluding Opium), against Hk.fts. 328,283, or 50.41 per cent., in 1879. I append a table showing the quantities of the principal goods sent to each depart- ment under Transit Pass during the year, from which it will be seen that Ch‘ihchow-fu has been our largest consumer, the supplies drawn from us by that department being valued at Hk.Fts. 95,483; next come Ank'ing-fu, representing Hk.Tts. 79,810; Ningkwo-fu, Hk.Tts. 53,348; and Lüchow-fu, Hk.Tts. 23,444; the balance may be said to have been divided between Hochow, 92 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. Kiangning-fu, and Liuan-chow, as the value of the trade with the remaining four departments is too small to be noticed—making a total of only Hk.Pts. 1,066. It will be noted that, with the exception of Kiangning-fu (in Kiangsu) and Kwangchow (in Honan), which took goods to the value of Hk.Its. 8,335 and Hk.Pts. 121 respectively, the whole of our Transit trade has been confined to the prefectures in this province. Kiangning-fu naturally draws the bulk of its supplies from Chinkiang. In 1877 it took 100 pieces Grey Shirtings and 150 pieces T-Cloths under Transit Pass from this port; but during the years 1878 and 1879 not a single piece of either Cottons or Woollens was sent to that department through this office. During 1880, however, a change seems to have taken place, and a recommencement of trade sprung up, as we have issued Transit Passes for that prefecture covering 1,935 pieces of Cottons, 97 pieces of Woollens, 224.56 piculs of Metals, 450.86 piculs of Sugars, and 314.47 piculs of Sandalwood. Although our trade with Lüchow-fu is still insignificant, it has considerably increased as regards Sugars and Sandalwood, while Piece Goods and Metals show a slight falling off. The dealers in this large Rice-producing district have hitherto sent their produce to Chinkiang in preference to Wuhu, as the older port offers not only a better market for the disposal of their grain, etc., and enjoys greater facilities for storage and shipping, but it is also a much larger and better market for purchasing such Foreign goods as may be required to be taken back on the return trip. Consequently, until Wuhu can boast of more suitable godown accommodation, and a market stocked with a larger and more varied assortment of Foreign produce, she can hardly expect to tempt the Lüchow men to ascend the 10 miles of the Yangtze from Yüchi-k‘ow to Wuhu, instead of following the stream 90 miles to Chinkiang. A step in the right direction, however, has been made by an enterprising Native merchant (engaged principally in the Piece Goods trade), who has commenced the erection of a very fair-sized godown, immediately adjoining our present offices, for the purpose of storing grain. Three or four more buildings of this nature, erected near the bank of the river, would do much, I fancy, towards increasing the trade and prosperity of the port. There have been no Transit Passes taken out during the year to bring Native produce from the interior. REVENUE. The total dues and duties collected during the year amounted to Hk.its. 51,657.5.4.9, being an excess of Hk.Pts. 16,833.2.6.5 over 1879. The subjoined comparative table shows the different heads under which the duties were collected, and the amount of increase or decrease of each heading :- DESCRIPTION. 1879. 1880. INCREASE. DECREASE. Hk.ftsm.c.c. Hk.ftsm.c.c. 71.4.9.8 Hk. Item.c.c. 177.6.5.5 2,757.7.6.9 25,449.5.1.9 157.8.7.9 6,281.4.6.2 Import Duties ...... Coast Trade Duties ......... Export Duties....... Tonnage Dues....... Transit , TOTAL.............. Hk.fts. Hk. Itsm.c.c. 106. 1.5.7 6,097.4.8.5 40,241.8.7.4 77.9.6.3 5,134.0.7.0 3,339.7.1.6 14,792.3.5.5 79.9.1.6 1,147.3.9.2 34,824.2.8.4 51,657.5.4.9 18,132.0.7.1 1,298.8.0.6 WUHU. 93 The decrease in Import Duties and Tonnage Dues cannot, as far as this port is concerned, be taken as a sign of diminution of trade, as we have no direct Foreign Imports, and the Tonnage Dues on river steamers, which constitute nearly the entire shipping business of this port, are collected by the Shanghai office. So that such Import Duties as we do collect are either on goods that have short paid at the port from which imported, or else on uncertificated goods brought by passengers in too large quantities to be exempted; and Tonnage Dues are confined to either the Ch‘ihchow coal-boats or an occasional lorcha. Our Export Duties show the most satisfactory and encouraging increase of Hk.Tts. 14,792.3.5.5. Of the total collected, viz., Hk.Its. 40,241.8.7.4, Rice may be said to have contributed 31 per cent.; Silk Piece Goods, 29 per cent.; Raw Silk, 13 per cent. ; and Teas, 13 per cent. ; or, in other words, 86 per cent. of our Export Duties have been collected on the four above-mentioned articles. SHIPPING The total amount of tonnage employed during the year, inwards and outwards, was 1,630 vessels, representing 1,450,063 tons, and was divided between the different nationalities in the following proportions:- TOTAL TRIPS. TONNAGE EMPLOYED. British ......... 63.44 per cent. Chinese . . . . . . . . 35.21 American ........ 0.74 » German ........ 0.49 » Danish . . . . . . . . . 0.12 58.15 per cent. 41.51 0.12 » 0.20 » 0.02 Our tonnage table is considerably augmented by the entries and clearances of three lines of British steamers running on the river, which, as far as Wuhu is concerned, can hardly be said to be engaged in the carrying trade, as they for the most part only stop here to land and take in passengers; the actual carrying trade being done almost entirely under the Chinese flag, as demonstrated by the following figures of the per-centage of the gross value of the total trade :- VALUE. PER-CENTAGE. 97.55 Hk.Tts. Chinese ............. 3,927,299 British . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71,612 German ............. 18,036 American . . . . . . . . . . 8,802 Danish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.78 On 0.44 0.22 0.01 325 94 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. TREASURE. The total Treasure and Copper Cash imported in 1880 was Hk.fts. 280,659, against Hk.Its. 294,156 in 1879; while the amount exported was Hk.Fts. 3,493,4 Hk.fts. 3,187,393 in 1879. The following table shows the quantity supplied to and from each port during 1880:- Port. IMPORTED. EXPORTED. PORT. IMPORTED. EXPORTED. Hk.fts. 129,842 135,832 Hk. Its 265,674 . . . . . . . . . . . Shanghai... Chinkiang ......... Nanking ....... Tat’ung.............. Carried forward...... Hk.Its. 1,844,155 | 1,357,634 3,084 11,853 Brought forward..... Anking Kiukiang........ Hankow .. Hk.Its. 3,216,726 106,515 159,669 10,492 10,649 4,336 265,674 | 3,216,726 TOTAL... 280,659 3,493,402 When it is taken into consideration that a considerable quantity of our Imports are paid for by Native bank bills, it may seem somewhat strange that our export of Treasure should so much more than balance the difference between the value of our Import and Export trade, as shown by the following figures :- 1877. 1878. 1879. 1880. Hk.Its. Net value of Foreign Imports .. 893,408 „ „ „ Native „ .. 327,605 Hk.Tts. 1,925,075 699,456 Hkits. 2,323,857 604,342 Hk.Its. 2,374,575 544,860 Total Imports .... 1,221,013 Total Exports . .. 365,669 2,624,531 594,945 2,928,199 635,374 2,919,435 1,014,709 The value of the Imports therefore ! exceeded our Exports by.. 855,344 2,029,586 2,292,825 1,904,726 But the excess of Treasure ex- / ported over imported was. Š ogo 890,562 2,224,624 2,893,237 3,212,743 Thus leaving ...... Hk.Fts. 35,218 195,038 600,412 1,308,017. more Treasure exported than appears to have been necessary to counterbalance the excess of Imports over Exports. The excess may be said to be Treasure (principally Carolus and Mexican dollars) shipped to Chinkiang for the purpose of 1°, paying for the Yangchow Salt brought here by Native junks; and 2°, buying up Kiangsi bills which have been sent to Chinkiang by the Kiangsi men for Salt. Not only is there a great demand here for these bills—as the WUHU. 95 Kiangsi merchants prefer them to'hard cash in payment for the Paper, Earthenware, etc., they bring here by Native craft,-but it is also found to be a profitable transaction, owing to gain by exchange. These two reasons will almost account for the difference shown above, but a certain proportion may also be put down as Government remittances. I have, etc., J. LLOYD E. PALM, Acting Commissioner of Customs. To ROBERT HART, ESQUIRE, Inspector General of Customs, PEKING. 96 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. Appendix.- TABLE of the principal FOREIGN Goods sent INLAND SOUTH OF THE YANGTZE. Cottons, Sheetings, Handker- Velvets. Shirtings, T-Cloths. A Drills, Drills, Sheetings, Sheetings, Handker- lya. Other Grey. American. English. American. English. | chiefs. sorts. Total Cottons. Department. Chinese. | Province. Pieces. Pieces. Pieces. | Pieces. Pieces. | Pieces. Dozens. Pieces Pieces. Pieces. 9,590 7,990 330 855 2,430 1,170 1,600 Anhwei ..... Kiangsu... Anhwei... 25,235 1,935 200 105 Ch‘ihchow-fu.... AL JH Kiangning-fu.... IT W Ningkwo-fu ...... # Taip'ing-fu ..... * Kwangtê-chow ... * 200 1,150 400 200 I 20 135 * 1,029 常國平 ​德 ​TOTAL....................... .......... 11,140 8,390 570 1,085 12,510 1,290 1,800 724 28,199 NORTH OF THE YANGTZE. Ank'ing-fu....... W Anhwei ..... Ch‘uchow-fu...... The WHO Hochow........... FU HH! Kwangchow ...... * 144 Honan. Liuan-chow...... Anhwei ..... Lüchow-fu........ W ## ..... TOTAL.............................. 1,194 2,285 585 1,330 1,800 750 690 Total sent Inland in 1880..... 12,334 » » 1879..... 12,825 9,190 10,880 1,175 1,615 566 2,630 3,027 30,484 32,910 2,634 676 687 Number of Transit Passes issued » » » » WUHU. 97 TRANSIT TRADE. under TRANSIT Passes during the Year 1880. Woollens, Total 1 S Long Ells. English. Iron, Nail-rod. other sorts. Metals, other sorts. Total Metals. Sugar, Brown. Sugar, White. Sandal- Total Sugar (including Candy). wood. Value of Trade with Departments, including Sundries not enumerated in this Table. Pieces. Pieces. Pieces. Pieces. Piculs. Piculs. Piculs. Piculs. Piculs. Piculs. Piculs, Hk.Fts 229 1,396 318.55 2,080.45 1,401.75 3,827.48 491.55 1,761.90 217.56 264.60 95,483 8,335 7. 224.56 330.13 2,377.23 197.36 5,629.69 253.50 2,819.18 450.86 8,463.87 38.10 314.47 301.67 65.53 53,348 8.22 142.62 19.50 18.60 906 134.40 8.40 8.40 16 | 283 1,580 2,386.86 | 399.30 2,786.164,493.93 8,222.88 12,780.31 1,107.69 158,088 4.20 4.20 5,524.03 / 6,015.48 || 11,549.51 320.72 79,810 ... 73 12,668 237.10 1,621.91 || 1,862.01 36.55 22.96 121 50.60 114.10 4,888 63.50 1,572.62 37.80 43.80 2,705.53 4,283.15 302.15 23,444 309 | 42 | 28.96 | 70.96 8,517.26 9,273.51 17,808.77 659.42 121,004 654 915 320 1,889 2,428.86 428.26 279,092 2,857.12 13,011.19 3,557.96 | 17,927.05 17,496.39 19,384.49 30,589.08 37,485.79 1,767.11 2,645.80 1,042 1,240 719 3,001 2,696.82 861.14 328,283 during the Year 1880............ 1,179. „ „ 1879............ 1,493. 13 98 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. CHINKIANG TRADE REPORT, FOR THE YEAR 1880. [Received 9th May 1881.] CUSTOM HOUSE, CHINKIANG, 31st March 1881. SIR, In compliance with your instructions, I have the honour to hand you my Report on the trade of Chinkiang for the year 1880. SHIPPING. The total number and tonnage of steamers and sailing vessels entered and cleared during last year compare with the figures for 1879 as follows: 1879. 1880. INCREASE. DECREASE. DESCRIPTION. No. Tons. No. Tons. I No. Tons. No. Tons. 366 Steamers .......... Sailing Vessels ....... 1,372 1,335,396 1,738 1,628,968 1,463 143,393 1,313 148,098 293,572 4,705 L ... 150 TOTAL...... 2,835 1,478,789 3,051 1,777,066 216 298,277 The total number of steamers trading under the Shanghai River Pass were- British, 1,044, 853,438 tons; and Chinese, 542, 601,858 tons; the former showing an increase by 276 steamers and 160,466 tons, and the latter by 24 steamers and 66,908 tons, or a total increase by 300 steamers and 227,474 tons in the vessels regularly engaged in the river traffic, and in which no vessels of any other nationality took part. The total number of ordinary ocean steamers was 152, 173,672 tons, as against 86 of 107,574 tons. Of these, 98 of 116,694 tons, against 66 of 93,924 tons in 1879, were British; 16 of 12,226 tons, against 16 of 9,190 tons, Chinese; 20 of 18,826 tons, against 4 of 4,460 tons, were German; and the remainder was made up by 2 Danish steamers, 1,566 tons; 2 Dutch, 2,074 tons; 4 French, 4,604 tons; and 10 Russian, 17,682 tons. Of these ocean steamers, 48 British steamers, 76,284 tons; 4 German, 4,544 tons; 4 French, 4,604 tons; and 8 Russian, CHINKIANG. 99 16,780 tons, passed up in ballast to Hankow, and back, bound to Europe direct with Teas, against a total of 68 steamers, 97,860 tons, in 1879; 1 British, 1,240 tons, returned again in ballast, en route to Shanghai, owing to damage sustained by collision in Hankow; and the remainder, 36 British, 32,830 tons; 4 Chinese, 3,178 tons; 16 German, 14,282 tons; 2 Dutch, 2,074 tons; 2 Danish, 1,566 tons; and 2 Russian, 902 tons, arrived in ballast, and left with full cargoes of Rice, all for Canton, with the exception of a small per-centage which went to Tientsin, Chefoo, and Foochow. Among sailing vessels, those under the American flag increased to 284 of 40,474 tons last year, from 224 of 31,024 tons in 1879; British to 162, 32,838 tons, from 150, 26,560 tons; Danish, to 96, 15,076 tons, from 39, 4,928 tons; German to 78, 11,078 tons, from 62, 8,110 tons. On the other hand, those under the Spanish flag fell from 116 of 12,878 tons in 1879 to 8 of 1,390 tons during last year; and the number of Chinese junks chartered by Foreigners that frequented the port under the Special Junk Pass also declined from 872, 59,893 tons, to 685, 47,242 tons. VALUES. The total values of the trade during the last three years compare as follows:- 1878. 1879. 1880. Net Foreign Imports.... , Native „ .... Exports ... Hk. Pts. 9,268,259 3,425,2 30 2,163,823 Hk. Hts. 9,900,889 3,000,259 773,450 Hk.Its. 8,903,265 3,485,136 1,908,918 TOTAL..................... Hk.Fts. 14,857,312 13,674,598 14,297,319 Our Foreign Import trade is thus shown to have decreased in value by close upon Hk.fts. 1,000,000, whereas our Native Imports improved by nearly half that amount; and our Exports rose again by more than double the total decrease in the value of our Import trades, Foreign and Native taken together. Yet, on the whole, the trade during last year' has not been altogether satisfactory. The serious decrease in our Foreign Import trade must be attributed generally to the trouble which threatened China all last year, viz., a war with Russia, which kept many large buyers both here and in Shanghai from entering into extensive operations; and partly also to the long drought, which cut off all water communication with many of the large inland distributing markets, even of those districts where no actual failure of the crops had occurred to check the means of the consumers to fully meet their wants by the purchase of Imports. Wuhu also continues to affect our Import trade more and more every year. This is more especially the case as regards Opium and Sugars; it is not so as yet with regard to Piece Goods, owing to the absence of Native hongs at that port with sufficient capital to keep a stock of suitable goods on hand. Whilst Opium and Sugars are paid for in cash, a large credit has to be given to Anhwei (e ) dealers in Piece Goods for several months, and this cannot be got at Wuhu. But even 100 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. here of late the credit system has been considerably curtailed, owing to constant failures. Cash payments for Piece Goods have therefore been also demanded here from all inland dealers of not sufficiently unquestionable reputation, and the result has been that those dealers who have had to bring their sycee with them have since gone for their supplies as much, if not in preference, to Shanghai, where they can get them cheaper, and enjoy moreover a greater selection, with the same facilities also as regards the transport of their Foreign purchases direct to their homes inland under Transit Passes. As regards our Native Import trade, which, on the other hand, shows an increase in value, it yet cannot be taken as of much direct importance, so far as our general Import trade is concerned, inasmuch as that increase again is brought about in great measure by the arrival of Native Sugars in larger quantities direct from the southern ports, instead of, as previously, with a detour viâ Hongkong; and it is on the ground of this detour alone that, in accordance with existing practice, the Sugars thus conveyed, which otherwise are the very same kinds of Sugars, are treated as Foreign, and accordingly permitted to be conveyed inland under Transit Passes like Foreign goods. Indeed, looked at in this light, the terms Foreign and Native Sugars in our Returns are altogether misnomers. It happened last year that Messrs. BUTTERFIELD & SWIRE's and other steamers went more frequently than before with northern cargoes to Swatow, and thence brought back Sugars to Shanghai; not only was the freight very low on these direct shipments, but, besides, the extra freight and charges to and from Hongkong were in this way altogether avoided. Eight-tenths of the Chinese hongs dealing here in Sugars are owned by Swatow merchants, and since they only deal for the most part with local firms, and do not care to sell their Imports to inland dealers on credit for conveyance inland under Transit Passes, they gladly availed themselves of the extra means offering to get their Sugars brought direct from Swatow, rather than viâ Hongkong, in spite of the privilege attached to the latter route, this privilege being of no direct value to themselves. The increase in the total value of our Exports, which, as before shown, amounts to Hk.Pts. 1,135,468 over the 1879 value of Hk.Tts. 773,450, is, to within rather over Hk.Tts. 55,000 of the total, made up by the increase in our Rice export to Canton. In the northern districts of that province the crops had been destroyed by floods, and the extra demand thus caused was towards the end of the year still further intensified by the prohibition put upon the export of Rice from Annam, whence also Canton ordinarily procures its extra supplies. The first portions of Rice shipped for Canton, 454,991 piculs in all, out of a total of 1,361,091 piculs, were shipped hence duty free under Passes issued by the Provincial Treasurer of Canton, under Imperial sanction, on account of these inundations and the relief required in his province. These Passes were issued to a humane society, and sold by it for amounts much less than the duty leviable on the Rice covered by the respective Passes. The money so obtained formed, on the one hand, a relief fund to meet more directly the distress in the devastated districts as required, while, on the other, Rice could be laid down at Canton at cheaper rates besides. When these Passes appeared, they were eagerly bought up by rich merchants on these or similar grounds, viz., that they thus, as an act of charity, assisted the society with funds, and themselves too enjoyed the prospect at the same time of doing a profitable business. The latter, however, has not been fully realised. A great many steamers were chartered all at once, and too much Rice CHINKIANG. 101 arrived at Canton, if not at one time, at least with too short intervals. As Rice stored in large quantities easily spoils, it had to be sold at great losses for whatever it would fetch, and as, moreover, charter-parties had to be fulfilled (for to break them would have cost dearer still), further shipments had to be continued, even notwithstanding such losses. It was not until the latter part of the year, when all Rice had to pay duty again—the Passes were valid only up to the ist December,—that an active and more profitable business sprang up, and this more especially on account of the prohibition of the export of Rice from Annam, as before mentioned, has continued. On the whole, however, as thus shown, the immense increase in our values of Exports during last year, so far as Rice is concerned, is only exceptional. Yet while otherwise no such quantities would ever have reached Chinkiang, and the abundant harvests gathered in the inland districts would have remained there for home consumption at, comparatively speaking, merely nominal values, it is nevertheless a cause for some satisfaction at least that once in a while, when such necessity does arise, the scarcity in one part of the country can be met by drawing on the surplus harvested in another part of itself, instead of upon Foreign countries. IMPORTS. OPIUM.—The total import of Opium has declined by 804 piculs; being 10,293 piculs, against 11,097 piculs in 1879. Malwa declined by 604 piculs; Patna, by 373 piculs; Persian, by 152 piculs; whereas Benares increased by 324 piculs. As with our Foreign Imports generally, so especially in the case of Opium has our trade been much affected by the opening of Wuhu as a Treaty Port, and the decrease noted in Malwa more especially is chiefly attributed to that cause. Although as yet there are various impediments against such happening abruptly, it is, I am informed, only a question of a year or so, and Wuhu must in the end wholly supply the Lüchow district ( W ) with Foreign Opium. Now, the Lüchow district, it may be noted, has hitherto taken a quarter of our total import of Malwa. To some, though as yet lesser, degree the increased importation from Szechwan of Native Opium, viz., 165 piculs, against 19 piculs in 1879, may also be taken to account for the decrease in the importation of the Foreign drug. The quality of the Native drug is said to have considerably improved. In Szechwan (19 VII) and some parts of Shantung (u ) the cultivation of Opium has continued unabated. A great demand for the Szechwan drug made itself felt at the beginning of last year, causing a rise in its price to nearly Its. 25 per 100 taels (ij), or its. 400 per picul. A good crop, considerably in excess of local consumption, afterwards led to larger importations, till the market was overstocked, and at the latter end of the year prices fell again to 'Its. 240 per picul, and dealers who were ultimately forced to sell in view of the approaching new year suffered heavy losses. Consumers, on the other hand, who formerly would hardly have looked at the Native drug, cannot now do surpasses even all kinds of Foreign drug both in taste and strength. The importation of Malwa Opium is in consequence expected to decline still further in the ensuing year. The price of Malwa fluctuated some its. 30 to Tts. 40 per picul during the year under review, and at the close was its. 535 per picul. Patna and Benares Opium are still preferred in the districts mentioned in 102 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. my last Report; the closing prices were Tts. 525 for the former, and Tts. 435 for the latter. Persian Opium, the import of which was at one time expected to increase considerably, has fallen off, and seems to have entirely lost favour with consumers. It was generally used for mixing with prepared Opium, both Malwa and Patna, but its price advanced to about its. 80 to its. 90 less than that of Malwa, and the Native Opium was consequently substituted for it. The Native Opium thus mixed with Patna and Malwa defies detection even by old smokers, because it is better in colour and taste, and more like the Bengal drug, from the seed of which it is also grown. Altogether, therefore, the prospects of the Foreign Opium trade do not look very bright. COTTON GOODS.—The total importation of Cotton Goods was last year 1,125,863 pieces, against 1,207,716 pieces in 1879, showing a decrease of 81,853 pieces. More or less considerable decreases are noted in the importation of Grey Shirtings, T-Cloths, English Drills, American Drills, Jeans and Twills, Dyed Damasks, etc.; while American Sheetings, Chintzes, Furnitures, etc., Turkey Red Cloths, etc., have increased in the quantities imported. On the whole, American manufactures have found a better market than English goods during the past few years. American Drills and Sheetings were but little imported here until lately; having been found more durable than the English manufactures, they have become more in request, and the falling off in the importation of English goods is to a great extent attributed to their inferior quality alone. It is generally, and with some show of reason, argued by manu- facturers and dealers in such inferior goods that the Chinese prefer cheapness above all things, and even actually care but little, if at all, for durability and quality, and that in suiting such tastes there is no harm. Such arguments would seem correct only so far as the Chinese purchaser is concerned, who, like many other equally frugal people elsewhere, even on the continent of Europe, buys the cheap article with his eyes open, i.e., knowing its inferior quality. But I am much afraid that English manufacturers, if adhering to such ideas, will discover, and at a similarly heavy cost, what German manufacturers found out some years ago, namely, that by following similar principles their industries are ruined and left behind in the race of international competition. As has been shown, the Chinese have already begun to avail themselves of the chance offered them by the importation of the better class of American goods in preference to English goods, which previously held the monopoly. Their appreciation of these goods has continued steadily to increase, because, though at first dearer, they proved to them to be the cheaper after all in the long run, on account of their greater durability. American Sheetings are the same in appearance as Grey Shirtings, and are called so also by the Chinese. WOOLLEN GOODS.—The qualities of Woollen Goods imported of late years are also reported to have been very inferior. Woollen Goods, moreover, become easily worm-eaten, and, owing to these circumstances, combined with the fact that Silk Piece Goods have become much cheaper, Silk is more extensively worn by the people in preference. In many districts of Anhwei (nume ), northern Kiangsu (21 ), and Shantung ( ), a Native coarse Silk manu- facture is much preferred to Medium Cloth and Broadcloth. The Native product is very cheap, and wears nearly as long as Medium Cloth, especially of such depreciated qualities as are imported nowadays. The total importation of Woollen Goods during last year decreased by 8,779 pieces; being 43,079 pieces, against 51,858 pieces in 1879. In the different kinds—all show decreases - CHINKIANG. 103 the most important are noticed in Broadcloth and Medium Cloth, which decreased by 1,500 pieces, the total being 2,772 pieces; and Long Ells, by 3,360 pieces, the total being 6,940 pieces. METALS of all kinds, with the exception of Lead in Pigs, which during last year rose to 11,081 piculs, from 7,384 piculs in 1879, show decreases of more or less importance. Nail-rod Iron declined by 7,133 piculs, with a total importation of 40,999 piculs; Bar Iron, by 1,547 piculs, with a total of 2,127 piculs; Iron Wire, by 3,311 piculs, with a total of 2,938 piculs; Tin, in Slabs, by 396 piculs, with a total of 620 piculs. SUNDRIES.—Among the sundry Imports, Foreign Sugars declined by 64,886 piculs, showing a total importation of 210,189 piculs ; Brown Sugar declined by 53,633 piculs, and White Sugar by 11,992 piculs. These decreases, as they are far larger than the increases in the import of Native Sugars, are, as before explained, due partly to Wuhu, partly—and this holds good also of the decreases noted in Sandalwood, Sapanwood, Pepper, etc.—to the circumstance, likewise before alluded to, that inland dealers of late have found their way more readily to Shanghai. An increase, on the other hand, among our sundry Imports is to be noted in Mat and Gunny Bags, both Foreign and Native, which were required for packing the Rice exported. Kerosene Oil and Cotton Towels continue to increase; both of these articles are extensively used throughout the country, and are found in every house or shop in Chinkiang. So far as is known, no accidents have occurred from the use of the Kerosene Oil, notwithstanding the ignorance of the people of its danger. The Oil of late imported, moreover, is supposed to have been considerably reduced in strength, and will not so readily ignite at a touch with a burning match as was the case with the kinds of Oil formerly brought to China. The Cotton Towels are of a different kind to those used by Foreigners; they are very small and smooth, and worth only about 3 cents each in retail. Window Glass is also from year to year used more extensively-indeed, no newly-built houses are without glass windows; and as building operations are likely to continue yet for some years to come, ere the destruction and ruin left by the rebels can be completely made good, large importations of Window Glass are likely to go on. Among the other Native Imports, Wood Oil and Vegetable Tallow show considerable increases; both come from Hankow. The former is used extensively for painting the myriads of boats that ply to and fro in all directions over the network of creeks and canals of which Chinkiang forms so important a centre. All boats require painting twice a year; and the greater quantity of boats which arrived during last year with Rice for export, still further affected the import figures. - Vegetable Tallow is exclusively used for candles; but the larger importation is attributed more to the large crop and its cheapness during last year at the place of production, Szechwan (RL JID). Since Kerosene Oil has been used for household purposes, the manufacture of candles for ordinary use has considerably diminished; and, in addition to this, on account of the prohibition of females from visiting temples, issued by the Provincial Governor, the consumption of candles for worship also declined, so that serious losses were sustained in this branch of our trade. Tobacco Leaf also was imported last year in considerably larger quantities, and a picture of somewhat more than passing interest is offered by this occurrence. The leaf is the product of the Susung (to #2) district, in the province of Anhwei ( ), and distant from Kiukiang only 104 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. about 180 li (10 li=3 English miles). In former years, as shown by our Transit tables, most of the leaf came down here under Transit Passes in Native boats; it has since been sent to Kiukiang for shipment to this port by steamer, owing to the exceptionally cheap freight- $2.50 per ton of 7) piculs—charged by one of the steamer companies, which made it more profitable for importers to rather direct the Tobacco viâ Kiukiang, and pay a full and a half Tariff Duty there, besides the steamer freight to this port, than to have it brought here in Native boats under Transit Passes, which latter plan, beside the cost of carriage, subjected the goods to the payment of three full Tariff Duties, in accordance with the Chinkiang Transit Rules in force; for the leaf is not brought here for Foreign exportation, but for consumption locally and in the districts east of the Grand Canal and to the north of this. Accordingly, in addition to the one-half Tariff Duty ordinarily leviable upon Native produce on arrival from inland under Transit Pass, if the produce be not re-exported to a Foreign country, another two and a half Tariff Duties have to be paid as a “fine," as it is called in the rules; more properly and practically, it can be taken to be only a commutation of the extra inland taxes, which, according to a rough calculation, would have been leviable if originally brought down for home con- sumption, and not for Foreign exportation. It is produce coming under the second of these categories alone which under Treaty is freed by the Transit Pass from the imposition of those extra taxes. Other Native produce, therefore, has in all to pay three duties. It is thus the competition of steam traffic versus inland taxation, which would seem a subject of some moment for more mature investigation in the interests of both Native producers and consumers, while, as another party concerned, the Foreign merchant at Chinkiang naturally on his behalf suggests that it is therefore obvious that if Tobacco Leaf is to remain on the list of Native produce conveyed under Transit Pass from inland, some modification of the Chinkiang Provisional Rules bearing on the article in question is necessary. EXPORTS. Among our Exports, beside Rice, which has been dealt with before, there are only Beans and Peas, and Lily Flowers, which, especially if compared against 1875, are of some special interest. The former increased during that period from 33,682 piculs to more than double that quantity, 75,913 piculs; and the latter rose to 40,793 piculs, close upon four times the amount exported during 1875, viz., 10,636 piculs. As regards Beans and Peas, as articles for food they rank with the other chief staples, Rice and Wheat, and have last year experienced similar fluctuations. The increase in our export of Lily Flowers is due as much to exceptionally favourable crops as to increased cultivation brought about by the higher and remunerative prices formerly ruling for the article, viz., fts 5 to its. 6 per picul. Owing to the large quantities which in consequence reached Chinkiang, the price fell to its 3 or Its. 2.80 per picul, and even to its. 2.50 towards the end of the year, notwithstanding the new outlets sought by exporting to Wuhu and Hankow as chance ventures. Latterly, however, some improvement took place. TRANSIT TRADE. INWARDS.—The total value of Foreign goods sent inland under Transit Passes declined Hk.Its. 3,250,403 in 1879 to Hk.its. 2,922,652 last year. The total value of Foreign from CHINKIANG. 105 goods entitled to conveyance inland under Transit Passes was Hk.Pts. 3,612,490. A balance of Hk.Its. 689,838 is thus left to represent the value of Foreign Imports consumed locally and within the more immediate neighbourhood, or remaining in stock at the close of the year, against HK.fts. 723,693 during 1879. The different chief items compare as follows: IMPORTED. SENT INLAND. BALANCE. DESCRIPTION OF GOODS. Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value. Pieces. 1,125,863 43,0793 Hk.Fls. 1,604,861 319,280 209,782 1,478,567 Cotton Goods Woollen » Metals ........... Sundries ....... TOTAL VALUE Hk.Its. Pieces. 920,704 26,933 ... Hk.Tts 1,327,006 184,247 157,334 1,254,065 Pieces. 205,159 16,146 Hk.Its 277,855 135,033 52,448 224,502 3,612,490 2,922,652 689,838 To cover une above, 10,637 Transit Passes were issued,—to American merchants, 3,625; to British, 6,997; and to Chinese, 15,—against a total of 12,373 Passes issued in 1879. While, as just shown, our Transit trade inwards has decreased by Hk.fts. 327,751, our total importations of Foreign goods entitled to conveyance inland, as compared with 1879, have decreased by Hk.fts. 361,606 in value. The distribution inland of our Foreign Imports is again shown in detail by a table annexed to this Report, supplemented also by a map upon which the increases and decreases are besides indicated. OUTWARDS.— There is some improvement noticeable in the Transit trade outwards. The total value of Native produce brought down from the interior under Transit Passes during last year was Hk.Tts. 197,386, against Hk.Tts. 155,757 in 1879. The most important variations are the increases shown in the quantities brought down of Lily Flowers, 41,211 piculs, against 17,725 piculs in 1879; Medicines, 2,572 piculs, against 1,669 piculs; Samshu, 560 piculs, against 350 piculs; Senna Seed, 1,200 piculs, against 100 piculs; Soap, 4,250 piculs, against 2,710 piculs; and Walnuts, 1,780 piculs, against 200 piculs. Besides, Green Beans, 2,000 piculs; Red Dates, 250 piculs; Bamboo Mats, 210,000 pieces; Bean Oil, 350 piculs; Sesamum Oil, 1,300 piculs; and Dried Persimmons, 300 piculs, were brought last year, which articles were not in our list of Native produce outwards for 1879. On the other hand, of Tobacco Leaf, 875 piculs only, valued at Hk.Its. 7,311, thus reached this port last year, against 9,366 piculs, value Hk.Its. 63,224, in 1879; and Refuse Silk, as also Vegetable Tallow, again disappeared from our list. 488 Transit Passes were surrendered on the before-mentioned produce: 39 by American merchants, 306 by British, 1 by German, 5 by Austrian, and 137 by Spanish. Of these Passes so surrendered, 310 were issued here, and 178 in Shanghai, against 102 and 145 respectively in 1879. 106 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. TREASURE. Treasure and Copper Cash imported and exported during last year amounted to- Treasure, Hk.Its. 261,330 imported, against Treasure, Hk.Its. 1,800,814, and Copper Cash, 165,280 strings, valued at Hk.Its. 99,168 (in all Hk.its. 1,899,982), exported; thus leaving a balance of Hk.Tts. 1,638,652 net export. The balance left after deducting the total value of our Exports from the total value of our Foreign and Native Imports amounts to Hk. Pts. 12,388,401, and deducting from this, again, the above amount of the net value of Treasure exported, there is a balance of no less than Hk.Tts. 10,749,749 remaining to the debit of the trade of this port unaccounted for. The deficit left in a similar way in 1879 amounted to Hk.Tts. 6,616,884; the total value of Treasure exported above that imported in that year was Hk.its. 5,510,814. REVENUE. The total collection during last year amounted to Hk.Its. 235,299.4.4.0, displaying an increase of Hk.Fts. 74,299.2.7.5 over the amount collected in 1879, made up as follows:- Import Duty increased by Hk.Pts. 113.7.9.3, being Hk.its. 922.0.0.0 Coast Trade , „ 4,768.8.5.8 „ „ 33,345.6.6.2 » » » Deposit » » 3,178.3.7.0 „ „ 4,881.2.7.4 Export » 68,815.1.8.4 » » 111,794.5.5.2 Tonnage Dues 622.0.1.0 „ „ 7,352.6.3.0 Transit Dues decreased by Hk.its. 3,198.9.4.0, being Hk.its. 77,003.3.2.2. The causes of these variations have been fully explained both in this and, in greater detail, in my last year's Report. GENERAL OCCURRENCES. On the 30th January the master of the Danish lorcha Kingyungho reported that he had collided with and sunk a small Ningpo boat 5 miles below Beaver Island; no lives were lost. On the 23rd May the first Tea steamer, the s.s. Glencoe, passed through from Hankow for London. On the 4th July a most violent squall passed over this place, doing great damage to the Native shipping, and causing great loss of life, owing to its suddenness. On the oth July the s.s. Guy Mannering, the last Tea steamer of the season, was cleared for London. On the 30th October H.B.M. despatch-vessel Vigilant went ashore near Tantu ( ) Beacon, but succeeded soon after in getting off again without injury. On the 8th December the first Legation Mail overland to Peking of the season 1880–81 was despatched; the last was sent on the 20th February. The average time taken en route was- to Peking, 11 days 184 hours, and from Peking, 11 days. 13 mails, consisting of 32 bags in all, were sent to, while i mail only of 1 bag was received from, Peking. Legation Mails arrive here made up in bags by the Shanghai or Peking office, as the case may be, and are simply forwarded as received. On the 20th December the first mail by Customs overland courier left for Tientsin, etc. During this season, which ended on the 23rd February, when the last mail was sent from this port, the average time taken by these couriers was—to Tientsin, 11 days 23 hours; from Tientsin, CHINKIANG. 107 11 days 14 hours; to Chefoo, 17 days 8 hours; from Chefoo, 18 days 12 hours. In all, 30 mails, made up of 5,654 letters, 7,400 papers, 76 parcels, and 35 Native post bags, weighing altogether 2,071 catties, were sent to Tientsin. From Tientsin were received 26 mails, with 263 letters, 56 papers, 7 parcels, and 36 Native post bags, of a total weight of 502 catties. In the mails to and from Tientsin, the Peking and Newchwang correspondence is included. To Chefoo, 8 mails, with 407 letters, 363 papers, and 9 parcels, of a total weight of 99} catties, were sent; and from Chefoo were received 6 mails, with 73 letters and 6 papers, weighing 6 catties. The grand total of mail matter thus sent through the Customs postal service in weight was 2,679 catties. The health of the port during last year, I regret to have to report, was very bad. We had an unusually cool summer, but at the same time a very unhealthy one; inflammation of the lungs occurred among Foreign adults, acute bronchitis was prevalent among children, and intermittent cases were not few. Natives were similarly affected: lung diseases, as above, were more frequent than usual, and several cases of pleurisy presented themselves. Typhus fever was prevalent on the north bank of the river, but occurred in the settlement only when brought over; it was reported that many Natives died on the north bank in the first few days' illness. The first case of typhus among Foreigners which came under observation was on board H.B.M.S. Pegasus, which was anchored close to the north shore, while the prevailing winds at the time were from the quarter attacked by the epidemic to the ship. One fatal case occurred on board; another case treated on shore recovered. Small-pox also attacked two residents here, but both recovered. On board the Pegasus, the worst form of small-pox broke out, and proved fatal after the departure of the ship to Shanghai. No deaths, however, among the Foreign community here have to be recorded. The hopes entertained in my last Report relative to the serious want of a sufficient number of convenient berths near the southern (Chinkiang) side of the river, I regret to say, as yet have not been as fully realised as I had expected. After long and protracted negotiations, another berth for a hulk was secured above the Cadiz, under a compromise by which the (Native) Free Ferry Society relinquished their opposition on an extra jetty being provided by this office for their exclusive use as long as their old jetty is interfered with by the hulk. But the larger measures which are so urgently needed in the interests of the whole port, and which were proposed for adoption, with a view to raising the necessary funds to make the foreshore along the whole frontage of Chinkiang sufficiently secure for accommodating more hulks, are still in abeyance. It is to be hoped, therefore, that we may pass through the high- water season of this year again without any more serious damage to the bunding and foreshore than, fortunately, was the case last year. In conclusion, I beg to enclose a meteorological table for the year. - I have, etc., F. KLEINWÄCHTER, ROBERT HART, ESQUIRE, Commissioner of Customs. Inspector General of Customs, PEKING. To 108 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. Appendix No. 1.- Table of the principal FOREIGN GOODS sent INLAND N.B.-The Roman Capitals in the third column are the initial letters of the Provinces in which the various localities West. VALLEY OF THE YANGTZE. South. Woollens, Drills, English, Cottons, Total Shirtings, c.cloths, Dutch, other ll Cottons. Grey. and sorts. American. Province. Lustres and Orleans, Spanish Figured Stripes. and Plain. other sorts. Total Woollens. English. Chinese. Pieces. | Pieces. | Pieces. Pieces. | Pieces. | Pieces. Pieces. Pieces. Pieces. Ku. : 43,572 Ch‘angchow-fu..... Chinkiang-fu.. Kiangning-fu ........... Ch'ihchow-fu .... Jaochow-fu ............ Kwangtê-chow......... Fuchow-fu............. Nanch‘ang-fu ......... 常 ​鎮江池 ​饒廣撫南甯 ​太 ​州江常州州 ​德州昌國平 ​府府府川 ​府府府 ​府 ​Ningkwo-fu ................ Taiping-fu............ TOTAL........ ........ 43,667 2,595 3,672 59,405 165 6 792 West. VALLEY OF THE YANGTZE. North. WA Ank'ing-fu ........... Hochow ...... Chʻuchow ...... 495 55 17,555 4,732 Liuan-chow ...... Luchow-fu.............. Kiangning-fu .............. 38,918 4,090 8,128 1,743, 6,079 1,069 87 655 334 I 806 55 9,076 TOTAL.... ........... 51,631 20,159 7,315 7,715 86,820 3,963 5,157 CHINKIANG. 109 TRANSIT TRADE. under TRANSIT PASSES during the Year 1880. are situated, e.g., A., Anhwei; Ho., Honan; Hun., Hunan; Ki., Kiangsi; Ku., Kiangsu; S., Shantung. Iron, Bar West. VALLEY OF THE YANGTZE. South. Lead, Sugar, | Sugar, Brown. White. Window Values. Sandal. | Sapan. | wood. and wood. Nail-rod. in Pigs. Glass. Province. Chinese. English. Piculs. uls. Piculs. Sq. ft. Hk.fts Piculs. | Piculs. | Piculs. 2.94 14.70 253.69 333 113,849 490.48 124.49 395.20 52 3,868.84 654.53 386.72 18.33 4,160 97.95 W w Ch‘angchow-fu. | Chinkiang-fu. Kiangning-fu. Ch'ihchow-fu. IN W. Jaochow-fu. 廣德州 ​Kwangtê-chow. Fuchow-fu. Nanch'ang-fu. Ningkwo-fu. * * Taipʻing-fu. 3.75 7.50 4 常 ​鎮江池 ​饒 ​廣撫南甯 ​太 ​州江常州州 ​德州昌國平 ​422 5,166 369.60 87.74 306.76 155.10 42.2020 | ... 796.32 28.80 665. 1,437.72 967.68 626.30 561.15 5,161.32 777.21 ... 124,940 ....... TOTAL West. VALLEY OF THE YANGTZE. North. 105.48 6,294 297.82 7,705 4,975 home 9 1,244.73 320.62 50.25 421.85 903.40 123.10 144.74 550.30 40.20 13,076.53 8,252.99 2,343.10 6,453.60 4,504.46 1,026.60 1,903.61 1,490.78 99.05 2.90 246.22 Anking-fu. Hochow. Chuchow. Liuan-chow. Luchow-fu. Kiangning-fu. 73.24 224.29 2,381.92 76.48 811.92 123.14 452.21 242,349 66,226 30,081 I W 23,245.06 16,022.55 3,682.30 425.61 4,122.59 251.68 1,200 357,630 ........... TOTAL 110 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. TABLE of the principal FOREIGN GOODS sent INLAND North. WEST OF THE GRAND CANAL. Drills, English, Cottons, Shirtings, r.Cloths. Dutch, other Grey. and sorts. American. Province. Total Cottons. Lustres and Orleans, Spanish Figured | Stripes. and Plain. Woollens, other Total Woollens. sorts. English. Chinese. Pieces. Pieces. Pieces. | 201 Pieces. 256 Chenchow-fu..………. Fêngyang-fu ......... | Pieces. | Pieces. 19,745| 2,824 6,061| 1,316 107,469| 15,610 42,020 8, IO Pieces. Pieces. | 2,205 729 | 15,503 | 466 18,387 6,125 | 143.340 | 16,052 || 74,472 | 544 Suchow-fi ……… 340 4,896 2,4IT 8.299 Kaifeng-fa.……… Kwangchow ………… Kweitê-fu .. IO 陳鳳徐開光 ​歸汝砲親 ​州陽州封德 ​常州 ​府府府府州府府州府 ​18,429| 1,503 1,766 569 || 22,267 Juning-fa .……. Szechow..…. … … 570 10,979 870 | 17,877/ 1,500 16 | 1,520 339 || 12,349 | 820 | 21,717 Yingchow-fa………. 344 TOTAL……… ………… 212,580 31,733 | 2001" 3/21 | 98.045 | 5,797 | 677 | 1991 18,465 North. EAST OF THE GRAND Canal. 2,065 80,546 | 1,222 Haichow .……………………. 海 ​州 ​| Ku. | 64,145 || 6.245 8091 | 891 | 84 Hwaian-fu .……………………. 淮安府​」, 51,558 6,913 1,986 | 12,152 72,609 | | 1060 | 666 | Tungchow.……………….. 通 ​州 ​」, 7,692 6,903 415 | 2,640 | 17,650 | 502 | 98 | 223 Yangchow-fu..……. 50,373 | 10,228 | 1,326 | 6.61 || 68,538 1,160 | 437 | Bro 海淮通揚 ​安州 ​州府州府 ​4070 1823 2,407 TOTAL.. (173768 1989 5792 | 9494 230343 4213 141235 3684 | size] CHINKIANG. 111 under TRANSIT PASSES during the Year 1880–Comtimued. North. WEST OF THE GRAND CANAL. Sugar | Sugar, Brown. White. Sandal- | wood. Sapan- | Iron, Bar」 ar Lead, in Window 。 | and |- 「Nail-rod. | | Pigs. Glass. Values. wood. | Province. Chinese. English. Piculs. | Piculs. Piculs. | Piculs. | Piculs. Piculs. Sq. ft. 48.570.7825,020.91 217.96 | 4.182.91 31.64 | 3,820.32] 300 7,447.28 3,917.02] 250.96 | 335.32] 119.36| 253.83 12.7549511,492.69 172.47 | 848.40|785.74] 791.88 | 13.70 33.48 .80 1,132.49 317.61 1,043.58 529.70 215.74 | 114.95 573.63 510.53 | 25.20 56.28 … 1,085.91 619.98 64.70 63.75|| 29.40 41.40 HR. 353.647 陳州府 ​Chenchow-fu. 63,766 A. 鳳陽府 ​Fêngyang-fu. 346,786 Ku. 徐州府 ​Süchow-fu. 134,328 | Kaifeng-fu. | 5,898 Kwangchow. 41,081 | Kwaite-fu. | 1,375 Juning-fu. 22,778 「 西州 ​Szechow. 41,306 顯州府​| Yingchow-fu. 12.5o F2,838.06/42,556.87 801.64 | 5,655.28| 1,023.26 | 4.911.33| 1,700 1,010,965 ToTAL. North. East OF THE GRAND CANAL 730.84 1,260.43 132.28 59 | 318.08 53-42| 1,100 | 131,952 | Ku. Haichow. 7,824.50 3,603.17 777.76] 930.78 | 10,025.30 916.87| 25,200 | | 211,066 淮安府 ​Hwaian-fu. 3,896.72 1,750.62 1,218.72 0.60|781.35] 294.58] 8,100 | 59,532 通州 ​Tungchow. |po,189.71 10,312.71 2,730.41 | 1,469.52 14,377.41 1,450.39] 57,400 | 290,870 揚州府​| Yangchow-fa. 14.716196934859 17 14599 psp2.4 75.26] 91sol 3420 ………….TOTAL. 112 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. TABLE of the principal FOREIGN Goods sent INLAND North. SHANTUNG. Woollens, Total Drills, English, Cottons, Shirtings, r.Cloths. Dutch, other and sorts. American. Province. Grey. Total Cottons. Lustres and Orleans, Spanish Figured Stripes. and Plain. other sorts. Woollens. English Chinese. Pieces. Pieces. Pieces. | Pieces. 570 21,826 Pieces. 195 Pieces. | 430 Pieces. 3,745 12 Pieces. 2,550 167,015 4,905 41 Pieces. 53 3,389 9,787 202,131 1,139 1,200 Tsinan-fu ..... Tsining-chow ....... Ichow-fu ...... Ts'aochow-fu....... Tungch‘ang-fu ........ Yenchow-fu .......... 7,020 15 15 1,170 16,456 1,650 19,771 120 80 # # 206 SH 2,917 1,215 232 4,409 TOTAL..... 193,843 26,461 4,463 12,324 | 237,091 12,409 119 | 1,298 3,826 COMPARATIVE TABLE of the principal FOREIGN GOODs sent INLAND : 0001 : : Total sent Inland in 1880..... , 1879........... 1878.. 1877..... 1876.......... 1875............ 920,704 1,013,920 822,220 672,625 665,177 763,937 26,933 32,863 25,946 19,503 15,932 21,606 . . . . . : Number of Transit Passes issued CHINKIANG. 113 er TRANSIT Passes during the Year 1880—Continued. Iron, Bar Lead, North. SHANTUNG. Sugar, White. Sandal- wood. Sapan- wood. and Window Glass. in Values. WD. Nail-rod. Pigs. Province. Chinese. English. culs. Piculs. Sq. ft. 166.40 Piculs. 31.25 8,178.16 Piculs. - 25.50 1,652.21 Piculs. Piculs. 39 138.32 731.38 Hk. Its. 6,898 386,986 MF 370.98 47.29 3,400 15.54 10,398 94 v Tsinan-fu. Tsining-chow. Ichow-fu. Ts'aochow-fu. Tungch'ang-fu. Yenchow-fu. 12.50 181 37.20 29,405 24.70 7.50 .. * Si 1.26 103.20 7,093 1562.08 8,266.61 47.29 1,677.71 155.12 873.58 3,400 440,961 ........... TOTAL. er TRANSIT PASSES for the Years 1875 to 1880. Total Value of the Trade in each year (including Sundries). Hk. Hts. 2,922,652 1 3,250,403 , 2,891,886 2,211,985 2,253,115 » 3,305,037 | ,724.69 84,740.64 10,016.70 10,779.65 35,964.43 9,529.06 98,100 1038 82,559.22 14,154.04 14,492.36 35,773.65 5,929.34 87,700 5797.80 88,020.19 14,299.90 22,852.41 28,333.02 2,976.75 78,200 4706.14 64,160.42 18,903,48 12,173.67 26,611.32 2,848.78 80,550 1945.79 80,344.30 14,685.53 7,806.74 24,135.50 2,888.93 95,300 4,217.36 120,372.66 17,753.36 18,767.90 29,735.62 4,137 | 87,800 ng the year 1880......10,637 1 1879......12,373 1878......11,779 1877...... 9,935 1876...... 9,925 » 1875......13,036 15 114 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. Appendix No. 2. METEOROLOGICAL TABLE for the Year 1880. ANEROID BAROMETER. THERMOMETER. WINDS. WEATHER. TIDES. MONTH. Highest Lowest Highest by Day. Lowest by Day. Highest by Night. Lowest by Night. Highest by Day. Lowest by Day. Highest by Night. Lowest by Night. No. of Days No. of Days E. to S. No. of Days S. to W. No. of Days W. to N. No. of Days Calm. | No. of Days Fog. No. of Days Rain. No. of Days Snow. Rainfall. Above Winter L. W. Level. 0 0 v 0 9 In. In. In. In. January.. 31.17 30.48 31.17 30.48 February.. 31.04 30.43 31.05 30.43 March .... 31.04 30.01 30.98 30.11 April ....... 30.87 29.94 30.81 | 30.02 May ...... 30.50 29.81 30.50 29.82 30.34 29.93 30.38 29.93 July ......... 30.20 29.90 30.17 29.90 August .... 30.37 29.85 30.40 29.86 September ........... 30.80 30.22 30.78 30.25 October ..... 31.05 30.42 31.05 30.42 November.. 31.20 30.42 31.20 30.45 December .. ......... 31.50 30.65 31.48 30.76 l ão não a ã w ū Ō wa ū = 7 = Eu - 0 - w A7 Aw w - w w w w Av Nav aaw a ñ ñ ñ o a ū oo June ........ . D. h. D. h. D. h. D. h. D. h. D. h. D. h. D. h. In. Ft. in. Ft. in. 24 15 9 5 6 2 21 7 12 ... ... 13 08 1.77 5 5 1 4* 17 9 4 18 6 6 15 ... 103 12 2 02.28 8 10 0 1 12 15 11 21 9 2 6 0 21 1 0 4 0 ... 7 15.10 18 4 12 7 0 0 3 ... 5 3 .00 10 0 4 9 11 12 10 0 3 2 0 3 18 4 10 7 2 2 | 4 12 15 3 4 12 5 0 0 + 11 1 3 2 9 6 21 36 5 3 0 9 115 39 4 15 321 I 3 2 21 O 12 2 14 2 9 5 15 o 1510 513 519 1 6 1 3 0 12 2 0 1 9 ... 0.59 13 95 7 | 8 15 3 12 3 0 10 15 2 61 ... 10 6 0 12 0.08 10 40 6* 22 11 0 5 12 912 21 1 6 0 121 2 3 1.24 6 9 1 10* 0 ū 0 j ū # 53 24 48 REMARKS.—January: first part of the month fine; from noth to 24th, snowing and raining at intervals ; latter part of the month fine. February: first part of the month mostly rainy and disagreeable weather; snow on the 4th and 20th ; latter part fine, with a few dull and rainy days. March : very fine, with only a few rainy days ; on the 18th, heavy thunderstorm, accompanied by heavy showers. April: beautiful weather, with occasional heavy fall of rain ; on the 22nd, heavy gale from the westward. May: beautiful weather ; only a few foggy and rainy days, with occasional thunderstorms, accompanied by light showers; on the 30th, a gale from the north-west. June: beautiful weather ; 22nd, total eclipse of the moon ; latter part of the month, thunderstorms, accompanied by heavy showers. July: fine, with occasional thunderstorms, accompanied by heavy showers. August: beautiful weather, with occasional light showers. September: fine, with a few rainy days. October: very fine and clear weather; on the 25th, a strong gale from the north-east. November : very fine and clear weather, with occasional windy days ; blowing a gale from north-west on the 7th and 25th ; heavy fall of snow on the 28th. December: fine, with occasional cold and windy days ; snowing on the 14th, 16th, 18th, and 19th ; on the 18th, strong gale from the north-east, with rain and sleet. * Below winter low-water level, SHANGHAI. 115 SHANGHAI TRADE REPORT, FOR THE YEAR 1880. [Received 6th June 1881.] CUSTOM HOUSE, SHANGHAI, 15th May 1881. SIR, I have now the honour to furnish you my Report upon the trade of Shanghai within the cognizance of this office for the year 1880. At its beginning hopes were entertained that it would be a year of unusual prosperity, but though these hopes were not in the full realised, still, as compared with previous years, there has been a general expansion of business, which as regards its results has been in a fair degree profitable to the Foreign and Native merchants engaged in the Import and Export trade of the port. In this and the adjoining provinces the seasons have been most favourable for agricultural pursuits, and labour has had its reward in plenteous harvests. SHIPPING. ners A considerable increase is to be noted in both the number and tonnage of steamers entered and cleared during the year as compared with previous years, while as regards sailing vessels there is a decrease under each heading. Taken together, however, the number and tonnage of vessels employed are in excess of any preceding year. Steamers. The number entered and cleared during the year amounted to 3,472, repre- senting a capacity of 3,026,366 tons, against 3,063, with a tonnage of 2,674,271 tons, the previous year, and 3,021, with a tonnage of 2,559,455 tons, in 1878. Of these steamers, 1,845, with a tonnage of 1,516,860 tons, were British; 1,219, with a tonnage of 1,122,532 tons, were Chinese; and 186, with a tonnage of 161,127 tons, were Japanese. The remaining 222 steamers, with a tonnage of 225,847 tons, were divided between the German, French, American, Russian, Danish, Belgian, and Swedish and Norwegian flags. Sailing Vessels. The number entered and cleared during the year amounted to 1,079, representing a capacity of 290,932 tons, of which 409, with a tonnage of 172,141 tons, were under the British flag; 330, with a tonnage of 26,384 tons, were under the Chinese flag; and the 116 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. reat remaining 340, with a tonnage of 92,407 tons, were chiefly under the American, German, and Danish flags. Taking steamers and sailing vessels together, there entered and cleared during the year 4,551 vessels, with a capacity of 3,317,298 tons, against 4,376 vessels, with a capacity of 3,062,682 tons, in 1879, and 4,248 vessels, with a capacity of 2,961,582 tons, in 1878. The arrivals and clearances of steamers and sailing vessels were principally from and to Coast and River Ports. The majority of the arrivals from and departures to Foreign countries have been as follows:- Steamers :-From Japan, 195; to Japan, 175: from Great Britain, 113; to Great Britain, 86: from France, 27; to France, 25. Sailing vessels :-From Japan, 93; to Japan, 89: from Great Britain, 17; to Great Britain, 10: from New York, 10; to New York, 4. As regards the division of the carrying trade between the various flags, the British per-centage has been 50.91 per cent. of the whole; Chinese, 34.63 per cent.; and Japanese, 4.95 per cent. ; leaving only 9.51 per cent. to the other national flags. Freights. During the year steamer freights to London have ranged from £4 to £2 108. per ton, and for sailing vessels the rate was from £2 to £2 108. per ton. Along the coast, freights varied considerably, according to the demand for tonnage. Accidents to Shipping.–Few accidents of a serious nature occurred to shipping during the year. On the 27th February the P. and 0. steamer Lombardy, inward bound with mails, etc., struck on Morrison Island during a dense fog, and had subsequently to dock to repair the damages sustained. On the ist March the British brig Hieronimus grounded on the Blockhouse Shoal, where she was sold as a wreck. On the 23rd June the Russian steamer Grand Duc Constantin, inward bound, ran into the lightship Kiutoan, then riding at her station. The lightship was towed to Shanghai, and, after being docked and repaired, returned to her station on the 2nd August. The cost of towage and repairs was paid by the Grand Duc Constantin. On the 24th December the British steamer Bombay (built of iron), with a large quantity of cotton on board, was completely burnt out while at anchor below the Inner Bar. Other accidents of minor consequence happened, but need not be specially referred to in this Report. VALUE OF TRADE. The gross value of the trade for the year is estimated at Hk.its. 134,916,231, and the net yalue at Hk.its. 57,369,891. SHANGHAI. 117 The gross values for 1878 and 1879 were Hk.Tts. 110,956,274 and Hk.fts. 131,474,499, and the net values were Hk.Pts. 47,383,945 and Hk.its. 51,433,386 respectively. The gross value of the Foreign goods imported during the year is estimated at Hk.its. 57,117,133, and the value of the Foreign Re-exports to Foreign countries and to Chinese ports is estimated at Hk.Tts. 42,541,209, leaving the net value of the Foreign Imports at Hk.its. 14,575,924. The gross value of the Native Imports is estimated at Hk.Tts. 42,594,862, and the value of the Native Re-exports is estimated at Hk.Tts. 35,005,131, leaving the net value of the Native Imports at Hk.Tts. 7,589,731. The value of the Exports is estimated at Hk.fts 35,204,236. These figures show an excess in the value of the Exports over the Imports of over Hk.Tts. 13,000,000. Of the Foreign goods imported, valued, as stated above, at Hk.Its. 57,117,133, chiefly from Great Britain, India (Opium), Hongkong, Japan, the continent of Europe, and the United States, the value of the Re-exports to Foreign countries (chiefly Japan) amounted to Hk.its. 2,171,032, and to Chinese ports to Hk.Its. 40,370,177 ; Hankow, Tientsin, Chinkiang, and Ningpo being the largest recipients. Of the Native goods imported, chiefly from Hankow, Ningpo, Kiukiang, Swatow, and Canton, valued at Hk.Pts. 42,594,862, the value of the Re-exports to Chinese ports and to Foreign countries amounted to Hk.Pts. 18,288,062 and Hk.Its. 16,717,069 respectively. Including Exports and Re-exports, the value of Native produce shipped to Great Britain is estimated at Hk.Its. 13,633,330; to the continent of Europe, at Hk.Its. 11,857,584; to the United States, at Hk.Its. 6,414,121; to Japan, at Hk.Its. 1,300,054; to India, at Hk.Its. 1,083,146; and to other Foreign countries, at Hk.fts. 1,890,576,-making a total value of Hk.Tts. 36,178,811; and the value of that shipped to Chinese ports is estimated at Hk.Tts. 34,030,556. FOREIGN IMPORTS. OPIUM.—Although a considerable decrease is to be noted in the quantity of Opium imported during the year as compared with the previous one, yet if a number of years be considered, the figures show that on the whole there is a slight increase in the consumption of the drug. Thus, in 1870, 42,532 piculs were imported, compared with 46,240 piculs in 1880, while in 1879 the import amounted to 56,415 piculs. Of the 46,240 piculs imported during the year, 34,089 piculs were re-exported, in the distribution of which it is to be observed that while the three northern ports took less by some 5,000 piculs, the riverine ports and Ningpo took over 1,000 piculs more than during the previous year. The import of Native Opium (Szechwan) during the year shows an increase of 600 piculs, 718.36 piculs being imported, against 117 piculs in 1879; but, with the exception of the past year, the import has gradually decreased. 118 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. The decrease in the demand for Foreign Opium at the northern ports is attributed to a more extender production of the Native article, and the falling off in the local consumption is accounted f : by the closing of the smoking-shops in this province. Cotton Goods.—Grey Shirtings. At the beginning of the year large supplies came forward rapidly, but the ruling rates checked the sale of this manufacture, and stocks conse- quently increased. Early in May, however, the Native dealers operated extensively at reduced prices, and for a time there was great activity in the market. Throughout the summer and autumn a fair amount of business was carried on, so that the total deliveries for the year fell short of the import by only some 190,000 pieces. This difference between the supply and delivery would have been, if not entirely wiped out, much lessened had not the want of tonnage towards the close of the year prevented shipments to the northern ports. The importation during the year amounted to 4,870,081 pieces, and the delivery to 4,678,172 pieces, against 5,987,850 pieces and 5,546,953 pieces the previous year. There have been few complaints on the score of adulteration in the goods that have come forward, and in prosperous times sized textiles are little sought for. White Shirtings. In this fabric there has been an annual increase in the import and re-export during the past few years. The demand was good throughout the past year, and the prices obtained were remunerative to speculators. At the beginning of the year there was but a limited stock on hand. The import amounted to 1,167,657 pieces, and the re-export, chiefly to Tientsin and the riverine ports, to 931,632 pieces. The import of other classes of Shirtings remains much the same as in the preceding year. T-Cloths. During the preceding four years there was an annual decrease in the import of T-Cloths, but the year under review shows a marked revival in this branch of the trade. In 1876, 2,990,661 pieces were imported, and the import fell annually to 1,999,676 pieces in 1879. The figures for 1880 are 3,161,878 pieces, of which 2,088,853 pieces were re-exported, being an excess of supply over consumption of over 1,000,000 pieces. During the first half of the year a fairly satisfactory amount of business was transacted, stimulated by the small stock on hand at the beginning of the season; and the demand during this period being nearly on a par with the supply, the importers were able to dispose of their goods at profitable rates. In the latter half of the year the demand fell off, stocks accumulated, and at the end of December there remained on the market, as above stated, over 1,000,000 pieces. With such a stock on hand it can hardly be expected that the import during the current year will be on a larger scale than is necessary to meet the customary requirements, unless the importers are desirous of “realising a loss.” Drills, Jeans, and Sheetings.—Coming under the first two headings we have English, American, and Dutch, and under the third only English and American manufactures. A great deal has been written during the past two years in reference to the expansion of the American trade in Drills and Sheetings, with a tendency to demonstrate that the purity of the American fabric as compared with the English was driving the latter manufacture out of the market. The figures do not warrant any such conclusion, and the following tables ought to lead those who simply theorise on the subject to change, or at least modify, their mistaken ideas :- SHANGHAI. 119 TABLE 0.—DRILLS AND JEANS. ENGLISH. AMERICAN. Dutch. YEAR. Drills. Jeans. Drills. Jeans. I Drills. Jeans. 1875.. 1876.. 1877........... 1878.. 1879..... 1880...... Pieces. 539,969 934,352 606,098 555,670 452,032 700,435 Pieces. 483,644 229,966 292,629 114,946 147,056 310,851 Pieces. 125,311 202,340 269,984 420,824 645,766 182,253 Pieces. 2,001 8,520 22,573 22,203 40,021 53,450 Pieces. 23,970 100,570 58,920 50,130 51,510 53,599 Pieces. 33,060 27,590 26,370 9,740 4,500 11,890 TABLE 6.-SHEETINGS. YEAR. ENGLISH. AMERICAN YEAR. ENGLISH AMERICAN . . . . . . . . . . 1875 1876 1877 .. Pieces. 96,385 31,107 50,269 Pieces. 52,102 87,360 264,412 1878 ....... 1879 ....... 1880. Pieces. 39,322 88,242 199,125 Pieces. 389,963 602,234 678,589 Fancy Cottons.—Under this heading, Dyed Shirtings, Turkey Red Cambrics, Damasks, Velvets, Lawns, Cotton Lastings and Cottonades, and Yarn show a fair increase, while in the import of other Fancy Cottons there is no noticeable change. Generally speaking, the supply has been in excess of the demand, and the ruling prices have been in favour of the buyers. In Turkey Red Cambrics, however, towards the close of the season a good business was done at paying rates to the importers. In the early part of the year Cotton Yarn was in good demand, and the import was accordingly on a large scale. The total quantity imported during the year amounted to 22,393 piculs, against 14,798 piculs the previous year. WOOLLENS.—Except in Camlets and Lastings, the trade in Woollens during the year cannot be characterised as a profitable one. There is a marked decrease in the import of Long Ells, 103,419 pieces being imported, against 123,514 pieces in 1879. Figured Lustres and Orleans, and Russian and Italian Cloth have slightly increased, while in the other items there is but little difference compared with last year. METALS.—Copper.—The quantity of Bar and Rod imported is somewhat less than during the previous year, being 9,261 piculs, against 9,417 piculs. The importations under the headings of Sheets, Nails, and Wire only amounted to 500 piculs. 120 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. Iron.—There is a marked increase in the import of Plates and Sheets and Nail-rod Iron, 34,346 piculs and 322,516 piculs being imported, against 13,964 piculs and 208,071 piculs in 1879. Of the other items classified under Metals the import and value have been—Lead, 94,220 piculs, valued at Hk.Tts. 396,241 ; Tin, 45,662 piculs, valued at Hk.Its. 701,072; Quicksilver, 1,176 piculs, valued at Hk.its. 48,550; Yellow Metal and Nails, 4,410 piculs, valued at HK.Tts. 74,971; and, Steel, 19,544 piculs, valued at Hk.Tts. 59,610. The value of manufactured Metals was estimated at Hk.its. 180,516, against Hk.Tts. 54,982 the previous year. TIMBER.—Beams, Hard-wood and Soft-wood Planks show an increase of 2,522 pieces, 27,660 pieces, and 637,962 square feet; but in Teak there is a decrease of 45,936 cubic feet. Various other kinds of Wood are imported, but, with the exception of Ebony, Rose- wood, Red-wood, and Laka, the quantity is trifling. Over 17,700 piculs of Ebony, valued at Hk.Pts. 62,000, were imported; of Rose-wood and Red-wood the import was 7,215 piculs, valued at Hk. Pts. 14,433; and of Laka it was 2,566 piculs, valued at Hk. Pts. 6,928. SUNDRIES.—The total net value of the Foreign Sundries as compared with previous years shows a slight increase, being Hk.Tts. 3,762,561, against Hk. Pts. 3,559,350 in 1879 and Hk.Its 3,732,770 in 1878. In many of the items, however, considerable fluctuation is to be noticed. Thus, Birds' Nests show a decrease in point of value of Hk.Tts. 36,965; Leather, a decrease of Hk.Tts. 24,220; Kerosene and Petroleum Oil, a decrease of Hk.Pts. 109,217; while Bicho de Mar shows an increase of Hk.its. 34,598; Coal, an increase of Hk.Pts. 107,754; Wood Matches, an increase of Hk.Tts. 84,312; and Seaweed and Agar-agar, an increase of Hk.Pts. 135,942. The total quantity of Foreign Coal imported amounted to 184,941 tons, of which 161,689 tons came from Japan, 14,498 tons from Australia, and 5,359 tons from Great Britain. The large stock of Kerosene Oil on hand at the beginning of the year accounts for the falling off in the import, 3,225,980 gallons being imported, against 4,782,440 gallons the previous year. The value of the Beer, Wine, and Spirits imported shows an increase of about Hk.fts. 10,000. The total value was Hk.Pts. 152,182, made up as follows: Beer, Hk.Its. 33,027; Brandy, Hk.Its. 23,292; Gin, Hk.fts. 7,182; and Wine, Hk.Fts. 88,681. NATIVE IMPORTS. This heading embraces Silk, Tea, Cotton, and Sundries, but as the two first items are chiefly for re-export, they will be treated of in connexion with the Exports. The value of the net Native Imports shows a decrease of Hk.its. 1,212,426. In Sugar alone the falling off is greater than this amount, being Hk.Pts. 1,700,000. Beancake shows a decrease of Hk.Pts. 356,737; Medicines, Hk.Pts. 50,000; and Tobacco, Hk.Tts. 105,541. On the other hand, Native Coal, Wood Oil, Szechwan Opium, Safflower, and White Wax have largely increased. Of the Native Coal imported, 102,065 piculs came from Hankow, 14,012 piculs from Wuhu, 23,284 piculs from Chinkiang, and 195,755 piculs from Tamsui. t the remaining Native Imports the import of which varies considerably from year to year, the principal are Fans, Fruit, Indigo, Hemp, Mats, and Rice. Sca SHANGHAI. 121 EXPORTS. Compared with the previous year, there is an increase in the value of the Exports of Hk.fts. 4,067,909, and in the Re-exports of Hk.Tts. 3,468,277, making a total increase of HkIts. 7,536,186. The total value of the Native produce shipped from Shanghai during the year is estimated at Hk.its. 70,209,367, of which Hk.fts. 36,178,811 represent the value of the Exports and Re-exports to Foreign countries, and Hk.Tts 34,030,556 the value of the Native produce shipped to Chinese ports. The value of the Native produce-principally Tea and Silk-shipped to Great Britain is estimated at Hk.Fts. 13,633,330; to the Continent of Europe, Hk.Its 11,857,584; to the United States, Hk.Its. 6,414,121 ; to Japan, Hk.fts. 1,300,054; and to India, Hk.Its. 1,083,146. In the port distribution of Native produce, Tientsin, Hankow, and Canton are the largest consumers, receiving goods valued at HK.fts. 8,125,417, Hk.Tts. 7,693,981, and HkIts. 5,006,777 respectively. SILK.—The total quantity of Silk-Raw, Thrown, and Yellow-exported amounted to 68,950 piculs, valued at Hk.fts. 20,039,476. This is the largest export since the opening of the port, and, as compared with the previous year, exhibits an increase of over 8,500 piculs. Owing to the reported short crop in Europe, there was a speculative demand at the beginning of the season, but on the whole the business done throughout the year was not of a remunerative character. Of the export, 36,599 piculs were for France, 15,826 piculs for Great Britain, 8,092 piculs for the United States, and the balance was distributed between other Foreign countries and Chinese ports. Compared with previous years, there is a slight increase in the quantity of Wild Silk, Waste, and Cocoons exported. TEA.—The total quantity exported from Shanghai during the year amounted to 794,202 piculs, made up as follows :-Black, 413,698 piculs ; Green, 181,618 piculs; Brick, 186,072 piculs; Dust, 12,006 piculs; and Leaf, 808 piculs. As compared with the previous year, there is an increase in the export under each of these headings, showing a total increase of 115,000 piculs; the increase to Great Britain alone being over 90,000 piculs. Of the Black Tea exported, 329,897 piculs were to Foreign countries, and 83,801 piculs to Chinese ports. To Great Britain the export amounted to 285,340 piculs, and to the United States to 28,347 piculs. Of Green Tea, 118,743 piculs were exported to the United States, against 122,019 piculs the previous year, while to Great Britain the quantity exported is almost the same as in 1879. The market opened early in June, and the prices ruling being higher than the current rates at Hankow, induced the teamen to send their Tea here in considerable quantity. The business done at Shanghai throughout the year, in spite of its magnitude as compared with previous years, cannot be termed satisfactory, and in many instances the prices obtained on the London market were less than the cost prices here. There is still a want of combination among the Foreign buyers, and so long as this continues the union that exists amongst the teamen will always tell in their favour. They are never in a hurry to sell, and they contemplate 16 122 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. with real but suppressed joy the eagerness with which the Foreign buyers compete against each other. Raw COTTON.—The past few seasons have been most favourable for the cultivation of Cotton, and to this may be attributed the vast increase that there is in the export during the year, being 552,194 piculs, valued at Hk.fts 5,494,330, against 266,069 piculs, valued at Hk.Pts. 2,646,771, in 1879. SUNDRIES.—Taking in alphabetical order the principal of the articles of Native produce classified under Sundries that have been largely shipped from Shanghai during the year as compared with 1879, we come first to Beancake, which shows an increase of 122,338 piculs. In Beans and Peas we find a decrease in the quantity of 51,960 piculs, but an increase in the value of Hk.its. 93,594. Medicines.—The value of the Medicines exported during the year is estimated at Hk.Pts. 1,145,418, which is an increase as compared with the preceding year of Hk.Tts. 157,454. Paper.-Ist Quality shows a large increase, while 2nd Quality and Oiled exhibit little variation. Taken together, the total increase is 5,586 piculs. Rice.—To meet the demand at Foochow and Canton, to which ports, for a portion of the year, all shipments were duty free, a large export took place, 3,207,857 piculs, valued at Hk.Tts. 3,849,429, being exported, against 2,039,492 piculs, valued at Hk.fts 2,998,052, the previous year. Straw Braid.—Of the 50,803 piculs imported, chiefly from Tientsin and Chefoo, 48,621 piculs were re-exported. These figures are considerably in excess of those of the previous year. The market at the beginning of the season was in a very unsatisfactory state, but later on an improve- ment took place, and handsome profits were realised on shipments of the better descriptions. Sugar.-While, as noted on an earlier page, there was an enormous decrease in the import of Native Sugar, an examination of the figures giving its re-export from Shanghai shows a considerable increase as compared with the previous year ; 477,091 piculs of Brown Sugar, 397,835 piculs of White, and 33,934 piculs of Candy being re-exported, against 386,724 piculs, 352,779 piculs, and 26,388 piculs respectively in 1879. These figures give a total increase for the year of 142,969 piculs. Tobacco.—Leaf shows a decrease, which, however, is more than counterbalanced by an increase in the prepared product, so that the two sorts taken together give a total increase of 19,890 piculs. Vermicelli.—The shipment exceeds that of the previous year by 34,759 piculs. The remaining Sundry articles of Native produce call for no special comment further than that Fruit, Fungus, Lily Flowers, and Nankeens have decreased as compared with the previous year. TRANSIT TRADE. The estimated value of the Foreign goods conveyed to, and of the Native produce brought from, the interior under Transit Passes issued by this office during the year is Hk.fts. 864,672 and Hk.Tts. 568,959, being a decrease as regards Transit inwards of Hk.Tts. 224,236, and an increase in Transit outwards of Hk.fts. 114,069, as compared with the preceding year. SHANGHAI. 123. The principal Foreign goods sent inland under Transit Passes are Iron, Lead, Tin, Bamboo Canes, Coal, Fans, Oil, Rattans, and Sugar; and of textile fabrics, T-Cloths and Grey Shirtings ; while the Native produce brought from the interior consists of Silk Waste and Cocoons, Dried Lily Flowers, Sheep's Wool, Walnuts, and Medicines. PER-CENTAGES. In the share taken at Shanghai by each nationality in the Foreign, Coast, and Transit trade, as compared with the previous year, there is but little variation. Thus, as regards the Foreign trade we find the British per-centage to be 68.25, the French 18.64, and the Japanese 7.71, against 68.95, 18.13, and 7.30. In the Coast trade the British per-centage was 51.75 and the Chinese 44.84, against 50.48 and 45.49; and in the Transit trade the British per-centage was 47.09, the Spanish 17.17, and the American 23.68, against 43.30, 23.01, and 20.82 respectively the previous year. REVENUE. The duties collected during the year amounted to Hk.Pts. 4,220,722, being the largest since the opening of the port, and exceeding that of the previous year by Hk.Tts. 202,593. There is an increase in the Import Duties of Hk.Tts. 29,828, in the Export Duties of Hk.Its. 212,751, in the Coast Trade Duties of Hk.fts. 43,005, and in the Transit Dues of Hk.Tts. 1,082, making a total increase under these headings of Hk.Tts. 286,666; but there is a decrease in the Opium Duties of Hk.Hts. 82,710, and in the Tonnage Dues of HkIts 1,363, making a total decrease under these headings of Hk.Tts. 84,073. Deducting this decrease, the increase in the duties collected during the year amounts to, as stated above, Hk.fts. 202,593. To obtain, however, the net increase in the Revenue, a further deduction must be made from this latter amount of Hk.Its. 34,231, being the value of the Drawbacks marked for cash payment during the year. The following figures are interesting as showing the increase in the Revenue collected at Shanghai since 1860. In that year it amounted to Hk.Its. 1,690,572; in 1865, to HK.fts. 2,167,841; in 1870, to Hk.fts. 2,730,955; in 1875, to Hk.Tts. 3,370,216; and in 1880, as above stated, to Hk.its. 4,220,722. I have, etc., JAMES H. HART, Commissioner of Customs. ROBERT HART, ESQUIRE, Inspector General of Customs, PEKING. 124 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. NINGPO TRADE REPORT, FOR THE YEAR 1880. [Received 7th April 1881.] CUSTOM HOUSE, NINGPO, 31st March 1881. Sir, In submitting to you this my Report for the year 1880, I may preface my remarks by observing that the year just past has in no remarkable way differed from those immediately preceding it; and should I, in the necessarily trite treatment of a well-worn subject, expose myself to the charge of a want of originality, I feel that I may venture to plead, with some justice I hope, such a circumstance as my excuse. Added to this, my predecessor had made capital out of every fact that could be adduced to throw light on the past prosperity and future prospects of this port, and had sifted with careful hand all the material which could be collected to aid in his research. Happy as he was in most of his deductions, it remains but for me to mark, and if possible illustrate, the truth of his predictions, and as the gleaner follows the harvester in search for such stalks as have been spared by the rake, so must I wander over the field of his labours, and bind into as goodly a sheaf as the material will permit the stray bits of information which he has left to my pen. That I have nothing save the commonplace upon which to work may be inferred from the fact that business at Ningpo has ever been notorious for the even tenor of its way. The relations between Custom House and merchant are seldom otherwise than satisfactory, nor often has it been the lot of my predecessors to chronicle any wild vicissitudes of fortune on the local page of commerce, the majority of those Natives who participate in its benefits coupling small means with abundant caution, while the various portions of our trade are meted out in just proportions to these humble capitalists. Here are no prince merchants to swamp their less wealthy neighbours in a struggle for a monopoly; here are no bold speculators to lavish a fortune on an idea: the sober atmosphere of Ningpo does not exist for such as these, and so the wheel of commerce turns, moved by innumerable little hands, not hurried onwards here by the impatience of one, nor retarded there by the obstinacy of another, but steadied in its sober pace by the equal pressure all round, where the loss of one so lightly felt is missed only to be replaced by another of equal force. There are some who predict for Ningpo a bright and prosperous future at the expense of her more wealthy neighbour, Shanghai; others, again, there are who foresee in her intermediate position between the new port and the old a loss to herself of much that she now enjoys. Which of these is the more likely consummation it is not in my power to foretell; but it is NINGPO. 125 my opinion that whatever changes may take place will be very gradual, and that for some years at least Ningpo may rest assured that she need fear no startling losses, nor hope for wondrous gains. I shall now pass on to the matter of this Report, which, for the sake of uniformity, I have planned on much the same principle as that followed by Mr. DREW, so that, with a copy of the Returns at his side, anyone who may feel enough interest in the subject to follow me through may, with the figures before him, carefully examine the statistics upon which my remarks are based; the figures, however, I have taken pains to keep as much as possible out of the Report. GENERAL VIEW OF THE CARRYING TRADE. The gross value of the trade for the year just past was Hk.Pts. 12,741,896, which amount, divided by the total tonnage employed, gives an average value of Hk.Its. 21.0215 per ton. This is a slight falling off in comparison with the previous year's average, which a similar calculation proves to have been worth Hk.fts. 22.415 per ton. The three principal articles which compose the bulk of this trade are here, as mostly elsewhere in China, Opium, Piece Goods, and Tea, for each of which there are fixed and favourable freights, and which together represent a value of Hk.its. 8,541,625. Deducting this amount, there remains a valuation of Hk.Pts. 4,200,271 for division amongst the various Sundries which supply the balance of our trade, and of which the most important are Cotton, Cuttle-fish, Metals, Medicines, Straw Hats, Straw Mats, Raw Silk, and Silken fabrics. Before, however, making use of the above facts and figures as a basis upon which to calculate a vessel's earning per ton, it must not be forgotten that there exists between this port and Shanghai a brisk passenger-carrying trade, which forms no inconsiderable portion of the total traffic. On reference, I find that during the year under review 578 Foreigners and 125,214 Natives availed themselves of this means of transport, for whose passage, calculating roughly upon the rates indicated under the heading of “Daily Steamers,” I consider that $170,000 is a very moderate estimate. This amount, which represents 30 (dollar) cents per ton, when added to the freight on $31.5322 worth of cargo (the value above shown at $1.50 per Haikwan tael), should give the average rate on every ton of cargo carried. I myself am not in a position to calculate with any certainty a freight upon the above valuation, but it is possible that shipowners might find the figures useful, and be able from them to approximate a rate per ton. SHIPPING. A comparison of the third column in last year's Shipping table with the same in 1879 shows a total increase in favour of the past year of some 9,000 tons, this improvement being due, it appears, to an increase on the part of steamers by 21,000 tons, and a general decrease of 11,000 in the tonnage of sailing vessels, although the number of trips representing this amount is shorter by 45 than the number appearing in the former (1879) year's Returns. Such a circumstance naturally points to the conclusion that the carrying trade has employed vessels of greater capacity than heretofore, the fact being at once evident when the inconsiderable 126 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. increase in the trips by Chinese steamers, namely 12, is contrasted with the marked increase in their tonnage, viz., 29,000 tons. In fact, it is to the daily employ on this line of a large steamer like the Kiangteen (1,368 tons) that this increase is entirely due, the slight improvement under the British flag of 7,500 tons for as many as 30 trips having tended rather to reduce the average space per trip; and being accounted for by the temporary running during the latter part of summer of a small steamer called the Kiungchow. A further glance will discover a really serious falling off on the part of Germany,—the reasons for which will be found under the heading of “Coasting Steamers from Canton and Hongkong,"—that flag now representing not much more than per cent., while it formerly enjoyed between 3 and 4 per cent., of the whole steam traffic. In short, speaking in general terms of the whole carrying trade, China and Great Britian may be said to monopolise the steam traffic in the proportions of 68.50 and 28 respectively, while the remaining 34 per cent. is divided among the following nationalities, which I place in the order of their importance, British Isles, Germany, America, Denmark, and Siam, and is carried on by mongrel craft of many sorts and sizes. As mentioned above, there is a decrease this year both in their numbers and tonnage, but as this loss is more than compensated for by the steamers' gain, no fear need be entertained that the carrying trade of Ningpo is otherwise than improving, if not in the cargo carried, at least in the means of its transport. 1°. Daily Steamers.--The traffic under this heading has been maintained with unaccus- tomed regularity throughout the year by the China Merchants' Steam Navigation Company, with the s.s. Haesan (625 tons) during January and February, and s.s. Kiangteen (1,368 tons) for the rest of the year, on the one hand, and by Messrs. BUTTERFIELD & SWIRE, with the s.s. Tunsin (610 tons), on the other. The latter steamer was in dock during the last two months of the year, but any loss consequent upon this in the British tonnage was more than made up by the running for an equal period (August and September) of the s.s. Kiungchow, a small steamer of 159 tons burthen, belonging to Mr. GEORGE McBain, and flying the British flag. The Kiungchow timed her arrivals simultaneously with those of the Tunsin, and consequently what opposition she may have offered during her stay caused more interference with the Foreign than with the Chinese company. The freights during her stay upon the line were reduced as follows: Opium . . . . . . . . . . . . from $2.00 to $1.00 per chest. Piece Goods . . . . . . . . . . $0.75 „ $0.37} , bale. Tea ............. „ $2.50* , $2.50, ton. Cotton . . . . . . . . . . .. $0.40 „ $0.20 „ bale. Cuttle-fish . . . . . . . . . . $0.25 „ $0.12} , picul. Straw Hats . . . . . . . . . » $0.25 „ $0.12} , bale. , Mats . . . . . . . . . . „ $0.25 „ $0.12} » '» Silk, Raw . . . . . . . . . .. „ $1.50 „ picul. „ Piece Goods ........ „ $0.75 „ $0.40 „bale. Fish Maws, Fish Fins, and Seaweed .. $0.50 „ $0.25 » picul. Native Passengers (ist class) ... $2.00 „ $1.00 each. (2nd class) ... $1.00 „ $0.50 * 5 per cent. return. + 15 per cent. return. $3.00 NINGPO. 127 As she was a somewhat expensive little steamer in the consumption of coal, and neither in proportions nor build exactly fitted for the passenger traffic at this port, she was after a two months' trial withdrawn from competition. 2°. Coasting Steamers from Canton and Hongkong.— The steamers of Messrs. SIEMSSEN & Co. have not visited us with any regularity, the appearance of these shapely craft within port limits having been a somewhat rare occurrence. It is the only steam traffic at this port in which Germany has a share, and the falling off in this branch of shipping causes a decrease under that flag of some 15,500 tons, the majority of the voyages to this port in former years having been made by the s.s. China, while during the year under review that vessel has only called here 3 times, as against 15 in 1879. There is no change as regards Ningpo in the British vessels of this class, they, as in the previous year, claiming 6 trips out of the diminished total of 9, with an aggregate tonnage of 4,788 tons. What cargo they have brought has consisted, as heretofore, mainly of Sugars, Tobacco, Lichees and Lung-ngans, Rattans, Vermilion, White and Yellow Lead, and Canton fancyware—such as Lamps, Mirrors, Brass Buttons, etc.,—and only 30 chests of Opium, as against 1,290 chests in 1879. The rates have ruled as follows:- Opium .......... $2 per picul. Tobacco, Prepared . ..... $ 0.80 , case. , Stalk. ..... ... $ 0.60 „bale. Lichees and Lung-ngans. ... $ 0.35 „ box of 0.60 piculs. Fans, Palm-leaf, and Sugar ... $0.20 „bale. Rattans . . . . . . . . . . $ 0.60 „ bundle. 3°. Numbered Bouts and Lorchas.—The so-called numbered boats are in reality nothing other than small junks, conspicuous for a staring number daubed upon the stern and “cut into both quarters,” armed with special license to ply between this port and Shanghai; and reporting to the Foreign in lieu of the Native Custom House. Their little fleet now numbers some 12 sail in all, with an average capacity of 76 tons, each performing its appointed voyage some 12 times a year. A stranger visiting the port might have some excuse for inquiring what might be those crabbed and battered little craft, huddled up in close proximity to one another as if for mutual protection, a few yards from the Custom House and almost opposite its windows. There they always lie though, and, insignificant as is their appearance, the scene between them and the jetty is ever one of bustle and confusion, for they always arrive with cargo crowded half-mast high, and go away as fully laden. They represent 12 vessels, or 936 tons of space, arriving and departing full every passing month. Though their tonnage is only 2! per cent. of the whole, and the cargo carried, though bulky, not of the most valuable sort, yet what there is of it is bundled in and bundled out with much activity, and they may always be seen moored in twos or threes in their allotted space. They are often, along perhaps with a bigger Hankow sister, sole occupants of the stream after 4 o'clock, when the steamer has left for Shanghai. They have, I hear, done a prosperous business during the past year, though they somewhat suffered by the brief opposition in the summer. Their cargoes consist of Metals—they bring all the Iron and Steel and most of the Lead,-Kerosene Oil, Matches, Sapanwood, Seaweed, and the like, and return with Medicines mostly, and Cotton in some quantity during the autumn and winter; 128 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. all of which they manage to pile over house and deck, stem and stern, until the boat seems likely to sink beneath its load, and yet thus loaded it is astonishing how seldom these crazy little craft meet with mishap. During the last five years I have only heard of one disaster, and that was in May last, when No. Eighty-eight ran upon a rock, and in order to save herself had to jettison a portion of her cargo. She arrived safely in port, however, with the remainder, and as the best method of settling the dispute, I, in conjunction with the Superintendent, adjusted a general average. Her docking expenses amounted to some Tts. 48, with two-thirds of which her owners appeared quite content, and she has been running ever since without interruption. It is hardly necessary to state that no insurance companies grant risks on cargo carried in these boats. Of the lorchas plying between this and the Yangtze Ports there are 12, with an average tonnage of 128 each, four being British, four American, two German, and two Danish, and only half of which have been running with any regularity, these having made from five to six trips during the year. They have brought with them the usual cargoes of Wood Oil, Hemp, Tobacco, China-root, Fungus, Vegetable Tallow, and Hankow Medicines, in return for which they ship Ningpo Medicines, White Alum, etc., calling at Shanghai sometimes to complete their lading. 4°. Sailing Vessels from the Straits and Coasters.—The traffic in this class of sailing craft has been well-nigh ousted by the steamers, what little there has been of it being hardly worthy of remark. Eight vessels only have visited this port during the year: two arriving from Penang with Mangrove Bark, Sapanwood, Black Pepper, and Betel-nuts, of which one cleared for Shanghai in ballast, the other taking a few thousand Canes to Chefoo; one from Batavia with Coal, Rice, and Betel-nuts, and taking away Samshu and Chinaware to Bangkok ; three from Shanghai with Coal, ballast, and Flints respectively, of which the first two left for Bangkok with Stone Slabs, Samshu, and Kittysols, and the other carried Native Medicines to Canton and Hongkong; one from Kelung with Coal, and leaving in ballast for Newchwang; one from Chefoo with Peas, which cleared for Swatow with Chinaware and Samshu. 5°. The Shanghai-Wênchow Steamer calling at Ningpo.—The Yungning has called here with regularity something under 60 times, seldom bringing anything for this port beyond a few passengers or a part freight, perhaps, of Copper Cash, and carrying nothing hence save a few packages of re-exported Piece Goods for Wênchow. This steamer would probably pay better were she to confine her trips to the passage between this port and Wênchow, but the objections which the Wênchow traders entertain towards the transhipment of their merchandise is said to militate against such an arrangement. GENERAL VIEW OF THE TRADE. During the early part of March it became publicly known that the Treaty proposed between Russia and China, commonly known as the Livadia Treaty, and chiefly relating to the rendition of Ili by the former power, would not be ratified by the Emperor. War was believed by many as likely to follow, and the question whether a blockade of the Treaty Ports, in the commerce of which so many nations are interested, would be permitted was much discussed. The possibility of such a blockade might have been expected to cause an increase in the orders for Tea for the NINGPO. 129 European, American, and Australian markets, and an increase in the purchase of all Foreign goods for the interior; but such anticipations were not realised to any considerable extent, save, perhaps, in the export of Tea, while it is probable that other elements contributed to this result. Net Values.—The net value of the trade during the year under review was Hk.Its. 12,384,334, which, taking the figures of 1879 as a guide, may be estimated as about 5 per cent. of the total trade of China carried on in Foreign bottoms. These figures show a deficit on the value of last year's trade amounting to Hk.Tts. 552,039, about 41 per cent., which is found on examination to lie in the Imports, more especially those of Foreign origin,—they absorbing 58 per cent., and the Native produce the remaining / per cent., of the total 6} per cent. decrease on Imports. This, by an increase on the other hand of 13 per cent. in the Exports, is reduced to a total decrease, as mentioned above, of 41 per cent. Foreign Imports (71 per cent. of the total Foreign Import trade of China). The decrease under this heading of Hk.fts. 716,790 is in Opium, 4.89; Sundries, 1.15; Piece Goods, 0.28; and Metals, +0.57, showing, as mentioned above, a total decrease of 58 per cent. Native Imports at Ningpo represent 3} per cent. of the total Import Coast trade of China. They show a decrease of Hk.Tts. 97,286, or per cent. of the whole local trade, which is mainly attributable to losses in Native Sugars and Medicines. Native Exports.— These, which represent at Ningpo 41 per cent. of the total Export trade of China in Foreign bottoms, show an increase of Hk.Tts. 261,000, or 1 per cent., of which more than half is due to Cotton, and something under two-fifths to Tea. The balance is contributed by various Sundries, most of which of any importance, excepting Cuttle-fish, Silk Piece Goods, Straw Mats, and Samshu, show fair increases. IMPORTS OF FOREIGN ORIGIN (nearly 46 per cent. of the Trade). 1. OPIUM (264 per cent. of the whole trade). Indian Opium.-In the consumption of this commodity, Ningpo stands fourth on the list of all the 19 Treaty Ports of China, the proportion received here during 1879 representing over 9 per cent. of all the Opium imported into China during that year. The value of the drug imported during 1880 was about 57.20 per cent. of the value of goods of Foreign origin, and 44.92 per cent, of the total Import trade of the port. In order the more graphically to present a comparison between the figures of 1879 and 1880, I shall have recourse to a table which is merited by the importance of the subject in its effects both on the trade generally and the Revenue in particular. NET IMPORT OF OPIUM. 1879. 1880. Piculs. HK.Pts. Piculs. Hk.Pls. Malwa . . . . . . 6,768 3,586,605 5,455 2,907,046 Patna . . . . . . . 486 190,853 294 131,515 Benares . ..... 302 113,502 203,169 Persian. ...... 94 38,220 38 15,500 TOTAL ... 7,650 3,929,180 6,258 3,257,230 471 130 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. Thus showing in the importation of 1880, as compared with that of 1879, the following results :- DECREASE. INCREASE. Piculs. HkTts. Piculs. Hifts. Malwa . . . . . . 1,313 679,559 ... Patna . . . . . . . 192 59,338 Benares . . . . . . ... 169 89,667 Persian ...... 56 22,720 TOTAL... 1,561 761,617 89,667 169 It will be found on calculation that the value of this drug has not decreased in the same ratio as the quantity,—the one showing a decline of 17.60 per cent., the other of 18.20 per cent.,—although larger importations than usual have taken place of a less valuable quality, namely, Benares. This improvement in average value is due to the new season crop of Malwa in September having been, I am informed, much superior in quality to that imported of late years. From the merchant's point of view, the trade in this drug was satisfactory, prices having ruled high, although the consumption has fallen off considerably, notably so in the case of Malwa, the quantity imported during the year under review having been considerably less than it has been during any other year since 1872. As will be seen by the above table, Benares, on the other hand, has increased considerably; in fact, it has never been imported in such quantities as during the past year. This increase is due to the weight of Patna not having been as good as usual, many of the balls having turned out “chop-dollar,” that is, moth-eaten. Thus Benares has obtained better prices than the latter, thereby partially compensating for the decline in Patna. Malwa.—The new season crop arrived here during the month of September, and was sold at Pts. 526, the quality being superior. The highest prices touched were,—for new drug, Its. 550, in the month of June, and its. 582 for old, in March ; lowest, Its. 530, in October : average rate during the year for new Malwa, Its. 540; and for inferior, its. 515. Patna.—The highest price touched was Its. 460, in June ; lowest, Pts. 406, in January : average for the year, Pts. 442. Benares.--Highest, Tts. 440; lowest, in June, Its. 419: average for the year, Its. 442. Persian.-Highest, Its 428, in June; lowest, in January, Its. 375. The serious decrease above indicated in Malwa is partially due to the gradual loss by the Tu Hang (+ FT) of Ningpo of a large portion of this province, namely, the prefectures of Huchow ( W) and Kahsing ( A), districts which have hitherto offered lucrative distributing areas for their purchases, but which are now slowly, though surely, being annexed to the field of their rivals, the Swatow Opium dealers of Shanghai. The lightness of the provincial imposts upon Opium throughout this province is one cause of the comparatively large importations of the drug at this port, thus making it possible for drug entered at this port to be conveyed to many districts in the interior that under similar charges would prefer to draw their supplies from elsewhere; and, as has before been frequently urged, it is to this want of uniformity in the charge that much of the evasion of Ningpo duties NINGPO. 131 complained of is due. The inland taxes of Kiangsi, Fukien, and Anhwei are all known to be heavier than those levied in Chèhkiang, while, on the other hand, the Kiangsu charges are even lower than those collected in this province, which has consequently long been drawing clandestine supplies from across the boundary, i.e. from Shanghai. Added to this, the route from the latter place is so much shorter, and, consequently, the freight so much less, that drug thus conveyed can be laid down at a cost considerably lower than if arriving by the accustomed channel, i.e. viâ Ningpo. Though the local hongs were by no means ignorant of such a fact, nor unaware of the clandestine competition, they continued to trust that the very leniency of the Kiangsu tax was such as not to offer sufficient inducement to smuggle on a large scale, without which, as they well knew, it would be more profitable for the Huchow and Kahsing dealers to obtain their supplies from Ningpo,-one all-sufficient motive lying in the local system of long credit, whereas, I believe, cash payments are always insisted upon in Shanghai. Thus, confident in their security, they hesitated not at times to exercise their power, until at length, in the autumn of 1877, they committed a piece of commercial tyranny which proved a fatal step, thereby driving their unwilling customers to obtain their Opium by a different route, thus lighting the mere spark that was needed to kindle a thriving trade in the direction mentioned. In order to render more intelligible the act itself, with its consequent losses, it will be here necessary to recapitulate briefly the circumstances as given in detail by Mr. DREW. During the third quarter of 1877, advices reached here that the autumn crop was to be small, and that Bombay mails were bringing but meagre shipments. Prices at once rose, and the Opium hongs bought freely in the expectation of a further rise. Hardly had they done so, when news arrived of two successive large shipments from Bombay, and the Foreign houses at once put down the prices. With a view to avoid the selling cheap what they had bought dear, the Opium hongs entered into a bond to buy no more Opium, their object being to recoup their losses at the expense of the inland traders. The latter, however, were in no hurry to increase their stocks at such a cost, and so, after a period of six weeks, during which time no sales were effected, the combination was dissolved. In this case cunning overreached itself, for in thus guarding themselves from loss on a few chests, they were unwittingly handing over the northern portion of this province, and the moment the step was taken, down swooped the Swatow men, alert for their chance, with Opium, not at the prices for maintaining which the Ningpo men were in league, but at the much reduced prices of November; and were further encouraged by finding that there was no preventive service to tax their Opium as it passed from Kiangsu into Chêhkiang. Likin offices there were, but they were few, and those in charge of them had not been in the habit of seeing much Opium pass that way, and were timid and hesitating about taxing it. The delay of the officials in resolving on a course encouraged the trade, and some time elapsed before a remedy could be applied. At length, the Opium farmer Chóên Yümên ( P P ), foreseeing that unless something was done, and that quickly, both the Fant'ai’s revenue and his per-centage on its collection would be much diminished, succeeded in setting on foot an arrangement whereby he might entice back the 'Huchow and Kahsing dealers to Ningpo. In this, while extracting from them a promise that they would cut the Shanghai connexion, he agreed to defray himself the difference in freight, which concession, coupled with 132 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. the system of long credit, was sufficient temptation to induce their compliance. In the mean- while, branches of the Opium guild were to be stationed at 'Huchow and Kahsing, and watchers appointed at all the barriers between Kiangsu and Chêhkiang, to tax Opium at the reduced rate of Pts. 28 per picul. Unfortunately, before these operations could be put into practice, the promoter of them died, his son succeeding to his post. The plans have since been tried, and with some success, but the expenses of collection under the new arrangement are said to be so great that the farmer cannot make sufficient profit out of his contract, and so all the establishments but two have recently been closed, and it is probable that in time these also will be permitted to lapse. These restrictions relaxed, the business has once more sprung up; and unless some very stringent measures are taken to nip it in the bud, these prefectures, at one time lucrative marts for the sale of Opium from Ningpo, will cease to be numbered among its purchasing districts, and will be ceded without a struggle to the broader domains of the dealers of Shanghai. Native Opium.—But although what has been above described is doubtless one, it is not the only cause of this year's decreased importations of the Indian drug. The cultivation of Native Opium is rapidly on the increase here as elsewhere amongst the poppy-producing districts of China. So long ago as 1877, inquiries made by my predecessor elicited the information that in Taichow-fu alone the annual production might be estimated as worth its 3,000,000, while Wênchow-fu produced a yearly quantity valued at Its. 1,800,000, the districts of Siangshan ( W) and Fêngʻhwa (* 1) producing Its. 300,000 worth of drug between them. The above may or may not be too high an estimate, but at all events there is no doubt that its distribution is widespread and increasing yearly, the opportunities for smuggling both by boat and road being so numerous that unless protection is given to the Foreign article, it is probable that the Chinese Government will suffer considerable loss of revenue without even having the satisfaction of knowing that the consumption of Opium is on the decrease. As has been before remarked, China may be called the “great country of little things,” and so sure as grains of sand make up the seashore, so does there exist an enormous export of Native Opium made up of innumerable petty and nominally illicit ventures of a few ounces at a time. Much as I should have liked to enter more fully into the question of Native Opium, and ascertained something of its future prospects, the necessarily clandestine treatment which it receives both in production and sale render difficult the acquisition of much reliable information on the subject. All that can be contributed on the matter is doubly interesting at the present time, when the Opium question is being so widely discussed both at home and abroad. I may yet have something to say in this connexion under the heading of “Revenue;" but as regards the places of production, method of distribution, process of cultivation, quantity consumed, attitude of the authorities, etc., they have been so fully described by my predecessor that I can do no better here than refer my reader to his Report for 1877, pp. 113-118. 2°. PIECE GOODS (nearly 10$ per cent. of the whole trade, divided between Cottons and Woollens in the proportions of 11} to 1). The Piece Goods imported into Ningpo represent 4} per cent. of the total China trade in Manchester fabrics. In Cottons throughout, with the exceptions of Dyed Shirtings and NINGPO. 133 » 2 Velvets, there has been a large falling off this year, namely, of 100,000 pieces in all, or say about 15 per cent. The following list shows the decreases, with per-centages, under the principal headings:- Shirtings. ... show a decrease of Pieces 41,000, or 10 per cent. T-Cloths .... » 44,500 „ 25 Jeans . . . . . „ 6,500 , 16 , Chintzes · · · „ 4,000 » 2014 » Sheetings .... 1,600 » 37 - Handkerchiefs .. 760 » 12 Velvets .... show an increase of „ 775. „ 65 » Woollens have likewise been imported in diminished quantities, all of the varieties, excepting English Camlets, Long Ells, and Imitation Lastings, showing considerable deficits, and aggregating a falling off in the total quantity of some 2,000 odd pieces, or about 14 per cent. I append a similar list to that given under Cottons :- Camlets .. show an increase of Pieces 120, or about 7 per cent. Cloth . . . . shows a decrease of „ 540 , 28 Lastings.show 1 230 » 9 » Long Ells.. » Lustres .. , „ 1,850 Spanish Stripes » , 40 , 2 , There are probably several causes which have combined to bring about the unfavourable results mentioned above, of which the three principal may be said to have lain in the apprehen- sion of war in the spring, the growing influence of Wenchow, and last, though not least, in the unusually productive outturn of last season's Cotton crop. Such an event as the refusal by China to ratify the Kuldja Treaty, and the probability consequent thereon of an impending war with Russia, did not, as might have been expected, cause the Natives to increase their stocks, for they, apprehending that in the event of troublous times it might be necessary to fly, reasoned that in such a case money would prove more portable than stock, which would be liable to damage, loss, or plunder; and thus we see how an anticipation, which one might ordinarily suppose would lead to increased orders for Foreign goods, has had quite a contrary effect, and tended rather to keep such manufactures out of the market, while the Native paid more attention to the hoarding of his silver. In the importation of Cottons there is one fact worthy of remark, and that is the marked increase in the import of Dyed Shirtings,—with Velvets, the solitary exceptions to the general decrease in Cottons,—which have entered to the number of 7,152 pieces, as against 500 only in 1879. This, of course, only represents the quantity imported in Foreign bottoms, and I am informed there has been a large importation of this species of Cotton Cloth by means of Native junks. These Shirtings are mostly re-exports from Swatow, where they were originally imported for the purpose of being dyed. The blue dye which it there receives not only renders the material more economical, as requiring fewer visits to the wash, and thus lasting longer, but it enables the poorer classes to wear the cloth outside their underclothing during spring and autumn, white being a colour only used in summer, and the price of Nankeens being more than they can afford. 134 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. Notwithstanding, however, the advantages which Foreign Cotton Cloth possesses over Native manufactures in both cheapness and breadth, the latter is considered more economical in the long run by those who can afford to buy it, as being of a stronger and coarser fibre it is naturally more durable, while being free from the starch with which all English manufactures are known to be adulterated, it retains its appearance twice as long as the Manchester fabric. The Native Cotton goods, too, being of a closer texture, and thus affording more warmth, are infinitely preferred for use next to the skin; Foreign Cotton goods, owing to the large quantity of starch in their composition, being unable to bear the washerman, and being therefore mostly made use of as a lining. Nankeens are also to be met with starched at times, but Natives are never deceived as to their quality. As funereal garments, in following the corpse to the grave, Foreign Cotton is used in some quantity, but here, again, only by the poorest classes, as it can afterwards be used for various purposes, cut up into window-blinds, cloths, etc. Next, as to the influence of Wênchow upon Ningpo as a consumer and distributor of Piece Goods which formerly came through this port. A glance at the figures beneath, which represent the respective importations into the former port of 1879 and 1880, will at once make this apparent :- COTTON PIECE GOODS. 1879. 1880. ist quarter 2nd , Pieces. ........ 19,207 . . . . . . . . . 31,694 · · · · · · · 11,682 . . . . . . . . . 7,888 Pieces. 69,279 46,871 9,346 10,065 3rd » . 4th WOOLLEN PIECE GOODS. 1879. 1880. Pieces. Pieces. Ist quarter . . . . . . . . . 1,707 3,433 2nd „ . . . . . . . . . 62 602 3rd „ . . . . . . . . . 1,234 1,334 4th „ ........ 1,675 2,197 The above very large increase cannot be accounted for merely as the natural results of a port newly opened to trade, it being almost double the import of 1879 in the case of Cottons, and allowing a certain amount for the inevitable development of trade, this great improvement will account for a large proportion of the decline in the importations of Ningpo. Lastly, the success of the Cotton Crop has very appreciably reduced the cost of Native Cloth, a fall in price which, coupled with the preference for Native Cottons mentioned above, has hindered the sale of the Manchester fabric in our local markets. The anticipations of low profits consequent upon this fall in price has suggested caution to the Piece Goods merchants in giving credit, an act on their part which has had no slight effect in hampering the operations of the country retail dealers, most of whom, destitute of capital, have to trade on credit or not at all. NINGPO. 135 3°. METALS (4 per cent. of the whole trade). Ningpo enjoys the reputation of being the second largest consumer of Metals of all the 19 open ports of China, absorbing about 10 per cent. of the total consumption. The figures of the year under review show a decline in quantity of some 17,000 piculs, while the values, on the other hand, have advanced Hk.Tts. 73,548, or about 17 per cent. This anomaly is due to the increase having fallen to the lot of the most valuable metal which is imported here in great quantity, namely, Tin; while, on the other hand, one of the least valuable, Nail-rod Iron, shows a decrease in the quantity which does not seriously affect the total values. Tin.-During the year 1879 the importations of this metal at Ningpo were some 2,000 piculs less than the net quantity taken by Shanghai, these two ports together accounting for about half of all the Tin imported by Foreign vessels. It is more than likely that after the increased quantity imported here during 1880, this port now ranks first in its consump- tion, not excluding Shanghai. The Tin is very nearly all consumed in the city of Ningpo, where there is a large industry in the manufacture of sacrificial paper, known as Ningpo “ Joss Paper." INCREASE. DECREASE. Piculs. Hkits. Draus. . . . . . . „ Compound. .... , Plates . . . . . . . Piculs. 1,608 165 .... Hk.Fts. 75,820 2,179 505 3,003 505 3,003 1,773 505 77,999 3,003 TOTAL INCREASE . . 1,268 74,996 Iron.This class of metal again shows a decrease both in quantity and value, the annual import seeming to diminish year by year. DECREASE. INCREASE. Piculs. Hk.its Piculs. 5,437 2,439 Hk.Its. 1,657 2,912 Iron, Nail-rod .. Tron, Nall-rod . . . . . Bar . . . . . . . Old . . . . . . „ Wire ..· · ... Nails . . . . . . , Wire Rope . . . . 608 103 ... · .... 1,108 2,539 620 372 1,876 785 3,531 8,984 785 6,445 3,531 TOTAL DECREASE . . 8,199 2,914 136 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. Lead. Here we have an improvement of almost 10 per cent. in value. It is possible that the increased export of Tea may have had some connexion with the slight increase of quantity imported. Increase ..... Piculs 327 Hk.Tts. 4,427 Copper.—This metal, it will be seen, has improved in value, while it has decreased in quantity. This result is due to Sheathings. INCREASE. DECREASE. Piculs. Hk.fts. Hk.fts. 6,657 Piculs. Copper Sheathings . ... 97 ... Wire . . . . . ... Old .. .. .. .. Japan · · · · Sheathings, Old ... 25 609 14 72 440 979 1,848 134 97 245 2,876 6,657 2,876 97 ... TOTAL . . . . .... 3,781 148 Steel shows decreases, though slight, in both quantity and value. Decrease..... Piculs 293 Hk.Tts. 775 Zinc, like Steel, shows a decline under both headings. Decrease..... Piculs 20 Hk.Tts. 139 Quicksilver.—Only 2 piculs imported during the year, which decline, owing to the high price of this metal, has made a good large hole in the total values. Decrease..... Piculs 118 Hk.its. 5,146 SUNDRIES.—These show a decrease of Hk.Tts. 44,000 in value. With the exception of Kerosene Oil, Matches, and Seaweed, all of any importance have decreased in quantity, while even of these, the two first have decreased in value; Ebony, on the other hand, while showing a falling off in weight, improving much in valuation. Kerosene Oil. The exceptionally large import of 1879 has been more than maintained, there being visible an increase in the number of gallons amounting to per cent. The value, on the other hand, has decreased something under 5 per cent. 1880. INCREASE. DECREASE. Gallons. 871,820 HK.Tts. 104,248 Gallons. 97,692 Hk.Its. 5,094 138 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. Hk.fits. 31,000 Increase on Seaweed and Ebony, say ........... , Sundries, Unenumerated, such as Camagon-wood, HK.fts. 13,000; Mushrooms, Hk.Pts. 11,000; Dye- stuff, Hk.Its. 9,000; Window Glass, Hk.fts. 4,000; / Prawns, Hk.Its. 2,000 . . . . . . . . . ., 39,000 , , other Sundries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11,000 TOTAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81,000 TOTAL DECREASE as above . . . . . . . . 125,000 INCREASE , . . . . . . . . 81,000 TOTAL DECREASE on Sundries . . . . . . . 44,000 5,209 IMPORTS OF NATIVE ORIGIN. The Native produce imported into Ningpo represents 124 per cent. of the whole trade of the port, and, as before stated, there is a decrease under this heading of Hk.its. 97,286, mainly attributable to Sugars and Medicines. The subjoined table may be of some use :- DECREASE. INCREASE. Piculs. Hk.Tts. Piculs. Hk.fts. Medicines ...... 6,096 56,571 Lung-ngans . . . . . . ... 3,898 38,404 Wood Oil ...... .... 10,827 Tobacco . . . . . . .... 303 4,179 Sugar Candy ..... 33 5,210 Fungus . . . . . . . . ... 592 24,850 Varnish . . . . . . . 269 5,149 Tobacco Leaf . . . . . . 3,507 11,395 Hemp · · 1,521 6,188 White Wax . . . . . . ... 475 32,160 Beancake ....... .... 4,924 309 Vegetable Tallow . . . . . ... 4,427 Gypsum ....... ... 2,123 9,832 Șugar ........ 20,317 84,442 Besides the decrease shown in the above table, there is a deficit of Hk.fts. 69,000 contributed by Sundries, Unenumerated, which, when added to the amount indicated above, gives the above- mentioned decrease of Hk.Tts. 97,000. 563 NATIVE PRODUCE EXPORTED. There is little new to be said concerning the various kinds of Native produce which form the Export trade of Ningpo. Tea, Cotton, Medicines, and Cuttle-fish represent considerable NINGPO. 139 OI values ; Straw Hats, Straw Mats, and Silk Piece Goods, somewhat less considerable values ; Paper Fans, Alum, Fish Maws, and Samshu, from Hk.Tts. 10,000 to Hk.Tts. 30,000. Medicines have decreased in quantity, but increased in the value exported. With the exception of Cuttle-fish, Straw Mats, Silk Piece Goods, and Samshu, all Exports worthy of mention show very respectable increases. I append a table :- INCREASE. DECREASE. Piculs. Hk.its. Hk.fts. 72,925 145,917 20,568 1,494 8,735 42,828 Piculs. Tea, Green . . . . . . 19,830 Cotton ....... 18,704 Medicines .. ... Cuttle-fish . . . . . . ... Silk, Raw ....... 48 Tea, black . . . . . . 986 Straw Hats ..... 2,600, 118* , Mats .... ... Silk Piece Goods .... ... Paper Fans ...... 336,094* Alum, White ..... 398 Fish Maws ...... 114 Tea Leaf ....... 530 Samshu ....... ... 14,606 24,676 36,318 281,086* 17 14,541 18,541 21,019 244 4,647 4,683 4,239 4,588 80,498 345,603 80,498 TOTAL INCREASE . . . . . . 265,105 Allowing a decrease of Hk.fts. 4,000 for the Sundries not above enumerated, we have a total net increase on Native Exports of some Hk.Tts. 261,000, as shown in a previous part of this Report. TEA (31 per cent. of the whole trade).—Ningpo comes fourth in the list of the ports which export Tea, the amount shipped from here in 1879 having been about 6 per cent. of all the Tea which left China during that year. Although there has been a considerable increase in the export of Tea, the business done in this commodity was not favourable to the merchant. The growers, however, have been more fortunate. The reason for this was that during the season of 1879 there was a great demand for the better qualities of leaf, of which at that time a comparatively small quantity only appeared in the market, chiefly on account of a disinclination to bestow any extra care in preparation. The demand for first qualities of Gunpowder and other kinds of Tea was consequently greater, and the prices so unusually high that really good business was done in such Teas; and as it * Pieces. 140 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. was anticipated that the demand for superior Teas would continue, great care has been bestowed upon the preparation during the past season, and greater quantities came into the market. The consequence was that prices fell very low, and the dealers in these Teas lost heavily. In 1879 the price of No. 1 Gunpowder was Tts. 48 per picul, while last year it was difficult to obtain Tts. 38 for the same Tea. In 1879 there were 22 hongs (Native) engaged in the Pingsuey Tea trade at this port, which realised a profit of about $80,000. They had not placed their Tea in the market until the season was almost finished and the price had risen considerably. Last year 28 hongs were engaged in the same trade, and essayed the same experiment as during the previous season, but as the supply was greater and the demand considerably less than in 1879, they sustained a loss of about $120,000. There are at present 5,000 chests of last year's Tea in various godowns here, for which there is actually no market. Of the 28 hongs, four brought their Teas into the market immediately after the opening of the season, and thus realised a small profit, whereas the remaining 24 hongs were losers to the extent above mentioned. A further reason for the increased export of Tea (especially Black Tea) from Ningpo has been found in the severity of the examination of Tea at a barrier near Wuhu. This barrier, I have been informed, opened very many of the packages that passed that way, and thus not only caused trouble and delay to the owners, but also injured the Tea. Tea which would otherwise have found its outlet at Wuhu has thus been conveyed viâ Huchow and Kahsing to Ningpo. EXPORT OF TEA FROM WUHU. 1879. 1880. Piculs. Piculs. Tea, Black. . . . . . . . . . . . 2,154 1,027 , Green . . . . . . . . . . . . 232 614 » Leaf, unfired . . . . . . . . . . .. 380 Increase of Black Tea exported from Ningpo during 1880, as compared with 1879, 986 piculs. COTTON.—The Cotton crop was excellent last year, and as Canton and Hankow especially have offered good markets, considerable business has been transacted and handsome profits realised in connexion with this staple. The market price for the better qualities at this port during the past year was $16 per bale of 120 catties, and $15.40 for inferior kinds. Last year's crop may be described as an 80 per cent. crop, an average one being called a 50 or 60 per cent. crop. Consequently, it may be considered as having been a very good one. It is said that of all the Cotton produced in this neighbourhood last year, more than 70 per cent. has been carried by Native craft coastwise. It would thus appear that the proportion taken by Foreign bottoms is comparatively small. MEDICINES.-- The articles of trade classed under the heading of Medicines form an interesting and important item in the Exports of this port. During the past year 36,610 piculs, valued at Hk.Tts. 233,467, have been exported, but of the 118 kinds that go to make up this amount, only about one-half are indigenous to this province. The remainder have probably NINGPO. 141 been brought from other parts by Native boats to this market, and when shipped by vessels of Foreign build appear among the Exports of this port, although they are not the produce of the neighbourhood. The six principal Medicines exported from Ningpo are Maitung ( *) or Maimên-tung ( PIR), Paichu ( ti), Tupei (+ U), Yüjou ( h), Yüan'hu ( ) or Yen’hu-so (BE ), and Yüanshên ( ), which have been described in Mr. Bowra’s Report for 1869, and only a few particulars respecting them have been elicited since. The medicine known as Maitung (or Maimên-tung) consists of the pale yellow tubers of an evergreen grass cultivated in gardens at this port as a border for flower-beds. The plant is known as Ophiopogon Juponicus. The creeping rhizome produces the soft, flexible tubers tapering at each end, and measur- ing from 1 to 14 inches in length. The medicinal properties of this plant were known as early as the Tsʻin dynasty (B.C. 255), when it was found growing in its wild state near streams and canals. At present it is cultivated in rich soil, well manured, and gathered once in three years. It is used as a tonic and mild stimulant, and prescribed in cases of vomiting, spitting of blood, dry cough, and other lung diseases. It is mostly exported to Canton (viâ Shanghai) and Hankow. There are four qualities, distinguished according to the size of the tuber :- 1. Such‘ing ( ), valued at ......... Pts. 12 per picul. 2. Sumien (T ), „ ........ 8 3. Kungmien (TU), ........ ~ 6 4. Paomien (ET), ), · · · · · · · · · · Maitung is cultivated at Yüyao, but a far greater quantity is produced in the vicinity of Hangchow. During the past year 1,839 piculs, to the value of Hk.Its. 13,673, have been exported hence. The most important among the Medicines exported from this port is Paichu ( c), Atraclylodes nova spec. It is the forked root of a plant resembling the thistle, which is largely cultivated in the northern parts of this and some portions of the neighbouring provinces. The roots, when collected during the autumn, are of a yellowish colour, but when dried the outer surface deepens to a dark brown. They seem to contain an oily substance, and have a sweet, mild aromatic taste. At Yüchien (# ), in the Hangchow prefecture, the best variety is produced ; hence its name Yüchu. Its average value is Its. 40 per picul. Three other varieties of Paichu are distinguished in trade, although in druggist shops various fancy names are applied to this medicine. The larger roots are exported under the name Paichu, valued at its 8 per picul, whereas the débris are known as Liaochu (** tt), and valued only at its. 5 per picul. It is said that a wild kind, Yehpaichu (F t), is found among the mountains in this province, but it never appears as an article of trade, being very scarce, and supposed to possess extraordinary medicinal properties. There seems, however, to be a great demand for this variety, so much so that credulous people are frequently imposed upon. 142 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. Few Medicines are more extensively used than Paichu. It is said to be a most effective stimulant and tonic remedy, and in combination with other Medicines is prescribed for innumerable complaints. The export of Paichu, chiefly to Canton (vill Shanghai), has been 13,447 piculs, to the value of Hk.its. 102,611, during the past year. Fresh Paichu-Hsienpaichu ( C)-is occasionally exported to Shanghai. Three varieties of Chu—Ts'angchu (* i), Maotsʻangchu (** ), Ngochu (# appear as Imports from Hankow. Peimu ( #) or Tíupei ( 1), a bell-wort, Liliacea uvularia, is largely cultivated in this neighbourhood. The bulbs resemble the heads of garlic, but are much larger than the Peimu ( #) or Ch'uanpei (JII U), Uvularia grandiflora, imported from Hankow, and, although prescribed for the same complaint, do not possess medicinal properties to the same extent as the last named; hence the difference in price. The market value of Tupei is its. 4 per picul, while that of Ch'uanpei ranges from Tts. 100 to Tts. 140 per picul. Peimu is prescribed as a cure for a great number of complaints, and generally decocted in combination with other drugs. It is used in fevers, coughs, hæmorrhage, and calculus, and administered to women after childbirth as a stimulant to the mammary glands. In eye diseases and as an ointment for external sores it is frequently used. The export of Tupei during the past year has been 4,253 piculs, valued at Hk.Tts. 17,218. Yüjou ( h) or Chuyujou (** ), Cornus officinalis, is a small fruit resembling a red date, supposed to possess stimulating and strengthening properties. It grows on a shrub which bears small white flowers not unlike the blossom of a plum tree, and is frequently met with among the hills of Shunan-hsien ( ), in the Yinchow ( SH F) prefecture, and at Hsinch-ang-hsien ( F ), in the Shaohsing ( m ) prefecture. Yüjou is one of the best known Medicines, and is prescribed as a cure in a great many complaints, such as fevers, disorders of the sexual parts, worms, and even in cases of deafness it is supposed to give relief. Its market value at present is Its. 10 per picul. The medicine known as Yuan’hu ( ) or Yen huso (SE ) is an important export at this port. It has been identified as the tubers of a fume-wort, Corydalis ambigua, and that exported from Ningpo is chiefly produced in the prefectures of Shaohsing and Chin'hwa ( #). It is also grown in Kamtchatka and on the Amoor river. The tubers are very hard, of the size of beans, and of a brownish colour. They are planted during the autumn and gathered during the summer months. For the proper assessment of duty, three qualities, according to size, are distinguished, valued at Its. 8, fts. 6, and Its 5 respectively, the largest size being of the highest value. It is astringent, alterative, and sedative, and specially prescribed as a remedy in female complaints and as a blood purifier generally. The old designation Hsüan hu was changed to the present one, Yüan‘hu (Tī ), during the reign of the Emperor K'ANGʻHI ( ), on account of the character forming part of his name. Both names, however, for this drug are used indiscriminately. The sixth medicine of which a considerable quantity is exported from Ningpo is the Yüanshêng ( ), black Ginseng. In appearance the root has not the vaguest resemblance to Its mo 144 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. recollections of the time gone by, and with dreams of the stirring times to come, when the “ Heaven-sent barrier” shall have accomplished its end, and the harbour will once more be thronged “with a fleet of sailing vessels lying along each bank of the river, moored in tiers to keep a channel open.” Remarks upon Opium as touching the Revenue.- In the formation of the Tariff of 1858, the object aimed at was to levy as nearly as possible a 5 per cent. duty upon all Foreign goods, Opium being alone exempt from this rule, and being charged Pts. 30 per picul. This duty, which was intended at the time as a restrictive one, does not form any great exception to the general per-centage of maritime dues, being not more than from 5 to 7 per cent. on the value, while Ginseng at times is charged at the rate of 50 per cent. The Tariff Duty on Opium, viewed in the sense of a restrictive tax, is too light. Opium is not only a luxury, but a luxury injurious to some, and therefore it comes into the class of articles which should be subjected to a duty calculated to decrease, or at least prevent the increase, of its consumption, while at the same time the duty should not be so high as to cause an increase in smuggling. By the fifth of the 10 rules made at Shanghai on the 8th November 1858, it was admitted as an import at a duty of Pts. 30 per picul; but it was enacted at the time that the Foreign importer could sell it at the port only, and that it could be carried into the country as Chinese property only, and that it should be subject to whatsoever inland dues on it the Chinese Government might see fit to arrange. The object of this was clearly to leave the power with the Chinese Government to impose a preventive duty at any time it might see fit to do so. The provincial authorities collect such octroi, commonly called Likin, as they find necessary to meet provincial and prefectural expenditure. This is clearly not only their right but their duty. The objection to the present system is the uncertainty of the amount collected, and the frequent changes. The great desideratum for a merchant is to know exactly what duty his goods have to pay, so that he may make his arrangements accordingly. But a sudden increase of Likin in this province might stop the sale of Opium here and increase it at some neighbouring port, thus leaving Opium lying in stock here under interest, and eventually obliging it to be returned at the loss of two freights, namely, the original inward freight and the re-export freight out. Now, let us take Cotton Goods for example. They are now imported and pay a full duty, then, when carried into the country under Transit Pass, a half duty is paid. When they arrive at their destination, say in Shaohsing, the Transit Pass is expired, and when again sold and again moved they may be subjected to further taxation. "The Piece Goods business is altogether in the hands of the Native dealers, who constitute a guild which for several years has enjoyed the benefit of a special arrangement with the Likin tax officials, of so favourable a nature that no one not a member of the guild—and Foreigners are not members—can compete in the trade. The guild pays to the Likin Office monthly the sum of 1,000 strings of cash (say Hk.Fls. 585) as a commutation for all 'Import Likin' on Cottons, and, similarly, Hk.Pts. 125 as commutation on Woollens. These payments, it should be observed, are required of all Cottons and Woollens, whether they go into consumption at Ningpo or are sent into the interior to be disposed of.....If the goods are sent into the interior, they go there under Transit Pass issued by this office to the guild's representative...... Arrived at their destination in the interior, the goods are liable for local Likin, called 'Loti-chüan.' NINGPO. 145 This, however, the guild has also commuted, having agreed to pay, as a 'lump'sum for both Cottons and Woollens, 1,050 strings of cash (= Hk.Tts. 614) per month. . . . . . In the Piece Goods business the Foreigner cannot compete with the Native, not alone because the Natives are combined, as they are, to keep him out, but also because he cannot commute (as the members of the guild can do) the Inland Likin. The Import Likin he might pay, the Transit Pass he might take out, but his goods, once arrived at their destination inland and disposed of to a Native, would be liable to unknown taxation, if not even to a fine. “We have now seen, in the case of Indian Opium and of Foreign Cottons and Woollens, how the Chinese authorities by their own action admit the faulty operation of their Likin system. In providing as they have done for a commutation by one or two 'lump' payments at the outset of dues which otherwise they must levy, or try to levy, at numberless points on the various roads to the interior, they confess that their 20 years of experience with Likin has proven that it cannot be effectually collected in dribblets by the wayside as the goods pass along, and that it is best to collect it all at once before distribution commences. If China is to be persuaded to apply this principle to the Likin on all goods, the amount collected should go into the provincial exchequer, at least in great part. What a boon to commerce in this country when a single revenue payment will be accepted to cover all possible charges, present and prospective, on the goods concerned !"* I fully endorse these words, and quote them to show that the Chinese merchant and Likin tax-gatherer have adopted the system which the Chefoo Convention desired to apply to Opium,—and which I would recommend being applied to all goods, and because they show that the Native merchant pays commutation for Likin charges at the port of entry, and that the Native tax officer prefers to collect it there, and that the Native merchant, while paying this contribution, which is spoken of as voluntary, and which would be designated by the Foreign merchant as an “illegal squeeze," yet drives the latter out of the trade. I therefore say it would be to the benefit of the Foreign trader that all inland charges should be fully commuted. In this connexion I would beg to quote from the Tamsui Report for 1878, which contains the following : “To prevent the evasion of local taxes, it has been suggested by people at various times that the collection of Likin Dues should be placed in the hands of the Customs, and that the money collected should be handed over to the provincial authorities for their use...... If one tax levied at the port could frank all goods to any part of the country, there is no doubt that it would be a great boon, and would obviate much trouble; but it is questionable whether this could be ensured.” I recommend the system of an Import Duty and commutation to cover all Imports, not because I desire “ to prevent the evasion of local taxes," with which I have no concern, but because I desire to secure an increase of Foreign trade by engaging in it the interests of the provincial authorities. I believe “one tax levied at the port could frank all goods to any part of the country,” because I believe these goods are now subjected to as much duty as they can bear; and if this duty is commuted and collected at the port, further collection would * “Trade Report on Ningpo for 1877," pp. 119-121. 146 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. not only be resisted by the merchant and reported to the authorities at the port—who would communicate the complaint to the provincial authorities,—but if any additional levy were effected, the import would be decreased, and both the port and provincial authorities would at once suspect and inquire into the cause and punish the offender. I have thought of the trial of the scheme at a small port, as Mr. Lay suggests, and it appears to me very practicable. If trade increased under its operations, it could be extended. With the benefit of the “people who now receive their pay out of Likin receipts,” Foreign trade and those interested in it have no more to do than had those interested in the introduction of the steam-power loom to do with the pay of the hand-loom weavers. These people will find their proper places in the world, just as the junk, boat, and sampan men displaced by the introduction of Foreign steam vessels have found theirs, and just as the carters and letter-carriers who shall be displaced by railways will have to find theirs. The survival of the fittest is the law of Nature, and why should these Likin people be exempt from it? The people can be trusted not to submit to any unauthorised collection for the maintenance of a few petty officials out of employment. Once the people became aware, as they would through the proclamations which of course would be widely posted, that all Likin charges were abolished, and that it was illegal to charge them, anyone attempting to squeeze them they would at once denounce. The Chinese people are well able to take care of themselves in money matters. In 1878 the Likin charges in this province caused the people to come to the Taotai’s Yamên and protest; they gained their object -a reduction of taxation. In the Ningpo Trade Report for 1876, Mr. Dick states “The Fychow Teas are brought here, not because this port is the most convenient outlet, but because they are prevented by the Sea-wall Maintenance Tax at Hangchow from being transported at a smaller expense to Shanghai;” thus they are prevented being placed in the Shanghai market by the cheapest method. Here I may say that there has been some discussion in Native circles regarding the supposition that the balance between the Export and Import trades is against China, and that there is a drain of silver from China. This consideration appears to lead them to the conclusion that they should endeavour to increase their Exports by discouraging all adulterations. In this connexion I may refer as to how China Teas are at a great disadvantage in Foreign markets, as Indian Tea is exported duty free, and the Export Duty on Japan Tea is only Its 0.79; while the Export Duty on China Teas is Hk.Tts. 2.50, plus transit, Hk.Pts. 1.25, that is, Hk.Its 3.75. The removal of the Transit Duty from Tea, or at least the reduction of it, would enable China Tea to be put more cheaply on the market, and the increase in the export consequent upon the reduction in duty might prevent any loss of duty. I, however, incline to the opinion that an improvement in the system of Tea culture is as necessary as a reduction in duty. If China is to retain the Tea trade, she must both lower the Export Duty and improve the culture. It may not be out of place here to draw attention to the fact that in England the duty on Tea is 6d. per Ib., and in America 25 cents per lb. In this connexion I cannot do better than once more encroach upon the work of Mr. DICK, quoting on this occasion from his very able letters contributed in 1869 in lieu of a Trade Report for that year. NINGPO. 147 “ The only way to mitigate the effects of the British and other Foreign duties on Tea is (as has been lately pointed out) to negotiate for their reduction; but the British duty is a moderate one, being only a half of that of the United States and of Russia. It is probable that through Opium alone the balance may in time be adjusted. When the Chinese Import Duty, now amounting with the other charges to 184 per cent., has reached 45 per cent., Opium here will be in the same position as Tea at present is in England; and by the same time, the Indian Export Duty will probably have fallen to about the amount, 16} per cent., now leviable (19, however, being the amount actually levied) on Tea exported from China. To add to the Export Duties in China would be exactly the same as if, in order to mitigate the effects of the inland charges in China, England and the United States were to impose Export Duties on the manufactures and metals they send here. From the trade between England and the United States the latter derive a large revenue, and England very little; but would anyone on that account recommend the imposition of Export Duties in England ? “In the case of Opium the remedy is already in the hands of the Chinese Government and people. By developing the cultivation and increasing the Import Duty, a large portion of what is at present the Indian Revenue on this article may be gradually transferred to China. It is probably unnecessary to negotiate about the Indian Export Duty. The Bengal portion of the Opium revenue is the profit on the sale by Government. As the selling price in Calcutta is lowered by the influences operating in China, the Bombay Export Duty must, of course, come down with the Bengal price. In effecting this transfer of revenue to China, it is desirable that taxation on Native Opium should be raised to the level of the Import Duty, which might, perhaps, be done if this branch of Revenue received as much attention as the Salt Tax; and it is also desirable that as the duty on Opium is raised, the duties should be lowered on other Imports and on all Exports. Indeed, this transfer may be made the key to large reductions on other articles, the gain from which to the world at large would far exceed the apparent loss to India ; apparent only, for no real loss could result to that country from merely conforming to the conditions of sound economy. Indian Opium has been quoted by Mr. MiLL as 'probably the strongest known instance of a large revenue raised from Foreigners by a tax on Exports.' This revenue has been partly the price paid by China for making a futile attempt to treat an economic question on grounds erroneously supposed to be moral. The high price Indian Opium has commanded has been the result of two causes,—the superiority of the article, and the prejudice of the Chinese against producing it themselves. Although the latter cause has never prevented home production, it has certainly made the extension of it slow. But the decay of prejudice and the increase of production in China are making India amenable to the laws of political economy in respect to this branch of trade. At the same time, India is reciprocating in the article of Tea, by producing it in annually increasing quantity, and exporting it duty free, against the 19 per cent. lev.ed by China. Each country will probably retain its present superiority—the result, no doubt, of natural advantages in its own special product, India in Opium and China in Tea; but in course of time both countries will have to give up taxing the exportation of these articles, and the Indian Government will have to withdraw its interference with the trade, and leave the production of Opium, like everything else, to private enterprise. 148 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. “One side has to give way as far as Revenue is concerned, and, in accordance with the teaching of political economy and the tendency already evident, it must be India, although the change may be gradual. “It is impossible to suppose that Government interference in India with those departments of this trade which in other branches of trade are left to private enterprise can be otherwise than injurious and wasteful, as such interference has invariably been elsewhere, however much in this particular case these effects may have been hitherto lost sight of in the large revenue obtained under exceptional circumstances from China." CONCLUSION. Before bringing this Report to a conclusion, it may not be irrelevant to the subject in hand to notice the high rates of interest which prevail throughout China, and to remark that when the peace, patience, and sober industry of the country are considered, it cannot be expected that the present rates will long obtain, for capital will flow to where it is most required and most secure. Is capital required in China ? We see Chinese labour seeking employment in America and Australia, where it comes into competition with European labour. We know that China can produce Wool and Cotton, Coal and Iron, in large quantities; we know railways and telegraphs are required; and we conclude that cheap human labour in China requires capital to employ it. Are influences at work in the West likely to drive capital from its old to new centres ? We see a tendency in the West on the part of labour to demand a constantly increasing share, and, as a consequence, to give to capital a constantly decreasing share of profit, and this, too, while it claims protection from competition. We see power passing from the hands of the intelligent few into the hands of the less intelligent and more needy many. In some countries there appears to be the desire to legislate against capital, and in others the desire to strike at existing authorities. From such conditions capital will naturally shrink. Is capital secure in China ? Yes; in China, life and the fruit of toil are in a pre-eminent degree assured. Here the lady and her children wander in happy security over the lovely hills and valleys of this neighbourhood, and sleep in mountain solitudes with unbolted doors. Here realthy merchant roams and enjoys beautiful scenery, fine sport, and in pursuit of the spring snipe, trampling through, shakes with impunity the too ripe grain, without fear of being carried off by brigands and held to ransom. Here the peace-inspiring and beautiful teachings and the many gentle precepts of the good Confucius, one of the greatest sages the world has ever seen, have for ages. been sinking deep into the hearts and minds of a mild and law-loving people, among whom commercial probity, industry, and frugality are highly honoured, and sudden and unnecessary change held in abhorrence. I have, etc., To R. B. MOORHEAD, Commissioner of Customs. ROBERT HART, ESQUIRE, Inspector General of Customs, PEKING. NINGPO. 149 Appendix No. 1. NAMES of LOCAL MEDICINES which form the EXPORT TRADE of NINGPO. ROMANISED SOUND. CHINESE NAME. ROMANISED SOUND. CHINESE NAME. 1.事事非事 ​| {"P6 …….... 事事都無 ​Chunhwa .… Chiang'hwo...... Chungchu .…………. Chihmu.……. Chihu..……….. Chien hu .……………… Chingchieh .…………….…. Ch&uanchung .......... Chiangch‘ung Ch'uani Chiehts-aitzů Chilo ..…………………. Changshan ..…………. Foup'êntzů Fangt'ungtsíao .... Fengjou .………………… Fangtang..….….. Fangchi ...... Fêntanp'i 'Haip'iaohsiao .. (Haits tao. Haifêngt'eng Hsiak“utsʻao … . Hsihsin ... Hwangching..……… (Hwangpo..…… 'Hait‘ungpi... Hwanglien .……….. (Hwangchihwa .…… Hsiaochfingpi..………… (Hwangmao.……………… Hsiangyaoliao ......... 菜盆通 ​春姜種知桔前荆全美全芥梅常覆方楓方防粉海海海夏細黄黄海黄黄小黄香 ​花活龙母核胡术虫虫衣子絡山子草肉党已皮峭讓藤草辛精框皮連花皮茅料 ​丹漂楓苦 ​桐剪青藥 ​Hsiaopaichu ..……… Kanshowwu ....... Kanchiang .……………… Kaopên Kowchip’ien ....... K'ushên. Liaot‘ungtsíao ......... Lienhsü . Luhants no .…………. Lungtants'ao .….………. Matowling Maitung: Sumien .………. Such'ing. Kungmien... Paomien Maochiang Mulien.... Mulientzů ... Mupitzů Mutow... Mutsetsʻao Ngochu ........... Paichu... Paichih ... Paichiehtzŭ .. Paihsienpi ………. Paipientow ..... Paiwei..... Panhsia....... Potzůjên ..... Prihsiao..………… 白首脊通 ​含胆鬼 ​小乾千告狗苦料蓮鹿龍馬 ​蘇蘇貢包毛木木木木木我白白白白白白华梅皮 ​尤為姜本片參草鬚草草令面清面面姜蓮子子斗草尤尤芷子皮萱微夏仁峭 ​蓮必賊芥鮮遍子 ​Campl..… .. 看我​,看 ​1………... 150 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. NAMES of Local MEDICINES which form the EXPORT TRADE of NINGPO—Continued. ROMANISED SOUND. CHINESE NAME. ROMANISED SOUND. CHINESE NAME. 事事非事事不要 ​Shanling ......... Shashen ..…………….. Shaoyao .…………. Shihch angph.…… Shihchüehming Shengma .…………. Ssatsungts ao .. Sungtai .………………. Tanchuyeh Tuchung ... Tripei, ..……. T'up'o Tussützŭ.... Tuyuchin T'ientung T'iench'a Wuweitzů ... 事事重重- ​营决通竹 ​山沙芍石石升森松淡杜土土土天甜五娛烏五死玉英 ​稜些藥蒲明珠草子葉仲貝朴子金冬茶子蚣藥皮子竹内 ​絲體味茄楞 ​Yüchin.. Yülijên ………. Yinch'ên Yüan'hu.... Yuanshen ..….... Chahwa. Chihwa .…… Shani ... Ch‘ienchints'ao Ch'uanpei ..... Haishih... .…………. Hsienpaichu .. Hsiangtangkwei... Hsienshowwu ...... Lijên. Mahwang Pipa.…………. Ta-hai ..………. Ts'aokwo ………… Tsêhsieh Tzhts no .…………. Yüanchih .... Fangfêng ........ 李 ​静郁茵元元茶翡蟬千川海鮮箱鮮李族畢大草澤紫遠防 ​金白當首 ​金仁陳胡些花花衣草貝石龙歸烏仁黃撥海葉瀉草志風 ​…….….... Wukung .... 重重重重重重重重重 ​Wuyao.………………. Wuchiap'i Walantzů Yüchu Yujou .……… ... NINGPO. 151 Appendix No. 2. MEMORANDUM of the DESTINATIONS of the Six principal MEDICINES exported during the Year 1880. NAME. ANGHAI. CANTON. HONGKONG. HANKOW. KIUKIANG, SWATOW. I WÊNCHOW. TOTAL. Piculs. Hk.Tt Piculs. Hk.Ft Piculs. Hk. Pts. Piculs. Hk.Ft Piculs. Hk.Ft Piculs. Hk.Ft Piculs. Hk.Ft Maitung... 1,542.17 11,457 29.80 210 92.65 656 168.89 1,319 ... Paichu..... 6,130.59 47,779 145.91 1,093 330.05 2,023 6,796.30 51,366 43.70 Tupei....... 1,732.09 6,945 122.05 2,300.18 9389 Yujou... 1,869.80 17,669 10.35 104 16.50 165 360.24 3,585 Yüan hu... 789.35 5,4856.97 56 31.68 254 933-135,493 9.60 64 ... Yüanshen | 1,547.05| 4,522 125.27 376 83.44 251 2,767.60 7,156 19 | 48 8.70 | 26 Piculs. Hk.its 1,838.71 13,673 13,446.55 102,611 4,253.18 17,218 2,264.39 21,598 1,770.73 11,352 4,551.06 12,379 152 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. WÊNCHOW TRADE REPORT, FOR THE YEAR 1880. [Received 12th February 1881.] CUSTOM HOUSE, WÊNCHOW, 28th January 1881. SIR, The improvement in trade noted in the Report for 1879 has been fully maintained, and in many directions increased, during the year 1880. Amongst other causes operating to this end, not the least efficient one has been the steady and punctual visits made by the sole steamer which comes to this port. Native traders are now thoroughly alive to the value of steam communication versus junk, and understand fully the important aid which this is to their business; they consequently give it their hearty support. Nor is the Foreigner less grateful when he remembers the lorcha period, with its adjunct, the Native overland post for mails, which once constituted the torpid condition of things to which all had to accommodate themselves. Direct and regular communication with Shanghai by steamer has been a boon alike to merchants and private individuals, and the great expansion of trade during the past two years is one of its results. The value of trade has increased 36 per cent., and the Revenue shows a satisfactory increase of 681 per cent. Tonnage remains about the same, the wants of the port being sufficiently supplied before. The trade in Cotton and Woollen Piece Goods is larger; Metals have made a decided advance; Opium is rather lower. In Sundry Imports considerable improvement appears, the useful items of Window Glass, Matches, and Kerosene Oil being, as was to be expected, prominent. Exports have expanded considerably in all important items, with the exception of Charcoal, for which a reason is given (page 157), and Timber Planks, for which no reason is assigned. Transit, still confined to goods inward, shows good progress. Details illustrative of these remarks will be found below under their various headings. WÊNCHOW. 153 NET VALUE OF TRADE. The increase in the value of trade will be best exhibited by the following table, embracing the four years during which the port has been open to Foreign trade :- 1877. 1878. 1879. 1880. HK.Tts. 223,506 21,903 18,117 Foreign Imports, net value .. ................ , Exports (to Chinese Ports)........... TOTAL NET VALUE...........Hk.Its. Hk.Fts 180,733 22,787 21,847 Native Hk.fts. 199,572 61,605 54,213 Hk.fts. 249,487 92,108 88,375 263,526 225,367 315,390 429,970 Dollars. Treasure imported ......... » exported ........ Dollars. 2,800 175,491 Dollars. 1,000 798,535 Dollars. 3,600 764,695 325,971 In the above items of Imports and Exports a satisfactory increase appears. A reference to the statistics, Part II, Table 4, shows that in Imports the following have more especially contributed to this increase: Cotton and Woollen Piece Goods, Nail-rod Iron, Lead, Beans, Black Dates, Window Glass, Dried Lily Flowers, Matches, Nankeens, Kerosene Oil, and Seaweed. In Exports, the principal articles which have conduced to the same end are—White Alum, Bamboo Shoots, Kittysols, Oranges, Tea, Timber Poles, and Tobacco Leaf. The balance of trade has still to be adjusted by the export of Treasure, and although the amount is slightly less than that of last year, its value is nearly equal to double that of the whole trade. This very serious drawback to the prosperity of the port is likely to remain until operations in Tea and Opium, but more especially the former, are developed to a much higher point than they have hitherto been. The value of Copper Cash exported during the year is $7,808, of which $6,803 went to Ningpo and $1,005 to Shanghai. This is an improvement upon 1879, when Cash to the value of $13,644 was exported. The dollar exchange has averaged 1,140 to 1,150 cash during the year. The above export of Treasure, viz., $764,695, had its value gone away in Native produce, would have caused an increase in the Revenue collection of Hk.Pts. 25,556, in addition to the great stimulus to local industry which its disbursement would have insured. Its action also would have been equally beneficial to tonnage. REVENUE. The total collection amounts to Hk.Tts. 11,490.7.1.2, which is an increase of 68} per cent. upon the previous year, and is entirely derived from the Chinese flag. The principal increases are under the headings Export and Coast Trade. Import and Transit are also higher, Opium is 20 WÊNCHOW. 155 as once every five days. When this point is assured in the affirmative, the steamer must either call oftener or leave the field open for some rival to do so. The expense of transhipment would, of course, fall on the company, but as it has a line connecting with Shanghai, the outlay would le more than coolie hire; as a set-off to which there would be the increased earnings on the Ningpo-Wênchow line. IMPORTS. OPIUM.—A slight decline has to be noted, the importation of Patna being 54 piculs, against 57.60 piculs; and Malwa is represented by nil, against 3 piculs. This want of activity in an article known to be in considerable consumption can only be ascribed to the operation of the Likin Tax; certainly not to decreased consumption. It is surmisable that this tax is higher here than at Ningpo; but what the latter really is it is difficult to learn, for it is not allowed, apparently, to be known. It is clear that Ningpo-imported drug finds its way by the land route, or perhaps in some instances by junk, taxed sufficiently below the Wênchow rate to compete against it in the market. If the Tariff charge was fully levied at Ningpo, the drug would arrive by the natural route-the sea one,-to the benefit of shipping, maritime revenue, and Likin interests. As long, however, as the principle of farming the Likin obtains, injury to these interests will be the result; and should our Likin official ascertain what the bona fide amount of tax collected at Ningpo is, he would still have to reduce below it in order to checkmate the other side. The levying of the lawful Tariff rate, whatever it may be, would be a remedy, but one rather to be hoped for than obtained under the system of taxation in vogue in this country. This subject was noticed at some length in last year's Report, and there is therefore no necessity to enlarge again upon it here. The following table shows the importations to date:- DESCRIPTION. 1877. 1878. 1879, 1880. Piculs. Piculs. Piculs. Piculs. 27 Malwa .............................. Patna............ ........ 10.80 10.80 57.60 54 TOTAL .......... 37.80 13.80 60.60 COTTON GOODS.-A total importation of 76,095 pieces, against 69,022 pieces, shows the moderate advance which this branch of trade has made, although still below the 95,321 pieces of 1877, when the wants of the port were probably over-estimated, as these figures have never again been reached. The increase is chiefly noticeable in T-Cloths, 37,585 pieces, against 32,280 pieces; Dyed Brocades, 610 pieces, against 350 pieces; Chintzes, 720 pieces, against 217 pieces; English Drills, 3,250 pieces, against 2,810 pieces; American Drills, 1,755 pieces, against 1,530 pieces; and Velvets, 256 pieces, against 162 pieces. Turkey Red Cloths is the only item which is lower, and that has only declined 14 pieces. Handkerchiefs remain stationary at 1,210 dozen. 156 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. WOOLLEN GOODS.—These reach a total of 5,914 pieces, being an excess of 1,242 pieces over last year. English Camlets, Broad and Medium Cloth, Lastings, Lustres, and Spanish Stripes, all show increase, some to an important extent. Long Ells are lower. The trade in Cotton and Woollen Piece Goods is slowly expanding. Leaving out 1877, the year of inflation, a gradual annual increase, with some fluctuations in one or other of the items, is observable. The port is now supplying its own district with this description of goods to a larger extent than formerly, since the healthier condition of the Transit system. METALS.—These have made a decided advance, notably so in Nail-rod Iron, which appears in the statistics as 3,043 piculs, against 1,381.80 piculs. No Foreign import has more steadily risen since 1877, when 37.80 piculs represented the importation for that year. Its popularity may be due to its quality being either better or more adapted for the purposes for which it is used than the Native article. The lower relative price, other things considered, may also be in its favour. Copper and Lead both show a good improvement; Steel is a little higher. Iron Wire has slightly declined; but Tin Plates have fallen from 51 piculs to 3.36 piculs. This article has shown great fluctuation since 1877, when it reached 71.40 piculs. FOREIGN AND NATIVE SUNDRIES.-- Taking the 23 principal items given in the Returns, increase appears upon 16 of them. Matches and Kerosene Oil have reached a high figure, and seem destined to become annually larger. It will be sufficient to notice the very great increase in Beans, 1,476.85 piculs, against 20.48 piculs imported from the North and used as food; Black Dates, 646.30 piculs, against 163.62 piculs; Gypsum, 1,340 piculs, against 960 piculs; Matches, 16,850 gross, against 8,660 gross; Nankeens, 615.79 piculs, against 200.34 piculs; Kerosene Oil, 45,900 gallons, against 24,000 gallons; and Seaweed, 3,302.44 piculs, against 2,906.96 piculs. A moderate increase is shown upon the following :-Fungus; Window Glass, 28,200 sq. ft., against 25,000 sq. ft.; Dried Lily Flowers; Medicines, which have progressively risen during the past four years from 33.40 piculs to 635.73 piculs; Black Pepper, a very fluctuating article ; and Rattans. Red Dates show decline; Untrimmed Palm-leaf Fans only appear as 22,000 pieces, against 108,000 pieces; Hemp is lower; Mangrove Bark has fallen from 1,627.80 piculs to 253.70 piculs, chiefly used for dyeing fishing nets, also cloth ; Sapanwood is much lower; Brown Sugar has disappeared; and White Sugar has declined from 825.39 piculs to 39.89 piculs, the market being chiefly supplied by importations in junks from Formosa. Rice has been imported to the extent of 2,666 piculs. In 1877, 2,093 piculs were imported, but none in the two follow- ing years. The Rice came originally from Chinkiang, and arrived in the early part of the year, before the local crops were cut. Probably a temporary scarcity at that time rendered the market rate sufficiently lucrative to attract importation. The crops of the year proved good enough, however, to prevent any repetition of the operation. A few items appear, such as Betel-nuts, Cloves, Cotton Thread, Mushrooms, Dried Mussels, and Nutmegs, but are of little significance in quantity or value. Novelties are—Imitation Astrakan, 420 pieces (a species of cloth made to imitate unborn lamb skin); Pigs' Bones, 929.78 piculs, used as manure, being first burnt and then ground up (it may become an article of importance by-and-by); Cotton Rags, 128.94 piculs; Silver Dross, 74.10 piculs, used by Chinese doctors, after some preparation peculiar to themselves, in making medical plasters; Trimmed Palm-leaf Fans, 12,500 pieces; Cow Glue; Liquid Indigo, employed by dyers; Straw Mats come from Ningpo, and are used for sleeping WÊNCHOW. 157 on; Bean Oil; ist Quality Paper, required for printing books; Sesamum Seed; Sheep-skin Coats; Steel Flint; and Wheat. Other items in the list of Sundries call for no special notice. EXPORTS. TEA.—Both Congou and Unfired show a good per-centage of increase, the latter, indeed, being fourfold higher; but the total quantity still remains a bagatelle. It is needless to repeat the remarks on this subject which have appeared in former Reports, beyond observing that till Foreign firms are induced to explore this branch of trade, it is unlikely that it will ever emerge from its present obscurity. The banking facilities enjoyed by Foreigners and their direct connexion with the European and American markets are advantages not possessed by the class of small provincial Native merchants who trade here, and the latter are compelled to confine their operations between one coast port and another. The actual export of the article abroad must be undertaken by the Foreigner. The past year's export has been in the first instance to Shanghai, when it has been placed on the market, and realised from its. 24 to Its. 26 per picul, its ultimate destination being America. The quality is considered to be medium, and does not equal the finer sorts which are exported from Hankow and Kiukiang. The following table summarises the export of Tea to date : DESCRIPTION 1877. 1878. 1879. 1880. Piculs. 278.64 Piculs. 350.43 Congou ..... Unfired.. ............ Piculs. 728.19 250.79 Piculs. 1,284.45 1,054.80 330.88 TOTAL........... ........................ 278.64 681.31 978.98 2,339.25 SUNDRIES.--Although showing a fair, and in some items a large amount of increase, Sundries have not escaped fluctuations, and in more than one important staple a decline appears. This is the case with Charcoal, Gum Resin, and Timber Planks. The net value of all Exports has increased 63 per cent., so that the trade may be considered in a satisfactory condition. Alum, which is produced at Pingyang ( 39) and its neighbourhood, and is one of the natural staples of this district, but has hitherto been chiefly exported by junk, appears at length to have taken a start; 762 piculs, against 18.70 piculs, is a proof of this, being a larger amount than has ever gone away before in one year, although the figures for 1877 show 614 piculs. Bamboo Shoots have justified the prediction in last year's Report, and are more than fourfold higher. Charcoal, which has always shown such large annual increase, has now declined to 7,247.70 piculs, against 12,439.52 piculs. The cause is said to be the long drought which prevailed during the latter part of the year having dried up the water communication by which it was brought to market. An accidental circumstance of this description, being only of temporary duration, will pass away, and the trade revive again. Coir, so valuable for ropemaking, is nearly threefold higher. 158 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. Dried Cuttle-fish has almost disappeared; it was first exported in 1879, but is probably unable to compete with the product of the Chusan archipelago. Fresh Fruits (Oranges) continue to show annual increase, and the amount now reached is 7,260.96 piculs. The drought, noticed above as having diminished the supply of Charcoal, has also been prejudicial to the ripening of Oranges, and the fruit is rather smaller this season in size than usual. In other respects it has to be noticed that the export has not increased so much as expected. The ultimate destination being the north of China, and especially Mongolia, it is possible that the unsettled state of the political atmosphere may have had some restricting influence on the market, and kept back supplies that would otherwise have gone forward had warlike rumours been less current than they have been during the past few months. Gum Resin, from the large increase in 1879 over 1878, appeared a promising article, but has not fulfilled the expectation raised that it would take its place as a permanent and even prominent export. Kittysols continue to improve, and are one- third higher than last year. Medicines for the first time show a trifling decline. The increase in past years was great, but the appetite which appeared to grow by what it fed on appears at length satiated. The varieties and quantity of Medicines in use in this country seem surprising to the uninitiated, but probably little of it is illusory with so practical a people as the Chinese. Native Opium, exported to the extent of 5.05 piculs, against 1.75 piculs, would seem a tentative effort of those concerned to establish a market for the T'aichow ( h) drug, a product of some importance in that part of this province. It is too early yet to predict how far this effort will succeed. This is not a Silk port, and there is therefore nothing to notice in the way of export of it; but the Superintendent in the course of the year imported a certain number of mulberry trees, which were given away to cultivators in the neighbourhood, with a view to encourage the production of Silk. Such an experiment requires time before its fruits are realised; meantime everyone must wish it success. Vegetable Tallow, an import from Nank‘i ( ), and much employed in the manufacture of candles, is chiefly sent to Shanghai, but is unable to compete there with the Hankow article; it has fallen from 290.26 piculs to 77.86 piculs. Timber Planks have fallen from 7,273 sq. ft. to 2,178 sq. ft.; it is difficult to assign any adequate reason, as wood is a sufficiently cheap article here. Poles, on the other hand, have increased to double the number of pieces, and will probably continue increasing, although, perhaps, not always in the same ratio. For building purposes the demand must remain a certainty, and the supply is equally sure as long as the western suburbs form, as they do at present, a series of wood hongs. The Poles come principally from Lungchüan ( *), in the prefecture of Ch'üchow ( H), in the west and south-west of the province. Tobacco Leaf, a product also of Ch‘üchow, has increased more than fourfold; it is exported to Shanghai, and is evidently esteemed by Native smokers, judging by the great advance it has made. Various other items appear for the first time in the Returns, but in quantities of no significance. It will be sufficient to name the following, which may improve hereafter: Buffalo Hides, Unmanufactured Iron, 2nd Quality Paper, and Soap- stone Ornaments. The latter are made at Ch'ingt'ien ( !), and are really pretty articles, suitable for decorating mantel-pieces, side-tables, etc. Being very cheap—the valuation upon which duty is assessed is only fts. 1o per picul—as well as ornamental, a good trade both in the country and for export abroad might be expected to spring up were the article more generally known. WÊNCHOW. 159 The Re-exports amounted in value to Hk.Tts. 347, and are of too little significance for a detailed notice. TRANSIT TRADE. The Transit trade still remains confined to goods going to the interior, outward Transit having never yet commenced. Its value amounts to HK.fts. 12,309, against Hk.Tts. 7,554, an increase of 63 per cent.; while the number of Passes issued amounts to 389, against 158, an increase of 146 per cent., as exhibited in the following table :- No. INWARD TRANSIT. Dury. VALUE OF TRADE. OF PASSES. D O . . . . . . . . . . . ! Transit Passes issued in 1877 „ „ „ 1878 ... » » » » 1879 ... „ „ „ „ 1880 ........... Hl.ftsm.c.c. 251.7.3. I 31.1.9.0 169.9.0.9 266.2.8.7. Hk.Fts 12,076 1,412 7,554 12,309 389 Grey Shirtings are slightly in excess of last year; Ch‘üchow ( 1) continues to be the best consumer, having taken 580 pieces out of a total of 1,077 pieces. White Shirtings are not at all in demand. T-Cloths exhibit a good increase, being 3,647 pieces, against 2,197 pieces; Ch'üchow, Yün'ho ( Fl), and Pingyang ( 2) have been the largest consumers. English and American Drills are both very much lower. Turkey Red Cloths, Velvets, English Camlets, Medium Cloth, Lastings, Figured Lustres, and Spanish Stripes appear to be in little request; the transactions in them are very trifling. Nail-rod Iron shows a large increase, being 550.20 piculs, against 76.86 piculs; Yü'hwan (E ) has taken 446.88 piculs of the total quantity, Lead appears as 137.20 piculs, against 63.85 piculs, which has entirely gone to Pingyang. Steel is slightly lower; Tin is higher. Kerosene Oil, 100 gallons, sent to Ch‘uchow, represent the sole transaction of the year in this article. Seaweed has increased from 333.35 piculs to 894.53 piculs; Ch‘üchow, Lungch'uan (L ), and Lishui (Hz) have been the principal consumers. Had water communication been better during the latter part of the year, it is probable that the increase in some of these items might have been larger than now appears to have been the case. JUNK TRADE. Owing to the Customs station at the Lower Anchorage having been burnt in the early part of the year, and the officer in charge there transferred to Wênchow, no statistics have been kept. From information furnished by the courtesy of the Native Custom House, it appears that the number of trading junks is about 10 per cent. less than last year, and 15 per cent. less than the year before that. The cargo was of the usual miscellaneous kind, and the trade continued 160 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. in its ordinary channel, i.e., to and from the adjacent Coast Ports, including Shanghai and Formosa. As far as can be judged, it does not prejudice trade in Foreign bottoms. Formosan Sugar, perhaps, excepted, there is no article monopolised by junk to the exclusion of steam freight. PASSENGER TRAFFIC. The table shows that the flow of passengers continues, and has largely increased under the head of arrivals. The departures are only slightly higher. Those coming and going are for the most part Chinese traders. Of the total arrivals, 984 per cent. is due to Chinese, and 991 per cent. is the per-centage of departures, the balance being Foreigners. The era for visitors calling from Shanghai or elsewhere has not yet arrived, although the beauty of the scenery up the river, and the pure, pale green water, which is clear as crystal over the rapids, would well repay the trouble of a journey in the hot season were the facts generally known. ARRIVALS. DEPARTURES. QUARTER. STEAMERS. LORCHAS. STEAMERS. LORCHAS. Foreign. Native. Foreign. Native. Foreign. Native. Foreign. Native. - 267 ist quarter ....... 2nd 384 437 412 3rd 376 4th 495 387 370 TOTAL................. 17 1,425 1,703 Total by Steamers ......... 1,442 , Lorchas ........... 3 Total by Steamers......... 1,715 „ „ Lorchas ........... Total Departures ........ 1,721 Total Arrivals ........... 1,445 Total Arrivals, 1879......... 843 Total Departures, 1879 ....1,637 GENERAL REMARKS. The four years which have now elapsed since the port was opened to Foreign trade have fully tested the capacities of the place. That it has failed to realise the large hopes once entertained of it, either as a port of consumption for Foreign goods or as adding materially to the Native produce market, must now be considered sufficiently demonstrated, in spite of the WÊNCHOW. 161 large per-centage of increase in the general trade during the last two years. Nevertheless, as a centre of distribution to a limited extent in its own neighbourhood, and a means of linking it on, so to speak, to the mercantile chain on the seaboard, the opening of the port is justified. Although, perhaps, the advantages derived by the group of 10 or 12 Chinese hongs composing this mercantile community from having steam brought to their doors, and the surety and celerity with which this fact enables them to repeat their business operations so much the oftener in a year, are more obvious than any marked advantage which the general trade of the country may have derived from the same source. The proposition, however, that the opening of new ports merely implies subtraction more or less from neighbouring ones, or, in other words, that the total trade is subdivided but not increased, need not be too readily accepted. The creation of fresh outlets for the flow of trade does no doubt stimulate to some extent latent capacities that otherwise would have remained dormant, and is therefore beneficial to the whole body, as well as locally, besides being a compensation for any mischief done by the process of subtraction. On the whole, the probability is in favour of the gross trade of the country being enlarged by the addition of new ports. Although some decline of business at old ones may result from a portion of it being diverted to the new ones, e.g., the Piece Goods consumed here were formerly supplied by Ningpo, and are now imported direct from Shanghai; but when this change has taken place it has usually been accompanied by increased consumption, the economical law which caused the change causing also the increase. But a little reflection will make it evident that the area of distribution in the case of Wênchow must be confined by the near neighbourhood of such old and opulent ports as Ningpo on the north and Foochow on the south, for each of these will always supply its own district; and the river, which ought to be the channel for pouring in supplies to the west, is commercially of no value, owing to the rapids. These commence about 30 li above the city, and continue to be thenceforth very numerous. Whether they are the spurs of hills which closely hem in the river and run down into and disappear just beneath the water, or are due to upheaval of the river's bed, is not certain ; perhaps the former. The depth of water on them varies from 5 to 6 inches and upwards, according to the season. In dry weather they become even shallower, and being as irremovable as the hills themselves, they will always present an insurmountable difficulty in the way of navigation. No steamer will ever vex their waters. The Native boats specially constructed to cross the rapids are built without keels, have a round bottom, and only draw a few inches of water. On coming to a rapid the boatmen enter the stream, the water rarely reaching their knees, and haul the boat along. The ropes for this purpose are of considerable length, made of twisted bamboo. Two men haul, and one applies his whole strength to a stout pole fixed athwart the front of the boat like a yoke, against which he pushes. The extent of a rapid or stretch of shallow water varies in breadth; some are from 100 to 200 yards in breadth, others only 10 or 20 yards. To ascend a rapid is often a good half-hour's toil; to descend, one sweeps over them in two or three minutes. Thus the transport of goods under these difficulties to any distance is both laborious and slow. In other respects distribution in the interior depends upon canals, which are numerous, and bridle roads through the hills and over the mountains. 21 162 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. To sum up. The conclusion to be drawn seems to be that while steam has been of great benefit in rapidly developing the trade, and a special boon to those engaged in business, such development has not been at all commensurate with the anticipations once formed of the capabilities of the port. Nor have the expectations raised by its past history been realised, when so far back as 1860 numerous Foreign vessels traded here, and it seems to have then been a flourishing and favourite port of call. It may be premature to assert that this will ever remain a small and insignificant place in comparison to other Treaty Ports; but without a Tea trade, which at present seems as far off as ever, no important growth can possibly take place. As there must be gradations in the magnitude of ports—a last as well as a first one,—Wênchow must content herself with accepting the former position. This fact, should they ever realise it, will probably not distress the Chinese merchants now doing a comfortable provincial business, and who have no inducement to hasten on the era of Foreign competition which may, at some future period invade their monopoly. The handful of Foreign residents, having no interest whatever in the trade, possess their souls in patience, and, finding their postal and other wants sufficiently provided for by a steamer calling once in 10 days, have learnt to adjust themselves to the general conditions of existence which the circumstances of the port have shaped out for them. The most important local event of the year has been the opening of a hospital for Chinese by the Rev. Mr. DOUTHWAITE, of the China Inland Mission, who was formerly stationed at Ch'üchow ( h), in the south-west of this province. The hospital was opened for out- patients on the 6th June and for in-patients on the ist November. The premises adjoin the Rev. Mr. STOTT'S chapel in “Five-horse” Street (2 ). Various forms of disease have been treated and 73 operations performed. In connexion with it is an anti-opium ward, into which were admitted 61 patients from ist November to 31st December, of which 58 were discharged cured. The hospital has been a great success, and the crowds who flock there show how ready the people are to avail of Foreign medical science when open to them. The number of out-patients attended during six months amounted to 2,124. Diseases of the eye, or ophthalmia in various forms, appear to be one of the commonest complaints presented for treatment. The local officials have been very favourable to the establishment of the hospital, and have given it their support. Another event deserving notice is the drought, which commenced in the middle of October and continued for the rest of the year. Such a circumstance is most unusual in so rainy a climate as this. The wet season began in May and was prolonged beyond the ordinary period, down, indeed, almost to the commencement of the drought. As compensation for its length, the summer's heat was more moderate than it had been for the past three years. The year, on the whole, was of that tranquil, monotonous description to which the residents are now so well accustomed. The following gunboats called: Morge, Russian, in January; Monocacy, American, in March ; Moorhen and Sheldrake, British, in May and October. The British vessels did not come up to the city, but remained at the Lower Anchorage. Chinese gunboats were: Chaowu (187), six times; Fupo (ft *), three times; and Yuankai ( 9), twice. The two latter vessels also anchored by preference at the Lower Anchorage. No change has to be noted in the number of the Foreign community, which remains as limited as before. WÊNCHOW. 163 To avoid tabular forms in the body of the Report, the Appendices of comparative tables given in last year's Report are continued in this, with the addition of a table showing the total quantity of goods carried under Transit Pass to the interior. The latter may be found useful in forming an estimate of the consumption in this district of Foreign goods in the past, and how far an extension of it is probable in the future. I have, etc., JAS. MACKEY, Assistant-in-Charge. To ROBERT HART, ESQUIRE, Inspector General of Customs, PEKING 164 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. Appendix No. 1. COMPARATIVE TABLE of the principal FOREIGN IMPORTS from 1877 to 1880. DESCRIPTION OF GOODS. 1877. 1878. 1879. 1880. I 10.80 10.80 57.60 54 24,210 1,440 25,435 1,600 34,450 1,170 41,723 400 25,940 1,900 37,585 34,868 33,280 350 біо 370 720 12,289 510 720 5,240 1,170 380 217 2,810 1,530 470 3,250 1,755 105 368 50 1,260 140 1,903 236 2,384 120 1,020 3,555 162 1,210 3,526 256 665 1,210 OPIUM:- Malwa ......... ........Piculs Patna COTTON GOODs:-- Shirtings, Grey ......... Pieces , White .. ........... T-Cloths ....... Brocades, Dyed Chintzes........ Drills, English ........ „ American.... Jeans, English ..... Lastings, Cotton ........... Turkey Red Cloths .... Velvets ......... Handkerchiefs. onens WOOLLEN Goods:- Blankets .Pieces Camlets, English Cloth, Broad and Medium .......... Lastings. ............ Long Ells .... Lustres, Figured and Plain ....... Spanish Stripes... METALS:- Copper, Japan ..... Piculs » Sheathing, Old ....... Iron, Nail-rod.... „ Old .......... „Wire .......... Lead, in Pigs ...... Steel....... Tin.......... , in Plates .. 84 8 36 870 232 470 900 294 400 660 1,090 216 504 878 1,176 792 33 1,590 324 600 720 1,560 1,086 580 1,608 762 1,712 936 147.50 263.12 365.41 2.80 37.80 1,722 1,381.80 434.58 8.27 3,043 100 31.20 284.85 24 48 109.60 1 26.42 14.70 102.98 50 3.95 71.40 12 20 26 1.39 8.08 3.36 31.92 51 WÊNCHOW. 165 COMPARATIVE TABLE of the principal FOREIGN IMPORTS—Continued. DESCRIPTION OF GOODS. 1877. 1878. 1879. 1880. 29.70 112.50 7.20 20.93 6.57 2.75 149.40 14.12 10.57 5.80 34.23 145.98 ............. 10 8.12 142 35.83 15.65 100 19.91 131.05 450 1.50 Ꮣ. 600 Dried.............. 1.90 32.76 90 5 102 57 12 11.50 3.21 4.59 13,890 15.52 12.25 SUNDRIES :- Agar-agar ........Piculs Aniseed, Star .......... Awabi Betel-nuts ........ Bicho de Mar, Black » White. ..... Buttons, Brass ................. ..............Gross Cardamoms, Inferior ....... ..............Piculs Clams, Dried... Clocks .......... ...........Pieces Coal ................ .............. Tons Dye-stuff ............ ........... .Piculs Fans, Paper, Japan ......................... Pieces Ginseng, Japan, 2nd Quality ..............Piculs Glass, Window ............. .................Sq. ft. Isinglass.. Piculs Lacquer-ware...... ............. 1 Lamps ........ .........Pieces Mangrove Bark......... ............... Piculs Matches ....... .............Gross Mats, Tea ............ ..............Pieces Medicines ............... .................Piculs Mushrooms ..... Mussels, Dried .... ......... » Oil, Kerosene ...............Galls. Paint, Green .... Piculs Pepper, Black ........... , White..... Prawns, Dried. Putchuck..... Rattans ............. Rugs................ ............ .Pieces Sandalwood ......... ............. Piculs Sapanwood. Seaweed ......... Sugar, White.... Ultramarine..... Umbrellas ........... Pieces Vermilion .......... ............ ..Piculs 1.07 7,400 11.75 2.30 1,380 1,743.40 5,382 8.15 4,200 4.38 25,000 9.12 3.01 822 1,627.80 8,660 1.50 28,200 41.12 2.26 214 253.70 16,850 2,000 10.28 241.88 88.10 45,900 4,305 2,000 2.85 ........... » 9.29 4.30 4,550 17,690 24,000 48 2.34 116.54 13.94 1.30 . . . . . . 3.10 1.20 · 16.30 10.05 385.95 26.16 14.76 459.70 . . 142.50 253.04 , 28 25 ............ 24.50 336.70 2,722.40 181.25 354.85 2,906.96 94.50 21.65 120.50 3,302.44 2.44 1,298.45 1.50 29 408 3.60 38 422 240 8 2.40 o 166 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. Appendix No. 2. COMPARATIVE TABLE of the principal NATIVE IMPORTS from 1877 to 1880. DESCRIPTION OF GOODS. 1877. 1878. 1879. 1880. 1.54 1.50 60.40 . . . . . . . . . ........... 240 20.48 1.12 3.79 16.67 0.24 .......... 14.25 46 21 I 45.60 19.60 163.62 567.09 163 Almonds ......... Piculs Alum, Green .... Astrakan, Imitation ........... Pieces Beancake.......... Piculs Beans ... Bones, Pigs ..... Brassware Buttons, Brass ................ Capoor Cutchery Carpets ................ Pieces China-root ......... ............ Piculs Cinnamon .......... Cotton Rags ....... Dates, Black .... „ Red ........ Dross, Silver ... Dye-stuff ........ Fans, Palm-leaf, Trimmed .............. Pieces „ „ Untrimmed ............. Fish, Salt and Dried Piculs Fungus ............. ........... Glassware .......... Glue, Cow ... Grasscloth, Coarse ..... „ Fine ......... Gypsum ............ Hemp ............ Indigo, Dried ..... » Liquid Ironware........... Lamps..... Pieces 1.50 58.74 420 120 1,476.85 929.78 1.09 25.28 3.70 12 15.12 4.62 128.94 646.30 457.65 74.10 8.58 12,500 22,000 81.69 365.69 96.57 16.62 2.02 0.15 1,340 51.28 29.98 21 7.44 679 14.50 ... 242.88 8,900 46,000 63.18 178.53 52.30 1,030 52,000 4.35 122.28 0.20 108,000 70.30 217.22 69.96 4.32 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : 9) 0.82 200 3.42 6.79 100 18.20 960 87.30 20.34 4.08 . . . . . . 41 WÊNCHOW. 167 COMPARATIVE TABLE of the principal NATIVE IMPORTS—Continued. DESCRIPTION OF GOODS. 1877. 1878. 1879. 1880. Piculs 60.41 120.IT 3.81 53.96 3.87 30.16 116.96 69.36 3.78 18.20 376.65 39.98 125.40 1,921.01 103.18 1,163.93 29.87 148 9.30 ......... ...... Pieces 231 672 .......... ........... Piculs 33.40 59.04 Lead, White .. „ Yellow ........... Lichees, Dried .. Lily Flowers, Dried Liquorice............ Looking-glass Mats, Straw. Medicines ....... Melon Seeds Nankeens Oil, Bean........... „ Wood ........... Paper, ist Quality.. Peel, Orange ............. Peppermint Leaf. Persimmons, Dried Preserves.............. . . . . 412.63 81.55 200.34 322 625.45 17.80 615.79 34.95 38.66 77.29 172.60 12.76 3.45 2.40 ......... 164 34.61 5.20 Rice ...................... 0.57 2,093 10.56 19.88 9.78 3.83 66.96 64.86 2,666 31.02 16.30 15.40 0.59 5.52 17.33 15.22 5.34 0.48 2.82 560 Pieces Piculs 265.65 14.24 37.45 7.56 162 Safflower ............ Samshu Sesamum Seed .... Silk Piece Goods ........... » Ribbons, Skin Coats, Sheep ...... Steel, Flint ............ Sugar, White „ Brown ..... , Candy...... Tallow, Vegetable Tobacco, Prepared Turnips, Salt ........... Varnish Vermicelli ... Walnuts ............ Wax, White ......... Wheat ............. Woodware ..... .......... 92.45 135.67 212.92 730.89 200.20 50 71.96 193.97 4.30 1 39.16 76.50 89.30 41.60 9.36 65.20 25.76 157.35 282.80 75.10 53.89 50.82 29.86 54.66 296 0.56 2.57 7.56 170 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. FOOCHOW TRADE REPORT, FOR THE YEAR 1880. [ Received 13th April 1881.] CUSTOM HOUSE, FOOCHOW, 31st January 1881. SIR, The net value of the entire trade of the port during the year 1880– Hk.Tts. has been . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15,758,656 as compared with (1879) . . . . . . . . 15,987,106 showing a deficit of ..... Hk.its. 228,450 The table below will show under which headings there has been an increase or decrease, and the amount:- DESCRIPTION OF Goods. INCREASE. DECREASE. - --- Hk. Its Hk.Fts 70,103 7,898 136,126 IMPORTS :- Cotton Piece Goods .... Woollens. Metals Opium .......... Foreign Sundries ............ Native Rice and Wheat .......... „ Beans and Peas ........... Other Native Sundries ....... 51,162 50,550 176,242 110,996 59,658 296,845 EXPORTS :- Tea (Brick Tea not included)........ » Brick ......... Sundries ............................... 180,719 70,989 TOTAL.... ..Hk.Fts. 491,419 719,869 FOOCHOW. 171 It will be seen from the above figures that had it not been for the large increases in the value of the Tea exported and Lead imported, there would have been almost an unbroken line of headings showing a falling off as compared with last year, for the trifling increases in the value of Woollens and Sundry articles of Foreign produce imported would not have gone far to cover the serious deficits under the headings of Brick Tea exported, Native Rice and Wheat, Beans and Peas, Cotton Piece Goods, and Sundry articles of Native origin, both imported and exported. The balance against the year, in regard to the value of the trade, amounts to a little under a quarter of a million taels. SHIPPING. The principal feature under this heading is the larger number of steamers which have left the port laden with Tea for London, Australia, and New York,-in all, of all flags, 78, as compared with only 59 of the year before; of these 78, no fewer than 69 were British. Freights to London opened at from £3 1os. to £4 per ton, and £5 for the clippers; from which rates, however, there was a decline as the season advanced to £3, with a recovery towards the middle of August to £3 103. and £4, owing to a scarcity of tonnage, the lower of which rates was maintained till the first week in October, after which £3 to £2 158. would be about the fair quotation for the prevailing rates to the end of the year. No change worthy of mention has taken place in regard to our two regular lines of steamers between this and Shanghai northwards, and southwards to Hongkong viâ the Coast Ports. There is a further very considerable falling off in the number of sailing vessels employed in connexion with the trade of the port, accounted for by the transfer of the freightage to steamers. Thus, our trade with the northern ports of Shanghai, Chefoo, Tientsin, and New- chwang, which even in 1879 was represented by the entries of 35 vessels with cargo, has sunk during the past year to 13, whilst those carrying Tea to Foreign ports, which in the previous year numbered 27, have fallen to only 19 in the year under review. It cannot but be interesting to those connected with so important a branch of the trade of this port as shipping to have their attention called to the few following figures showing the rate of transfer during the last eight years of the carrying trade from sailing vessels to steamers. Thus, the tonnage of sailing vessels and steamers cleared in 1873—the first year in which the records of them were kept separately—and following years was : SAILING VESSELS. STEAMERS. Tons. 1873 ............ 53,249 1874 . . . . . . . . . . . .: 35,832 1875 . . . . . . . . . . . . 32,500 1876 . . . . . . . . . . . . 37,376 1877 . . . . . . . . . . . . 28,623 1878 . . . . . . . . . . . . ' 29,008 1879 . . . . . . . . . . 35,563 1880 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22,432 Tons. 105,787 128,523 136,528 140,529 172,882 176,152 173,787 217,228 172 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. from which it is seen that whilst the tonnage of sailing vessels employed in the trade of this port has sunk in eight years to one-half what it was, that of steamers has about doubled ; and it would not seem altogether improbable that in another five years the former mode of carriage of the produce to and from this port will be entirely abandoned. For the present it is to be noticed that whilst Great Britain has lost about one-half of the sailing tonnage under her flag within the last eight years, the tonnage of all other flags taken together has diminished more than two-thirds. IMPORTS. COTTON GOODS.—Grey Shirtings. The import of this class of goods is so in keeping with that shown by our Returns for the last five years that there is no need for comment. In 1876 there were about 53,000 pieces imported, whilst during 1880 the number reached 58,000 pieces. The supply brought here for the requirements of that part of the country for which this port forms the distributing point is sufficiently regular—the calculations being based upon the experience of legitimate business for the past 10 or more years,—there being but little, if any, speculation; hence the monotony and insignificance of our figures in nearly all classes of goods under the heading of “Cotton Goods." White Shirtings.—There is shown a satisfactory, because steady, advance in the import of White Shirtings, which from 11,952 pieces in 1876 has reached 17,595 pieces in the past year. This feature in the trade agrees with what is observable in regard to the general consumption of this class of Cotton Goods in China, and is due to the steadily growing appreciation of the fabric. T-Cloths show a decrease of about 30,000 pieces in the year; but as the previous year's import reached the somewhat high figure of 283,000 pieces, the falling off is in all probability to be accounted for in that manner. Drills.—The quantity of American Drills imported during the year is smaller than shown by our Returns for the last five years-only 2,770 pieces, against an average for that time of about 6,000 pieces. In the English fabric the reduced import of some 4,000 pieces has remained about the same during the last three years, which, side by side with the decreases in the American manufacture during the same period, would perhaps point to a reviving inclination towards the former, were it possible that our insignificant figures could assume the importance of pointing to anything but the retail character of our trade. The total value of Cotton Goods imported during the year is about Hk.its. 70,000 less than in the previous years, an amount which is accounted for under the headings of T-Cloths, Grey Shirtings, and American Drills,—the first of which absorbs about Hk.Pts. 56,000 of the deficit. The Imports last year were supposed to have been on a larger scale, in anticipation of the holding of the examinations in the city, when so large a number of visitors would be added to the ordinary consumers. WOOLLENS.—Under this heading there are but English Camlets, Broad, Medium, and Habit Cloth, Spanish Stripes, and Lastings, the import of each of which rises to figures worthy of FOOCHOW. 173 remark; and, on a comparison of those figures, it is only in English Camlets that any considerable variation occurs, the total value of the quantity imported (7,158 pieces) reaching Hk.Tts. 81,657, against Hk.Tts. 71,621 in the previous year. Taking the entire import of every description, the difference in value between the years 1879 and 1880 is very trifling, only amounting to some Hk.Its. 7,000 in favour of the latter year. The port may be relied upon to take of this class of goods to the extent of some Hk. Pts. 250,000 worth at the most, with a range downwards of some Hk. Pts. 20,000, within which the figures for each year fluctuate. METALS.—The increase of over Hk.Tts. 100,000 in the value of Lead imported is, of course, in harmony with the largely increased export of Tea, and the Hk.fts. 32,000 increase in Tin in Slabs about recovers the deficit in the previous year; the average annual import during the last five years being about 5,000 piculs. The quantity of Lead imported during the year (56,042 piculs) is about what is estimated to be our average consumption. The prices realised have been from $6.93 to $7.60 per picul. OPIUM.—During the year there have been 71 piculs less imported of all descriptions than in the previous year. The quantity of Malwa happens to be precisely the same to a picul, the variations occurring in the three other descriptions; thus, in Patna and Persian there are decreases of 24 piculs and 87 piculs respectively, whilst Benares shows an increase of 40 piculs. Malwa.—Looking back through the Returns for the last five years, it is noticeable that Malwa has fallen from an import of 2,379 piculs in 1876 to 1,609 piculs in 1880; whilst Patna has maintained an average import for the five years of about what Malwa has fallen to in the last, -say 1,600 piculs. Benares shows a steady increase year by year, from 123 piculs in 1876 to 415 piculs in 1880; whilst the rise and fall in the tide of the trade in Persian during the same period have been from 10 piculs in 1876 to 625 piculs in 1878, falling again to 432 piculs in the year under review. The course of the trade during the year has been steady, and not marked by any violent fluctuations in prices. Sales have been on the whole satisfactory, though not as large as for the year 1879, when it is possible the markets in the interior were somewhat overstocked. The decreased import of Malwa during the past four years is to be accounted for by the high prices that have obtained; thus, at one time (in 1877) the price reached $975 per picul, and although this exceptionally high rate was not sustained, the average for the years 1878, 1879, and 1880 would be from $150 to $200 per picul above that for the years 1875, 1876, and the first three quarters of 1877. During this term of high prices, a mixture of Patna and Benares with good Persian was taking the place of Malwa, and it is quite possible that it may still continue to supplant it. It has been already pointed out that Persian Opium, which was imported to so large an extent in 1878, is brought in principally to supply the deficiencies of the Native crop. FOREIGN SUNDRIES.—There has been during the year an import under this heading amounting to a value of Hk.Tts. 472,114, to be divided amongst articles of European origin, such 174 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. as Matches, Needles, and Window Glass; Japanese origin, such as Seaweed, Isinglass, and Dried Fish of one kind or another; and Straits' produce, consisting of Dried Fish, Pepper, Sandalwood, etc. Amongst these the articles of most importance are Awabi and Shrimps from Japan, of a total value of Hk.Tts. 40,000, and Seaweed from the same place, valued at a similar amount. Their importance, however, is confined to the figures representing their value, whilst of interest in the trade in them, there could be but little for this Report, even if those figures pointed to any marked increase or decrease, which is not the case; and the same may be said of such Imports as Bicho de Mar, Ginseng, Isinglass, and Sandalwood, and one or two others, in which the trade is less in regard to value, and the same in regard to monotonous character of demand and supply. It is not the same, however, in the case of Matches from Europe (principally from Germany) and Kerosene Oil from America. In the first of these there has been a steady, and in the latter a very rapid, development during the last five years; thus, there were 41,000 gross of Matches imported in the year under review, against only 21,000 gross in 1876, whilst the import of Kerosene Oil has risen from about 15,000 gallons to 115,000 gallons in the same period. These two articles, connected with the domestic life of the Chinese, have advanced more rapidly in their appreciation than another of a similar class, viz., Foreign Needles,—at all events as far as this part of the country is concerned,—the last-named useful article showing a more moderate, but still considerable, increase from 5,500 mille in 1876 to 8,500 mille in the past year, which, moreover, is a falling off, after the over-supply of some 10,500 mille of the year before. The only other noticeable feature of this part of the Returns is the absence of either Rice or Wheat (Foreign) for this as well as the previous year, to be accounted for by the lower rates at which the Native grain has been supplied to meet our requirements. On the whole, the figures for this branch of the trade of the port are satisfactory; in the first place, as showing a total net increase of about Hk.Tts. 50,000 over the year 1879; secondly, in that there is a large increase under the heading of “Unenumerated Goods,” by which is meant goods of numerous different descriptions, none of which has been imported to such an amount as to entitle it to separate figures,—descriptions which may be taken to represent a healthy, profitable, and gradually developing trade, as distinguished from the more hazardous branches in which the individual figures are larger and the fluctuations greater and less to be anticipated. NATIVE SUNDRIES.—The commodities under this heading amount to a total value of Hk.Fts 1,856,641, which is a little below the average for the last five years. At the head of these, in value of quantity imported, stand those for food consumption, such as Rice, Wheat, Beans and Peas, etc.; next rank those for clothing, such as Silks, Nankeens, Buttons, etc.; with a supply of luxuries in the way of Tobacco, and Medicines of different descriptions, to the value of some Hk.Its. 100,000. The total value of the very numerous articles under this heading is about HK.Tts. 350,000 less than that of the year previous. Amongst the commodities to the reduced importation of which this result is owing, there figure prominently Beans and Peas, Rice, Silks, Beancake, and Leather, against which are only compara- tively trifling increases in the import of Vegetable Tallow, Tobacco, Medicines, and Tea Mats. FOOCHOW. 175 The explanation of the decrease in Beancake imported is to be found in the excessive supplies brought here during the previous year (1879); whilst in regard to Beans, Peas, and Rice, the reason of the smaller figures of our Returns is that considerable supplies of all three descriptions have been imported in junks,-the Rice principally from Chêhkiang. Lest it may be noticed that whereas there is an increase in the quantity of Leather imported, from 248 piculs in 1879 to 301 piculs in the year under review, the total value shows a decrease from Hk.fts. 53,000 to Hk.Its. 28,000, it should be explained that formerly an average value was taken for the entire year's import, whilst during the past year the actual values of the different importations have been taken at the time of import. SUNDRY EXPORTS. Under this heading there is shown a somewhat serious falling off, amounting to a total value of about HK.fts. 70,000. This deficit, it must be remembered, is exclusive of the figures relating to Teas of every description. The articles which stand forth most prominently in our list of Sundries exported are—Paper, of three classes, Bamboo Shoots, Poles, Dried Lung-ngans, Fresh Olives, Oranges, Tobacco, etc. The decrease in the total value of this minor branch of our Exports occurs principally under the headings of Paper and Poles, the explanation of which lies in the fact that a larger quantity of these goods, as well as of Tobacco, has been taken away from the port by junks,-a very important, though hidden, factor in the occasional fluctuations in the trade in Native produce as shown by our Returns. There is an enormous interchange of commodities carried on in these junks, which belong to Ningpo, southern ports of this province, Kwangtung, and Formosa. Those from Ningpo bring Rice, Wheat, Beans and Beancake, Cotton, Native Cloth, Oil, Medicines, Dried Fish, etc., taking away Poles, Fruit, Sugar-cane, Paper, Bamboo Shoots, etc. The junks from the other parts named are engaged principally in the carriage of Coal and Salt, the former from Formosa. It is not easy to obtain reliable information as to the extent of this junk trade, but its existence must not be overlooked when seeking for explanations of occasional and otherwise unaccountable features in the returns of that part of the trade of the port which passes through the accounts of the office of the Inspectorate. In comparing the figures of the Returns relating to the exported article described as Fish Skins, it may be noticed that whereas in 1879 there were 301 piculs, valued at only Hk.its. 1,148, in the last year (1880) the export of 547 piculs was valued at Hk.fts. 12,492. It should be explained that these Skins, being the same as those appearing under the heading “Fish Skins” on our list of Imports, have been taken in former years at the same—that is, the import—value, which should not have been done, as the Skins at the time of leaving the port have been cleansed and prepared in such a manner as to entirely change their character and value, so much so that their identity is lost, and a new Export Duty charged on them. The Skins are what are commonly known as Sharks' Skins, and come from Singapore; after the superfluous flesh, bone, and smooth skin have been removed, the rough part is prepared and sent away to Hankow, 176 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. where it is made up into numberless articles of shagreenware. The skin does not appear to be that of the genuine shark, nor of a fish of that family, though it may belong to one closely allied to it. In their unprepared state, as the Skins enter the port, they are valued at about HK.fts. 4 per picul. The preparation they undergo here raises the value at the time of export (re-export) to about three times that amount. TEA.—The export of Tea during the year 1880—that is to say, from the opening of the season in June to the 31st December-has been the largest on record here, having reached 741,640 piculs, as compared with 679,750 piculs in 1878, the next year in extent. That which strikes the attention at once, on looking into the figures of our Returns for this and the past years, is that while there is shown an increase in the quantity of some 62,000 piculs, Black Tea, between the two years referred to above, there has been a decrease in the value, estimated at about Hk.Tts. 1,225,000, accounted for by the more favourable terms on which the Teas were bought during the later year. The general outturn of the season's operations has been disastrous for the dealers, very unsatisfactory for the shippers, and the reverse, it is fair to suppose, for growers. The shipment of 741,680 piculs may be taken as equal to some 98,750,000 lbs., which have gone forward in about the following proportions :- Great Britain and Continent ....... 69,078,533 lbs. Australia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19,151,200 » New Zealand . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,146,000 South Africa ............ 397,467 „ America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,765,200 , Hongkong .............. 3,697,200 » Coast Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,230,800 » This Tea was carried away from Foochow in 58 steamers and 6 sailing vessels for London, 14 steamers and 14 sailing vessels to Australia and New Zealand, and 6 steamers to New York vid Amoy; in all, 78 steamers and 20 sailing vessels. The features of the trade in its early stage, and before the opening of the market, were the unusually large amount of money sent into the interior for the purchase of the Teas-say from 40 to 50 per cent. more than in the previous year, and amounting to what is estimated at Hk.fts. 6,000,000,—and the somewhat larger supply of the leaf brought down by the end of May. I understand that the teamen gave considerably higher prices, in anticipation of a brisk competition amongst the Foreign buyers. Unfortunately for them, however, just at the time the market usually opens, from the middle to the end of May, news of a very discouraging character arrived from London, to the effect that there had been a heavy fall in prices, and that many failures had occurred amongst home firms. The week ending the 29th May saw the following condition of affairs in regard to the Tea market :- 1°. The market not yet opened. 2º. 3,567 piculs Tea shipped, per coast steamers, to Hongkong. 3º. 2,641 piculs direct, per s.s. Antenor, to London. FOOCHOW. 177 4°. The equivalent of about 230,000 chests brought down from the country, as compared with only 180,000 chests to corresponding date of last year. 5°. Exchange, 38. 104d., four months' credits. Freights, per Antenor, £4 per ton; per Gleneagles, £5 per ton. 6°. Steamers in port: for London, five, at freights from £4 to £5; for Australia, two,-freights, £3. In regard to the shipments referred to above under items 2° and 3°, it is said that some proportion of them was for Native account, joint or entire. The quality of the new Teas is thus described in the “Foochow Herald” of the 27th May: “A fair opinion may now be formed as to quality of the new crop. Congous from the Sewwoo, Wonghing, and Kaisow districts are brighter and cleaner on infusion than the average of last season, but they are slightly thin, and, in common with all the yields of later years, deficient in ripeness and fulness of flavour. Pehling leaf is about equal to the average of 1879, while Pauyongs, Yunghows, and Yunghung- yongs are unmistakably below last season's standard.” Up to the 11th June, although the market was still not opened, there had gone forward no less a quantity than 1,320,000 lbs. Exchange stood at 38. 9fd., 4 months' credits; and freights to London, £3 10s., though the fast steamers lying in port, waiting for cargoes to be put in them, after the opening of the market, were fully engaged at £5 per ton. There were on the day named (11th June) three of the Glen and two Castles waiting to load for London, and two steamers on the berth for Australia. The impression in regard to all the Tea shipped before the nth June was that it was on joint account between the Foreign buyer and the Native teaman. The news from home having continued bad, it had become more and more clear that prices yielding a profit to the latter could not be given; but these, not daring to make and meet the inevitable loss, took a middle course, in the hope that delay might bring about a more favourable condition of affairs : thus, rather than sell at once at a certain loss, they shipped the Teas to a market not to be reached for six weeks, delaying by such period the moment for accepting the disagreeable situation. I should mention that a chop of Tea was settled on the 5th on an understanding only known to those concerned, without the transaction constituting an opening of the market, the idea entertained being that it was another matter of joint interest. It was only on the 12th June that the market was fairly and positively opened, at rates somewhat lower than last season, and such as to give a loss to the teamen, it is said, of about Its. 3 per picul. From that time forward buying went on steadily, if not briskly, prices remaining much the same, and a considerable firmness on the part of the teamen being shown. Exchange advanced gradually to 38. 104d., while freights stood at £3. On the ist July the arrivals of Tea were in excess of the year before by some 80,000 chests; business had not slackened nor prices given way, common Congous showing even an advance. The second crop had just made its appearance in small quantities. The total shipments to that date (ist July) were:- To Great Britain. season 1880–81, 11,200,000 lbs., against 13,300,000 lbs. „ Australia. .. nil. ~ 2,800,000 » Coastwise ... 1,200,000 „ » 700,000 , 23 178 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. sec as showing about 12,500,000 lbs., as against 16,750,000 lbs. Exchange stood at 38. 10£d., 4 months' credits; and freights at £2 178. od. to £3. The actual opening of the market was, after all, a triumph for the Native over the Foreigner, inasmuch as there was hardly any more reason why the Teas should have been bought then than there had been three weeks before; but the patience of all but the Native gave way, and he reaped the benefit in the shape of a smaller loss than he could at the outset have expected. Moreover, from all I can gather as to the quality of the second crop, it was unusually below the inferior standard of later years. During July the news reached Foochow as to the very unsatisfactory outturn of the first shipments, which were telegraphed to be losing something like 3d. per pound, in spite of which business during the week ended 24th July was very considerable, and at fully sustained rates. One explanation given of this somewhat anomalous state of affairs was that buyers were securing all they could of the first crop, being convinced from the appearance of the second, which had begun to come down at the beginning of the month, that it was so inferior that it would “set off” the quality of the first crop, and make home buyers more eager to secure all they could of it. Besides this, there was an undoubted feeling of anxiety as to war with Russia; and it was supposed that if this were to take place, the extra Likin on the Teas would be such as to seriously affect the price at which it would be possible to lay them down on the home market. On the 7th August I find it recorded in my Tea journal as follows :—“During the past week the market has been very quiet, and buyers have begun to look upon the prospects for the season as hopeless, the home news arriving seeming to be worse and worse, both as to the present and future of the trade.” Strangely enough, during the following week, if hope had not revived, the trade had at all events, and activity in it prevailed more or less to the end of the quarter; on what grounds it has been impossible to ascertain, for it was not a secret here, and therefore could not have been so in London, that the total export by the end of the season would be largely in excess of that of last year. Still, at the beginning of September there had arrived better news from home of more satisfactory sales, which constituted a solid ground of encouragement, in the face of which it was not likely that shippers should be curious to know the cause, or cautious in regard to the danger of the improvements being only short-lived. The third crop began to arrive on the market here about the end of the month of August, and fetched a price to yield a fair profit to the dealers, whatever it mo the shippers. At the end of the quarter there arrived and departed quite a small fleet of steamers laden with the purchases of a considerable period during which tonnage had been so scarce. The shipments at the end of September stood about as follows :- To Great Britain . . 39,000,000 lbs., against 43,750,000 lbs. in 1879. » Australia ... 16,500,000 „ „ 12,000,000 » » „ South Africa .. 750,000 „ „ 1,000,000 „ America ... 1,750,000 » 500,000 Coastwise .. 3,000,000 » 2,000,000 180 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. to the hands of the agencies already referred to. The Passes will be issued in larger numbers, but covering a smaller number of goods each. Hitherto there have been not unfrequent difficulties arising as to certain classes of goods coming here from Hongkong, the bona fide origin of which it has been difficult to lay down with certainty. If the rule were “made absolute” that all produce coming from Hongkong, no matter what its real origin, should be treated as Foreign, no doubt there would be a still further extension in the use of Transit Passes. White Sugar, notably, would be conveyed into the interior in large quantities under their cover. 1 have, etc., C. HANNEN, Commissioner of Customs. ROBERT HART, ESQUIRE, Inspector General of Customs, PEKING. 182 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. TABLE No. 3.- IMPORT of Opium for the last Five Years. 1876. 1877. 1878. 1879. 1880. DESCRIPTION. Quantity. / Value. Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value. Opium, Malwa ... , Patna ........ Benares Persian ......... Piculs. 2,379.35 1,504.67 123.60 10 Hk. Pts. 978,950 543,946 42,666 3,080 Piculs. | Hk. Pts. 1,750.80 739,551 1,238.91 445,554 148.80 53,613 26 11,051 Piculs. 1,452.60 1,715.61 231.60 625.50 Hk. Pts. 769,303 607,818 78,956 216,939 Piculs. 1,609.50 1,768.71 375.60 519.17 Hk.fts | Piculs. 1,609.76 686,813 1,744.11 137,768 415.20 206,769 432.22 Hk.fts. 847,322 655,639 147,450 172,460 NET TOTAL. 4,017.62 1,568,642 3,164.51 | 1,249,769 | 4,025.31 | 1,673,016 | 4,272.98 1,874,033 4,201.29 | 1,822,871 TABLE No. 4.-IMPORT of Metals for the last Five Years. 1876. 1877. 1878. 1879. 1880. DESCRIPTION. Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value. Quantity.' Value. Quantity. Value. Quantity.' Value. Hk. Its. Piculs. Hk.Tts. Piculs. Hk. Hts. Piculs. Hk. Pts. 2,522 Copper, Bar and Rod..... » Sheets and Nails .... , Japan ............ Iron, Nail-rod and Bar ... „ Old ....... Lead, in Pigs .... Tin, in Slabs .... „ „ Plates ... Quicksilver ...... Metals, Unenumerated ..... Piculs. 41.22 170.26 179.23 5,706.23 6,433.65 53,344.78 4,929.69 980.98 35.45 Hk.fts. | Piculs. 825 5,456 61.09 3,930 133.83 16,613 6,098 12,482 7,335 296,995 58,471 81,348 6,175 5,925 778 2,296 41.90 3,464 1,461 76.82 2,546 15,612 5,340 13,392 3,307.99 310,280 69,844.07 94,820 6,828.74 5,462 1,086.73 2,239 56.83 4,017 10,777 5,879 320,600 101,835 5,381 2,807 3,287 52.04 125.35 6,447.60 4,413.29 40,108.09 3,554.37 991.20 80.07 1,881 2,012 13,001 9,062 161,728 60,434 5,338 3,835 6,109 75.27 5,851.93 7,224.34 56,042.98 4,482.31 827.08 49.12 1,272 13,150 15,009 264,713 92,512 5,146 2,334 5,390 NET TOTAL VALUE...... Hk.fts. 429,334 449,829 453,088 263,400 399,526 FOOCHOW. 183 TABLE No. 5.- IMPORT of WOOLLEN Goods for the last Five Years. 1876. 1877. 1878. 1879. 1880. DESCRIPTION OF GOODS. Quantity.' Value. Quantity. Value. Quantity Value. | Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value. Hk.fts. Hk.Fts. Hk. Its. Hk.Fts Hk.Fts. 1,445 5,606 5,280 1,279 5,610 208 1,339 6,790 5,067 87,657 1,902 6,591 1,392 7,158 6,621 77,930 81,657 6,903 71,621 1,656 38,738 174 2,965 666 95 93 1,152 1,209 42,415 1,027 36,012 1,135 1,159 4,836 66,218 3,522 47,368 1,658 35,176 6,125 1,818 216 2,084 223 3,112 473 258 4,458 1,793 41,698 379 4,048 1,647 38,259 3,600 42,049 1,884 4,488 63,941 3,605 44,349 179 31 1,204 98 Blankets........ ... Pairs Camlets, English.... Pieces , Dutch ...... Cloth, Broad, Medium, and Habit „ Italian...... Spanish Stripes.... Cloth, Russian.... Flannels.......... Lastings.......... » Crape... Long Ells ....... Lustres and Orleans... Woollen and Cotton Mixtures... » , Goods, Unclassed....... Value 3,228 4,029 60 151 3,146 99 326 6,181 169 2,740 77 1,123 2,133 3,636 38,334 2,654 28,136 3,268 34,098 33,077 2,711 360 29,140 3,128 174 1,437 327 2,553 257 1,709 89 701 1,670 8,634 1,146 7,347 8,453 1,254 8,901 11,226 635 1,199 801 151 3,043 521 2,669 5,070 1,670 6,454 1,630 1,204 4,699 1,143 7,422 1,938 6,728 976 2,142 1,880 5,583 NET TOTAL VALUE...... Hk. Pts. 239,446 258,887 222,577 224,612 232,510 184 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. TABLE No. 6.-IMPORT of FOREIGN SUNDRIES for the last Five Years. 1876. 1877. 1878. 1879. 1880. DESCRIPTION OF Goods. Quantity. Value. Quantity.' Value. Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value. Hk. Its Hk.Tits 30,101 Hk. Pts. 36,411 38,626 Hk. Pts. 36.632 2,329.07 2,933.30 2,912.27 5,161 607 1,934 183.05 1,661.30 1,612 2,302.33 2,036.40 4,326.71 5.84 2,046 826.01 31,650.38 2,458.78 3,004 2,197.30 14,769 2,116 8,878 26,684 11,526 1,444 24,702 27,439 11,849 1,626 Hk. Pts. 57,036 11,001 14,778 10,650 84,679 32,272 11,293 1,524 26,084 | 2,434 178.24 13,020.50 2,348.37 2,610.58 20,702 2,368 36,563 43,160 9,813 | 515.82 6,589.60 2,571.67 2,726.42 2,904.09 185.02 143.42 30,240 174.73 Bicho de Mar, Black and White Piculs 2,681.07 Camphor.. » Coal ............ . Tons 794 Cuttle-fish..... Piculs Fish, Dried and Salt. 2,868.40 „ Awabi and Shrimps ....... 2,062.33 , Skins .......... 2,509.57 Flints............ 2,288.30 Ginseng, American, Japan, 131.11 and Root ................ Isinglass ....... 1,059.93 Matches....... 21,512 Mussels, Dried ...................... Piculs 2,418.39 Needles ......... ....... Mille 5,528 Oil, Kerosene ........ .......... Gallons 14,916 Pepper, Black and White ........ Piculs 1,861.28 Rattans ..... 2,701.84 Sandalwood........... 3,328.60 Seaweed ...... 7,112.10 Rice............ 7,422 Wheat ......... " Window Glass ...................... Boxes 2,846 Sundries, Unenumerated......... Value a 29,804 22,597 12,279 12,787 1,407 4,103 12,234 9,550 14,777 41,718 10,573 1,386 25,406 2,210.35 6,352 16,750 2,076 2,425 2,420 5,688 154,988 22,879 3,157 25,369 12,085 22,936 1,619 6,494 13,874 8,054 19,940 32,317 275,815 28,909 8,833 94,497 1,595.42 31,126 4,828.94 | 5,860 59,520 2,384.92 2,534.71 2,752.70 9,520.62 8,266.78 33,333.60 3,379 24,280 13,764 32,947 1,511 15,941 14,260 8,796 19,068 33,991 17,191 46,558 8,079 98,179 201.27 1,194.78 35,356 2,951.05 10,488 88,300 1,660.04 3,081.86 3,007.31 6,854.07 4,702 6,931 19,250 40,893 10,892 2,239 32,820 24,663 17,127 18,419 2,046 20,905 14,191 10,192 21,082 40,052 26,174 17,925 14,360 18,790 2,421 17,672 10,374 11,639 23,007 29,984 1,922.53 41,584 3,123.07 8,516 115,200 1,832.68 2,730.01 3,307.26 8,510.03 8,057 2,973 2,892 7,127 93,074 7,875 141,203 90,559 NET TOTAL VALUE......... Hk.fits. 371,323 685,025 583,882 421,564 472,114 FOOCHOW. 185 TABLE No. 7.-IMPORT of NATIVE SUNDRIES for the last Five Years, 1876. 1877. 1878. 1879. 1880. DESCRIPTION OF Goods. Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value. Quantity. / Value. Quantity. | Quantity. Value. Hk.fts. 30,018 156,636 39,309 11,083 19,985 39,845 8,731 4,081 41,297 69,192 24,285 49,497.53 157 302.36 1,043 2,748 144.58 3,708.22 1,382,600 6,054.13 520 l 2,130 1 2,155.20 563,167 1 Hk.fts. 33,570 79,275 28,019 4,358 22,243 22,487 6,105 24,796 37,959 63,527 25,969 20,867 13,309 906,797 Beancake........ 28,521.40 Beans and Peas. 57,253.12 Buttons, Brass .. 188.49 Dates, Black...... 1,051.67 Fungus ........... 1,043.16 Hemp... 4,664.61 Leather. 64.95 Lily Flowers, Dried......... 836.26 Mats, Tea. .Pieces 1,490,975 Medicines.. .Piculs 5,554.59 Nankeens 507.90 Paper, Tea .. 1,988.10 Rattans, Split ....... 1,806.65 230,172.23 Safflower ........ 572.25 Seeds, Melon .... 1,799.06 Silk Pièce Goods . 372.17 ,, Ribbons and Sashes... 33.94 , and Cotton Mixtures... 67.52 ,, Yellow, Szechwan...... 53.33 Sugar Candy ....... Tallow, Vegetable.. 1,741.71 Tobacco, Prepared ........... , 7,032.79 Varnish .......... í 626.84 Wax, White ....... 844.84 Wheat .......... 1 36,442.56 Sundries, Unenumerated... Value 20,318 36,161.70 120,178.31 159.97 1,074.45 1,379.98 2,971.44 99.01 3,813:57 2,084,450 5,719.88 1,055.07 2,498 1,818.29 190,225.58 600.03 2,691.94 357.48 21.99 68.48 241.55 200.95 3,144.05 8,197.34 666.61 652.78 80,322.86 H . Its 26,688 187,769 30,853 8,410 32,323 22,792 19,183 23,179 56,128 67,236 49,402 20,683 11,497 362,476 39,426 9,394 203,974 11,260 18,268 53,534 1,418 34,627 132,811 27,439 30,309 107,693 277,350 66,762.03 80,447.62 159.97 2,155.92 1,039.32 4,179.17 248.60 4,001 1,804,132 6,876.54 852.12 1,779.60 1,961.01 267,188.76 600.59 5,028.51 459.64 44.43 88.81 207.59 6,190.40 2,039.11 8,996.85 785.69 679.70 68,194.77 10,764 335,576 37,596 12,599 222,771 18,465 19,865 13,802 Hk.Fts. 77,385 34,468.80 182,212 58,250.84 32,370 179.09 22,801 1,974.16 26,360 993.10 30,986 5,739.74 53,117 301.48 19,555 4,035.94 63,422 2,328,541 82,685 8,757.53 39,237 890.69 16,564 1,663.12 13,193 2,508 400,217 162,647.42 41,309 430.90 19,765 1,670.59 265,394 359.20 23,144 42.49 24,199 75.65 48,181 100.75 47,118 5,257.50 20,275 6,550.02 173,693 11,187.51 27,449 776.61 34,082 540.71 92,492 81,908.38 326,332 Rice .............. Hk. Pts. 40,083 69,936 38,719 16,390 29,142 44,501 28,828 17,798 83,511 103,677 42,885 16,623 15,822 226,088 31,185 7,419 210,676 24,088 20,307 24,945 32,837 56,709 200,279 26,109 29,694 90,379 328,011 541 37,612 2,713.49 346.24 34.56 59.53 492 11,482 197,170 18,613 16,282 118,758 2,604.47 8,298 708 12,011 120,840 18,612 40,497 42,605 383,821 26,733 138,510 33,604 22,711 112,847 319,127 539 94,543 NET TOTAL VALUE... Hk.fts. 1,754,604 2,342,730 1,866,122 2,203,537 1,856,641 24 : 186 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. TABLE No. 8.—QUANTITY of FOREIGN Goods conveyed to the INTERIOR under TRANSIT Passes during the Years 1879 and 1880. DESCRIPTION OF GOODS. 1879. 1880. DESCRIPTION OF Goods. 1879. 1880. I 0.28 COTTON Goods :- T-Cloths .....................Pieces Velvets ............... Handkerchiefs .......... Cotton Thread ..............Piculs 34 93.77 I OO 55.89 0.08 WOOLLEN GOODS:- Blankets .............. ........ Pairs 6.02 0.84 11.95 85.86 5.90 12.60 46.39 0.27 1.02 4.13 METALS: Copper, Japan ...............Piculs . Sheets .............. Iron Wire ....... Lead, in Pigs ..... Quicksilver. Yellow Metal ........ 36 78.77 46.97 158.05 37,714.56 8.18 45.21 17.75 29.10 782.49 5,800 108.64 84.80 SUNDRIES :- Aniseed, Star ...............Piculs Broken............ » Betel-nuts .................. » Bicho de Mar, Black ...... White ...... Birds' Nests, 2nd Quality 109.21 66.73 129.69 0.48 Galls 4,800 „ Husk..... 9.31 2,714.61 0.33 0.74 10.31 SUNDRIES, continued :- Gamboge ..................... Piculs 0.05 Ginseng ...................... 70.26 Glue, Cow ................... 17.20 Gum Benjamin ..... » Dragon's Blood ...... 0.15 , Myrrh .............. 0.80 . Olibanum .......... 26.63 Hartall ................. Horns, Cow.. » Deer 27.04 , Rhinoceros. 0.60 Isinglass ..................... Lacquer-ware ............... 2.55 42,502.02 Lead, White. ............... 2 62.70 4.85 Lucraban Seed ........... 42.35 25.38 Mangrove Bark ........... 1,159.50 Matches .....................Gross 24,100 Medicines ....................Piculs 84.04 Mussels, Dried ............ 2,860.44 128.66 » Nankeens, Japan ....... 102.75 Nutmegs ............... 0.36 387.16 Oil, Kerosene .............. 10.40 10,800 Pepper, White .............Piculs 7:34 Putchuck 748.03 55.76 Raisins 122.52 0.56 Rattans, Whole ........... 0.62 2,645.24 Rose Maloes ............ Sandalwood............... 10.75 5.30 Seaweed... 7,380.24 0.04 Sharks' Fins, Black ... 140.91 24.45 , White ........ 10.95 130.46 ” skins .................Pieces 15.02 Shell-fish, Awabi, etc. ....Piculs 692.02 7.13 Shrimps......... » 395.30 3.57 Smalt.......................... Vermilion .................... Wax, Japan ............... 1.20 2.01 Wood, Ebony ............ 21.40 Fragrant... 69.25 10.47 .. Garoo ............... 0.81 " 29.39 .. Laka ............... 20.15 337.51 Red ........... 0.15 42.90 Sundries .............Value, HK.fts! 3,961 2,669.83 2,804.09 18.10 | NUMBER OF PASSES ISSUED No. 4,011 3.70 2.27 77.09 267.18 827.08 0.72 " Borax , 3rd 4.39 0.07 ....... Camphor ............ ....... , Baroos, Refuse...., Capoor Cutchery ....... Cardamoms, Inferior....... Superior....... Cassia Lignea ... Buds, 63.18 8.26 11.21 1.54 Twigs .." 2,268.35 74.78 9.52 100 474.34 254.19 0.55 0.31 2.98 0.20 121.38 1.41 30.20 24.92 1.05 1.38 13.48 5.49 4.50 Chinaware, Fine..... Cinnabar ....... Cinnamon ............. Cloves .. Cutch.. Cuttle-fish ............. Dyes ................ Feathers, Kingfishers' ..... Fish Skins .............. Flints .... Fungus ................. Gambier 45.58 38.57 138 117 2,544.62 1,144.78 8.30 2,983 TAMSUI. 187 TAMSUI TRADE REPORT, FOR THE YEAR 18 8 0. [Received 21st March 1881.] CUSTOM HOUSE, TAMSUI, 22nd February 1881. - SIR, SC S STATISTICS, though affording an index to the importance or unimportance of a place, able one to judge whether trade has been profitable or not, or whether there has been speculation or steady trade. In Tamsui, during the past year, there has been a good deal of speculation, but trade has been steadier than during the year previous. If we are to form an opinion of trade in 1880 from our Trade Returns, we must at once pronounce it to have been good; still there have been losses, and in the Tea trade many whose capital was small have collapsed altogether. The net value of Foreign Imports was Hk.fts. 1,262,853, which, though in excess of the figures of 1878, is Hk.Tts. 18,000 under the value for 1879. The gross value of Foreign Imports was Hk. Pts. 110 in advance of that for 1879; but whereas the Re-exports in 1879 were only valued at Hk.fts. 628, they amounted last year to Hk.Its. 18,818, of which some Hk.Pts. 17,000 represent the value of some Opium which was re-exported to Takow. The Sugar market being active in Takow when this Opium was sent away from here, it was no doubt a stroke of policy to pay duty here instead of at Takow, as sycee, which was then useless here, was at a premium at that port. The value of our Exports last year was Hk.Its. 2,313,277, being an increase of Hk.fts. 227,000 over the 1879 figures ; and the total net value of Imports and Exports was Hk.Fts. 3,907,436, which shows an improvement in trade of HK.Tts. 275,000, or 7 per cent. There is a marked improvement in some of last year's figures over those of its predecessor ; but in many there is a decline. Thus it is difficult to give an accurate opinion as to whether trade has been good or not. I think I may say that it has been fairly good, and in taking this view, I may add that it is endorsed by a well-known merchant here. Cotton GOODS.-Grey Shirtings, which in 1879 showed an improvement of 36 per cent. over the 1878 figures, have greatly fallen off. Last year the importation was only 31,200 pieces, whilst in 1879 it was 43,700 pieces, showing a loss of 12,500 pieces, which represents a diminution 188 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. e of 28 per cent. in the importation of this article. It is likely that the decline will continue, as Grey Shirtings are now little wanted. The price of them here is $2 to $2.50. White Shirtings, the price of which is from $3.60 to $5, increase steadily each year, and are much used here. Last year we imported 46,600 pieces, against 45,500 pieces in 1879, thus indicating considerable improvement. As remarked in other Reports, White Shirtings take dye better than Grey, and are therefore more in demand than the latter. At one time the dye-shops, few in number, were employed in dyeing Shirtings black, that being the only colour that was understood. Last year several new dyeing establishments were opened at Banka, Teukcham, and other places in North Formosa, and experienced dyers obtained from the mainland. At the present time White Shirtings can be dyed green and red as well as black, and that has enhanced the demand for them. The Shirtings after being dyed are either used locally or are re-exported to the mainland in junks. The red and green Shirtings are generally used here; the black in Foochow. The cloth which has hitherto been dyed black here has obtained a world-wide reputation, it being said that, far from losing its colour on being washed, the black becomes more fixed; in fact, the saying amongst the Chinese is that it gets blacker. In Sundry Cottons there is an increase of 3,000 pieces. Brocades, Drills, and Turkey Reds show a falling off; on the other hand, T-Cloths have increased from 7,002 pieces to 12,329 pieces. T-Cloths are employed to make Tea bags, being found much more durable than Grey Shirtings, which were at one time employed for this purpose. In WOOLLENS, Camlets show a decline of 323 pieces, and Long Ells of 753 pieces. The savages use Long Ells extensively; but disagreements having taken place last year between them and the Chinese, barter has been considerably interrupted, and Long Ells, therefore, have not been so much wanted. Another reason to account for the diminution in Long Ells is that Spanish Stripes have made encroachments. These, although dearer than Long Ells, are wider in the piece, and meet local requirements better than Long Ells. The women in these parts delight in colours, and most of them being well off, red and green Spanish Stripes are now extensively availed of by them for making dresses. The bride's wedding outfit is largely made up now of Spanish Stripes, instead of Long Ells; thereby increasing the demand for the former and lessening that for the latter. Piece Goods form 22 per cent. of the value of the Import trade, and 7 per cent. of the gross value of the trade of the port. OPIUM.—The importation of drug has been steady during the year, the difference in the figures of 1879 and 1880 being only 16 piculs. In 1879, 2,165 piculs entered the port, all of which was consumed. The quantity last year reached 2,195 piculs, but as 46 piculs were re-exported, the net importation was under that of 1879. Benares and Patna have not been in such demand as they once were, their places having been taken by Persian and Turkey. Persian exhibits a slight improvement, but the great demand now is for new Turkey, the importation of which has lately made rapid strides. As before stated, it is mixed with Benares, which it greatly improves, rendering it very palatable to smokers. From January to October, Persian Opium averaged $630 to $640 a picul, and Benares $640 to $650. Towards the close of the year an increased demand had set in, and prices had advanced. Persian and Turkey were then $670 to $685, and even $700, and Benares was selling at $695 to $705. TAMSUI. 189 The Likin being low here compared with what it is on the mainland, Opium has been imported here for the purpose of being re-exported in junks to Chinchew, Wênchow, and even to Ningpo; and whilst here there is an allowance for the skin round each ball of 11 taels (in weight), the allowance on the mainland is only 8 taels, so that there is a gain in weight as well as a saving in Likin charges. The carriage of drug by Native craft depends entirely upon trade in other commodities. If the demand on the mainland for Hemp, Sugar, and Indigo is brisk the junks will not carry Opium. Last year the export of these commodities was good, and the quantity of Opium carried away was not so large, therefore, as in the preceding year. Opium last year formed 64 per cent. of the value of the Import trade, and 20 per cent. of the gross value of the trade of the port. SUNDRIES.—Amongst Sundry Imports which present good figures are Cuttle-fish, Medicines, and Paper; all of these have made progress, especially Medicines, which are now imported in large quantity and in great variety. To enumerate those which were imported last year for the first time would be to repeat what has already been written in the Reports on Trade emanating from Hankow and Newchwang. I may, however, mention two which have not, I believe, been noticed before. These are T'ienchi ( t) and Matou-ling ( #). The former comes from Canton, and is held in high reputation by Chinese soldiers for the valuable properties attributed to it. The latter reaches us from Szechwan við Hongkong, and is used in pulmonary diseases. These two Medicines are not mentioned in Dr. PORTER Smith's work, and even if they were, it would not be safe to give their botanical names, as they might be called in question by Dr. BRETSCHNEIDER, who has taken exception to several of the names given to Medicines by Dr. SMITH. Nail-rod Iron has increased from 400 piculs to 1,400 piculs. On inquiring the reason, I find that agricultural implements, which were formerly imported ready made, are now manu- factured here. Last year a small official of some enterprise obtained leave from the Fantai of Foochow to establish a Government iron factory, which was to have the exclusive right of supplying implements. Private enterprise was discouraged by a fee being levied on importations of all Ironware imported. The importers of tea-firing pans objected to this arrangement on the grounds that the Government factory could not supply these articles here, and that it was a matter of necessity to import them. An appeal to the Fantai resulted in Iron Pans being excepted from the fee, but all other iron articles were to be supplied by the factory, private manufacture of any of them being forbidden. No Salt was imported by Foreign vessels in 1880, whilst the quantity which arrived in 1879 in this way was 26,428 piculs. The junk trade last year does not seem to have been so brisk as it was in the year preceding. The entries at Tamsui were 473, and the clearances 500. In 1879 they were 532 and 490 respectively. At Kelung, in 1879, 464 junks entered and 451 cleared, whilst last year the entries were only 342, and the clearances 337. Considering that no Foreign vessels were freighted last year with Salt from Taiwan-fu, there should have been a larger number of junks than usual. 190 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. Turning to Foreign Shipping, I find that last year 166 steamers and 62 sailing vessels entered and cleared, making a total of 228; the tonnage employed being 89,773 tons. In 1879 the figures in our Returns were 132 steamers and 162 sailing vessels, making a total of 294, with a tonnage of 88,828 tons. Thus, whilst there appears a diminution in the number of vessels employed, there is really a small increase in the tonnage. The falling off in sailing vessels merits notice. From the figures given it will be seen that the number which entered and cleared last year was 100 less than in 1879, and whilst in the last-mentioned year a number of sailing vessels ran regularly between Tamsui and Amoy, bringing general cargoes and taking Tea away, not a single one carried a package of cargo away last year; in fact, only one vessel entered Tamsui, and that one cleared in ballast. The disappearance of sailing vessels generally must have been noticed at other ports as well as at this port, and there was a period during the year when the charter of a sailing vessel was a matter of great difficulty, and at times amounted to an impossibility. Whilst we had seven nationalities represented in 1879, last year we had four,—British, American, German, and Chinese; the latter appearing for the first time. The French, Danish, Dutch, and Swedish flags have disappeared, and there seems small probability of their reappearance. The British flag absorbed 91 per cent. of last year's trade, and the Chinese 8, the remaining i per cent. being divided between the American and the German flags. The Treasure in circulation last year was not so great as in the year previous. In 1879 we imported Hk.Pts. 735,000, whilst in 1880 the importation did not reach Hk.Tts. 700,000, and yet 700,000 lbs. more of Tea were purchased in the latter than in the former year. Exchange operations were carried on on a more extensive scale last year than in 1879, and these no doubt lessened the demand for Treasure. Shopkeepers readily accepted the drafts of teamen on Amoy, exchanging these for bills on Hongkong, and investing in sundry goods with the proceeds. The Import trade received a great stimulus from these operations, and the teamen obtained their money cheaper than by importing it by steamer. In my previous Report I have made allusion to the decrease in the issue of Transit Passes that occurs from year to year. I have again to repeat this remark here; the quantity of Camphor which came down from the country last year having been only 297 piculs. Our Transit receipts are thus diminishing yearly, and will, at the present rate of progress, arrive at zero in the course of two or three years. The Revenue collected by this office in 1879 was considered good, and exceeded that collected in 1878 by 4 per cent. Last year the collection was even better still, and shows an improvement of 7 per cent. over 1879. The figures are:- Hk.Pits. 1879. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284,302 1880 · · · · · · · · · · · · · 305,132 With the exception of Transit and Tonnage Dues, which are always precarious receipts, there is an increase under all the headings; but the chief increase is to be found under Export Duties, which, of course, present a good figure, owing to the large export of Tea which took place. The equivalent of the collection of last year in sterling is £83,911, reckoning the Haikwan Tael at TAMSUI. 191 INA 53. 6d. exchange. The total Revenue collected from the opening of the port to the end has been Hk.Tts. 2,365,802, which, at 6s. the Haikwan Tael, is equivalent to £709,740 sterling. It is perhaps scarcely fair to attach such a high value to the Haikwan Tael as that here given; but as this value has been made use of in the Reports both for 1879 and 1878, it has been considered advisable to adhere to it here, in lieu of altering it to the exact market value of the Haikwan Tael. TEA.—Since the first ventures in Tea proved successful, the cultivation of the leaf has been carried on with vigour, and now it may be seen growing everywhere. As fast as fresh territory is conquered from the savages, it is devoted to Tea; and in their haste to plant it the Chinese have not taken the trouble to clear the ground of Camphor trees, and old stumps may therefore be seen in newly acquired ground, standing in the midst of Tea plantations. Such industry has been displayed by the Chinese in the cultivation of Tea during the last few years that whilst in 1865 our total export was 180,824 lbs., it now amounts to over 12,000,000 lbs. a year, and there is every probability of this figure even being exceeded. The cultivation is likely to go on increasing until some day it is discovered that Tea, though forming the staple export of the port, does not form the staple food of the people, and then a few of the plantations may be expected to be turned into something edible, such as sweet potatoes and other vegetables. In comparing last year's export of Tea with that of the three previous years, I find that it exceeds 1879 by 6 per cent., 1878 by 12 per cent., and 1877 by 30 per cent. The progress which has been made is quite apparent, and the following figures will illustrate this point :- Piculs. Lbs. 1877 ........... 69,231 = 9,230,800 1878 . . . . . . . . . . . 80,261 = 10,701,466 1879 ........... 85,032 = 11,337,733 1880 . . . . . . . . . . . 90,476 = 12,063,463 Last year's export forms 93 per cent. of the value of the Export trade, nearly 55 per cent. of the gross value of the trade of the port, and 17 per cent. of the total amount of Tea which has left the port since Tamsui was opened to trade. Purchases of the leaf were made in the early part of April, but the market did not open, or was not considered to have opened, until the 20th of that month. Then there was keen competition for first Teas, and although prices were fairly moderate at first, they soon rose to such a figure as to render it extremely problematical that there would be a profit on investments. At times the market rate in Amoy was under that ruling here; nevertheless, the rate there was high, so that the losses on many shipments were not so great as they would have been had it been otherwise. During the spring and summer months buying continued at full rates, and at the end of September the stocks in Amoy amounted to 50,000 half-chests. This Tea was the property of the packers. In October a decline in prices occurred, and the whole of the stock in hand was bought up. This led to fresh demands in the market here, and the packers, expecting a rise in the prices of Tea, "went in madly," a merchant tells me, and many of them suffered 192 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. heavy losses. On many shipments the losses must have been from 20 to 30 per cent. Thirteen packing houses are said to have fallen victims to their own rashness. The ease with which credit was obtained in Amoy from Chinese merchants proved a direct incentive to reckless trading. Money was offered at 15 and 18 per cent, to anyone, on one condition, and that was that the Tea purchased with it should be consigned to the houses advancing the money. The condition was not a hard one to fulfil, and numbers, therefore, who had no capital, or whose capital was small, readily availed themselves of it. There was a promise of success both to the people who advanced the money and to those who used it. The season, however, did not turn out so favourable as was anticipated; the speculator lost his money, and the hong which had advanced it to him, instead of reaping a rich return in the shape of interest on its capital and commission on the sale of the Tea, lost part of the capital advanced. The men who had borrowed money, feeling that they had nothing to lose and possibly something to win, and fearing, moreover, that the loans advanced. would be called in if the money were not used, rushed recklessly into the market, indifferent as to the prices charged, so long as they obtained the Tea. The growers were not slow to avail themselves of the folly shown, and raised their prices accordingly; in fact, they had their own way entirely, and demanded prices which obviously precluded all chance of a profit. Nearly $50 per picul were paid for Tea here. If to this be added freight and other incidental expenses, it will be seen that Tea could not be laid down in Amoy at a reasonable figure, and that unless something extraordinary occurred to put the New York market up, there was no possible prospect of a profit. The quotations given me for Teas are as under:- First crop, ist quality ..... . $44 to $48 per picul. Second , „ . . . . . . $48 „ $52 » Third „ „ . . . . . . . $44 „ $48 , The average price of Teas of all grades throughout the season was $32.50. A merchant informs me that the facilities offered for entering the Tea market were so great that teaboys and shroffs started packing-houses, and even men employed in tea-firing, who usually earn about $6. a month, suddenly became either brokers or packers. The same source adds: “the Tea business has a great fascination for cooks, whose souls you would think could never rise above an omelette." Whilst the brokers and packers have lost money, the planters have reaped a rich harvest. It costs from $10 to $14 to make medium kinds of Tea, to which must be added an inland tax of $1.70 per picul, and about 20 cents per picul for boat hire. When it is considered that very little Tea sells under $20 per picul, and that the bulk of the Tea last season realised over $30, and went even as high as $40 and $50 a picul, it will be seen that the planters have pocketed a good deal of money, and that their share in the Tea trade has paid them well. No wonder, after such a result, that every patch of ground on the slope of a hill should be devoted to the cultivation of Tea. Tea pays better than Indigo, Sugar, Hemp, or Rice; and Indigo plants have been removed in some places to make way for Tea. Land is cheap, and is soon cleared, and though labour is scarce in some neighbourhoods, the villagers and farmers combine together to assist each other. The inland or Likin tax on Tea last year realised its 107,000. In my Reports for 1878 and 1879 I gave a table showing the export of Tea monthly from the opening of the market to the end of the year. Though not desirous to insert in one . TAMSUI. 193 Report what has been given in another, I think that the usefulness of the table alluded to will justify its being repeated here, and in precisely the same form :- EXPORT of TEA from OPENING of MARKET to 31st December 1879 and 1880. 1879. 1880. Piculs. April . . . . . . . . . . . 420.89 May . . . . . . . . . . . . 13,115.19 June . . . . . . . . . . . . 14,774.II July . . . . . . . . . . . . 17,169.66 August . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,322.33 September . . . . . . . . . . 6,135.66 October . . . . . . . . . . . 12,305.90 November . . . . . · · · · · December . . . . . . . . . . . 4,108.03 Piculs. 493.48 12,207.20 17,127.83 14,050.87 6,791.33 8,963.67 14,506.51 12,080.11 4,125.41 TOTAL ........ 85,019.98 90,346.41 Lbs. The total for 1879 is equal to ........ 11,335,997 » » 1880 „ „ ....... 12,046,148 The difference in the export of the two years is 710,151 lbs., and that is in favour of 1880; between 1878 and 1879 there is a difference of 644,188 lbs. : thus showing an increased production of 1,354,000 lbs. in two years. Since the port first opened, the total export, in round figures, has been 69,800,000 lbs., which has yielded us a revenue of Hk.Its. 1,308,625, repre- senting 55 per cent. of the total Revenue collected. Low freights prevailing during the season have no doubt assisted the export of Tea, whilst at the same time they must have minimised the losses in some cases. The rate for Tea fell from 18. cents a package to 5 cents as soon as the China Merchants' Company extended their line to the port, and it remained at that rate to the end of the season. As Tea cannot be carried at a remunerative rate under 10 cents, if even at that figure, the companies running here must have lost heavily. The Hingshing, belonging to the China Merchants' Company, arrived here on the 18th July, and commenced running between the port and Hongkong við Amoy; but instead of being kept on the line she was sent down to Hoihow, and when she returned here the Chinamen were reluctant to ship by her, having lost all confidence in her movements. Had she kept on the line, she would undoubtedly have secured a large share of the trade. Confidence once lost is difficult to recover. If the company intend to carry Tea next season, they will have to send a good boat here, and when once she is on the line, keep her running. In this way they may hope to esta- blish themselves here and obtain a fair share of the trade. The field is a good one, if tried in a proper instead of in a half-hearted way. If there is no opposition line here, the Chinese merchants are likely to charter a steamer on their own account rather than pay a high rate of freight for their Tea by LAPRAIK's steamers. A number of speculators in Tea having been cleared off, and 25 TAMSUI. 197 at least 20 mountains and hills, from 500 to 1,000 feet high, especially when a great many of the pathways do not lead round the base of a hill, but over its very summit. The least initiated European will perceive at a glance that there is room here for almost unlimited improvements. “Roads could be constructed from many places which I saw, straight into the aborigines territory; the savages neither could nor would be able to make any serious resistance against a small but well-armed number of soldiers, whose real duty would be to protect the labourers while working, but that both could and would fight on the defensive when called upon to do so. These soldiers should, of course, be armed with rifles that would kill besides making a noise, which I am afraid is mostly the case at present with the arms used here in border warfare. The savages would soon accept samshu, pigs, and other—to them—now almost necessary articles, in lieu of powder, shot, and hard knocks. I have not the least doubt but that Camphor and Wood could be brought from the interior by means of carts or trucks on roads constructed according to the above idea, with or without tramways (wooden), at—at least—say, 60 per cent. for Planks, and 100 per cent. for large Wood; a like and proportional reduction in Camphor would, of course, also follow. Almost numberless rivulets flow in every direction, offering every facility for erecting sawmills, as primitive or scientific as one would desire or circumstances may demand, for sawing all the Wood on the island with less than half the present cost. “It is almost needless to make any remarks regarding the expenditure of such an undertaking, for, leaving aside the great benefit to all concerned, the Chinese Government would be more than amply repaid with increased territory, over which they cannot be said to have the least control at present, and feuds between Chinese and aborigines, which now cause both blood- shed and fluctuation in the price of Wood and Camphor, would then be something of the past.” And regarding Shaolan ( B) and other trees, he adds :- "I found at Tokoham many trees well known among the Chinese, such as Lama (* *) and Shaolan, which I subsequently found to be Arbor vitae Orientalis, but, being much larger than any species of this tree previously known, and slightly different, I would suggest its more appropriate name to be Arbor vite Formosana. This tree often attains a height of from 50 to 70 feet, with a diameter at the base of from 8 to 10 feet, and its wood, for beauty, is unrivalled in the East; also the Vernix vernicia, lacquer tree, the Liquidambar Formosana, the wood of which is used greatly for building rapid boats (this tree is called here Bung (HE). I also found the oak, Quercus ilex, growing in the valleys; the wood of this tree is more porous than English oak, but is nevertheless very durable and in great demand. Sasam, a hard, white, and heavy species of Pinus, which I have not yet been able to identify, as no cones could be found. I also found Rattans, Calamus rudentium, growing here. Their gathering is not as remu- nerative as other occupations; they are chiefly used here for ropes and various domestic purposes. The present disturbance between the Chinese and aborigines is mainly owing to the fact that the Chinese are endeavouring to obtain more wooded hills towards the interior, as their own hills, previously bought and wrenched from the savages, are getting denuded of trees, and rapidly converted into Tea fields. I have been informed that the Chinese, by promising the savages pigs, samshu, rice, etc., had been allowed to cut down trees on several hills claimed by the savages, but as the Chinese did not stick to their bargain, the savages became impatient and desperate, and drove the Chinese across their own border.” 198 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. GENERAL. 21 The weather during the past year was no improvement on that of the year preceding. The summer was a healthy one, but deaths occurred at the close of it in large numbers, and fever kept up its attacks even to the end of the year. It rained in Tamsui 164 days during the year, the rainfall being 81 inches. In Kelung the number of days during which rain fell was 179, and the rainfall 142 inches. The maximum thermometer at Tamsui was 94°, and the minimum 48º. At Kelung the maximum was 93°, and the minimum 41°. Two heavy shocks of earthquake occurred during the year; one in the afternoon of the 28th April, and the other, which was perhaps the more severe of the two, at midnight on the 20th July. In the early part of January the British vessel Parmenio was wrecked on the east coast, near Steep Island, while on a voyage from Singapore to Takow with mangrove bark. Her position at first was not critical, inasmuch as she had been driven over a sandbank into deep water, and was there anchored in comparative safety. Unfortunately, the occurrence happened during the prevalence of the north-east monsoon, and thus her chances of getting out were small, as during that monsoon there is always more or less swell rolling in even when the weather is fine. H.B.M.S. Lapwing, when on a visit to the port in February, went round to the east coast to assist her, but failed to accomplish anything. Ultimately, the Parmenio was towed partly over the bank by a Chinese Government steamer, where she was left, it being impossible to move her any farther. Rough weather setting in, she soon became a total wreck, and was then, with her cargo, disposed of by auction. In March, May, and June, H.B.M.S. Moorhen called here, and in November the Sheldrake visited the port, making a stay of 12 days. Since her departure no gunboat has been over here. The Chinese Admiral paid two visits to Kelung during the year to inspect the site selected for a new fort, and the Taotai came as usual to conduct the examinations in Taipei-fu. My last Report announced that civil examinations had been held for the first time in 1879. I have now to chronicle the inauguration of military examinations, these being held for the first time last year since Formosa became a part of the Chinese Empire. Towards the close of the year the Governor of Fukien arrived here from Foochow on his annual tour of official inspection. He landed at Kelung from the flagship Yangwu, and after spending a few days in the north part of the island, he continued his journey overland to Taiwan-fu. Death carried off my colleague, the Superintendent of Customs, in August, after a residence of six weeks only in Tamsui, and in October the Maritime Prefect of Kelung, who with his own duties combined those of manager of the Kelung Colliery, succumbed also. A change of British Consuls took place last year, Mr. WATTERS relieving Mr. FORD, on the transfer of the latter to Pakhoi.. No further progress has been made towards building the wall that is to encircle the new city of Taipei, and it is not thought likely that much will be done for the next five years. The four gates are now finished, and there is great activity apparent in house-building. Land is becoming dear, and the necessaries of life are both scanty in kind and high in price. TER TAMSUI. 199 A few years back an attempt was made to introduce the mulberry here. The soil of the place being rich, it was thought that both mulberry and cotton trees would thrive here. The cotton seeds failed, but the mulberry slips took root and grew well. I now hear of a probable move in the direction of introducing the silkworm into these parts. Should the experiment prove successful, North Formosa may one day become a silk-producing as well as a tea-producing country. But neither the north nor the south part of the island will become of much importance until both parts are provided with good harbours. A Chinese gunboat can only enter and leave Tamsui from the ist to the 3rd and from the 15th to the 18th of each month, and when she misses these days for leaving the port, she has to wait at least 12 days more before she can get out. In the event of bad weather prevailing when next her opportunity arrives, she may have again to postpone her departure, for although there may then be water enough on the bar, the sea may be too rough to admit of her crossing. The delay, therefore, which often occurs in this way must cause both inconvenience and loss. As soon as a dredger is obtained and put into operation, the island will rise in importance, its resources be more quickly and fully developed, and the Chinese Government will then find that in acquiring Formosa it has obtained a rich possession. I have, etc., WALTER LAY, Commissioner of Customs. ROBERT HART, ESQUIRE, Inspector General of Customs, PEKING 200 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. TAKOW TRADE REPORT, FOR THE YEAR 1880. [Received 22nd February 1881.] CUSTOM HOUSE, Takow, 7th February 1881. Sir, THE trade of the past year, on which I have now the honour to report, has been exceedingly prosperous, excelling that of any previous year since the opening of the two ports, Anping and Takow. The cause is at once attributable to the exceptionally good Sugar crops, the largest export ever known having taken place during 1880; and this being the case, it is not surprising to find that nearly all the chief articles of import and export show an increase over the trade of former years. Sugar is the main staple of the ports, the other Exports at present being insignificant; and when the crops turn out well, a corresponding increase occurs in the Imports. Thus all the remarks I am about to make on the trade will be of one tenor,- everything, with one or two unworthy exceptions, showing increase, increase. SHIPPING. Forty-three steamers, aggregating 18,215 tons, entered the ports, as against 48, of 18,225 tons, in 1879,-giving 1879 the precedence by 5 steamers, but with a difference only of 10 tons; the entrances all took place from Coast Ports or Hongkong. 44 steamers, making 18,581 tons, cleared (42 being for Coast Ports, and 2, loaded with Sugar, for London direct), as against 48, 18,225 tons, in 1879. Of sailing vessels, 112, aggregating 40,830 tons, entered, as against 106, 33,958 tons, in 1879: 10 came from Japan, i from Singapore, and the rest from Coast Ports. The clearances of sailing vessels numbered 115, aggregating 41,693 tons, as against 107, 33,964 tons, in 1879; of these, 6 cleared for London, 6 for New York, 4 for Australia, 44 for Japan, 1 for Manila, and the remainder for the Coast Ports. The following shows the share taken by each flag in the carrying trade, Foreign and coastwise, inwards and outwards:- VESSELS. TRIPS. Tons. British ........... 74 58,174 American . . . . . . . . . 16 12,760 German . . . . . . . . . . 81 128 40,861 Dutch . . . . . . . . . . 4 Danish. . . . . . . . . . . 2,136 Swedish and Norwegian . . . . 886 Japanese . . . . . . . . . . Chinese . . . . . . . . . . 2,790 148 16 878 834 Anno TAKOW. 201 Thus it will be seen that although German vessels were numerically the strongest, Great Britain supplied the largest amount of tonnage. A feature in the Shipping was the large number of vessels—2 steamers and 61 sailing vessels—which cleared direct for Foreign countries with cargoes of Sugar. FOREIGN IMPORTS. OPIUM.—The importations of Opium of all sorts year after year steadily increase, for while Malwa, Turkey, and Patna are less in demand, the larger quantities of Benares and Persian which have come to hand more than compensate for the shortcomings of the other descriptions of drug. The net total import of Benares has increased from 1,871.62 piculs, valued at Hk.Fts. 627,124, in 1879 to 1,978.80 piculs, valued at Hk.Tts. 697,513, in 1880; and Persian has increased from 1,225.93 piculs, value Hk.Tts 525,129, in 1879 to 1,546.24 piculs, value Hk.Pts. 699,292, in 1880. The net import of Malwa, Patna, and Turkey, as compared with 1879, has been as follows: 1880. 1879. Piculs. Hk. Pts. Piculs. Hk.Tts. Malwa. ....... 42.29 17,859 66.30 28,643 Patna ....... 49.20 18,469 86.40 29,555 Turkey ....... 30.85 13,260 136.56 58,216 showing a decrease in each variety. The value of all kinds of drugs has increased from Hk.Fts. 1,267,667 in 1879 to Hk.Tts. 1,446,393 in 1880. The import of Benares has increased steadily during the last 10 years, and Persian, with two exceptions—in 1873 and 1879,-shows an increased demand during that period. As pointed out by Mr. MORGAN in his Report for 1879, the greater safety obtained by steam carriage has very likely diverted much of the drug from the junks, and although there is no doubt that the quantity imported steadily grows, it may not be so great as a glance at our Returns would lead one to suppose. Persian Opium finds it way along the west coast to places as far north even as Tamsui itself, a fact which can only be accounted for by the cheaper Likin to which the drug is subject here, for whereas at Tamsui a charge of $64 per chest is levied, here it escapes with a payment of $40, which frees it all over the island. The reason assigned for the increasing appreciation of Persian and Benares Opium is their cheapness over the other qualities of drug; and Persian is especially popular, as a pipe of it can be smoked again and again, thus suiting the pockets of the poor people, who are the great consumers. COTTON GOODS.—Cotton Goods of Foreign manufacture have increased from 53,195 pieces, valued at Hk.fts. 95,167, in 1879 to 62,804 pieces, valued at Hk.Tts. 109,885, in 1880. The principal articles are in excess of last year :- 1879. Pieces. 1880. Pieces. Shirtings, Grey . . . . . . . . . . 28,438 21,410 „ White . . . . . . . . . 10,591 9,646 T-Cloths . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,341 7,254 Muslins . . . . . . . . . . . 3,363 2,335 26 202 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. but in Drills, Turkey Reds, and Shirtings (Dyed, Plain, Spotted, and Figured), there is a decrease, which, however, is insignificant. South Formosa can never be expected to be a large consumer of Piece Goods of the higher qualities, for the texture of the Cloths is too heavy for wear in the elimate. Thus the best Cloths are neglected for lighter fabrics of inferior sorts, and these, I am informed, are adulterated to such an extent that the market is crippled, and the people find it cheaper to make and use Native Cloth. Nevertheless, the importation of Cotton Goods of all descriptions has more than doubled during the last eight years, the principal increases being in Shirtings and T-Cloths. This latter is of the poorest quality, and is generally used for mourning garments. WOOLLEN GOODS.—In Woollens there is also an increase, the quantity imported of all sorts being 8,392 pieces, valued at Hk. Tts. 85,666, as against 6,412 pieces, valued at Hk.its. 63,038, in 1879. The articles chiefly contributing to this increase are given hereunder :- 1880. 1879. Pieces. Pieces. English Camlets . . . . . . . . . . 3,08 I 2,242 Lastings. . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,311 1,164 Lustres and Orleans, Figured and Plain .. 1,297 771 Cloth, Broad, Habit, and Medium . ... 335 Flannels . . . . . . . . . . . . 274 METALS.—Nail-rod Iron and Old Iron have for the first time run into four figures, 1,053.68 piculs of the former and 1,542.49 piculs of the latter coming into the place during the year. The value of Nail-rod Iron here is exceptionally high, being as much as $5 per picul. Other imports of Metals are too small to be worthy of note. SUNDRIES.—First in importance stands Flour, which has been imported to the extent of 5,900.94 piculs, valued at Hk.fts. 17,962. The remaining articles in the table nearly one and all show an increased trade. The net total value of the Foreign Import trade amounts to Hk.fts. 1,742,622; Hongkong contributing goods of the value of Hk.Tts. 1,231,963 ; Japan, Hk.Tts. 3,648; and the Coast Ports, Hk.Pts. 526,583. The value of the Re-exports amounts to Hk.Pts. 19,572. 49 NATIVE IMPORTS The net total value of the Native Import trade amounts to Hk.fts. 223,844, showing an increase over 1879 of Hk.Tts. 21,070. The vast majority of the articles forming this trade come from Hongkong, which has contributed to the value of Hk.Pts. 145,575. At the head of the list stand Mat Bags, 1,367,915 pieces, value Hk.Tts. 49,131, which, owing to the enormous export of Sugar, have been imported to this large extent. A great falling off is observable in Prepared Tobacco: in 1879, 3,017 piculs, valued at Hk.its. 45,394, were imported, whereas in 1880 the figures drop to 1,631.46 piculs, valued at Hk.its. 24,569. The remaining articles in the table call for no special comment, being much on a par with the Imports of last year. The whole of this trade is in the hands of Taiwan-fu merchants. 204 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. Other articles of export show various fluctuations. Bamboo Shoots, Ground-nuts, and Sharks' Fins have largely increased in quantity, whilst Lung-ngans, Salt, and Sesamum Seed have declined; and Hemp, which it was hoped might become a valuable export, has fallen to 429.42 piculs, as against 1,275.87 piculs exported in 1879. Trade in these commodities is all in the hands of Natives, and reliable information regarding the causes of the very marked rise and fall in the articles above quoted is not obtainable. The total value of the Export trade amounts to Hk.fts. 2,561,078, as against Hk.fts. 2,039,416 in 1879. Of this sum, Great Britain took goods to the value of Hk. Pts. 382,601 ; Australia, Hk.Tts. 99,242; United States, Hk.Tts. 274,751; Japan, Hk. Hts. 720,673; and Hongkong, for distribution to Foreign countries, Hk.fts. 391,378. Of Coast Ports, Chefoo, Shanghai, and Tientsin stand highest, taking goods to the value of Hk.its. 319,889, Hk.Its. 251,658, and Hk.fts. 110,772 respectively. TREASURE The amount of Treasure exported is barely over one-half the import. Adding the Treasure imported to the value of the Import trade, and the Treasure exported to the value of the Export trade, the balance is in favour of Exports by Hk.its. 152,233. Hk.fts. Treasure imported ............ 914,125 Net value of Foreign and Native Imports . ... 1,966,466 TOTAL IMPORTS . . . . . . . 2,880,591 Treasure exported ............ Value of Export trade . . . . . . . . . . . Hk.Tts. 471,746 2,561,078 Total EXPORTS ...... 3,032,824 VALUE OF THE TRADE. The total value of the trade amounts to Hk.fts. 4,547,420, and these figures, when compared with 1879, which up to the present was the biggest year on record, show an increase of Hk.Pts. 740,484. Nearly the whole of this sum is made up by the values of Sugar and Opium, viz., Hk.Tts. 2,480,373 by the former and Hk.fts. 1,446,393 by the latter, leaving only Hk.Tts. 620,654 to represent the value of every other article of the Export and Import trade. GENERAL REMARKS. Oyster Culture.—A very considerable proportion of the poor people on the coast gain their livelihood by the cultivation of the oyster, and as I believe the method is peculiar to South Formosa, a brief history may prove interesting. TAKOW. 205 Two varieties exist—the Bamboo and the Rock Oyster. The beds are always found in lagoons or other inland waters which are susceptible to the ebb and flow of the tide, and it is a sine quâ non that these spots must not be uncovered for a longer period than from 4 to 6 hours in the 24. The spat floats in with the flood tide, and, attaching itself to bamboos and rocks placed for the purpose, takes up its abode until the oyster is sufficiently grown for the market. The stronger the current and the dirtier the water, the surer the chance of a good yield. The cultivation of the Bamboo Oyster may thus be described. After a suitable spot has been selected, the cultivator chooses a quantity of flat oyster- shells, the thinner the better, and dividing them into two equal lots, he bores through the centre of one-half of them a hole i} inches in diameter, the purpose of which will soon be explained. He next provides himself with as many bamboos as he requires—the number representing the amount of plants,—each of which is about 2 ft. 6 inches long by 14 to 2 inches wide, and about half an inch thick. These are split up about two-thirds of their length, and when all are so prepared, the planter takes one of the entire shells, and placing it between the bamboo, presses together the split ends and closes them by pushing over and down one of the bored shells, which acts as a padlock. Now being ready for the nursery, they are taken to their destination and planted about 6 inches distant from one another, and are then in position to receive the spat. It is estimated that 2,110,000 plants are put down yearly. Each bamboo produces from 4 to 5 catties of oysters in the shell, but when opened and cleaned, only about half a catty, so the total amount of pure fish produced annually is 10,550 piculs. The value varies in summer and winter, but the average price may be taken at 39 cash a catty, which gives 41,145,000 cash as the total value. This sum, converted at 1,400 cash to the dollar—the usual exchange, equals $29,396. Although in most parts of the world the oyster is considered unfit for food during the summer months, here, where anything is welcome that gives one a change from chickens and shrimps, they are a luxury not to be despised, and even though they are not first-rate in the hot weather, they are always fresh and palatable. The Bamboo Oyster is edible 70 days after planting the bamboo, but is not considered in its prime until five months afterwards. The best are those planted about the seventh Chinese moon, thus reaching their maturity at Chinese New Year time, when they figure as a considerable item in the feasts of this festive season. It is stated that the colder the north-west monsoon and the fiercer the wind, the better the oyster thrives. They are usually eaten fresh by the Chinese; and so great is the demand for this bivalve, that the market has to be replenished by the importation of Dried Oysters from Coast Ports. Formerly this industry was taxed to the extent of 120 cash for every 1,000 bamboos planted, but some three years ago Ting Futai ordered all taxes on the fisheries of all kinds to be done away with. The Rock Oyster requires much less care than his fellow. Wherever spat is observed, generally in lagoons and at the mouths or sides of creeks, the Natives lay down stones, rough or smooth, and varying in weight from a catty to half a picul, and leave them until sufficient oysters are produced to make it worth while gathering them. Every creek and lagoon in the 206 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. neighbourhood has its oyster beds, as is the sad experience of all those who love boat-sailing. Although these oysters do not look well on the table, on account of the ungainly, ill-shaped shells, the fish is good, and, oddly enough, is at its best in those months which do not contain the letter r in their spelling. Fishing.–The Taiwan fisheries give a large number of the male population work of a remunerative character all the year round, and every method known in Europe appears to be resorted to here. It is roughly estimated that the number of people engaged at Anping is 3,000, and thence along the coast to Takow, from 8,000 to 10,000. The deep-sea fisheries are carried on in catamarans and junks; the hook and line are sometimes used, but the chief instrument is the seine net. Two classes of junks are employed, the one called locally the ka-bang, which fish in pairs, and the other the ka-tsz-chun, which operate singly. The variety of fish found on the coast is very extensive, but the greatest profit is made on the arrival of the fish which yields the “fish roe,” and which is caught here in most enormous quantities. The general method may be briefly described. Some seven to nine catamarans form a company, which is locally known as a ka-chun-a, of which one man is elected “headman.” When the season arrives and the fish are seen by one of the look-out men who are stationed along the heights for this purpose day and night, the word is passed round, the several sets or companies proceed at once to the place, and, following the directions of their headman, spread out into a wide circle, surrounding the fish on all sides. Gradually the circumference of the circle is decreased till the fish get driven into the nets, and the takes are often so large that the vessels will not hold them. The season commences about November or December and continues into January, about the end of which the fish have passed Takow to the South to spawn. Soon after Chinese New Year they return, and are again most unmercifully netted, but they are now in poor condition and their roes much thinner. The fish, after having their roes extracted, are sun-dried, and the roe itself, which is the great delicacy, is also sun-dried and slightly salted for preservation. Prices vary greatly, and depend on the catch, but good roe is worth from $20 to $33 a picul. For the above information I am indebted to notes prepared for me by Mr. Assistant Examiner HASTINGS. Anping Bund.-A substantial bund has been built during the year at Anping, continuing · the Custom House Bund and running along the frontage of Messrs. MANNICH & Co.'s and Messrs. Boyd & Co.'s properties; and a solid mud road faced with wattled bamboos has also been constructed, which, passing the south frontage of Messrs. ELLES & Co.'s property, runs to the edge of the creek which forms the entrance to the so-called “Gunboat Harbour,” where a well- constructed wooden bridge gives access to Messrs. Tait & Co.'s dwelling-house and godowns, and, skirting their property, joins the high road to Taiwan-fu. To meet the expenses of these works, each of the Foreign lot-holders in Anping subscribed $200, and the Taotai of Taiwan-fu and the Imperial Maritime Customs also came forward with handsome subscriptions. The maintenance is provided for by an annual subscription. Takow Bar.—The bar during the year has been unusually obstructive, being impassable to cargo-boats, junks, and other small craft for no less than 48 days, as will be seen by reference to the following table : TAKOW. 207 NUMBER of Days BAR IMPASSABLE to CARGO-BOATS and JUNKS during the Year 1880. JAN. FEB. MARCH. APRIL. MAY. June July Aug. SEPT. Oct. Nov. | DEC. TOTAL. L 14 1 13 | 2 | 3 SP Unfortunately, too, this obstruction to the navigation of the port has been the cause of two very sad accidents. On the 20th July a boat, manned by Europeans belonging to the West Glen, when attempting to enter the harbour, was capsized, and its occupants all thrown into the water. A very heavy sea was breaking at the time, and it was with great difficulty that the men were able to regain their boat, which was floating bottom upwards. Fortunately, the tide was running in, or it is doubtful if a single soul would have been saved; as it was, catamarans and sampans of all descriptions were ready inside the smooth water to render all assistance possible, and as the boat drifted in the men were taken off one by one and carried ashore. It was then found that a man named WILLIAM HOPKINS was missing, and although every effort was made to recover the body—one of the drowned man's messmates diving for it several times,-it was not found until two days afterwards. On the ist January 1881 the British schooner Chingtoo, a fine vessel of 304 tons burthen, when being towed over the bar by the steam-tug Sin Taiwan, touched bottom, and all attempts to drag her off proved futile. As ill-luck would have it, the sea got up, and the wind freshening from the north, drove the ill-fated vessel on to the rocks at the foot of Saracen's Head, where she speedily became water-logged and began to break up. Her cargo consisted of $40,000 in specie, which were saved, and a quantity of mat bag's, stores, and furniture, which soon covered the sea around, and drifting through the mouth of the harbour, gave opportunity for a general scramble. The authorities acted promptly and well, and deserve every credit for the ample protection they afforded the wreck and her cargo. The vessel, or what was left of her for salving had been going on rapidly,—was sold by public auction on the 4th January. A naval court of inquiry was held at H.B.M.'s Consulate on the 6th January to inquire into the causes which led to the loss of the ship, and its finding was that the catastrophe occurred primarily owing to “the negligence of the pilot in charge of the vessel in failing to make himself thoroughly acquainted with the channel through the bar and the depth of the water on it. Further, that had the steam-tug Sin Taiwan been in her usual ballast trim for towing, she might have been able to tow the Chingtoo into harbour safely, even after she had grounded on the bar.” The master and mate had their certificates returned to them. The bar has proved also too much for some of H.B.M.'s gunboats, the Sheldrake being compelled to remain in port some days beyond her date of sailing in the month of July, and the Swinger likewise in the month of November, owing to the heavy seas rendering exit impossible. To show what a constant source of trouble and anxiety the bar is, requiring nearly daily visits to ascertain its condition, Mr. Harbour Master MANNERS has prepared a chart, hereto 208 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. appended, from which it will be seen how frequently and to what a degree the channel alters, being affected mostly by each strong gale. Fort Guns.-In 1879 the authorities ordered for the two Takow forts, one of which is built on either side of the entrance to the harbour, four 7-inch 61 tons and two 6-inch 80 cwt. muzzle-loading rifled guns from the firm of W. G. ARMSTRONG & Co., Newcastle, and this year these very expensive weapons, with a quantity of shot, shell, and powder, duly arrived. The forts themselves are, to accommodate the new guns, undergoing extensive and expensive alter- ations, which have been watched with much interest. The Taotai has been here twice and the Futai once, but these officials have contented themselves with a very cursory examination of the new works. Taiwan-fu has been the scene of much military activity, preparations being made everywhere for prospective war. Hospital.—During the year the “David Manson Memorial Hospital” was opened to the public. This institution, which promises to work great benefits for the Chinese, sprang into existence under the following circumstances. In or about the year 1864, JAMES MAXWELL, M.D., arrived in Takow, and, on behalf of the English Presbyterian Mission, opened here a hospital. After the trade of the port had so far advanced as to cause an increase in the mumber of Foreigners, it was found necessary to secure the services of a medical man, and Dr. PATRICK MANSON came out from Scotland to fill the post. A year or more elapsed, when Dr. MAXWELL, desirous of extending the sphere of his missionary labours, removed to Taiwan-fu, and there opened a second Native hospital, handing over charge of the one at Takow to Dr. MANSON. During this period the missionaries gave the use of the buildings free of charge, and Foreign firms supported the work by annual subscriptions, besides which donations were received from the general public. Dr. PATRICK MANSON, on going to Amoy, was in his turn succeeded by Dr. DAVID MANSON, in whose memory the handsome building now erected was raised as a tribute of affection and esteem by his many admiring and grieving friends. Under his care the old hospital sprang into notoriety, and from far and near Natives flocked to its doors. It was in 1878 that Dr. DAVID MANSON died in Foochow, and his friends in July of th anxious to pay some tribute to his memory, determined that a fitting one would be the erection of a memorial hospital; and hence the one now built. The committee appointed by the subscribers to carry out the scheme set to work energetically. $2,500 were collected, and the Chinese Government made a present of a piece of ground on Saracen's Head, facing the lagoon to the north, which forms a very eligible site. The building, which is in two portions, one situated above the other on the hill, contains in the lower house two Foreign wards, waiting- rooms, dispensary, outhouses, etc., and the upper house consists of Chinese wards, deadhouse, cookhouse, bathrooms, etc. It is supported by contribution, and judging by the ingress of subscriptions from the Chinese, among whom are the Chêntai and Taotai, besides other high officials, its object has awakened their sympathy. From 1871 to November 1880, the only period for which statistics are available, upwards of 15,000 patients have been treated at the Takow Native Hospital. Thus an enormous amount of relief has been undoubtedly distributed, and it may be taken for granted that the increased attractions of the new building and the professional services of Dr. W. W. MYERS will further extend the good work. was 210 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. APPENDIX. METEOROLOGICAL TABLE for the Year 1880. BAROMETER. THERMOMETER. MONTH, Fog. RAIN. Highest | Lowest. Highest. Lowest. Hours. Inches. Hours. 55 January... 30.07 29.95 12 2.77 February .......... 30.31 29.90 1.25 March .......... 30.33 29.97 April ... 29.81 1.20 30.22 30.11 May........... 29.85 9.04 June .... 30.09 29.85 18.57 July........... 30.05 29.71 29.64 23.35 18.97 28.76 6.35 August ..... September October .. November ...... 30.14 30.13 30.14 30.32 29.73 1.21 30.05 30.08 December ........ 30.38 - - -- -- - -- - - AMOY. 211 AMOY TRADE REPORT, FOR THE YEAR 1880. [Received 3rd April 1881.] CUSTOM HOUSE, AMOY, 28th March 1881. SIR, THE Report I have the honour to lay before you is divided into four parts: the first relating to the trade district; the second to the means of transport in 1880; the third giving a general description of the trade of Amoy, based chiefly on the averages of the last five years ; and the fourth treating of the trade of the year 1880. Much of the information made use of has been obtained for me through Mr. LIM CHINGUAN, our Principal Chinese Clerk. The details about the Shipping were collected by Mr. ABBOTT, of this office. Almost all of the section relating to the trade district has been revised by the Rev. L. Kıp, D.D., to whom, as noted by my predecessor, we are chiefly indebted for the valuable map of Amoy and its surrounding country published with last year's Trade Report, and who is an authority on the subject. What is said of the trade of 1880 is, for the most part, merely a summary of details kindly supplied me by gentlemen engaged in business at the port. In the Appendix may be found a meteorological table prepared by Mr. Harbour Master HOWARD, the usual tables of the Transit trade, a list of the departments and districts of Southern Fukien, and a sketch map (making no pretence to accuracy) explanatory of the trade routes, which has been prepared by Mr. Kwok LO Kwal, of this office. The “tael” mentioned throughout the report is the Haikwan Tael, worth at Amoy, in Spanish dollars, about $152.777. The Spanish dollar itself has disappeared from circulation, but the name is retained, and is supposed to represent 90 parts silver and 10 parts alloy, weighing Hk.Tts. 0.72. The dollars actually in circulation are chiefly Mexican and Japanese, $100.75 in trade and 72 taels' weight of them in payment of duty being taken as equal to Spanish $100. For the sake of convenience, however, the “dollar” spoken of in the Report may be taken at $1.50 to the Haikwan Tael. Its average value in sterling has been roughly estimated at 38. rod. for the year 1880. THE TRADE DISTRICT. The Native population of the city and suburbs of Amoy in 1880 is estimated to have been, as in 1879, about 88,000; the Foreign community numbered 285, against 292 in the previous year. Including the branch office of the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank, there were 212 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. 24 Foreign firms, of which 17 were engaged in business as general merchants, four being agents for banks as well. There were 183 Native wholesale houses and six Native banks, besides the numerous shops, money-changers and the like, to be expected in a large city. The value of the goods handled by the Foreign and Native firms may be roughly estimated at from $20,000,000 to $25,000,000 a year. The southern portion of the province of Fukien is divided for administrative purposes into six departments or prefectures,—Hinghwa-fu (Henghoà) (H HE WF), Chüanchow-fu (Chôan- chiu) ( J4 WF), and Changchow-fu (Chiangchiu) ( 1H ) on the seaboard, and Yungch‘un- chow (Engchhun) Gew ), Lungyen-chow (Lêngnâ) (L HH), and T'ingchow-fu (Thengchiu) (AJ IHF) inland. A reference to the sketch map appended will make this and all that follows more intelligible. A great part of our trade is naturally with the two departments nearest to us, Chôanchiu, in which Amoy is situated, and Chiangchiu, or, to make use of the names by which they are more commonly known, Chinchew and Changchow. These contain together some 8,000 or 10,000 square miles of territory and a population that may be roughly estimated at 2,000,000 or 3,000,000. We have also some commercial intercourse with all of the other four departments named, but whether it is much or little, whether our trade extends to their boundaries, or, even still further inland, beyond them, and how far other Treaty Ports may have dealings with our district, or we with theirs, I do not know. That our progress is checked in certain directions at no very great distance would, however, seem probable from the nature of the country and the means of communication so far as known to us. The island of Amoy lies in a large shallow bay enclosed between Huithau Point on the north-east and Tinhai Point at the south-west, and sheltered for the voyages of small Native craft by the island of Quemoy and a chain of islets across its mouth. A short distance to the northward there is another bay leading to the capital city of the Chinchew department. The coast line of these bays is indented by still more shallow, smaller bays or inlets, which may perhaps be called estuaries, as they all receive one or more streams. At high tide these inlets look like lakes; at low tide they become a network of rivers and creeks flowing through plains of mud. The influence of the tides, which at Amoy rise and fall some 14 to 16 feet ordinarily, and during the springs 18 to 19 feet, extends a long way up the streams emptying into these inlets, greatly aiding navigation. Near the mouths of the streams the country is generally a rice-growing plain, but, as one goes on, the hills close in, and the plain becomes a valley of varying width. Where the ground is higher, sugar-cane, ground-nuts, sweet potatoes, hemp, and indigo are cultivated. On the foot-hills there are many fruit trees. The steep hills and mountains are of bare rock, or wooded, or covered with coarse grass and bracken, or cultivated with tea, or terraced for rice growing, in some cases almost to the top. Little is known of the mineral wealth of the district, but iron at least seems widely distributed. Highroads-rude paths for the most part-connect one river valley with another, or follow the general direction of the streams, leaving them whenever the distance can be shortened without too great labour, and finally taking up and carrying on the line of communication when the streams become too shallow for use. Whether by water or by land, so soon as the tidal limits are passed, progress becomes toilsome, and where high hills bar the way, the cost of carriage must soon become too great for successful commerce in any but the least bulky articles. AMOY. 213 ᏙᏬ . Dr. Kip's map (the only map on a large scale within my reach) makes no attempt to show the mountain system, but from the way the streams run it would seem that a watershed, of what height I do not know, separates us from the part of the Changchow department bordering on Kwangtung, and from the Thengchiu department. There are high hills or mountains between us and the Lêngnâ department, broken through at one point by a river (the North River). The way into Engchhunchiu, from Tângoa” city, though doubtless hilly, seems sufficiently open to permit trade with that department; between Chinchew city and the capital of Engchhun there is communication by water, and the highroad is practically level, having only three low passes. The highroad to the Henghoà department, running parallel with the coast, is also practically level, having only one or two low passes. Within our district there are five important trade routes. From their chief cities, which serve as subordinate centres of collection and distribution for the Amoy trade, they may be named the Chinchew ( H), Tângoa ( ), Pholâm ( M W ), Changchow ( 911), and Péhtsuïâ ( M ) routes. The two former communicate with the country to the north-east- and north of Amoy—the department of Chinchew and the departments beyond it; the three latter with the country to our north-west, west, and south-west—the department of Changchow and the departments beyond it. The journey from Amoy to Chinchew city, when not made by sea, is by a ferry of some miles and the highroad, the distance being over 60 miles, and the journey usually accom- plished in two days. Merchandise, however, is generally conveyed by boat in the shelter of our bay—a day's journey if the wind be favourable, but two days or more with a strong north-easter—to the easternmost of its four inner bays, at the head of which are two towns, Anhai ( *), and Tsuithau ( 1), where the goods are landed and carried some 17 miles by road to Chinchew city. The highroad from Amoy to Chinchew is carried on north-easterly near the coast, through the district of Hūioa (. ) and the department of Henghoà, towards Foochow, some 75 miles distant from Henghoà city. Another highroad leads from Chinchew city to the west of north, into the Engchhun department and past its capital, following the course of the stream that flows from Engchhun across the Lâmoan ( 5) district of Chinchew, where it receives an important tributary from the Ankhoe ( %) and Tângoan districts of Chinchew, and empties into the bay at Chinchew city. There are two other streams, but of no length, emptying into Chinchew Bay. Goods for the city of Tângoa" are generally carried by boat to the town of Chiojim (), at the head of another of the inlets of our bay, from which place they are forwarded by creek in boats of lighter draft, or by land, three or four miles, to the city; the whole journey taking about a day. The creek seems too small to be of much use, but highroads pass northerly across the Tângoa" and Ankhoe districts into the Engchhun department, passing the capital and Tekhỏe city ( 1), and continuing towards Enghok Gem) and Foochow. The distance from Tekhòe city to Enghok (Yungfu) is about 85 miles, with three or four ferries to cross; the journey takes about four days. The fourth and westernmost inlet of our bay is sometimes called the Dragon River, the three longest streams falling into it being known as the North, West, and South rivers (the word , translated “river," seems to be applied generally to streams flowing in parts of their courses ΑΜΟΥ. 215 and Haitêng (* ) districts. Connected with it are highroads, traversing the Chiu phò and Pênghô ( F) districts, one of which leads to Swatow. In addition to these five routes, Amoy has a little trade with almost all of the towns on the shores of our bay and on the seacoast near us, and a considerable trade by Native vessels with Formosa ; but Formosa and the other more distant places with which we have commercial intercourse should hardly be described as a part of our trade district. THE MEANS OF TRANSPORT IN 1880. Regarding the means of transport between Amoy and its inland district, I regret to say that I know little or nothing. Boats there are of all descriptions and sizes, from the junks that ply on the bay to the scows poled along the sandy shallows of the mountain streams; but as to their number, carrying capacity, trips made, destinations, and the like particulars, I am in entire ignorance. As to the land service, pack animals have been observed on the Tângoan route, between Tângoa" and Ankhoe, but everywhere else it is believed that carriage is entirely by porters. There are no wheeled conveyances, and travellers must either walk or use the sedan- chair. Some sea-going junks still linger in the coast trade. Eight, of a capacity varying from 100 tons to 200 tons, make a yearly trip to Newchwang or neighbouring non-Treaty Ports, with Sugar, Paper, Tea, Tobacco, Hemp Bags, etc.; bringing back Peas, Samshu, Medicines, Skins, etc. Six others, of from 35 tons to 180 tons each, make two trips yearly to Shanghai and Ningpo, carrying Sugar, Paper, etc., up, and Cotton, Samshu, Wheat, Medicines, etc., down. Many more trade with Formosa, the Pescadores, and ports on the mainland near us. The greater part of the Coast trade, however, and all the Foreign trade in 1880, was provided for by a fleet of 183 Foreign vessels, of which 90 were steamers and 93 were sailing vessels. (The discrepancy between these figures and those of the “Flag Returns” in the Statistics of Trade will be found on examination to arise necessarily and to be apparent only, not real.) The carrying capacity of 42 of these sailing vessels did not exceed 300 tons each, 43 were of less than 500 tons burden, and only 8 were over 500 tons and under 900 tons. As to their nationality, 42 were German, 33 British, and 5 Siamese; the Danish, Dutch, and French flags had 3 each, Sweden and the United States 2 each. The total number of their entries during the year was 180, with an aggregate carrying capacity of 56,486 tons; of their clearances, 176, with a carrying capacity of 54,676 tons,—Germany supplying 103 entries, 30,973 tons, and 100 clearances, 29,693 tons. Six of the total entries, 1,885 tons, and 44 clearances, 14,482 tons, were “in ballast.” Of the 90 steamers, 2 were tugs of less than 50 tons burden, 7 were under 500 tons, 39 under 1,000 tons, 25 under 1,500 tons, and 17 under 2,000 tons; 71 were British, 7 Chinese, 4 German, 3 Spanish, 3 Dutch, 1 Danish, and 1 Russian. The total number of their entries during the year was 547, with a carrying capacity of 407,897 tons; and of their clearances, 547, with a capacity of 407,892 tons,—Great Britain supplying 475 entries, 364,832 tons, and 477 clearances, 365,685 tons. Five of the entries, 4,050 tons, and 64 of the clearances, 58,175 tons, were “in ballast.” The grand total of entries and clearances of sailing vessels and steamers was 1,450, with a carrying capacity of 926,951 tons; but of these, 119, of 78,592 tons, were “in ballast," and in very many of the other cases but a small part of the carrying 216 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. capacity was taken advantage of by Amoy. British vessels made 72.07 per cent. of the entries and clearances, and supplied 82.15 per cent. of the tonnage provided; Germany coming next with 15.10 per cent. and 8.07 per cent. respectively. (In 1879 the figures were,—British, 68.81 per cent., 80.87 per cent. ; German, 18.78 per cent., 9.79 per cent.) It is difficult to show clearly how this tonnage has been distributed among the ports with which we trade, but a rude idea may be formed. Messrs. Douglas LAPRAIK & Co.'s coast line has had three steamers, of 700 or 800 tons, running regularly between Hongkong, Swatow, Amoy, and Foochow, which have together entered 147 and cleared 150 times during the year; and three other steamers, of 300 to 500 tons, running between Formosa, Amoy, and Hongkong, with occasional trips to Foochow and Swatow, which have contributed 120 entries and 118 clearances. Messrs. BUTTERFIELD & SWIRE have had 10 steamers, averaging 700 or 800 tons, and entering 60 and clearing 60 times in all, plying between Amoy and the other Treaty Ports; 42 of the entries were from Swatow, the vessels taking cargo from this port to Shanghai and the northern ports, and 17 from Shanghai, with good cargoes. Sixteen other steamers, of from 600 to 1,400 tons each, and 91 sailing vessels have taken part in the trade with the ports and Hongkong; out of which number, i steamer and 27 sailing vessels made occasional voyages to Java, il sailers to Singapore and the Straits, 3 sailers to Cochin China, and i sailer to Australia. Of these 16 steamers, 7 belonged to the China Merchants' Steam Navigation Company; one of the 7, of 444 tons, entered 9 times from and cleared 8 times for Tamsui, in competition with Messrs. Douglas LAPRAIK & Co.'s steamers. The “Bun Hin” line of steamers traded between Amoy, Swatow, Hongkong, and Singapore with 5 vessels, averaging over 900 tons burden, making 19 entries and the same number of clearances. Two steamers under the British flag, of 514 and 395 tons, making 36 entries and 37 clearances, and 3 (belonging to two owners) under the Spanish flag, of 400 or 500 tons, making 28 entries and 27 clearances, plied between Amoy, Hongkong, and Manila. In addition, 3 of the Nether- lands India Steamship Company's vessels, averaging over 800 tons and entering and clearing once each, touched at the Philippines and at Macassar on their way to and from Amoy and Java. One sailing vessel, 846 tons, brought Coal from England. Two steamers, 786 and 1,401 tons, carried Sugar to London. Four of the “Glen” line, averaging 1,570 tons, entered and cleared once each on their way to Singapore and London. Twenty-one steamers of the “ Blue Funnel” line, averaging over 1,480 tons each, entered 55 and cleared 55 times; but in 40 instances they merely touched here to land Chinese passengers (chiefly from Singapore) on their way North, and in only 15 instances brought any cargo of consequence (from Shanghai and Foochow). One of these vessels, the Agamemnon, with 17 other steamers (including i that had made a previous voyage during the year to London, and 3 of the “Glen” line), averaging 1,311 tons, and i sailing vessel, 862 tons, carried Teas to New York. One of the steamers, the Gordon Castle, made two trips; the others one each. Fifteen of the steamers were British, 2 German, and i Danish; the sailing vessel was American. Of the 2 tugs, one belongs to the port; the other entered from Takow for repairs. . The Chamber of Commerce Report records 159 charters made here during the year. After the slack period of the Chinese New Year the demand for tonnage continued fairly steady throughout, chiefly for “handy-sized” vessels for trade with the northern ports. There was AMOY. 217 a temporary scarcity of vessels in January, and again in September, but the want was supplied with reasonable promptness. Rates were apparently remunerative. Our charters in the early part of the year were chiefly to carry Sugar from South Formosa to the northern ports and Japan, and to bring return cargoes from the former to Amoy, Foochow, and Swatow. In September and October the demand was mainly for vessels from Newchwang and Chefoo to Amoy; in November, for vessels to Java and the South. During the year the British barque Maid of Judah was condemned and broken up. There were numerous minor casualties; and after the typhoon of the 27th September, four vessels put in for shelter, with loss of spars, etc., one bringing two Siamese sailors, believed to be the only survivors of the Siamese barque Seaman's Bride, said to have capsized and foundered, during the typhoon, off the south-east coast of Formosa, while on a voyage from Amoy to Newchwang. The steamer Asia was lost on her way from Amoy to New York with a cargo of Teas. On the 16th November Messrs. DOUGLAS LAPRAIK & Co.'s coast steamer Douglas, while on a voyage from Amoy to Foochow, struck on an unknown rock off Passage Island, near the Haitan Straits, and became a total wreck. A court of inquiry was held at Pagoda Anchorage, and it was found that no blame could attach to the master, officers, or crew. The advantages of Amoy as a shipping centre are manifest. It has a fairly good harbour, easy of access, and with well-lighted approaches; there are facilities for docking; alone of all the Southern ports it is connected with the rest of the world by telegraph ; it is in communication, during the Tea season, with the chief Tea port of Southern China, Foochow, by daily couriers, overland, who make the journey in 48 hours; it is either a way port or a terminus for several lines of steamers; it is centrally situated. In connexion with the Shipping, an auxiliary to the profits from freights—principally in the case of steamers—may be mentioned, viz., the passenger traffic. 22,288 passengers left the port and 24,593 arrived in 1880, against 22,567 departed and 21,042 arrived in 1879. Of these, 526 were Foreigners in 1880 and 519 in 1879, all travelling by steamer, and almost all between the Chinese ports and Hongkong. Among the Chinese, 1,907 were by sailing vessel, against 2,521 in 1879; the falling off being with Java, Siam, and Cochin China. Singapore and the Straits are our most important ports, there having been 13,563 passengers to them (by both sailers and steamers) and 13,628 from, in 1880, against 10,903 and 7,499 in 1879. Many of these passengers, however, were on their way either to or from Java. Manila comes next with 4,104 to and 6,031 from, against 5,210 to and 6,679 from, in 1879. Besides the ports named above, the remainder of our passenger traffic has been with the Coast Ports, Formosa, and Hongkong. The total receipts from fares in 1880 are estimated to have been $312,000, but the estimate is possibly somewhat wide of the mark. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TRADE. Where the traffic under Treaty Transit Passes is well developed, as on the Yangtze, it serves to some extent as a guide in following the course of trade in the port's inland district. At Amoy the traffic has at least existed continuously since July 1874. In 1876 and 1877 it 28 AMOY. 219 Of the Foreign and Native Imports, exclusive of goods subsequently re-exported in Foreign bottoms, the chief items are,—Opium, over 4,200 piculs; Cotton Yarn, 27,000 piculs; Raw Cotton, 41,000 piculs; Cotton Goods, 151,000 pieces; Woollens, 7,500 pieces; Rice, 390,000 piculs; Wheat, 95,000 piculs; Beans and Peas, 310,000 piculs; Beancake, 394,000 piculs ; Oilcake, 83,000 piculs; and Foreign Metals, chiefly Iron, Lead, Quicksilver, and Tin. In addition to these there are 60 or 70 other articles of Foreign origin, and 80 or 90 of Native origin, some of them of considerable importance, that appear in the Import tables of our published“ Returns of Trade.” Regarding the Opium, I am informed that about 840 chests are disposed of locally every year for the city of Amoy and its surrounding country; some 540 chests go by the Chinchew route to the city of that name, and to the Sianiû (full it) district of the Henghoà department; some 300 chests are sent by the Tângoan. route to Tângoa" district and Ankhoe; and some 2,400 chests go to Chióhbê, Pholâm, Chang- chow, and to the Lêngnâ department, by the Pholâm and Changchow routes. Piece Goods are sold by dealers in Amoy to dealers in the five cities from which the trade routes have been named, and in Lâmchēng; and by these latter sold to other dealers from towns further inland. It is thus difficult to trace them any distance; but the following facts regarding the business of our largest Chinese Piece Goods hong, having branch establishments at Chinchew, Tângoa", and Changchow, have been obtained for me. There is, of course, a local sale at the three cities where the branch houses are established; the rest is sent to towns and villages too numerous to mention, except in the case of the more important. From Chinchew city a good deal is distributed throughout the Chinkang ( I) district, in which the city is situated ; the principal centres being Anhai ( *), Engleng ( ), and Singngo ( 1). It is a source of supply also for the Hūioan (T ) and Lâmoan (T ) districts of the Chinchew department, adjacent to the Chinkang district on the north. From Tângoan city supplies are sent to its own district and the neighbouring district, on the north, of Ankhoe, and apparently across the latter to the three districts of the Engchhun department—Engchhun- chiu (je #), Tekhòe (I 1) and Toāchhân (t ); the capital cities of all the districts named being centres of distribution. From Changchow city goods are supplied to its own district, Liốngkhe ( ); to Tiothòa ( ) and its district, through which the North River flows; and to two other districts of the Changchow department, Lâmchêng ( ), adjacent to the Tiothòa and Liôngkhe districts—the capital city and Soàsian being named as marts,—and the Pênghô ( FU) district, between the Lâmchēng district and the borders of the Kwangtung province, the capital city seeming to be the market town. We know, further, that the Henghoà department, to the northward of the Chinchew department, takes from us considerable quantities of northern products, such as Beancake, Beans, Fungus, and Lily Flowers; regarding the distribution of the other Imports I have learned nothing worth recording. Our two great Exports are Tea, of which we ship annually about 68,000 piculs, chiefly Oolong and Congou, almost all to Foreign countries; and Sugar, 240,000 piculs, the greater portion of which goes, under ordinary circumstances, to Chinese ports. Over 80 other articles appear in our Export tables, some being of considerable value to the trade, such as Paper, to which 17 Chinese firms give their whole attention; or Chinaware, dealt in exclusively by 220 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. six Chinese firms; Ironware; Dried Lung-ngans; Prepared Tobacco; Vermicelli; and the like. Sugar comes to us by all the routes, but the largest inland market is said to be the city of Changchow. Taking the annual arrivals of Tea roughly at 210,000 half-chests, the Ankhoe district supplies about 25,000 half-chests (Ankoes), part of which is sent to the Straits, etc., b the Tầngoan route; a very little of the Lêngnâ district Tea is said to come by way of Chang- chow; all the rest of the Tea comes by the Pholâm route. Some 44,000 half-chests are collected at Pholâm city, mostly from the Tiõthoà district of the Changchow department. Among its subordinate markets named to me are Suantow (fill B) and Neochóng ( #f), the first about 7 and the latter about 14 miles to the eastward of Sinhi ( ), the town just below the great rapids on the North River. The greater part of our Teas come (by the North River) from the Lêngnâ department, which bounds the Changchow department on the north. This department contains three districts—the Chiangpêng ( #) district, to the north- ward of the Tiothoà district just spoken of; the Lêngiông ( #) district, on its north ; and the Lêngnâ district (with the capital city of the department and district bearing the same name) on its western side. As has been stated, the North River divides in the Chiangpêng district, one arm penetrating Lêngiông, the other Lêngnâ. The chief centres of collection and the amounts supplied by them are as follows: in the Chiangpêng district, the capital city, 43,000 half-chests; Hoàhung ( 5), 43,000 half-chests; Sinkio ( t), 15,000 half-chests; Péhsoa (€ ) 10,000 half-chests; in the Lêngiông district, the capital city, 20,000 half-chests ; in the Lêngnâ district, the capital city, 10,000 half-chests. These figures are, of course, only approximate, but, I have every reason to believe, nearly correct, at least for the year 1880. The Engchhun department sends to Amoy, across the Chinchew department, Grasscloth and a little Wood Oil. From the Chinchew department the Chinkang district (in which Chin- chew city is situated, the peninsula between Chinchew Bay and our own bay) sends us, among other things, Potato Flour, Straw Mats, Rice Paper, Pens, Sugar, Vegetable Tallow, Medicine Tea, Tin-foil; the Tângoadistrict, by the Tângoa route, a fair quantity of Dried Lung-ngans, Ground-nuts, Nankeens, Tobacco Leaf and Prepared Tobacco, and a little Native Opium (its n is forbidden by the Government), Hemp Fibre, Sugar, Vermicelli, Liquid Indigo, Ground-nut and Wood Oil, Vegetable Tallow, Salted Turnips, Pea and Potato Flour, Dried Lichees; the Ankhoe district, by the Tângoar route, (besides the Teas) Chinaware, Tea-wood, Tea Oil, Dried Persimmons, Red Rice, Wooden Combs, Coir, and Ironware. The Lêngnâ depart- ment sends us (besides the Teas) some Timber, by the Pholâm route. The Engtēng district Giet), of the Thengchiu department, sends us, by the West River, the Changchow route, a little Ironware, Prepared Tobacco, Resin, Red Lead, and Wood Oil. From the Changchow department the Tiõthod district sends us, by the Pholâm route, (besides the Teas) some Prepared Tobacco and Tobacco Leaf; the Lâmchēng district, by the Changchow route, Hemp Bags and Sacking, Paper, Pumeloes, and Salted Turnips; the Liôngkhe district, in which Changchow city is situated, sends us, chiefly by the Changchow, but partly by the Pholâm and Péhtsuiiâ routes, Sugar, Poles, Bamboo, Flower Roots, Garlic, and a small quantity of Silk Piece Goods and Silk Thread (all from Changchow city and the neighbourhood), besides Hemp Fibre, Flower Seeds, Onions, Wood Oil, Vegetable Tallow, Verdigris, Copperware, Dried Lichees, Real Gold-foil, Tin- foil, Tobacco Leaf, Prepared Tobacco, Fire-crackers, Vermilion, Red Lead, Ink, Nankeens, Ironware; ΑΜΟΥ. 221 the Haitêng district, by the Péhtsujiâ route and the waters of the Dragon River estuary and our outer bay, Dried Lung-ngans, Dried Persimmons, Dried Lichees, Firewood, Granite, Imitation Gold Thread, Hemp Fibre, Tobacco Leaf, Prepared Tobacco, Liquid Indigo, Red Lead, Fire-crackers, Straw Mats, Medicines, Poles, Leather, and Glue. I have set down this somewhat miscellaneous collection of products just as it has been given me, and have had no opportunity of ascertaining the relative importance of the various items; but the list may serve as a beginning. Amoy's Re-export trade is almost all supplied by our dealings with Formosa, with which island we are in intimate commercial relations. Three of our Foreign firms have branch houses at the two ports of Takow and Tamsui, and one at Takow only; and others are closely interested in its shipping and the general trade. Forty Native firms engage in commerce with the island, sending to it Opium, Piece Goods, Nankeens, Prepared Tobacco, etc., and receiving in return Tea, Sugar, Hemp, Ground-nut Cake and Oil, Rice, etc. So far as the trade in Foreign bottoms is concerned, however, it may be fairly described by the three items—Opium exported, Tea imported (for re-exportation to America and Europe), and Treasure. Our Imports from Tamsui, which have increased greatly these five years, have averaged over Hk.fts. 1,600,000 in goods, with over Hk.Pts. 70,000 Treasure; our Foreign Re-exports to Tamsui have averaged over Hk.Tts. 500,000, the Native Exports and Re-exports about HK.fts. 84,000, and the Treasure sent about Hk.fts. 484,000. The Imports from Takow have averaged a little over Hk.fts. 41,000, and the Treasure received over Hk.fts. 301,000; the Foreign Re-exports to Takow have averaged over Hk.fts. 461,000, the Native Exports and Re-exports under Hk.fts. 48,000, and the Treasure sent under Hk.its. 245,000. Our gross trade in Foreign bottoms with Formosa, exclusive of Treasure, amounted in 1879 to Hk.fts. 3,052,178; in 1880 to HK.fts. 3,101,907. There is also a considerable trade in Native vessels. Forty-two Chinese firms (including 10 firms interested in other business as well) are engaged in trade with the northern ports of China, sending Sugar, Hemp Bags, Dried Lung-ngans, etc., and bringing back Beans, Beancake, Rice, Wheat, Cotton, Silk Piece Goods, Medicines, Samshu, etc. The total trade with Shanghai amounted in 1880 to Hk.Pts. 1,651,432, in 1879 to Hk.fts. 1,586,579; with Newchwang, to Hk.fts. 909,475 in 1880, and Hk.Tts.928,719 in 1879; with Chefoo, to Hk.Tts. 716,033 in 1880, and Hk. Pts. 821,782 in 1879; by far the greater part of the value in all three cases being supplied by the Imports we receive. To Tientsin we send Hk.Tts. 100,000 or HK.Tts. 200,000 worth, receiving but little; and with Ningpo the trade is still more insignificant. Six Chinese firms (of whom three are engaged in other business as well) deal with Foochow, but our trade only amounted to Hk.fts. 286,294 in 1880, and Hk.Tts. 469,016 in 1879; with Swatow it has been Hk.Its. 90,000 or Hk.Pts. 100,000; and with Canton it is but Hk.Pts. 1,000 or Hk. Pts. 2,000 these two years past. Roughly speaking, our trade with the Chinese ports, excluding Formosa, consists in our sending Sugar North, and getting Beancake, Beans, Cotton, Rice, and Wheat back. Among Foreign ports, Hongkong is easily first; our trade amounting to Hk.Tts. 5,571,927 in 1880, and Hk.Tts. 4,518,692 in 1879,-over 40 per cent. in 1880, and 35 per cent. in 1879, of the total value of the gross trade of Amoy in Foreign bottoms. Hk.Tts. 4,909,209 in 1880, and HK.fts 3,859,236 in 1879, represent the value of the Foreign goods sent to us; the Native Exports 222 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. and Re-exports sent by us for Foreign countries amounted to Hk.Tts. 607,079 in 1880, and Hk.fts. 613,436 in 1879. The principal items among the Exports are Tea and Sugar; the Imports include almost all the goods of Western origin we receive, and a share of those of Eastern origin. In addition, Hongkong supplies us with large sums in Treasure., Sixteen Chinese firms (seven being also otherwise engaged) carry on business between the ports, but the trade is chiefly in the hands of the Foreign firms. New York comes next after Hongkong, taking Hk.fts. 2,020,055 worth of Tea in 1880, and Hk.fts. 2,466,735 in 1879; but sending us nothing, directly, in return. So far as I can ascertain from our statistics, the total value of goods of American origin received, viâ Hongkong and other ports, at Amoy in 1880 was Hk.fts. 80,194, and in 1879, Hk.Its 78,009. The goods consisted of 15,000 to 20,000 pieces of Cottons, some Quicksilver, Flour, Ginseng, and Kerosene Oil. Our direct trade with Singapore and the Straits, Java, the Philippine Islands, Siam, Cochin China, etc., amounted in 1880 to Hk.Tts. 1,381,889, and in 1879 to Hk.Tts. 1,534,360; the falling off in 1880 being with the Philippines, Siam, and Cochin China. Eleven Chinese firms (two being engaged in other business as well) trade with Singapore and the Straits, sending Tea, Chinaware, Iron Pans, Joss Paper, etc., and bringing Tin, Cotton, Rattans, etc. Fifteen Chinese firms (three being also in other trade) are in business with Macassar, Batavia, Samarang, and Sourabaya, sending Tea, Chinaware, Paper, Tiles, Bricks, etc., and bringing Birds' Nests, Bicho de Mar, Ground-nut Cake, Cow Hides, Rattans, etc. Fifteen Chinese firms (seven engaging in other business) trade with the Philippine Islands, sending Chinaware, Paper, etc., and bringing Nut Oil, Cow Bones, etc. Nine Chinese firms (three engaging in other trade) transact business with Siam and Cochin China, sending Tea, Chinaware, Bricks and Tiles, etc., and bringing Rice, Salted and Dried Fish, Dried Prawns, etc. Except in the case of Siam and Cochin China, our Exports are largely in excess of our Imports with these countries. We have also a little direct trade with Great Britain, Japan, and Australia. Our Foreign trade may be briefly summed up by saying that we send our own and Tamsui's Teas to America and Europe (chiefly to the former), and a little Sugar to the latter at times; receiving in exchange Opium and Cotton and its manu- factures, chiefly from India and England. There is also a lesser trade in products of Eastern origin with the “South,”— the Indian Archipelago and South-eastern Asia. Hongkong serves as an intermediate market for a part of our Exports and nine-tenths, roughly, of the Imports. The gross trade of Amoy-Imports, Exports, and Re-exports—has had an average annual value these five years of Hk.fts. 12,533,009; the Exports and Re-exports of Tea contributing over 23 per cent.; the Opium imported for consumption and re-exported to Chinese Ports, to- gether, contributing nearly 20 per cent. The average value of the net trade has been as follows: Foreign Imports, Hk.fts. 3,948,836, Native Imports, Hk.Tts. 2,443,609, or a total of Imports not sub- sequently re-exported through this office of Hk.Fts. 6,392,445 ; Exports, Hk.fts. 3,075,584; total net trade, Hk.its. 9,468,029. Opium has supplied an average value of Hk.Tts. 1,504,479, or 234 per cent. of the total net Imports. Cotton Yarn has averaged Hk.fts. 617,985; Foreign (Hk.fts. 82,046) and Native (Hk.fts. 406,130) Raw Cotton, Hk.its. 488,176; Cotton Piece Goods, Hk.fts. 283,908; and Woollen Goods, Hk.Tts. 63,272; being a total average of Hk. Pts. 1,453,341, or 22% per cent. of the value of the net Imports, for the chief articles used to make clothing. Foreign (Hk.Tts. 244,732) and Native (Hk.its. 242,446) Rice has averaged Hk.Tts. 487,178; Beans and Peas, Hk.Tts. 404,802; AMOY. 223 and Wheat, Hk.fts. 116,789; being an average total of Hk.Its. 1,008,769, or 1518 per cent. of the value of the net Imports, for the chief articles imported for food. Beancake (Hk.fts. 432,408) and Oilcake (Hk.Its. 96,509) have averaged Hk. Pts. 528,917, or 8 per cent. of the net Imports. These 10 articles together make up over 70 per cent. of the net Imports. Of our two chief Tea has averaged Hk.fts. 1,183,338, or 384 per cent. of the total Export trade, and Sugar 2976 per cent., Hk.Tts. 908,355. These two articles together make up nearly 68 per cent. of the Exports. To our Foreign Re-exports to Chinese ports, which have averaged Hk.Pts. 1,150,166, Opium has contributed 84 per cent., Hk.Its. 966,185. To our total Native Re-exports, which have averaged Hk.its. 1,891,079, Teas have contributed 90% per cent., Hk.its. 1,716,655. Our Foreign Re-exports to Foreign ports are of little consequence. The average of Treasure imported has been over Hk.Tts. 1,300,000; of Treasure exported, over Hk.Tts. 1,000,000. Hongkong and Takow send us most; we send most to Tamsui and Takow. It will be observed that the average value of Foreign and Native goods imported and not re-exported through this office, say, Hk.its. 6,400,000, has exceeded the average value of the local products exported through this office, say, Hk.Pts. 3,100,000, by about Hk.Its 3,300,000 annually during the five years 1876-80. The excess of the average importation of Treasure over the Treasure sent away through this office, say, Hk.fts. 300,000 annually, increases the amount to about Hk.Tts. 3,600,000, or for the five years to Hk.its. 18,000,000. This sum is seemingly too large to be wholly accounted for by profits, freights, stocks, duties, or the like. What cannot be thus accounted for must, naturally, have been paid for by goods from somewhere. Glancing at the trade of our neighbours, it will be found that in the four years 1876–79, the excess of Imports over Exports at Swatow has been much larger even than at Amoy, averaging over Hk.Tts. 8,460,000 annually, or, deducting the annual excess of over Hk.its. 2,910,000 of Treasure exported, say, Hk.Tts. 5,550,000. Swatow's trade is so closely connected with the trade districts of other and distant ports and with Hongkong that this is not surprising; but apparently Swatow is more likely to pay with her excess Imports for some of Amoy's Exports than we to pay with our excess Imports for her Exports. Turning to Formosa, it is seen that during these four years her average total Exports through the Foreign Customs have exceeded the Imports by nearly Hk.Tts. 250,000 annually, but that the excess of Treasure imported has averaged about HK.fts. 275,000 annually. In her trade with Amoy in 1876–80, the average Exports (chiefly from Tamsui) have exceeded our Exports to Formosa by about Hk.Pts. 580,000 annually, while her exports of Treasure to Amoy have been less than our.exports of Treasure to Formosa by about Hk.its. 355,000. The payment for Formosa’s excess Exports to Amoy is thus apparently made partly by goods from Hongkong and other ports, and partly by Treasure; but it is not impossible that some of the Treasure finds its way back to Amoy, in payment for some of our excess Imports sent away in Native vessels, and thus not recorded in our Re-export returns. It does not appear, though, that it would necessarily be a very large share of our annual excess of Hk.Its. 3,300,000 ; and while my information must be confessed to be of the scantiest, there is some reason to believe that the total trade of Amoy coastwise in Native bottoms is under Hk.Tts. 3,000,000 a year. If this be true, even with a great disparity between the Imports and the Exports, the Native trade coastwise could hardly account, at most, for more than Hk.Its 1,000,000 of our 224 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. annual excess. I therefore venture the opinion that our Imports, to the value of at least Hk.Tts. 1,000,000 or HK.Tts. 2,000,000 annually, have been sent beyond the limits of our producing district by inland routes. Foochow's average Exports through the Foreign Customs during the four years 1876–79 have exceeded the Imports by a little less than Hk. Pts. 5,400,000 annually, while the average Treasure imported (the greater part from Hongkong and Shanghai) has exceeded the Treasure exported by a little less than Hk.Its. 3,200,000 annually; leaving, say, Hk.its. 2,200,000 of its Exports to be paid for in other ways. There is thus a possibility that a part of our excess Imports has been sent into Foochow's producing district to pay for her excess Exports. It should, however, be observed that little weight can be attached to any apparently close correspondence between the amounts of the excess of Imports at Amoy and Exports at Foochow; the figures used by me having been at best merely approximate, and, in part, hardly better than guesswork. In the second place, we are in such ignorance regarding the movements of the inland trade of China that our excess Imports may, for all we know, have been sent in another direction to pay for goods supplied by that district to Foochow's district or to the district of some other port. THE TRADE OF THE YEAR 1880. The value of the gross trade of Amoy in 1880 was Hk.Tts. 13,280,491, a value in excess of that of any year since the opening of this office on the ist April 1862. The value of the net trade, Hk.fts. 10,033,584, was, however, exceeded in 1877 by a little over Hk.its. 100,000. The net Foreign Imports, Hk. Pts. 4,367,284, were about the same as in 1877, but greater than in any other year; the net Native Imports, HK.Tts. 2,803,771, are in excess of any recent year; the Exports, Hk.Pts. 2,862,529, are about the same as in 1879, but less than any other year since 1870; the Foreign Re-exports, Hk.Tts. 1,107,233, were less than in any year since 1875; the Native Re-exports, Hk.Tts. 2,139,674, were somewhat less than in 1879, but greater than in any other year. The gains were thus in the Imports and Native Re-exports (Tamsui Teas), which were much above the average of the past five years. The figures given below are net figures, i.e., exclusive of goods re-exported. The net Opium import, 5,757 piculs, valued at Hk.Fts. 2,137,541, exceeded 1879 in quantity by 1,127 piculs, and in value by about Hk.its. 575,000; 1879 itself considerably exceeding any other recent year. The re-export was somewhat less in quantity, but only a little less in total value, than in recent years. Patna, Benares, and Persian all shared in the increase. At the beginning of the year new Benares was quoted (duty paid) at $615, new Patna, $640, and (fine), $630 per chest; at the end of the year, new Benares, $708 (light touch) to $718 (heavy touch) per chest; new Patna, $710 per chest; and Persian (best), $640 per picul. It is believed that profits were better than in 1879, but that 1880 could hardly be called a prosperous year for the merchant. Of Cotton Yarn, 31,158 piculs, valued at Hk.fts. 667,284, were imported, being an increase over 1879 of nearly 7,300 piculs and Hk.Its. 200,000. Of Foreign Raw Cotton, 6,468 piculs, and of Native, 30,794 piculs, were imported, against 15,192 piculs and 29,204 piculs in 1879; the total quantity, 37,262 piculs, being less by over 7,100 piculs, and the total value, Hk.Tts. 455,713, by over AMOY. 225 Hk.fts. 26,000, than in 1879. Of Cotton Goods, 176,507 pieces, valued at Hk.Tts. 342,208, were imported; being an increase of nearly 31,000 pieces and Hk.its. 90,000 over 1879. The trade in American Cottons begins to deserve attention : 4,033 pieces Drills were imported, against 3,203 pieces in 1879; 3,766 pieces Sheetings, against 1,541 pieces; and 13,329 pieces T-Cloths, against 10,420 pieces; making a total of 21,128 pieces, valued at Hk.Its. 31,188, against 15,164 pieces, valued at Hk.fts. 20,436, in 1879. The Sheetings measure 40 yards by 3} feet, and weigh 91 catties and 104 catties; the T-Cloths vary from 17 yards to 24 yards in length, from i ft. 9 in. to 3 ft. 3 in. in width, and from 2 catties 2 ounces to 4 catties 6 ounces in weight; the Drills measure 40 yards by 2} ft., and weigh 12 catties. The goods are made for this market, are without starch, and are only intended for dyeing. The business is gradually extending, and is believed to be paying slightly. Of Woollens, 8,071 pieces, valued at Hk.Tts. 68,038, were imported, against 8,147 pieces, valued at Hk.fts. 71,728, in 1879. I am indebted to a gentleman resident at the port for the following interesting memorandum regarding the business in Yarn and Piece Goods: “Business in Yarn and Piece Goods has, on the whole, been fairly remunerative to those engaged in the trade, more especially during the first few months of the year, to those who were fortunate enough to have purchased in advance of the general rise in prices which took place in Manchester during these months. The share, however, of the Foreign merchants here in this trade is year by year becoming smaller, and unless greater efforts are made by them to keep it, in the course of a few years it will probably go altogether into Chinese hands. The following figures give the imports of Manchester manufactures, etc., by the Foreign firms here during 1880: Yarn (including Indian spinnings), 3,387 bales, or 10,161 piculs (about 32} per cent. of the total importation, including re-exports); Grey Shirtings, 45,650 pieces; T-Cloths, 18,874 pieces; Turkey Reds, 2,800 pieces; White Shirtings, 8,554 pieces; Drills (all American), 1,875 pieces; Dyed and Figured Goods, 1,500 pieces; a total of 79,253 pieces (38 per cent. of the total importation, including re-exports, of Cottons); and 550 pieces Camlets (610 per cent. of the total importation, including re-exports, of Woollens). Prices ranged as follows: Grey Shirtings, best chops of 84 lbs., in January were quoted $2.40 per piece. Early next month an advance to $2.50 took place, and by the middle of February the highest point, $2.60, was reached. At this price they remained steady till about the middle of May, when a decline of 5 cents was established, and $2.55 per piece was the quotation for the remainder of the year. T-Cloths, 7 lbs. Mexicans, were quoted in January $1.90 per piece, advancing to $1.95 in February, and subsequently to $2; at which point they continued until the decline in May, when they receded to $1.90, remaining steady at that rate till the close of 1880. White Shirtings, 72 reed, advanced in the same way from $3 to $3.10 and $3.20, afterwards declining to $3.15 per piece. American Drills sold at $4.25 to $4.32} per piece. Turkey Reds ranged from $1.65 to $1.80 for 21 to 3 lbs., and from $3.12} to $3.60 for 5 to 6 lbs. Scarlet Camlets have been quoted from $17 to $17.25 per piece.” Of Foreign Rice, 1,374 piculs, and of Native, 206,890 piculs, were imported, against 92,194 piculs and 268,122 piculs in 1879; the total quantity, 208,264 piculs, is less by over 150,000 piculs, and the total value, Hk.Tts. 259,484, by nearly Hk.Pts. 180,000, than in 1879. 181,955 piculs of Wheat, valued at Hk.Pts. 228,975, were imported; being an increase of over 60,000 piculs in quantity and about Hk.its. 70,000 in value as compared with 1879. 340,963 piculs of Beans and 29 AMOY. 227 paid; from the middle of August to the end of November profits as high as 10 cents a lb. were made; in December the market weakened, and 10 cents to 12 cents a lb. was lost on all unsold arrivals and shipments on the way. Formosa Oolongs of the season 1880-81 began to come in small quantities on the 20th April, and by the beginning of June the arrivals (including contracts) amounted to 40,000 half-chests. Teamen were firm holders, with little or no disposition on the part of Foreigners to begin operations. The market was not considered regularly opened until the 8th June, settlements and contracts to that time being only 15,000 half-chests, taken privately for shipment to England and, við San Francisco, to New York. The quality of the first crop was about on a par with previous seasons. The common, fair, and good grades were scarce; the superior, fine, and better sorts in full supply. After the opening a good business was done at fairly regular rates, and on a basis of $36 to $37, duty paid, for superior cargo, for about a fortnight, the market closing quiet on the 23rd June. Up to this date arrivals had been 3,160,000 lbs., against 2,976,000 lbs.; and 1,739,855 lbs. had been exported, against 1,667,582 lbs. in 1879. The export to America had been larger than in the preceding year, but shipments to England only 55,000 lbs., against 254,561 lbs. by the same date in 1879. There were 25,000 half-chests in stock. The summer crop began to arrive in July; the Teas were stronger in the cup than usual, and the leaf well made. Business, which had been somewhat restricted by the firmness of holders, again became active towards the end of the month, at an advance of some $2 per picul, and continued so into the first week of August; the bulk of the settlements averaging strict superior to superior to fine cargo. Fair and good cargo grades were in very small supply. Up to the 6th August arrivals amounted to 5,632,000 lbs., against 5,744,000 lbs, in the year preceding, and settlements to 112,000 half-chests, against 126,000 half-chests. 2,798,022 lbs. had been exported, against 3,115,623 lbs. by the same date in 1879, but the shipments to England were less than one-fourth of those of that year. There were 30,000 half-chests in stock. The teamen continued firm and the market quiet throughout August and the greater part of September, with a brief period of greater activity about the middle of the latter month, when there was a good demand for better grades, prices remaining much the same. In the beginning of October telegrams were received reporting lower prices in New York, and business temporarily came to a standstill. On the 6th October arrivals had amounted to 7,446,000 lbs., against 7,440,000 lbs. in 1879; and 5,178,803 lbs. had been exported, against 5,636,544 lbs. in 1879 and 4,690,297 lbs. in 1878. Settlements to date were considerably less than in the preceding year ; the unsold stock, 45,000 half-chests, was in excess. The autumn crop now began to arrive; it was of fairly good quality and well fired. The inactivity lasted for some days, but holders gradually gave way in their demands, and purchases were made freely throughout the month. The quotations for superior cargo were $35 to $36. On the 19th October news reached us of the loss of the German steamer Asia, from Amoy to New York, with 582,060 lbs. Tamsui Oolongs, 604,414 lbs. Amoy Oolongs, and 21,977 lbs. Congous. In the early part of November there was a further reduction in prices, and a large business was done on a basis of $34.50 to $35.50 for strict superior. The demand ran chiefly upon strings averaging superior cargo. By the 9th November the stock was exhausted, but arrivals from Formosa continued. The arrivals to that date amounted to 9,600,000 lbs., against 228 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. 9,400,000 lbs.; the settlements to 231,000 half-chests, against 213,000 half-chests; and the exportation to 6,804,252 lbs., against 6,771,372 lbs. in 1879. The shipments to England were 493,000 lbs., against 792,000 lbs. The stock was 6,000 half-chests. For a few days teamen were firmer, and purchases were made at an advance of $0.50 to $1 on former prices. Toward the end of November supplies began to come forward slowly, and not of so good a quality as earlier receipts. In December the downward tendency of the home market contributed to retard business, but holders were not anxious to lower prices. By the 22nd December arrivals amounted to 11,220,000 lbs., against 10,800,000 lbs.; settlements to 265,000 half-chests, against 266,000 half-chests; and exports (after deducting the cargo of the Asia) to 8,832,043 lbs., against 9,525,059 Ibs. in 1879. The shipments to England were 586,000 lbs., against 992,000 lbs. The stock was 15,000 half-chests. Supplies were nearly completed. Superior cargo was quoted $35 to $35.75. During the next month a fairly steady business was done at irregular rates, prices all round showing a decline. Fair to good cargo was quoted at $28.50; superior, $31.50 to $33. By the 22nd January the stock was reduced to some thousand or so half-chests of low, common, open leaf. The arrivals for the season amounted to 11,242,000 lbs., against 10,800,000 lbs. in 1879–80; the exportation to 10,479,347 lbs. (or, after deducting the cargo of the Asia, 9,897,287 lbs.), against 9,525,059 lbs. in 1879–80, 8,032,168 lbs. in 1878–79, and 7,704,698 lbs. in 1877–78. The shipments to England were 631,336 lbs., against 1,055,000 lbs. in 1879–80. It will be observed that the quality was good nearly throughout, and that the demand ran chiefly on superior cargo. So far as they are known, the pecuniary results of the season may be briefly summed up about as follows: the growers probably had fair profits; the teamen lost heavily; to the Foreign merchants as a body the first part of the season proved profitable, the middle part caused no loss, but the last part caused losses so heavy as to make the result of the whole year a loss. Amoy Oolongs began to arrive in May, and by June all the growing districts were fully represented. The Teas were of good quality, but high cost, Native dealers having paid $25 to $26 “short” (i.e. “duty unpaid,” as Amoy Teas are always bought; while Formosa Teas are bought “duty paid”) for superior cargo. The market was opened on the roth June by the settlement of a string of about 9,000 half-chests for America, at an advance of $5 per picul over the early purchases of the last season. Business continued, at rather easier rates, to the middle of July. By the 17th the arrivals amounted to 50,534 half-chests, against 41,549 half-chests; the settle- ments to 21,879 half-chests, against 26,806 half-chests; and the shipments to 555,554 lbs., against 314,382 lbs. in 1879. Only 5,839 lbs. had been shipped to Europe, against 154,528 lbs. in 1879. Second-crop Teas arrived in quantity in July, and were admittedly inferior to those of the previous season. Towards the end of July and in the beginning of August a good business was done at slightly higher rates. Settlements were made in strings averaging about good cargo (quotations, $20.50 to $21.50); grades above good cargo were scarce; strings below fair to good cargo were neglected. By the 6th August the stock, 23,000 half-chests, consisted chiefly of Teas below fair cargo, but supplies from the country were constantly arriving; the market closed quiet. The arrivals amounted to 83,514 half-chests, against 50,163 half-chests; the settlements to 60,482 half-chests, against 41,886 half-chests; and the shipments to 693,203 lbs., against 621,219 lbs. in 1879. AMOY. 229 For the next fortnight there continued to be a good demand for the better grades at advanced rates, good cargo being quoted at $21.50 to $22.50. The stock was now largely composed of inferior and common sorts, which did not attract attention; superior and fine Teas were very scarce, and good cargo grades only in moderate supply. Demand fell off, and by 4th September arrivals amounted to 116,571 half-chests, against 72,000 half-chests; and shipments to 2,612,596 lbs., against 2,004,138 lbs. in 1879. Settlements amounted to 77,525 half- chests; stocks to 39,046 half-chests. A dull period set in, and lasted, with little or no improvement, until the end of November. Arrivals were heavy; the quality of the autumn crop was very inferior. Good cargo was quoted from $21.50 to $22.50 in September to $18 in November; fair cargo, from $19 to $20 in September to $17 in November. Teamen were firm holders at first, but became anxious to sell in November. By 22nd November arrivals amounted to 192,477 half-chests, against 131,830 half-chests; and the exports to 3,373,806 lbs., against 3,804,770 lbs. in 1879. There were 100,000 half-chests in stock. From this date until the first week of December there was a quiet but steady market. Settlements were on private terms, but supposed to be about $16.50 for fair cargo. Stocks were reduced to 88,000 half-chests, the quality of which was spoken of as very bad. Another period of inactivity followed, lasting until about the 20th December, when holders again gave way in price. Fair cargo was quoted at $15 to $16. By the 31st December arrivals amounted to 199,315 half-chests, against 146,648 half-chests; settlements to 140,628 half-chests, against 144,689 half-chests; and shipments to 3,481,506 lbs., against 5,288,769 lbs. in 1879. The stock was reduced to 58,687 half-chests. During January 1881 there was a steady business at gradually weakening rates. Fair cargo was quoted at $12 to $14; common, at $10 to $11.50. The settlements for the season amounted to some 160,000 half-chests; unsold stock to about 40,000 half-chests. The arrivals for the season amounted to 201,095 half-chests, against 147,000 half-chests in the season 1879–80; the shipments to 4,764,265 lbs. (or, after deducting the cargo of the Asia, 4,159,851 tbs.), against 4,891,656 lbs. in 1879–80, 6,552,471 lbs. in 1878–79, and 6,878,840 lbs. in 1877–78. The shipments to England were 179,433 lbs., against 454,701 Ibs. in the previous season. It may be noted that, after the first, the quality was bad throughout the season, Grades above good cargo were very scarce; good cargo grades were only in moderate supply; and towards the last the Teas on offer were mostly fair or common sorts. The pecuniary results of the season were much the same as in the case of Formosa Oolongs. Amoy Congous began to arrive in May. The Teas were rather thin in the cup, but the leaf was good. A small business was done in June and July. The quotations were,—good, $18 to $19; superior, $20 to $22. In August the stock averaged good to superior grades; during the month the best of the Teas on offer were taken for England at $19.50 to $21.50. There was a small demand at unchanged rates in the early part of September. A few half-chests were settled at easier rates in October. The small stock, of about 900 half-chests good to superior, left in hand remained unsold until the middle of December, when it was bought cheaply at about $15. The arrivals and settlements for the season were 10,868 half-chests, against 19,202 half- chests in the season 1879-80. Not deducting lost cargoes, 413,108 lbs. were shipped, against 230 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. 774,219 lbs.; of which 212,036 tbs. were for England, against 472,268 lbs. in 1879-80. Business was done at a loss to both Natives and Foreigners. The rate of freight by steamer to New York per ton of 40 cubic feet ranged between £3 and £3 158. at the beginning of the season. From the end of August throughout September it was £4. In October it fell from £3 158. to £3. In the first part of November it was £3 58. and £3 108.; in the latter part, £3 58. and £3. There was a scarcity of tonnage for Teas in this month. In December it fell from £3 58. to £3, continuing at this rate in January, with £2 per ton for sailing vessels. Four months' sight bills on London were quoted between 38. 102d. and 38. 11d. in June; 38. 10/d. and 38. 11fd. in July; 38. 9fd. and 38. 10}d. in August; 38. rod. and 38. 10fd. in September; 38. 9 d. and 38. 10d. in October; 38. gd. and 38. 91d. in November; 38. 8 d. and 38. gd. in December; and 38. 8 d. and 38. 8fd. in January 1881. . The total collection of duty in 1880, Hk.Its. 648,196.3.8.9, even after deducting the amount of drawbacks redeemed in money, Hk.its. 7,733.3.1.2, was greater than in any of the last 10 years, except 1877; but the excess over 1879 is very trifling. Opium Duties, Hk.fts. 226,708.3.2.4, exceed 1879 by about Hk.Tts. 25,000; Import Duties, exclusive of Opium, Hk.Tts. 109,639.2.9.1, by Hk.its. 11,000; while Export Duties, Hk.Its. 230,631.9.4.3, have fallen off nearly Hk.fts. 29,000. Coast Trade Duties, Hk.Tts. 33,021.9.8.2, show a decrease of about Hk.Tts. 4,000 ; Tonnage Dues, Hk.Tts. 38,475.3.0.0, and Transit Dues, Hk.Tts. 9,719.5.4.9, show a small increase. 784% per cent. of the duties were collected on cargo carried in British vessels, and 104 per cent. on cargo carried in German vessels ; 7678% per cent of the Tonnage Dues were paid by British vessels, and 1330 per cent. by German; 741to per cent. of the Transit Dues were paid by British merchants, and 25 per cent. by Spanish. The Revenue table is to some extent an index for the trade in 1880. Exports fell off, but chiefly, as has been seen, because of the retarded shipment of Amoy Teas; the amount of Export Duty received during the first two months of 1881 having been unusually large, exceeding that of the corresponding months in 1880 by some Hk.Fts. 59,000. Imports, especially Opium and the Cotton manufactures, increased, but the increase was partly neutralised by the falling off in Beancake, Beans, Peas, and Rice. The local crop of Rice has been fair, and of Sweet Potatoes good. The crops of Sugar and Indigo were complained of, owing, as is stated, to the want of rain. The yield of Tea was about the same as în former years, and growers did well; but for middlemen and merchants it has been a year of considerable losses, on account, as one of my informants comprehensively puts it, of the high prices here and the low prices abroad. In other branches the results, though not always satisfactory, have been, on the whole, fairly good. No merchant, Native or Foreign, has closed his doors; some have made profits, and all hope for better fortunes in 1881. I have, etc., F. E. WOODRUFF, ROBERT HART, ESQUIRE, Commissioner of Customs. Inspector General of Customs, PEKING. 119.30 how (iz 96 26 - -- KI A N- 25 25 SKETCHI MAP OF SOUTHERN FUKIEN SHOWING AMOY'S PRINCIPAL TRADE ROUTES. 24 Names of Provinces, thus :.....................KWANG-TUNG. „ Departments, thus :............. ..CHIANG-CIRIU. Districts, tlus : ...... 1.1 aiêng. Boundary of Province......... Department ....... Trade Route ................... Capital of Department... District .......... Other Towns........... Positions and Pleasurements only roughly approximate throughout. L Long E. from G119.30 232 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. Appendix DESTINATION of the FOREIGN GOODS conveyed INLAND CHIANGCHIU DEPARTMENT ( HY W). Liôngkhe District (Le). Lâmchēng District ( k). Haitêng District ( R). DESCRIPTION OF GOODS. Total, Chiangchi Depart- ment. Chiangchiu City ( JH). Lâmchêng City Pholâm ( ). Lâmkhe or Chióhbê Haich‘ong Kangbê | Péhtsuiiâ (TT). (H ). ( ). ( x). 250 16,811 6,600 16,579 17,061 6,650 & o 200 18,029 COTTONS:- Shirtings, Grey........Pieces , . White ...... T-Cloths . Drills, American and English...... ) Other Cottons......... . TOTAL COTTONS ...... 1,860 1,860 2,315 2,355 44,165 1,190 200 45,955 485 WOOLLENS: — Camlets, English Pieces and Dutch........ Lastings ............... Long Ells . Other Woollens ...... , TOTAL WOOLLENS.... 495 137 137 240 42 42 904 914 Woollen & Cotton Pieces Mixtures ......... Preces ........... METALS:- Iron, Old. Piculs , Wire .......... ......... » Lead ........... Quicksilver 111.70 7.20 111.18 356.35 111.70 7.20 421.05 356.33 SUNDRIES: Borax.................... Piculs Brassware .............. , Buttons, Brass.........Gross „ „ .........Piculs Cinnamon .............. , Cloves................... » 106.96 106.96 AMOY. 233 No. 2. under TRANSIT Pass during the Year 1880. CHôANCHI DEPARTMENT ( 34 ). Chinkang District (IB). Tângoa" District ( ). AL Lâmoan District ( 1) TRANSIT INWARDS. Total, Chôanchiu Depart- ment. K'oankh‘au Chôanchiu City ( 44). Anhai Tângoan City (# ) ( ) Kopho ( ) ( 0). Laioan (HE). Tsuithau (ok ). 1,250 100 2,700 : : 870 350 : : 4,200 1,220 8,388 21,261 7,870 26,417 1,710 60 626 6,528 660 : 2,610 750 746 : 3,101 CE 4,516 | 10,278 1: 15,304 61,259 210 787 100 244 302 68 :: 334 1,401 140 183 : 9.68 122.20 7.20 430.73 356.35 3.88 0.06 3.88 3.88 0.06 61 0.20 0.20 0.06 61 0.20 106.96 1.20 1.20 1,20 30 234 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. DESTINATION of the FOREIGN GOODS conveyed INLAND CHIANGCHIU DEPARTMENT ( H ). Liôngkhe District ( ) Lâmchēng District ( ). Haitêng District ( ). DESCRIPTION OF GOODS. Total, Chiangchiu Depart- ment. Chiangchiu City Lâmchêng City Pholâm Chióhbé Haich‘ong Kangbê Lâmkhe or | Péhtsuiia (H ). | (6 ). TẾ B).( I 105). ( ). (8 GB). Về E). YT) (V6 2) ( ). 1,938.64 : ::. 474.95 66 0.71 1.26 i i : 2,424.39 105 0.71 : : 1,26 ::: 20X 10.97 1,540 5.06 257 65.30 : : : : : 10.97 1,740 5.06 257 65.30 .... SUNDRIES, continued:- Cotton, Raw ..........Piculs , Yarn........... Dye-stuff............... Ginseng, American, Clarified .......... I Ginseng, American, Crude.............. I Ginseng Cuttings ..... Glue.. Guano................. Gum Benjamin ..... Gypsum....... Lead, Red and Yellow , White.......... Medicines ........... Paint, Green... Rose Maloes ....... Sandalwood............ 1 Shell-fish.. Silk Piece Goods .. ,, Ribbons .......... „Thread.......... , and Cotton Mixtures.... Varnish .................. » Wax, White Window Glass ........Boxes Wood, Fragrant ...... Piculs Woollen Yarn........., ::::::: 2.18 2.18 195.70 195.70 : : : : D : : 240.45 240.45 29.66 le ........ 29.66 30 DISE : : : : 30 : : : : 0.55 0.53 : Total value of Cotton Goods, Hk.fts. 131,871. Total value of Woolle ΑΜΟΥ. 235 under TRANSIT Pass during the Year 1880-Continued. CHôANCHIU DEPARTMENT ( H ). Chinkang District ( I ). Tângoa” District (@ B). Lâmoan District (sk). AL TRANSIT INWARDS. Total, Chôanchiu Depart- ment. Chồanchiu City G W ). Anhai (*). Tângoan City ( $). Kopho ( ). T K‘oankh‘au | CREO) Laioan (A *). Tsuithau (z D). : : 5° : 492 0.58 2,424.39 597 1.29 0.58 : 0.83 2.09 : 3.29 : 3.29 0.50 0.50 : : : : : 19.78 22.64 0.50 10.97 1,740 27.70 257 128.85 28.85 2.18 : : 63.55 28.85 63.55 28.85 : : : : : 1.60 229.50 5.05 0.29 1.50 0.40 : : : : 1.60 294.55 5.05 0.29 1.50 0.40 0.34 1.60 490.25 5.05 0.29 1.50 0.40 : 0.34 : 0.34 : 27.17 a 33.17 273.62 29.66 30 0.55 4.70 : 4.70 4.70 Goods, Hk. Pts. 15,172. Total value of Sundries, Hk.fts. 68,366. 236 . TRADE REPORTS, 1880. Appendix No. 3. STARTING POINTS of NATIVE PRODUCE conveyed from the INTERIOR under TRANSIT Pass during the Year 1880. INLAND MARKET. Sugar, Brown. Sugar Candy Sugar, White. Ironware. Hemp Bags. Hemp Sacking Indigo, Liquid. Lead, Yellow Lung-ngans, Dried. Flower Seeds. DEPARTMENT (F). DISTRICT (**). PLACE. Chiangchiu (**) Liôngkhe (HL : Piculs. Piculs. | Piculs. Piculs. Pieces. Pieces. Piculs. Piculs. Piculs. Piculs. 6,855.99 10,131.06 2,810.61 2,047.42 105,050 446,850 ... 4,698.25 5,291.37 1,363.79 1,209 2,329.60 252.50 Lâmchõng ( Haitêng (H ) Chiangchiu City ( )...... Tângbê ( 8)........ Tângkangkiô ( M) ......... ) Pholâm ( ) ...... )... Sinoan ( *) .... Sintay ( ) ..... Chió bê (6 5)..... Péhtsuiiâ or Lâmkhe ( is ) 189.10 . 103.50 : 600 : TOTAL, CHIANGCHIU DEPARTMENT............ 15,692.84 15,949.93 4,174.40 2,047.42 105,050 446,850 189.10 103.50 m Chôanchiu ( : 654.60 1,804.58 8,200 WH) Chinkang ( 4) Chộanchiu City ( 94) ....... Anhai (* ) ..... Tângoan () *)... Tângoan City ( ) ..... Tiarbê ( H )...... 2,912.10 75.75 2,353.22 239.85 564.45 TOTAL, CHÔANCHIU DEPARTMENT... ........ 11,112.10 75.75 2,353.22 3,263.48 75.7512,353.24 - ... 84 : 432 Toral Transit Outwards............. 26,804.94 16,025.686,527.62 5,310.90 105,050 446,850 273.10 103.50 1 Total value of trade, HK.fta 251,176. SWATOW. 239 Seven steamers cleared for the United Kingdom, and their number would have been greater had more vessels been available. As it was, some home charters were settled at Hongkong, and the produce conveyed to that port by Messrs. Douglas LAPRAIK & Co.'s steamers. Only 40 steamers and sailing vessels cleared for the southern ports, Saigon, Singapore, and Bangkok, against 53 vessels in 1879. This falling off, however, did not diminish the number of emigrants to those places, as many proceeded thither, with a trifling extra outlay, by way of Hongkong In the spring, high rates of charter were offered for sailing vessels of light draft to load for Tientsin, but no such vessels were forthcoming, and cargo intended for that port had to be shipped by steamer viâ Shanghai. A similar difficulty was seriously felt at Newchwang, whence Beans and Beancake for this market had to be shipped to Shanghai, and there stored until the approach of winter, which diverted steamer traffic to southern latitudes. The substitution of steamers for sailing vessels has somewhat revolutionised the order of things with regard to the landing and storage of goods. The number of lay days stipulated for by charterers of sailing vessels enabled them to dispose of cargo on board and ship it inland without incurring extra expense for coolie and godown hire. Steamers, on the other hand, require quick despatch, and all the available godowns, with the addition of empty shops and lower stories of dwelling-houses, are frequently insufficient to meet the demand for storage. This difficulty, however, will only be of temporary duration, as a large number of ample and substantial godowns are in course of erection. When these are completed, and when the steamers arrive which are now being built in England with a view to the special requirements of the trade between Swatow and the northern ports, the gradual decrease of sailing vessels may be expected to culminate in their almost entire disappearance from this port. FOREIGN IMPORTS. OPIUM.—The Opium brought to Swatow during the year amounted to 8,760 piculs, a quantity smaller than that imported during any year since 1872, when it amounted to 7,413 piculs. The subjoined table shows the import of each description of the drug during the past two years :- YEAR. MALWA AND PERSIAN. PATNA. BENARES, TOTAL. Piculs. 5,114 Piculs. 3,402 3,468 Piculs 1,547 Piculs. 10,063 8,760 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 1879............ 1880............ . . 4,421 872 693* 667 675* 1,303* * Decrease. + Increase. 240 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. The numerous taxes enforced of late years continue to have the effect of greatly diminishing the import of Opium. This is especially the case with regard to Benares and Malwa, the demand for which is greatest in the adjacent districts of Kiangsi and Fukien. The latter now draw their supplies from Amoy, where taxation is less heavy. In Malwa alone the importation has been reduced during the last four or five years nearly 50 per cent., viz., from 7,966 piculs in 1876 to 4,421 piculs in 1880. Since the last Report on Trade was written, in which the new Haifang tax was fully described, another new tax has been introduced, called the Kaoli or Prepared Opium tax. On the 3rd March the authorities issued a notification to the effect that this new tax would be collected at the rate of 3 candareens for each liang of prepared Opium, to be levied, for the sake of convenience, on the unprepared Opium. It was stated that each ball of Patna and Benares would be held to yield 24 liang, and each parcel of Malwa and Persian 32 liang, of prepared Opium, and that consequently the tax payable by the unprepared Opium would be at the rate of Its 0.72 a ball for Patna and Benares, and its. 0.96 a parcel for Malwa and Persian. As each ball or parcel weighs 3 catties, the tax leviable at this rate would be equivalent to Tts. 24 a picul on Patna and Benares, and its 32 a picul on Malwa and Persian. The merchants replied by a general outcry of indignation, very naturally protesting against an imposition which they contended should fall on the Opium-boilers, and not on themselves. The importation of Opium ceased until the end of the month. A notice was then issued to the effect that the enforcement of the new tax was postponed pro tem., and nothing more was heard of it till four months later, when, a compromise having been effected with the Opium guild, the tax was at length enforced at the greatly reduced rate of local Pts. 4.02 per chest of 34 parcels of Malwa and Persian, or 40 balls of Patna and Benares. It was further stipulated that the tax was not to be collected by any specially appointed official, but by the Opium dealers themselves. These favourable terms were of short duration, for on the following 28th November another proclamation announced that the merchant Yu CHECHÊNG, having stipulated to pay to the Provincial Government annually for five years the sum of $900,000, would be authorised to collect the following taxes on Opium :- Kaoli Tax.—Benares and Patna, 7 mace per ball (at 40 per chest = Pts. 28); Malwa and Persian, 8 mace per parcel (at 34 parcels per chest = Fts. 27.20). Haifang Tax.—Benares and Patna, 7 mace 5 candareens per ball (at 40 per chest=Pts. 30); Malwa and Persian, 9 mace per parcel (at 34 per chest = Tts. 30). * * The Kaoli tax was not officially enforced until the 9th January 1881, when a private arrangement was made between the collector Yu CHECHÊng and the Swatow Opium Guild, whereby the former agreed to accept the following reduced rate : on Benares and Patna, 6 mace 6 candareens per ball (at 40 per chest = Tls. 25.20); on Malwa and Persian, 6 mace per parcel (at 34 per chest = Tls. 20.40). The increase of this tax (from its former rate, Tls. 4.02) is therefore Tls. 21 per chest on Benares and Patna, and Tls. 16.20 per chest on Malwa and Persian. The Haifang tax remains unaltered. The following are the taxes now levied upon Opium at this port:- MALWA AND PERSIAN. PATNA AND BENARES. Hk. Tls.m.c.c. Likin tax . . . . . . . · 18.5.5.2 per picul. Haifang tax . . . · · · · · · · Kaoli tax . . . . . . . . . . . 18.1.0.0 Hk. Tls.m.c.c. 19.1.3.1 per picul. 20.7.0.8 » 19.3.2.7 TOTAL . . . . . . . 57.0.1.4 59. 1.6.6 SWATOW. 241 The merchants, anticipating a few weeks grace before the enforcement of this increased impost, at once imported largely until the end of January, and then supplies almost ceased. The deficiency here has been almost exactly balanced by the increased importation of 500 piculs at Amoy in 1880. It is now rumoured that several Swatow hongs intend to establish agencies at Amoy, so that they may continue to supply the south-western portion of Fukien. With the difference of its. 15 less taxation on Benares and Patna at Amoy, they will be able to secure a fair profit, in spite of the great difficulties attendant on this more circuitous route. The southern districts of Kiangsi are in such close proximity to this port that they must continue to draw their supplies from it; but the northern portions of the province have again resorted to the practice of obtaining their Opium from Shanghai viâ Kiukiang, as the increased importation at the latter port will evidence, the taxes there being Its. 25 less than at Swatow. Kanchow-fu (HY #), an important mart in the south of Kiangsi, is now almost deserted by the Hunan and Kiukiang merchants, with whom it was an annual custom there to assemble, in order to meet the dealers from Hsingning (A ). There was at one time a demand for Persian, on account of its cheapness, but it was found to be, if possible, more pernicious in its effects than the other kinds of Opium, and its importation has likewise declined; only an occasional parcel is sent in a consignment. At Canton and Foochow the taxes have long been greater than those at other ports, on account of the additional expense of maintaining arsenals and gunboats. It is only reasonable to suppose that the taxation in other provinces will ere long be raised to the same standard as that of Kwangtung and Fukien. In that case Swatow may be expected to regain its importance as a depôt for the supply of Opium to the inland provinces; the merchants of Hunan and Kiangsi will return to the old-established roads which connect Swatow with their own regions, and will gladly prefer them to the lengthy sea route and tedious journey up the Yangtze which they are now compelled to adopt. Some reduction must even then be anticipated in the consumption of Foreign Opium, as the increased prices will naturally put it beyond the reach of the poorer class of smokers. Since 1877 there has been little change in the Opium routes leading through the eastern portion of the Kwangtung and adjacent provinces, with the exception of the Tanshui (pe ), Huichow (LH), Yenhsia ( F) route, now avoided on account of the local taxation, which is even heavier than at Swatow. I will now briefly mention the other routes starting from Liuhuang, a market 30 miles beyond the prefectural city, and note only the most important towns passed on the way. Leaving Liuhuang, the first route takes its course due north to Tapu (th), crosses the border of Fukien, and following for a time a branch of the river Han, called Tingchiang (YT XI), passes the towns of Tingchow (TM) and Lienchêng (i til), and terminates at Chienning ( ). A second route goes overland to Chiaying ( ME), where three large Opium hongs are established, and continues its course through the eastern districts of Kiangsi to the towns of Huich‘ang ( 1), Juichin ( 4), and Chiench‘ang ( ), till it reaches the provincial capital, Nanch'ang-fu ( W). The third route proceeds to Hsingning, the principal mart in this prefecture, where 15 Opium hongs are established, and from thence to Yenhsia and across the border of Kiangsi to Hsinfêng ( ). Here the route branches off, one road leads to Kanchow-fu, and, following the Kan River, it traverses the whole province, and terminates at the Poyang 31 242 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. Lake; the other branch crosses over to Hunan, touching at Kueitung ( *), it follows the Michiang (* I), a branch of the river Hsiang (AD I), and runs down to the provincial capital, Changsha-fu ( WF), and so on to the Tungting Lake. COTTON GOODS.—With the exception of White Shirtings, the trade in Cotton fabrics has not shown any marked increase during the last 10 years. The total value under this heading reached in 1880 about HK.Hts. 860,000, nearly one-half of that amount being represented by White Shirtings. This article steadily increased year by year until 1879, when the largest importation was recorded, i.e., 170,000 pieces. In the past year's importation there is a reduction of 10,000 pieces; this falling off is due to the establishment of several dyeing factories at Hongkong, the millstones and indigo being supplied from Swatow. The conversion of White Shirtings into the so-called Native Cloth (to which Mr. HUBER alluded in his Trade Report for 1879) is now readily accomplished in the colony, whence northern ports may be supplied, with an immunity from inland taxation and Export Duty, as well as from the Coast Trade Duty leviable on Native Cloth coming from any Chinese port. Raw Cotton and Cotton Yarn.The decrease in Foreign Raw Cotton is counterbalanced by an increase in the Native product from Shanghai and in Cotton Yarn from Hongkong. There was an absence of Raw Cotton with Seed from Annam, the country that usually supplied this market. The crops there were much damaged by summer rains, which partly accounts for the deficiency; but its chief cause is to be found in the practice, now generally adopted, of cleaning the Cotton before shipping it. The greatest demand for Raw Cotton and Yarn comes from Hsingning, where the barrenness of the soil renders all attempts at agriculture fruitless; the inhabitants have therefore turned their attention to weaving, and annually produce large quantities of Cloth. This fabric is principally bought up by the Hsingning Opium merchants, who send it down the East River to Canton and Fatshan, and for the amounts realised by its sale they obtain drafts on Hongkong, to be subsequently used in payment of Opium purchases. Some of this Cloth is sent to Kiangsi, but none of it finds its way to this port for exportation, as the duty and inland taxes en route would leave no margin for profit. METALS.—Tin is the only metal which calls for notice, the importation having much declined during the year, on account of an enhancement of some 50 per cent. in the prices ruling at Bancà, Malacca. . A large demand for Tin in Europe seems to have affected the markets of the East generally, and at present there is no prospect of greater activity in this branch of the trade. SUNDRIES.—Guano.—It is found that Guano is almost unsaleable here. Of the 10,000 piculs imported in 1879, between 3,000 piculs and 4,000 piculs were re-exported to Hongkong and Singapore in 1880, while some considerable stock remains on hand. Chinese agriculturists continue to use the more expensive Beancake manure, as they find by experience that soil on which Guano has once been employed cannot again, at least for years, be fertilised with cake. It is probable, however, that if the Chinese could depend upon a regular and constant supply of Guano from South America, they would become large consumers; but as matters stand, they prefer Beancake, which is always obtainable, and less liable to fluctuations in price than the other article, coming as it does from so remote a distance. SWATOW. 243 NATIVE IMPORTS. BEANCAKE.— The principal feature among Native Imports of late years is the augmen- tation which has taken place in the trade in Beancake. The average annual importation of this commodity from 1871 to 1877 (excepting the year 1875) was about 1,000,000 piculs, whereas during each of the past three years it amounted to nearly double that quantity, i.e., 2,000,000 piculs per annum. It is somewhat difficult to understand the reason for the increase or falling off in an article of commerce, and in many instances only those who are connected with the trade or of long residence at a port are competent to account for it. With regard, however, to the increased consumption of Beancake, the most reasonable explanation is to be found in the general prosperity of the country, the result of continued peace. Prior to 1871 the different clans in this neighbourhood were in constant rivalry, fights between them were of frequent occurrence, and many lives were sacrificed in their petty quarrels, while trade and agriculture were hindered, and the whole country kept in uproar and confusion. In 1870 and 1871, General FANG, a wealthy official residing near this place, was intrusted by the Government with the task of restoring peace and order. He succeeded in doing so effectually, although at the cost of thousands of lives, which were put to the sword at his command, and thousands more fled in fear of him to Foreign lands. The action of the general has been much criticised, humanitarians contending that he behaved with unnecessary cruelty; on the other hand, his partisans maintain that severity was the only remedy for the evil. Time seems to have justified the general's policy, for tranquility has reigned ever since, and the people, experiencing a feeling of security, are able to turn their attention to the peaceful occupation of tilling the land ; fields are cultivated which were lying waste, the hills are being terraced off, and even the numerous sandbanks at the mouth of the Han River are banked in and transformed into green oases. The people, formerly so poor that they could with difficulty purchase a scanty supply of manure for their fields, now make use of large quantities of Beancake, securing rich harvests in return. To this general improvement in their condition the statistics of trade at this port bear undoubted testimony. BEANS.—The trade in Beans has been active; about 680,000 piculs were imported, against 480,000 piculs in 1879, showing an increase of 200,000 piculs. The experiment of manufacturing Beancake in Swatow was first tried in 1879, when two mills were established. It is interesting to observe that no less than six mills have sprung up during the past year, so that this new branch of industry has made rapid progress. It seems that some of the merchants here objected to the high prices arbitrarily regulated by the guild at Newchwang; they therefore resolved to purchase Beans independently from the numerous boats which carry this produce down the Liao River to Newchwang, and afterwards bring them to Swatow to be converted into cake. The result so far has been satisfactory. From the eight mills already in existence, 100,000 cakes to 200,000 cakes can be produced annually, and as the working of these mills is reported to be remunerative, an addition to their number may soon be expected. The manufacture, however, has not assumed sufficient proportions to affect the importation of cake from the North. RICE AND WHEAT.—In the importation of Rice and Wheat there is an excess of 170,000 piculs over the previous year, the total amount during 1880 reaching the high figure of 600,000 246 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. GRASSCLOTH.—The following comparative table shows the amount of Grasscloth exported during 1879 and 1880:- 1879. 1880. INCREASE AND CREASE, Piculs. Piculs. 92 Piculs. 532 2,802 Grasscloth, Fine ........... » Coarse.......... 440 * 2,962 160 + 280 * TOTAL...... 3,054 3,334 * Increase. + Decrease. It will thus be seen that the coarse qualities have fallen off 160 piculs, and the fine have risen 440 piculs. This is due to a new system of classification lately adopted by the Swatow Customs. Formerly the kind of hemp used in the manufacture decided the quality of the cloth, and formed a standard by which merchants declared its value; but this classification proving unsatisfactory, it was proposed by Mr. HUBER, in the month of June, that the practice which obtained at Kiukiang should be instituted here, and, with the Inspector General's sanction, this was accordingly done. The method is as follows: a calculation is made of the number of threads in warp; that above 40 threads to the square inch is counted fine cloth, and that containing less is considered coarse. This system, says Mr. HUBER, in his despatch to the Inspector General, is simple and at the same time equitable. Although many qualities which were formerly passed as coarse now come under the denomination of fine, dealers have no reasonable cause of complaint, for the value of Grasscloth, of whatever material, containing 40 threads warp to the square inch is never less than Hk.its. 50 per picul, and the duty now leviable on it, i.e., Hk. Pts. 2.5 per picul, will consequently be under 5 per cent. ad valorem, the supposed average Tariff rate. The hemp used in the manufacture of Grasscloth comes chiefly from Szechwan viâ Hankow and Shanghai. Another favourite kind, called pine-apple hemp ( en ), is partly grown here, and partly imported from Hoihow and Pakhoi in Native junks; it is some 30 per cent. more expensive than the Szechwan hemp. There is a third kind of ordinary hemp grown here, and used in the manufacture of the coarsest kind of Grasscloth, and for rope and cash strings. A small quantity of the last-named description was sent to Europe viâ Hongkong, and a sample returned which had been cleaned by machinery. The Chinese who inspected it were at once pleased and astonished at the fine condition to which it had been reduced. NATIVE CLOTH (Native Dyed White Shirtings).—This item was so exhaustively described in the Report for 1879 that but little remains to notice beyond the fact of a trifling increase in its exportation. A steady improvement might reasonably be expected were it not for the heavy duties which still continue to be levied on Native Cloth, and which have so affected this branch of the trade that it has almost remained stationary since 1878. Dealers predict a falling off in the exportation of Dyed Cloth next year. SWATOW. 247 INDIGO.—The following table shows the quantity of Indigo exported in its liquid state to Hongkong during the past few years :- 1877. 1878. 1879. 1880. Piculs. Piculs. Nil. Piculs. 1,035.82 Piculs. 1,011.44 193.40 The sudden activity in this commodity is entirely owing to the establishment of the dyeing works to which I have already alluded. ORANGES.—The quantity of Oranges sent from Swatow during the year amounted to nearly 100,000 piculs, of which 70,000 piculs were exported in Foreign vessels. This trade is yearly increasing, and it must be a remunerative one to the growers, considering the facility with which young trees are raised, and the little labour attendant on the ingathering of the fruit. Two kinds are produced here, i.e., Chêngtze ( 7 ) and Kantze (+ 7), commonly known among Foreigners as Coolie and Mandarin Oranges. The former are packed in light bamboo baskets, of which there is a special manufacture at Chaochow-fu. The Mandarin Oranges require more care, and are packed in wooden tubs, each holding 90 catties; the season for them is short-terminating in February,—whilst “Coolies” can be had in good condition as late as May. These Oranges are justly celebrated as the best in China. The groves near Chaochow-fu, covering thousands of acres, were unharmed by the summer floods, and some six weeks ago presented a really beautiful sight. The trees, often of fine proportions, were weighed down with ripe fruit, which looked like so many golden balls among the dark green foliage, and the air was perfumed with their fragrance. Public footpaths in many instances intersect the groves, and as no protection is apparently attempted to preserve the fruit by day, the thirsty wayfarer may refresh himself at pleasure, provided his conscience will allow him to do so. NATIVE IRONWARE.—In the Pingyuan and Chênping districts, to the extreme north of this province, the original Iron mines are still worked. The restrictions which so seriously hamper the Native Iron trade are, however, unabated, and this drawback, combined with the rude and imperfect system of working the mines, renders the whole business less profitable by far than it would otherwise be. Consumers depend to some extent on Foreign sources for their supply, although the quality of the Native metal is superior to any imported here. The Iron extracted from the Pingyuan ore is converted into pigs weighing 17 catties each, and costs, if my information be correct, $4 per picul at the mouth of the pit. At Chaochow-fu it is cast, being chiefly converted into the circular Iron Pans used in boiling sugar, or into kitchen utensils. The shipment to Foreign countries of Pans and of Iron generally is looked upon by the inland authorities, like that of Copper Cash, as illegal. Nevertheless, some Pans find their way to this port, and are shipped off to the Straits. There is one other article worthy of mention into which Native Iron is converted, i.e., Tobacco Knives, an important item of exportation to Shanghai. Of these, 2,870 piculs, valued at Hk.Tts. 37,000, were shipped to that port in 1880,—a fact which bears testimony to the excellence of the Pingyuan Iron. 248 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. S TEA.—Tea shows an improvement of 1,300 piculs on the amount exported last year. This is chiefly due to the vigilance of the newly-established Native Customs Barrier at Hwangkang ( a), a port on the seacoast, whence large quantities of Tea were formerly smuggled with impunity and sent to the South. Most of the Tea paying duty at Swatow is grown in the Jaoping (A ) district, and destined for Cochin China and the Straits, either by steamer direct or vid Hongkong. In spite of the obvious advantage possessed by Swatow in having good water commu- nication with the Tea-producing districts of Fukien, the trade is insignificant, and cannot compare with that of Amoy and Canton. True, there is no Foreign market here, nor are there any establishments for the refiring of the leaf, facts which must influence the minds of the Native growers. There is, besides, the discouragement of a protective duty (its. 2 per picul) at Yungting, a place in the direct road of Tea coming here, but which is easily avoided by carrying the Tea to Amoy. -Tobacco again calls for favourable mention. The returns are 16,452 piculs, against 12,741 piculs in 1879 and 8,196 piculs in 1878. It is grown in the district of Yungting and conveyed to this port by water, whence it is principally sent to Hankow, being transhipped at Shanghai. Before the introduction of steamers, Tobacco was carried overland to Hankow, and took sometimes 40 days to reach its destination; a saving of 25 days is now effected by steam. The leaf is finely shredded and packed in small parcels of 10 liang each. HUMAN HAIR.—I have been unable to discover an adequate reason for the large falling off in the export of Human Hair, which was only 377 piculs—half the amount exported in 1879. It is not unlikely that the simple mode of coiffure now in vogue among Foreign ladies may have caused this decrease; but it is also possible that the markets in France and Germany, where exists the largest demand for this commodity, now draw their supplies more advantageously from some other quarter. Certain it is that the alteration has taken place very quickly, and this seems an isolated case, as the exportation from Canton is still considerable. In every barber's shop in this prefecture the refuse hair is scrupulously preserved and combed out into long tails, and sold to wholesale dealers in Chaochow-fu. The ordinary length of a “tail” is from 24 to 3 feet, and the value averages Hk.its. 30 per picul. EMIGRATION AND PASSENGER TRAFFIC. Chinese emigrants to the number of 37,899 left the port, of whom 16,500 were booked direct for Singapore, and 21,000 went as far as Hongkong only. Of these latter, who are considered ordinary passengers, it is difficult to ascertain much beyond their numbers. The ultimate destination of the majority may probably be the southern states contiguous to China i.e., Annam, Cochin China, and Siam,--and it is said that they go only for a short time, returning home at the expiration of a year. The passengers to the Straits come more strictly under the denomination of emigrants, for they, as a rule, become settlers in their adopted country. Haiyang, Yoaping, Kityang, and Chiaying continue to supply the greatest number of coolies for Foreign service. Those from the first three districts, being Natives of an agricultural SWATOW. 249 country, find their most suitable employment in the cultivation of Sugar, Tobacco, or Gambier plantations. The Chiaying men are mountaineers, and, having some experience in mining, work chiefly in the extensive Tin mines of Perak. It is strange that the district of Hsingning, adjoining Chiaying, and resembling that place in natural features, should have supplied but three emigrants. One can only conclude that the people of Hsingning are more prosperous than their neighbours, and possess additional opportunities of trade and industry at home. This can be attributed to their superior position, the trade routes for Kiangsi and Hunan passing through Hsingning, which is bounded on one side by the East River, affording easy communication with Canton and Hongkong. The number of coolies from Haiyang is 1,000 more than in the year 1879; they were driven to emigration by the temporary distress prevailing during the summer floods. The Haiyang men, more than any others, would be likely to obtain a comfortable settlement in the Straits, as their countrymen were among the very first emigrants who there obtained grants of land and became rich and prosperous. The well-known clannishness of the Chinese abroad, which binds together in sympathy men coming from the same locality and speaking the same dialect, would certainly induce the original settlers to assist new-comers by every means in their power. It has been correctly stated in several previous Reports that the majority of emigrants leave their native land voluntarily, in the hope of returning home with a competence to end their days in comfort; but I can readily believe what I have been told, that not a few are enticed by promises from unscrupulous agents, who travel through the more remote districts describing to the simple-minded peasants the advantages of a Foreign life, and making liberal offers of an advancement for passage-money and preliminary expenses—even providing for the support of wives and children to be left behind. For these advances the unwary emigrant gives a bond, and on his arrival at the Straits he is taken in charge by a contractor, and occasionally sent to places outside the jurisdiction of Great Britain, where he may be compelled to work for years, at the discretion of his creditor, before the debt is cancelled. The facilities for emigrants to return to their native land are much greater than in former years. A sum of from $25 to $30 used to be demanded for a single passage from the Straits to Hongkong or Swatow; the price at present is only $6. One great source of danger to returning emigrants is now happily removed by the extinction of a certain class of rowdies who used to beset them on their arrival and extort from them the hard-earned savings of years. The man- darins were determined to suppress these crimes with a high hand, and so great was the general indignation against the offenders that they were sentenced to death. REVENUE. Although the total value of trade has been larger in 1880 than in any previous year, as already stated in the commencement of this Report, the Revenue shows, as compared with that of 1879, the slight decrease of Hk.Tts. 3,873. This arises, first, from the decline in Opium, which reduced the collection by Hk.Its. 38,672; and, second, from the fact that a large quantity of Rice and Wheat figuring in the Returns was imported from Shanghai free of duty. The collection 32 I THACHO HUANO KA CHAD CHOU HUANG KANCS 101 M A P SHOWING THE TRADE ROUTES CONNECTING SWATOW WITH THE PROVINCES OF FUKIEN, KIANGSI, AND HUNAN. [Trade Routes marked thus - SWATOW. 251 APPENDIX. TABLE No. 1.-VALUE of TRADE, 1871 to 1880. FOREIGN IMPORTS. YEAR. NATIVE IMPORTS. EXPORTS, TOTAL. Goods of all kinds. Opium. 1871........ 1872......... Hk.Fls. 11,761,676 14,257,979 0r3 . . . . . . . . . . . 1873....... 1874....... 1875........ 1876..... 1877........... 1878.. 1879...... Shanghai Pts. 2,514,550 1,610,399 Hk.fts. 1,480,819 1,905,775 2,973,676 3,488,730 3,779,619 3,084,978 3,879,066 3,825,430 Shanghai Its. 3,042,674 3,125,536 Hk.Fls. 4,254,350 4,312,779 4,089,337 4,637,925 5,208,643 4,517,428 4,758,525 4,378,834 Shanghai Fts 3,655,824 7,100,641 Hk.Fts. 3,432,520 3,707,531 4,835,403 5,102,876 4,744,208 6,278,353 5,684,984 6,340,975 Shanghai Ats 3,889,459 4,046,813 Hk.fts. 4,703,199 3,920,770 4,714,331 5,012,437 4,875,549 5,357,087 6,056,006 6,631,445 13,870,888 13,846,855 16,612,747 18,241,968 18,608,019 19,237,846 20,378,581 21,176,684 ....... 1880.. TABLE No. 2.-IMPORT of OPIUM, 1871 to 1880. YEAR. MALWA. PATNA. BENARES. PERSIAN. TOTAL. Piculs. Piculs. 1,159 659 709 1871............ 1872........... 1873............ 1874..... 1875........... 1876..... 1877..... 1878..... 1879..... 1880.... 698 Piculs. 3,210 4,374 5,774 5,680 6,525 7,966 7,678 4,764 4,393 4,061 Piculs. 2,470 2,380 2,578 2,992 3,097 2,889 2,929 3,511 Piculs. 6,839 7,413 9,061 9,370 10,183 11,678 11,622 9,596 10,063 561 823 1,015 1,321 1,547 872 3,402 3,468 8,761 SWATOW. 253 TABLE No. 4.-CHIEF IMPORTS, 1871 to 1880. DESCRIPTION 1871. 1872. 1873. 1874. 1875. 1876. 1877. 1878. 1879. 1880. Beancake.......... Beans and Peas .... Cotton, Raw ........ Fungus ........ Hemp ........ Medicines .... Nankeens .... Oil, Bean ............... Rice..................... Samshu ................ Silk Piece Goods ..... Vermicelli.............. Wheat Piculs. Piculs. | Piculs. | Piculs. Piculs. Piculs. Piculs. | Piculs. Piculs. Piculs. 1,054,552 962,650 917,321 1,408,384 1,833,593 1,206,263 1,192,729 2,069,668 1,825,453 1,890,217 917,321 1,408,384 | 1.833,503 | 1.206.262 260,922 335,358 271,007 335,295 465,003 479,297 438,710 774,066 480,082 678,750 26,001 32,060 53,458 85,751 41,215 34,619 32,685 46,694 24,542 27,439 709 1,157 1,460 1,892 2,313 2,445 1,860 1,627 2,025 2,001 10,335 8,524 19,580 23,202 32,062 34,181 34,393 47,138 40,110 44,948 8,906 9,618 15,407 15,791 20,383 23,473 18,179 14,433 20,634 20,637 934 533 994 1,753 1,811 1,707 1,932 1,345 1,789 1,639 2,254 11,879 15,564 3,873 1,445 486 3,369 12,369 555,711 | 1,399,399 254,330 16,437 284,1531 759,672 104,454 137,660 364,615 468,407 4,971 2,824 8,264 6,293 2,280 12,076 17,559 117 68 103 192 220 272 264 282 286 382 8,884 10,635 134,500 15,623 15,743 15,068 16,418 17,634 21,193 21,935 23,862 63,925 70,154 50,325 49,078 101,388 85,532 76,358 68,212 91,068 Pieces. Pieces. Pieces. Pieces. Pieces. Pieces. Pieces. | Pieces. Pieces. 1,409 2,619 15,141 9,162 18,833 9,583 20,330 22,436 398/ 4,948 9,605 Pieces. Woollen & Cotton Mixtures ......... TABLE No. 5.—EXPORT of SUGAR (BRown and WHITE), 1871 to 1880. DESTINATION. 1871. 1872. 1873. 1874. 1875. 1876. 1877. 1878. 1879. 1880. Piculs. 9,808 288 Piculs. 9,049 Piculs. 67,983 75 Piculs. 31,054 52 Piculs. 63,099 Piculs. 91,631 Piculs. | Piculs. 74,860 114,794 Piculs. | Piculs. 55,0391 92,124 51 366 52 91 71 36 To Foreign Coun TRIES:- Hongkong .. Cochin China..... Siam ............ Singapore ............ Australia .... Great Britain......... United States ....... Continent of Europe Japan ........ 1,063 1,194 2,861 189 5,951 68 4,237 1,667 591 2,861 14,424 7,610 108,715 767 7,995 720 13,342 212,431 59,416 88,586 149,828 160,993 13,589 32,683 11,922 50,504 107,129 16,907 1,765 48,333 5,433 5,083 5,597 To CHINESE PORTS:- Newchwang.... Tientsin............... Chefoo .......... Shanghai ..... Chinkiang. Hankow .......... Ningpo ............... Foochow .............. Amoy .............. 19,774 132,844 144,358 602,088 17,440 108,548 56,002 487,772 5,263 89,837 51,067 572,592 16,330 111,137 84,245 697,898 25,524 127,016 135,875 803,5371 50,528 154,192 71,122 802,044 62,890 38,715 582,656 16,435 57,794 54,441 732,909 2,758 21,463 17,194 85,686 65,138 846,746 17,688 95,172 89,015 827,121 5,905 7,518 105 30 4,099 1,735 338 TOTAL......... 978,015 825,528 889,558 994,149 1,164,575 1,447,634 1,074,817 1,047,295 1,084,148 1,251,760 254 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. TABLE No. 6.-AVERAGE Prices of a Picul of different QUALITIES of SUGAR for each QUARTER of the Years 1876 to 1880. IST QUARTER. 2ND QUARTER. 3RD QUARTER. 4TH QUARTER. DESCRIPTION. 1876. 1877. 1878, 1879. 1880. 1876. 1877. 1878. 1879. 1880. 1876. 1877. 1878. 1879. 1880. 1876. 1877. 1878. 1879. (1880. 6 8.15 7.75 8.22 6.62 6.08 6.84 7.80 7.40 Kityang, White, No. 1 ..... „ „ „ 2 .... , Brown ......... Chaoyang, White........ , Yellow, No. 1... .10 8.60 7.82 6.52 6.98 8.38 8.18 7.10 97 | 6.88 5.96 6.52 7.84 7.67 | 6.00 ... 4.47 7.96 8.48 7.68 | 6.10 6.53 8.14 8.24 6.72 4.18 4.76 5.30 5.05 38 7.02 7.87 3 | 5.90 37 6.65 3.53 5.17 » » 4.20 6.28 5.06 5.05 0 4.78 5.10 4 oi 4.68 | 4.19 3 » » Brown...... » Black ......... Koting............ Wongkong, Yellow ......... » Brown .......... Tinghai, Black ......... 42 5.94 6.22 6.07 6.00 | 4.75 4.75 3.03 4.85 4.80 5.17 2.89 3.82 4.07 4.72 2.93 4.58 5.17 ... | 3. 54 4.31 5 151 4.431 3.70 SWATOW. 255 TABLE No. 7.—PASSENGER TRAFFIC, 1877 to 1880. 1877. 1878. PASSENGERS TO PASSENGERS FROM PASSENGERS TO PASSENGERS FROM Sailing Vessels. Steamers. Sailing Vessels. Sailing Sailing Vessels. Steamers. Steamers. Vessels. Steamers. For. Nat. For. Nat. For. Nat. For. Nat. For. Nat. For. Nat. For.) Nat. For. Nat. | ~ 2 161 58 2,279 2,205 26,507 52 | 533,271 ... 149 12,608 | 117,318 ... ... 38 3,056 176 15,616 19,169 : Coast Ports ... Hongkong .... Singapore ..... Bangkok Cochin China Coast Ports .... Hongkong .... Singapore...... Bangkok....... Cochin China ... : : ... I 22 : 2 4,165 20333,197 ......TOTAL.... 2 276 170 25,645 --- 3,048 214 37,841 ......TOTAL.... 332 144 28,712 1879. 1880. PASSENGERS TO PASSENGERS FROM PASSENGERS TO PASSENGERS FROM Sailing Vessels. Steamers. Sailing Vessels. Steamers. Sailing Vessels. Steamers. Sailing Vessels. Steamers. For. Nat. For. Nat. For. Nat. For. Nat. For. Nat. For. Nat. For. Nat. For. Nat. 75 2 35 2,556 90 18,967 2,309 ... 13,965 43 2,682 66 27,607 Coast Ports ... 1 Hongkong........ Singapore...... Bangkok... Cochin China 39 2,658 106 20,986 ... 14,127 32 2,714 83 27,762 280 Coast Ports... Hongkong..... Singapore ...... Bangkok. Cochin China 467 ... ... 125 3,311 | 125 35,488 ...... TOTAL...... 1 ... 2,964 145 37,771 ......TOTAL.... 2 115 30,601 256 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. TABLE No. 8.—METEOROLOGICAL TABLE for each Month of 1880, showing Extreme Rise and Fall of Barometer and Thermometer; Winds; Number of Days Calm, Fog, and Rain; Average Rise and Fall of Tides. MERCURIAL. Month. BAROMETER. THERMOMETER. WET & DRY BULBS. Highest Lowest by Day. | by Day. Highest | Lowest | Highest by Night. by Night. | by Day. Lowest | Highest | Lowest by Day. by Night. by Night. Average. Average. January February ..... March.. April May..... ......... Inches. 30.40 30.40 30.40 30.33 30.11 30.05 30.00 30.06 30.11 30.20 30.42 30.53 June ..... Inches. 30.09 30.02 30.00 29.89 29.87 29.78 29.65 29.63 29.64 29.94 30.12 Inches. 30.43 30.39 30.38 30.28 30.10 30.03 29.98 30.09 30.09 30.16 Inches. 30.12 30.05 30.02 29.92 29.87 29.76 29.67 29.64 29.37 29.98 30.12 30.20 July ............. August ........... September ......... October ......... November ....... December 30.40 30.18 30.47 WINDS. RAIN AND Fog. TIDES. REMARKS. Number of Days Calm. No. of Days N. to E. No. of Days E. to S. No. of Days S. to W. No, of Days W. to N. No. of Days Rain. No. of Inches Rainfall. No. of Days Fog. Average Average Rise, Rise, Spring Neap Tides. Tides. D. 21 January....... February ....... March. April .. May ........... June .......... July ............ August ........... September.... October .......... November... December ........ h. D. h. D. h. D. h. D. h. D. h. Inches. D. h. Ft. in. Ft. 16 0 1 ... 2 12 2 | 3 13 2.200 ... 7 9 8 4 12 0 4 1 20 3 1.900 ... 6 0 12 17 20 0 121 1 162 12 16 40.5000 195 1 7 1 14 3.475 2 0 6 6 710 0 4 13 0 23 5.975 18 1 1 1 10 ... 1 14.725 22 .. 4.600 14 12 913 191 10 5.175 6 6 17 2 1 3 0 4 5.700 7o 10 1 9. ... ... 11 5 1.425 8 2 7 0 617 2 1 0 1 0.100 17 8 6 12 6 15 | 1 23 2.900 8 7 4 6 ūnuoŐ A ono JAO W NN o vuon Ao Now Oaoaoo vao uw w u v w Oas Tides very irregular; not to be depended on, being greatly influenced by the winds. 17 27 CANTON. - 259 EXPORTS TO FOREIGN COUNTRIES. The Foreign Export trade of Canton is very largely carried in Foreign ships, and hence the statistics which we compile with reference to it fairly justify certain deductions which can be drawn from them as to the whole of this trade. The chief articles which Europe and America take from Canton are Tea, Silk, Cassia, Matting, and Preserves. Besides these commodities for bona fide consumption in Foreign lands, Foreign vessels convey to Hongkong great quantities of goods, the chief amongst which is Sugar, the destination of which may be China or Foreign countries, as may be determined by the state of the markets, but the probable eventual destination of which is China. TEA.—According to the statistics compiled in this office, 11,338,300 catties of Tea, valued at Hk.fts. 1,701,922, were exported from Canton in 1880. According to the same record, the quantity exported the year before was 11,632,900 catties, valued at Hk.Its. 1,571,800. The two years' exports are very similar as to quantity, and hence I conclude that the production of Tea in this province in 1880 was as successful as in the year previous, or nearly so. It is, perhaps, a product the growth of which is not interfered with by unseasonable weather, whether rain or drought, so much as some other products. It is seemingly clear, therefore, that Tea was not one of the commodities the failure of which occasioned a falling off in the Export trade of this port in 1880. SILK.—This trade naturally divides itself into two sorts, the unmanufactured and the manufactured Silk. Both sorts enter very largely into Foreign commerce. Of the unmanufac- tured sort, the great constituent of Foreign trade is that known as Raw Silk. Of it, 10,312 piculs, valued at Hk.Tts. 2,846,534, were exported to Foreign countries in 1880; and in 1879, 16,232 piculs, valued at Hk.Tts. 4,233,829, left for the same destinations. Thus it appears that the export of the year 1880 fell short of that of 1879 by some 6,000 piculs, valued at Hk.its. 1,400,000. I assume this immense falling off to be primarily due to a failure of supply, which, again, is due to an inclement season. It seems to me that had the Raw Silk been forthcoming for export it would have been shipped, and prices would have fallen so as to have made this result profitable, or at least such as to have induced buyers to venture on purchases. Of manufactured Silk, the article described as Silk Piece Goods, of which 6,184 piculs, valued at Hk.its. 4,611,717, left for Hongkong, is the only constituent worth referring to. Of this special product of Native industry, the records of this office show an export in the year 1879 of 5,294 piculs, valued at Hk.Tts: 3,896,720, so that, in so far as our records show, I am justified in saying that Silk manufactures for Foreign countries prospered more in 1880 than in 1879. I have been greatly laid under obligation by Mr. HERBERT F. DENT for a review of the trade in Silk in 1880, which I insert here in this Report. Written as it has been by a gentleman thoroughly conversant with and deeply interested in the Silk trade, it cannot fail to have a merit far surpassing anything I can possibly write on the same subject. It is as follows : “The past year has been in many respects an unsatisfactory one for Canton Silk. The export of Raw Silk to Europe from this port shows considerable diminution, while that to America has been smaller in sympathy; on the other hand, there has been a larger quantity of Silk sent to Bombay than is usual, while the export of Silk Piece Goods to all quarters, and CANTON. 261 “ American export shows a falling off of about 20 per cent. compared with same time last year. “ Condition of the Silk.—Has been badly prepared for market throughout the season. The Silk is brought to market, as a rule, in a damp state, even when dry weather prevails. The Canton dealers try to keep up the weight of the Silk they purchase as much as possible; hence the complaints of Silk being packed damp alluded to in a previous paragraph. “Refuse Silk, used for making spun Silk, employed in the manufacture of mixed Silk and Woollen Goods, has been in brisk demand throughout the year. Prices have advanced during the year 5 to 10 per cent. for the most current qualities, and in some cases even more. The market closes quiet, owing to the scarcity of stock and the high prices asked by dealers.” CASSIA.— The export of Cassia Lignea amounted in the year 1880 to 38,000 piculs, valued at Hk.Tts. 226,814, as against 92,964 piculs, valued at Hk. Pts. 549,000, of the year previous. I am totally at a loss to explain adequately so enormous a falling away in this trade as these statistics show. Undoubtedly, in the year 1879 speculation in Cassia raised prices enormously, and in the later months of the year drew away from this port vast supplies, which, perhaps, under ordinary conditions would have lingered in this port until the following year. The following remarks by a gentleman in the trade who understands its fluctuations about exhaust all that need be written on the subject by me:- “The remarkable feature in regard to this article is the great discrepancy between the export figures of 1879 and 1880. The same is caused by the depressed state of the markets in Europe and the United States, which have been overstocked by the unusually large export of 1879. Though the price is here about 30 per cent. cheaper than in 1879, the article is almost entirely neglected by Foreign buyers. Since the arrival of the new season's Cassia, only about 3,000 piculs went into the hands of Foreign shippers. The greater part of the export of 1880 consists still of last season's produce, which was shipped during the first quarter. It appears that the article is now on such a low level that it does not pay the Chinese dealers to bring it from the interior, and if the produce should recede further in value, there will be but little inducement to the Natives to deal in it. The high rate of freight ruling for sailing vessels at present chiefly prevents business being done in this article for Foreign countries; and as an early improvement in the home markets cannot be expected, on account of the large stocks, the export of 1881 will necessarily remain on a small scale.” MATTING.—160,300 rolls left this port in Foreign ships for Hongkong almost exclusively; it was transhipped there for the United States chiefly. Next to Silk, Tea, and Sugar, Matting takes fourth rank amongst Exports in respect of value; and multifarious as are the industries in this city and locality which thrive to the benefit of its people, none is more worthy or more full of utility than this. PRESERVES. — The extent of this manufacture may be judged of by the fact that 19,521 piculs were shipped to Hongkong alone, whence they found their way to various countries more or less remote. 262 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. NATIVE IMPORTS. The commodity of the year, the value of which almost amounted to the one-half of the value of the entire quantity of goods imported from Native ports, as has been mentioned before, was Rice. No less a quantity than 2,448,301 piculs, valued at HK.Tts. 3,483,340, was imported. In the year previous the quantity imported in a like way amounted to 487,258 piculs, valued at Hk.Pts. 658,456. This abnormally large importation of Rice, occasioned by the scarcity of food here, although furnishing profitable employment to steamers, indicates an unflourishing condition of commerce. Money which otherwise would have been appropriated probably to the purposes of production had to be paid away in the purchase of food. The total estimated value of Native Imports was Hk.fts. 8,506,558, and if we deduct from the above amount Hk.Pts. 2,824,886 (i.e., Hk.Pts. 3,483,340, less Hk.Its. 658,456), the sum by which the value of the Rice imported in 1880 exceeded that of 1879, we get a result of Hk.Tts. 5,681,672. Now, as the total value of this trade in 1879 was estimated at Hk.Pts. 4,960,223, we find that Canton paid away for Native Imports other than Rice Hk.Its. 700,000 odd more in 1880 than in 1879. This difference is partly accounted for in the following ways. In unmanufactured Silk the value of the goods imported in 1880 exceeds that of 1879 by Hk.fts. 105,000. In manufactured Silk a like difference of Hk.Tts. 65,000 is met with. It would seem as if the failure of the local Silk crop compelled people here to get Silk material from other ports in greater quantity than usual, some of it to be manufactured into goods for export, and some to be sold for local use. In unmanufactured Native Cotton and manufactured Native Cotton Goods the import of the year 1880 is greater than that of 1879 by Hk.Tts. 113,400. I do not venture to attempt to account for this feature of the trade of 1880, since the market for Native Cotton, as well in the unmanufactured as manufactured condition, is affected by the condition of the market for Foreign Cotton and Cotton Goods. It is, however, noteworthy that in a year of scarcity as regards food, when one would expect less money to be forthcoming for purchases away from home, more purchases seem to have been made, not for the manufacture of articles to be exported merely, but for home use. In Young Deer Horns, too, the value of the trade of the year 1880 exceeds that of 1879 by Hk.its. 80,000, for a cause which I feel it would be vain for me to seek to explain. The trade in Medicines also improved to an estimated value of Hk.fts. 70,000. As regards that, it is conceivable that greater scarcity of food created greater demand for the remedies against the diseases which inevitably affect the underfed and underclothed. Even as regards Tobacco there seems to have been a larger demand for the unprepared leaf, although a less demand for the prepared article, in the later than in the earlier year. It is charitable, perhaps, to assume that the increased quantity of leaf contributed to the manufacture of the prepared article, of which there is a very large export from Canton, not only to other ports of China, but to Foreign countries. EXPORTS TO NATIVE PORTS. . The value of the Exports to Chinese ports in 1880 was estimated at Hk.fts. 3,611,379, as against Hk.Tts. 3,554,399 in 1879, so that, apparently, there is little difference to note between CANTON. 263 the two years; yet under some headings in the tables there is a very large difference. For example, the export of Silk Goods in 1880 fell short of that of 1879 to a value of Hk.Tts. 200,000. The one article which seems to have compensated the year 1880 against its losses is Sugar, of which Hk.Tts. 770,000 worth was exported to Chinese ports, as against Hk.its. 430,000 worth in 1879. And yet, when one reflects on this subject, it appears that the Sugar exported in 1880 was the outcome of sugar-cane grown in 1879; so that it yet remains to be seen from the statistics of 1881 whether or not in respect of this commodity the outturn of 1880 was not equally unfortunate with that of most of the other productions of this province in that year. It would serve no useful purpose for me to go through in detail the multifarious articles of local manufacture which contribute to make up the total Export trade of this busy port. It is enough for me to remark that had it not been for the calamity of an excessive rainfall which befell this province in the early summer, and did incalculable damage to crops and industries, there are evidences enough that the year 1880 would have yielded more valuable results than any previous year, and thus have indicated on the part of the vast populations here that they are making steady progress in manufactures of all sorts and kinds. EMIGRATION. There is but one other subject which I have to refer to, namely, emigration. Excluding all such emigration as went on from this port viâ Hongkong to Foreign countries, of which I have no means of ascertaining any details, there left here for Foreign countries direct in the year 1880 four steamers and three sailing vessels laden with 2,873 passengers in all. These passengers went to the Sandwich Islands exclusively, and prior to going on board each individually underwent an examination tending to elicit the truth as to the fact of his being a voluntary emigrant defraying his own passage. Part of the proof called for was the evidence of a really solvent shop in Canton corroborative of the intending emigrant's own affirmation. Such are Chinese associations that it would be practically impossible for an intending bona fide emigrant, paying his own way, either out of his own pocket or through the contributions of his family or clan, to fail to find such a guarantor in the event of his seriously seeking it. Hence the method is not only good, but, as circumstances are, the only method at the same time feasible and effective. A shop which under such circumstances would connive with an emigrant to give false evidence, whether by suppressing truth or fabricating falsehood, would on discovery meet with condign punishment, and justly so. I have, etc., E. McKEAN, Commissioner of Customs. ROBERT HART, ESQUIRE, Inspector General of Customs, PEKING. 264 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. KIUNGCHOW TRADE REPORT, FOR THE YEAR 1880. [Received 28th March 1881.] CUSTOM HOUSE KIUNGCHOW, 1st March 1881. SIR, In compliance with your instructions, I now have the honour to hand you my Report on the trade of Kiungchow for the year 1880. SHIPPING. The total number of steamers that entered the port during the year was 177, of 74,661 tons capacity, as against 122, of 52,524 tons, in 1879. This large increase may be considered due partly to the expansion of the trade at Pakhoi, and partly to the number of outside steamers which called in here on their way to Haiphong during the last quarter of 1880, in consequence of the Annamite Government having again consented to allow for a short time the exportation of Rice to a Foreign country. But as these steamers generally obtained full cargoes at Haiphong, they merely stopped here on their return to take in passengers and treasure, and perhaps a few packages of deck cargo, or to wait till daylight the next morning, captains of steamers, generally speaking, being averse to leaving this harbour to the eastwards after mid-day, as they desire to get well clear of the banks at Hainan Head before dark. The tonnage at times during the year was therefore not equal to the requirements of the port. Soon after the Chinese New Year there was a considerable demand, but as freights had been low for some time past, there was little inducement for an outside steamer to come here seeking, especially as freights in Hongkong were good for other places. In April, however, in consequence of there being three or four junks on the berth for Hongkong, a steamer of 29,000 piculs carrying capacity, having heard that she could get a full cargo here, arrived, and in two or three days was able to clear with over 21,000 packages of Sugar and Sundries, which is a large amount for this port. Another steamer left the next day with some 10,000 packages more. During the June quarter several junks loaded for Hongkong with Sugar, the prices there for this commodity being too low to admit of merchants sending their shipments by steamer. Again in the September quarter steamers frequently arrived here full from Haiphong or Pakhoi, and junks were needed to take away our Exports ; 23,000 packages of goods were shipped off in this way to Hongkong. The total Exports shown in our Returns have thus been considerably lessened, but I fear that, until our trade is greater and the supply of tonnage more regular, we must expect this to occur KIUNGCHOW. 265 occasionally. So long as steamers can get cargoes in Haiphong they will desert Hoihow, and Native vessels will participate to a greater or less extent in the carrying trade of the port. In December the privilege of exporting Rice from Haiphong was withdrawn, in consequence of the officials there apprehending a scarcity in the province; and while this embargo exists, steamers will be glad to pick up even a few packages of cargo at this port. Several outsiders have, of course, left the line during the last month, but there are still, I think, too many steamers— namely, five-running here, unless the trade of Pakhoi assumes larger dimensions. If the Exports from that port and Hoihow increase, it is probable that we may become independent of the Haiphong trade, and that steamers will be enabled to make Pakhoi their terminus, and possibly leave a certain amount of space for Hoihow cargo. There would then be less chance of Native vessels sharing in the trade, and of outside steamers taking away cargo from the regular traders. But at present this port can do little towards accomplishing this end. In 1878 Messrs. DOUGLAS LAPRAIK & Co.'s steamer Albay (366 tons) commenced running between Hongkong and Hoihow, but after having made five trips she ceased to run regularly, and ultimately went elsewhere. From May 1879 to May 1880 the British s.s. Kiungchow, of about 3,000 piculs carrying capacity, ran between the same two places, but after that time she went up North, and was succeeded by the British s.s. Hongkong (67 tons), which made only one trip and then left the line. If, therefore, it does not (apparently) pay to run either an ordinary- sized steamer, or even a small one, regularly between Hongkong and Hoihow, distant from each other about 270 miles only, it is evident that the trade of the port is still not great, and that a small amount of regular tonnage under ordinary circumstances would suffice for its present needs. In March the British s.s. Bombay cleared for Swatow with 9,000 piculs of Ground-nut Cake. With the exception of this cargo and a few other packages exported to Pakhoi (chiefly Betel-nuts) or Haiphong, all the remainder went to Hongkong. 79 steamers cleared with cargo for that port, taking away in all 157,067 packages, representing an average of 1,988 packages each. The total number of packages brought from Hongkong amounted to 53,487, which were brought in 109 steamers. I am given to understand that the Hoihow merchants do not as a general rule insure their cargo by steamers to or from Hongkong. The China Merchants' Steam Navigation Company have now two steamers running on this line, the Kangchi (688 tons), which replaced the Haeshin, transferred to the North early in the year, and the Tungting (315 tons), which does not go further than Pakhoi. The remaining three are the British s.s. Conquest (318 tons), and the Hainan (281 tons) and the Pingon (477 tons), both flying the American flag. The Hainan is a very suitable boat for running between Hongkong, Hoihow, and Pakhoi, she being of light draft and fairly fast. Since, however, she has changed hands, she has relied almost entirely on Haiphong. The German s.s. Welle, which ran here during the earlier part of the year, is, I believe, now engaged in carrying Rice between Haiphong and Touron. Through Chinese sources I learn that 500,000 piculs of Rice were shipped by steamers and 200,000 piculs by junks from Haiphong to Foreign countries from October to December last. These figures are probably a little over the mark, but there is no doubt that steamers did a good business while the exportation was allowed. The uncertainty, however, as to when the privilege would be withdrawn was not in favour, I should think, of commercial enterprise at the port, and one or two steamers, I fear, lost money 34 266 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. in venturing there once too often. In fact, one vessel had less than $300 worth of freight from Hongkong to Haiphong and back, owing to there being no Rice for her. The same number and tonnage of steamers cleared as entered, but no sailing vessel arrived during the year. Of the total tonnage employed, 9 per cent. was German, 25 per cent. British, 32 per cent. Chinese, and 34 per cent. American. In 1879 the German flag headed the list with 45 per cent. The passenger traffic in 1880 increased; 2,382 Natives arrived, and 3,431 left, principally from and to Hongkong respectively. The fare to or from Hongkong was $3 to $5. Freights between Hongkong and Hoihow were a little higher, on the whole, than they were in 1879. The rates were for Opium, $3 to $4 per chest; Sugar, 10 to 35 cents per bag; Galangal, 40 cents to $1 per picul; Ground-nut Cake, 10 cents per picul; and Sundries, 25 to 60 cents per picul. Both the import and export of Treasure were greater than in 1879. During the earlier months of the past year there was a scarcity of Copper Cash in Hoihow, and notices had to be put up by the authorities forbidding the export of it. The exchange per dollar (weighed at its..717) averaged 1,064 cash until June, when supplies having arrived principally from Pakhoi, prices declined, and 1,082 cash could be obtained for a dollar during the remainder of the year. VALUE OF THE TRADE. The net value of the trade for the year amounted to Hk.Fts. 1,677,025 (= at 58. 7d., £468,169), as against Hk.Tts. 1,373,419 (£383,413) in 1879. To this total Foreign Imports contributed Hk.its. 826,850, an increase of 14 per cent.; Native Imports, Hk.Pts. 183,149, an increase of 85 per cent.; and Exports, Hk.Tts. 667,026, an increase of 21 per cent. Under the heading of Foreign Imports, Opium, all the principal kinds of Cotton and Woollen Goods and Metals show an increase, while among the few articles showing a decrease may be mentioned Raw Cotton, Wheat, Beans, and Rice. Under Native Imports the increase appears principally in Raw Cotton, Hemp, Lily Flowers, Medicines, and Vermicelli. In Exports there is a marked increase in Sugar, Betel-nuts, Ground-nut Cake, and Hides. The share taken in the whole trade, Foreign and Coast, by each flag was as follows: American, 40 per cent.; British, 36 per cent.; Chinese, 18 per cent.; and German, 6 per cent. The difference between the gross and net value of the trade of the port is very slight, only HK.Tts. 3,230 during the last three years, most of the goods re-exported having been returned to Hongkong as being spurious or unsaleable here. IMPORTS. OPIUM.—The importation of this drug is steadily increasing every year, principally, I think, because less comes into the port by Native vessels, and because the area of consumption is getting larger; but I am unable to ascertain what places are the principal consumers of it, as the merchants sell their consignments in such small lots, purchasers rarely buying more than one ball or two balls at a time. The figures are,—1877, 725 piculs; 1878, 1,021 piculs; 1879, 1,118 piculs; and 1880, 1,303 piculs. In the latter, 2.12 piculs, which were sent back to Hongkong, as some of the balls had been tampered with and half filled with some stuff resembling molasses, are not included. In July 1879 the retail cost of the prepared article KIUNGCHOW. 267 averaged about $12.50 per catty, or 78 cents per tael weight; it is now $13.28 per catty, or 83 cents per tael, in consequence of an additional tax of Its. 22} per picul being collected on the raw article at the 'Haifang Office. Assuming, therefore, that most of the Opium-smokers among the lower classes smoke about 7 candareens weight per day, their pipe only costs them now 4 cash a day more than it did formerly. On reference to the Swatow Report on Trade for 1879, the total which Opium pays there amounts to Ak.Pts. 37.5.9.5 for Malwa, and Hk.Tts. 39.6.3.3 for Patna. We estimate that Malwa pays here Hk.fts. 47.02 per picul, and Patna Hk.Tts. 39.85 per picul. In the early part of December last the collection of the 'Haifang tax ceased, and the Hoihow merchants took advantage of the opportunity to import a large quantity-probably slightly in excess of the demand—as quickly as possible, before it in some form or another would be put in force again. After some deliberation the authorities in Canton decided to substitute a Prepared Opium tax ( ), equal in amount to twice the 'Haifang tax, and to be levied on the Opium in its crude state immediately on its passing the Foreign Custom House. Some delay has, however, occurred, owing to the opposition of the Hoihow merchants, who are desirous of seeing this new impost first started at Swatow, and further reference to Canton has been necessary, the 'Haifang tax meanwhile being again collected from the 20th December. The total amount a picul of Patna will have to pay when the new tax is established is estimated at about Hk.fts. 60, exclusive of Hk.Its 30 Import Duty. Foreign importers of Opium would therefore gain largely, and be able to undersell the Native dealers considerably, if they did not pay any duty except that levied at the Foreign Custom House. Should the authorities continue to increase the Likin or other Native charges from time to time, I fear that large quantities will be smuggled into this part of Hainan from the South, where great facilities for illicit trade exist. Quotations for Patna averaged $650 per picul; Malwa, $24 per parcel of 3 catties; and Benares, $630 per picul. Of the total imported, 200 chests were sent over to Haian ; 20 chests only were imported by junks. The opium merchants, in all 22, state that their profits during 1880 were very small, owing to the fluctuation of the prices in Hongkong. Two per cent. is the most they will admit, although their gain is put down by other merchants at 12 to 14 per cent. The estimated value of the total Opium imported during the year is Hk.Its. 588,499 (£164,289), or over one-third of the entire value of the trade of the port; and the duty collected on it amounted to Hk.Fts. 39,052.2.8.0. COTTON PIECE GOODS show an increase on the total quantity imported of 46 per cent.; the figures being 43,792 pieces in 1879 (including 744 dozens of Handkerchiefs, one dozen to the piece), as against 64,111 pieces in 1880. The importations were larger in almost every item; only American Drills showing an appreciable falling off (449 pieces). From what I could gather from inquiries made in 1879, the merchants seemed to fear that there would not be a good market in Hainan for Cotton Goods during the year under review, but their apprehensions have turned out to be groundless, for not only is there such a large increase in Cotton Piece Goods, but Woollen Goods also show an improvement in all the items which appear in our trade Returns. The taxes they both pay at the Native Custom House cannot therefore bear very heavily on the importers. The reason they now assign for the greater demand is that, in consequence of the suppression of the Hakka rising at Linkao and Tamchow, the people there, who are our largest consumers, are better off, and, having had good crops of paddy and 268 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. potatoes, they are able to spend more money in dress. The prices realised were about the same as in the previous year: Grey Shirtings, $1.60 to $2.80, White Shirtings, $3.10 to $3.20, T-Cloths, $1.30 to $1.60, English Camlets, $15.80 to $17, Lastings, $13.50 to $15, and Long Ells, $8 to $9, per piece. 21,259 pieces of White Shirtings were imported, against 11,651 pieces; and 28,839 pieces of T-Cloths, as against 23,153 pieces in 1879. The total of Woollen Goods was, for 1880, 2,397 pieces, Hk. Pts. 16,273, and for 1879, 1,954 pieces, Hk.Tts. 12,422; but the consumption of these commodities is still small, and I do not suppose it will ever become very extensive unless trade with the mainland improves. Four new shops dealing in Piece Goods were opened and two failed during the year. METALS were imported to the value of Hk.its. 14,389, as against Hk.fts. 4,630, the demand being good for Iron, which is sent principally to Linkao. FOREIGN SUNDRIES.—Under this heading there appears a decrease in Cotton of 7,479 piculs, but against this must be placed the increase in Native Cotton of 3,505 piculs. In consequence of the favourable crops of Rice in the neighbourhood, and there being no troops to provide for in the West, there was a large diminution in the importation; only 2,478 piculs, as against 46,484 piculs in 1879. There was a falling off also in Wheat of 6,018 piculs. The use among the Chinese of Foreign Matches and Kerosene Oil is becoming more general every year; of the former, the kind principally used here is that which comes from Japan, it being obtainable at 5 cash per box, or 4 cash less than any other sort. The bulk of the Kerosene Oil arrives in junks; the Native shippers in Hongkong experience, they say, less difficulty in shipping it this way than by steamers. Under Native Imports, besides Cotton, there is an increase in Hemp of 1,322 piculs; in Dried Lily Flowers, of 1,537 piculs; and in Vermicelli, of 1,784 piculs. EXPORTS. SUGAR.-It is gratifying to have to record a large increase in our staple export. Of Brown, 67,604 piculs, and of White, 24,536 piculs, were shipped in Foreign bottoms, as against 47,024 piculs and 17,225 piculs respectively in 1879. It is estimated that some 15,000 piculs left in junks during the year, in consequence of there being no steamer here to take them away. The crop was considered a good one, owing to the favourable weather in the autumn; but the yield of the present year will, it is feared, be smaller by some 20,000 piculs. Of the total exported, only 1,792 piculs were from the Leichow peninsula. The anticipation expressed in my last year's Report regarding the shipment of the bulk of the Sugar from Haian in Foreign steamers from this port has not been realised, and I fear that if the Native Customs levy an Import Duty on arrival here, the merchants will be compelled to continue sending it by junks; 190,000 piculs left in this way for Macao. The crop in the immediate neighbourhood of Haian was not a very good one, owing to the unfavourable weather, and prices generally ruled. low in Hongkong. The only way we can hope to divert this trade to steamers here, so long as the port of Haian remains unopened to Foreign trade, is by the use of Transit Passes. The value of the amount shipped was Hk.Tts. 252,194, or 38 per cent of the total Export trade. In January Brown Sugar was $4.15; in February it reached its highest figure, $4.22; in May KIUNGCHOW. 269 it dropped to $3.90, and continued going down until October, when it was $3.50; in December it rose again to $3.80 per bag. White did not fluctuate much during the year; the average price was $6.27 per bag. The next important item on the list is Grasscloth (12 per cent. of the trade); it is woven principally at Wênch'ang from hemp and pineapple fibres, and forms one of the chief industries of the port. Next to it comes Betel-nuts, of which 4,970 piculs, Hk.Tts. 52,468, were shipped, about one-half to Pakhoi and the remainder to the northern ports. The merchants here import a large quantity from Singapore, for the purpose, I understand, of mixing (in the proportion of 1 to 10) with the Hainan nut, the former being very much cheaper, and indistinguishable from the latter after it has been smoked over the fire in the usual way. There is a falling off in Sesamum Seed, owing to a poor crop and low prices in Canton, to which port they are chiefly sent. The trade in Leather and Leather Trunks and Cow Glue was fairly brisk. The first named goes to Shanghai and Swatow, the Trunks to the Straits and Siam, and the Glue to Swatow. The figures for Ground-nut Cake were 27,829 piculs, against 14,612 piculs in 1879. The bulk of it is exported to Swatow, and the rest to Macao, for distribution in Canton and the neighbouring districts. Very little Oil is shipped away, there being a large demand for it on the island. In Hides, one of the principal industries here, there was a considerable trade compared with the year 1879. The preparation of them is, I understand, a Cantonese monopoly, in which no Hainanese are allowed to participate, and there are only two manufactories. Animals which are sick or too old to be of any further use in the fields are the ones generally selected for the purpose. The price of a cow is about $8 to $10. The shipment of Pigs was smaller, owing partly to many having died young of a disease which has been for some time past and is still prevalent among the cattle on the island, and partly to the high freights by steamer,—$1.50 to $2 per head, instead of, as formerly, 60 cents. Hemp forms one of the principal Exports here, and is made into Grasscloth. It is of much finer quality and more expensive than the kind imported from Hankow, which is only used in the manufacture of rope. The crop of Galangal in Haian not being a good one, our figures are less than in 1879. Lung-ngan Pulp is sent from here to Canton, to be there repacked for probable re-exportation to Australia and the northern ports of China. The trade in Silk Fish-lines and Animal Tallow is increasing, but there is a falling off in Medicines. The above-mentioned Exports constitute 94 per cent. of the trade; the others are unimportant, with the exception, perhaps, of Liquid Indigo, which, although only a small quantity leaves the port in steamers, furnishes in its cultivation and preparation employment to numbers of people in the vicinity of Hoihow. The plants, including root, are pulled out of the ground in April and packed tightly in earthen jars; water is first poured over them, and then a quantity of lime. The whole is allowed to stand for 24 hours, when the plants are taken out, and about one-third of the water is poured off, the remainder, which is now of a deep blue colour, is then transferred to large tanks ready for use. The total amount prepared is estimated at 5,000 piculs, of which about 2,000 are exported in junks to the ports in the neighbourhood. The value is about $1.50 per picul. 270 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. TRANSIT TRADE. During the year 16 Transit Passes Outwards were applied for by a Foreigner to cover Native produce from Leichow; and the total goods thus brought over were Brown Sugar, 1,792 piculs, and Galangal, 781 piculs. Four Transit Passes Inwards were also granted to the same hong for T-Cloths, 100 pieces; Old Iron, 117 piculs; and Beans, 981 piculs; the restriction that Kiungchow Export Transit Passes were only to be issued for Sugar, and Import Transit Passes for certain specified goods of bona fide Foreign origin, having been withdrawn. These amounts are much smaller than might have been expected, but perhaps, as none had been granted previously, there were some slight difficulties to be encountered, which will doubtless disappear in future years. I trust that shortly the Chinese merchants will avail themselves of the privilege lately conceded to them, and that during 1881 a large quantity of Foreign goods will be imported for the purpose of being sent by them under Transit Pass to the mainland opposite. REVENUE. During the year under review the total collection amounted to Hk. Its 83,611.3.0.8, which represents an increase of Hk.Pts. 14,621.3.2.3, or 21 per cent. All the headings compare favourably with 1879. The total sum collected since the port was opened, in round numbers, is Hk.fts. 320,990, to which Opium has contributed Hk.fts. 140,461, and Sugar, Hk.Its. 65,180. Instead of venturing to give any opinion as to the future prospects of the port, it may, perhaps, not be uninteresting to compare Kiungchow with Tamsui. In 1864, which was the first full year of the establishment of the Foreign Inspectorate there, we find that the total dues and duties amounted to Hk.Tts. 63,540. In 1877—our first whole year—we collected Hk.Tts. 63,151. During the years 1865-70 the Revenue of Tamsui only averaged Hk.Tts. 57,713; it was not until over seven years after the opening of the port in 1871, when it was Hk.fts. 102,418, that it exceeded Hk.Pts. 70,000. In 1878 the Kiungchow receipts declined a little, but in 1879 they rose to HK.fts. 68,990, and last year they reached Hk.its. 83,611, that is within five years from the commencement of trade here. For the first four years (1864-67) the Tamsui Exports averaged Hk.Tts. 22,946. From 1877-80 ours averaged Hk.its. 22,901. In 1867 the shipment of Tea, now the chief export at Tamsui, amounted to 2,031 piculs, but it has gradually increased year by year, and in 1879 was 85,033 piculs. With the exception of Camphor and Coal, Tamsui, after all these years, has no article of export valued at over Hk.Tts. 4,000. At Kiungchow it is probable that more land will be devoted to the cultivation of the Sugar- cane; and besides Sugar, we have four comparatively large industries here—Leather, Leather Trunks, Glue, and Tallow; we have the production of Silk, Hemp, and Ground-nuts, and the manufactures of Silk Piece Goods and Grasscloth, which may all increase, and help considerably to swell the Revenue. Unfortunately, our chief export is of low value, and consequently pays a small duty. I may add also that Hainan is now free from internal disorder, and that the people seem to be fairly enterprising. The appearance of the port is quite changed since 1876; buildings having been constructed along the river side as far as the West Fort and elsewhere. KIUNGCHOW. 271 The Natives invest their surplus cash in houses, and property is much more valuable than formerly. The transport of goods from the neighbouring districts is cheap, and roads, generally speaking, are good. GENERAL. On the 30th August a heavy gale was experienced here. It began to blow hard about 8 P.m. from the north, and continued from that direction till 3 A.M. next morning, when the wind veered round to the south-west and south-east. At 7 A.M. it moderated, without having done any destruction to property on shore or afloat. The lowest reading of the barometer was 28.90. On the 24th September there was a strong north-west gale, lasting from 5 A.M. till 10 A.M., which caused the water in the creek to rise 10 feet. Some of the streets were flooded, and much damage to houses in the west of Hoihow was occasioned. Fortunately, there was no shipping in the harbour at the time. On the 5th September the China Merchants' s.s. Kangchi stranded on a sandbank about 20 miles north-east of Hainan Head. When the news reached here on the afternoon of next day, H.B.M.S. Magpie, Captain NAPIER, immediately got up steam and proceeded to her assistance. She found her badly ashore, and her rudder carried away. After some of the cargo had been jettisoned, the Magpie succeeded in getting her off on the 8th, and the next morning towed her into Hoihow. A temporary rudder was made, and she was enabled to leave on the 15th for Hongkong, where the damage she had received was repaired. On the 19th September H.B.M.S. Magpie finally left the port, having completed for the present her survey of these parts, in which she had been engaged off and on since 1878. She has surveyed this harbour, the eastern entrance to Hainan Straits, Cape Cami, and Haian on the opposite peninsula, and one or two other important places. The charts when published will be invaluable to captains of vessels trading here, especially the one of the Straits; the one of the harbour will lose in value, I fear, as time goes on, owing to the extending of the sandspit across the bay and the consequent shallowing of the water inside it. There is no doubt that communication between the shore and the anchorage is getting more difficult every year; in 1880 it frequently happened that when going out to a steamer one had to walk almost out to the spit, or say two miles, for want of water, there not being sufficient to float a punt drawing 3 inches. This is a great drawback to the port, and one that cannot easily be obviated. On the 17th October the American ship James Bailey (1,531 tons), Captain MANN, bound for San Francisco in ballast, encountered a typhoon soon after leaving Hongkong, and was driven on shore between Mofou and Toncon, opposite the Taya Islands, on the north-east coast of this island. The officers and crew, with the exception of one sailor washed overboard the day before she struck, were saved, and reached Hoihow overland on the 21st. The ship, shortly after their leaving her, became a total wreck; she was ultimately sold at auction, as she stood, for $200, to a Foreign firm in Hongkong, who intend taking her to pieces when the monsoon changes. PAKHOI. 273 PAKH0I ᎢᎡᎪᎠᎬ ᎡEᏢ0ᎡᎢ , FOR THE YEAR 1880. [Received 19th February 1881.] CUSTOM HOUSE, PAKHOI, 27th January 1881. SIR, In the three previous Reports on Trade despatched from this office since its establishment in April 1877, you have been made acquainted with the anticipations held out of the development of a considerable trade in Foreign vessels, of the chief routes already followed by the existing local traffic, and of the extent of country of which Pakhoi was likely to become the port of inlet and outlet so soon as the advantages supposed to accrue from trade conducted in Foreign ships and under Treaty privileges were adopted; but until the last quarter of 1879, none of the results which it was expected would immediately follow the opening of the port to Foreign trade were realised. Consequently, all my predecessors had to record in connexion with the shipping trade of this port was the employment of a large amount of tonnage in junks, over which this office does not take cognizance, while steamers failed to procure freights at any price. The experiment made at the close of last year, of shipping by steamer in preference to junks, has been productive of very good results; and as the favourable commencement made during the autumn of 1879 has been so steadily maintained throughout the past twelvemonth, it may safely be affirmed that the opposition originally shown to the new mode of transport has completely died out, and that the abandonment of the antiquated junk for the conveyance of all but the most bulky and costless produce is simply a matter of time. But if we consider the large Native shipping interests so seriously jeopardised by the appearance of steamers, it is not surprising that the antagonism shown toward Foreign craft should have held out as long as it did; and but for the losses sustained by junk-owners as well as shippers during the typhoon of October 1879, coupled with the introduction of a levy on Opium—the most valuable import,—which it was found might be evaded for a time by using steamers, it is quite possible that the opposition got up on the appearance of a rival in a branch of trade hitherto held unchallenged might have lasted to the present time, as a similar opposition appears to have done at Wênchow_opened to Foreign trade at the same time as Pakhoi. Chinese mercantile combinations, as we all know, are very powerful, and when supported by the local officials it is generally a most tedious and often unsuccessful task to oppose them. Be that as it may, there can be no doubt that steamers have now gained a large share of the carrying trade on this coast hitherto solely enjoyed by junks, which vessels, when placed in competition with steamers, are 35 274 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. bound to gradually disappear, just as our sailing ships in most parts of the world have had to give way to steamers. But in China new channels for the employment of sailing craft driven off a route monopolised for many decades are more difficult to find than for similar vessels abroad—whence we, however, hear grave complaints of the scarcity of freights. The Chinese master of a sea-going junk is not a navigator. As a rule, he is quite incompetent to sail his vessel to ports in unknown waters; consequently, when such craft are forced to give up a route, in all probability familiar to the master from his childhood, they cannot be placed on the berth for ports offering the best rates of freight, as would be the case under similar circumstances abroad. Hence the strenuous opposition always shown by junk-owners on the appearance of steamers entering into competition. Fortunately for the owners of vested interest, changes in this country take place very gradually, unless influenced by exceptional causes, as was the case at this port. Therefore, notwithstanding the fact that steamers have finally succeeded in surmounting the prejudices shown to their employment throughout the years 1877 and 1878, it is improbable that they will monopolise the whole of the carrying trade here any more than they have done at Newchwang, Tamsui, Swatow, or Wenchow, where large fleets of junks, representing a vast amount of tonnage, still keep up an apparently remunerative trade, although abundant cheap Foreign tonnage by steamer and sailing ship could be engaged were there any demand for it. Thus it would appear that either steamers are not so inimical to junk interests as is generally supposed, or that the coasting trade of China is capable of great expansion, as evidenced by the large annual increase in steamer tonnage employed coastwise, without a commensurate decrease in the junk traffic, so far as one can gather from the recent reports of my colleagues stationed at the ports mentioned above. The subject is one of considerable interest, and it will be instructive to watch the effects of steamers on the junk traffic at this port. SHIPPING. As it was only during the last quarter of 1879 that steamers began to find employment at this port, the annual “Returns of Trade” for that year merely show the results of seven weeks traffic; consequently, they do not admit of a comparison being made with the statistics of the past year. During 1880 the number of steamers entered at this office was 105, aggregating 43,718 tons; they came from Hongkong viâ Kiungchow (in Hainan), and from Haiphong (in Annam), on their return to the above British colony, viâ this port, Kiungchow, and Macao. The same number of steamers cleared for these termini. Of the entries, 95 steamers, equalling 38,838 tons, brought cargo to Pakhoi, the remainder arriving in ballast, or, in other words, with only original cargo from their port of departure-generally, in such cases, Haiphong—for Hongkong via Kiungchow and Macao. Similarly, 68 steamers, aggregating 28,359 tons, cleared with Exports, principally for Macao and Hongkong viâ Kiungchow, and 37 vessels, equalling 15,359 tons, mostly for Haiphong, departed without receiving shipments for their destination, there being as yet very little interchange of products by Foreign vessels between Pakhoi and Annam,—the total value of the trade thus represented amounting to less than Hkits. 10,000. The above tonnage was contributed by 10 different steamers, of which 4 flew the British flag, 2 the American, and i that of Germany, while 3 were under Chinese colours. LS PAKHOI. 275 At the close of the year a small Chinese steamer was placed on the line to trade directly between Pakhoi, Kiungchow, and Hongkong, without going to Haiphong, as is customary with most traders. As a beginning, the results of the last year's traffic may be considered very satisfactory, and it will not be surprising if we find double the amount of Foreign tonnage employed in less than half a decade. No sailing vessels have visited the port since it opened. Before concluding these observations on the Shipping of the past year, a few remarks on the junk traffic between the Straits and China will not be out of place. Readers of the Annual Reports from Swatow, Wenchow, Kiungchow, and this port will have noticed the existence of an inconsiderable business done in Native vessels between Singapore and the above ports, in spite of the frequent and regular voyages made by steamers engaged in the China trade, by which means all the Treaty Ports are placed in indirect communication with the above colony. That junks should continue to find any employment at all on so long a route, rendered dangerous by the presence of numerous pirates in the Tonquin Gulf, is, to say the least, surprising; but it only confirms what has been said before on the tardiness with which old routes and means of transport are abandoned in favour of new ones. In the Pakhoi Report on Trade for 1878, Mr. Piry records the annual departure of two junks for Singapore from Kinchow, a port a few miles westward of Pakhoi, whose outward cargoes were said to realise immense profits, but what merchandise was brought in return he was unable to ascertain. Through the courtesy of the Registrar of Imports and Exports at Singapore, particulars of the arrival and departure of junks trading between the colony and Kinchow, with the nature and value of their cargo, have been obtained, from which it will be observed that while the number of entries and clearances is much greater than was supposed, the value of the goods exchanged is so small that it is difficult to conceive how vessels can derive any profit in the transport of such small freights. The 20 junks arriving at Singapore during 1880 brought Salt, Earthenware, Pigs, Iron Pans, Crockeryware, Roofing Tiles, Salted Eggs, Matting, Oil, Salt Fish, Buffalo Hides, and Honey, to the aggregate value of $21,319, or say $1,070 as the average value of the cargo of each junk. The 19 homeward-bound junks brought in return Buffalo Bones, Old Iron, Rattans, Cotton, Gunpowder, Rice, Paddy, Rod Iron, Betel-nuts, Mangrove Bark, Cotton Goods, Planks, Kerosene Oil, Benares Opium, and Treasure, the total Imports aggregating $24,914 in value, or $1,122 per junk. When steamers see fit to call in at Pakhoi at fixed intervals, on their voyage to and from Singapore, they would doubtless get the little freight still in the hands of junks, and in due time develop the existing interchange of products to many times its present value. But the transfer of coasting junk freights to steamers does not necessarily imply the employment of more Foreign-owned tonnage. The Chinese flag is certain to retain the larger share of the traffic, and as Native shipowners find junks cease to be of use as coasters, they will replace them by steamers, either under their own flag or under Foreign register. Several of such Chinese-owned vessels, under Foreign register, are employed on the coast; and of the io steamers that were engaged in the Pakhoi trade during 1880, only three are said to be Foreign property. The passenger traffic in itself ought to contribute largely to the receipts of steamers so soon as they ply with more regularity than at present. There must be a considerable 276 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. traffic between this part of the Kwangtung province and Hainan, Macao, Hongkong, and particularly Canton, which would naturally go to steamers, if any steps were taken to develop and encourage it. The number of Native passengers arriving and departing during 1880 was as follows:- To Hongkong and Macao . 765 From Hongkong and Macao 745 „ Kiungchow . .... 100 „ Kiungchow. ... 184 » Haiphong . . . . . . 96 - Haiphong . . . . . II7 961 1,046 VALUE OF TRADE. Sa The net value of the trade carried on by the shipping described above amounted to Hk.Pts. 1,748,160, of which sum Foreign Imports, chiefly from Hongkong, contributed Hk.Its. 1,208,816; Native produce from other Coast Ports sent here vid Hongkong, Hk.its. 92,740; and Exports of local origin, shipped chiefly to Macao and Hongkong, Hk.Fts. 446,604. It is scarcely necessary to remark—it being the case at all the ports—that Opium represents the highest value of any single article imported, and more than equals the combined values of the total Imports of European origin. The drug landed at Pakhoi during the year was valued at Hk.Its. 565,944; but other articles of Foreign manufacture likewise show very satisfactory returns, which will be more clearly shown by a brief review of the table of Imports given in the Annual Returns. IMPORTS OF FOREIGN ORIGIN. The Opium landed amounted to 1,345.58 piculs, and, with the exception of 16.66 piculs of Patna and 10 catties of Malwa, consisted of Benares. To the value of the imports of European origin, Cotton Piece Goods contributed Hk.fts. 104,550, of which sum 73,496 pieces of T-Cloths stand for Hk. Pts. 100,858, none of the remaining seven articles being imported in quantities exceeding Hk.Fts. 1,400 in value. As a comparison between this and previous year's importa- tions cannot be made, for the reason already explained—that the Returns of 1879 do not show the result of more than seven weeks' trade, it may not be uninteresting to point out, in reviewing the quantities imported, the relative position Pakhoi holds with the other Coast Ports as a consumer of textile fabrics, by comparing our figures for 1880 with those of other ports for 1879. As an importer of T-Cloths, it may then be noted that Pakhoi ranks tenth among the 19 open ports; but in Cotton Yarn, of which 15,892 piculs, of Hk.its. 345,287 in value, were imported, this port promises to become a very large consumer, and already assumes the position of fourth among the ports as a purchaser of Yarn; and as we may infer that junks brought an equally large quantity, there can be little doubt that this district is destined to take a foremost position as a market for this manufacture. Indian Raw Cotton, to the amount 79. PAKHOI. 277 of 8,678 piculs, contributed Hk.its. 93,769 to goods of Foreign origin, and Woollen manufactures, of which six different kinds were landed, added Hk.fts. 45,989. Of this total, 7,242 pieces of Long Ells are credited with Hk.Pts. 44,294, thus placing Pakhoi as fourth largest importer among all the ports, Kiukiang being the third; but from the figures constituting the balance, it will be observed that there is still room for a large development in other Woollen fabrics. In other manufactures of European make, the only goods imported in quantities worthy of note were Matches and Needles. Of the former there were 16,005 gross, valued at Hk.Its. 4,985, and 32,521 mille of Needles, of Hk. Pts. 4,019 in value, which may be seconded by Straits produce, consisting of 2,358 piculs of Betel-nuts, worth Hk.Tts. 11,278, and 1,030 piculs of Pepper, : 7,375; with which articles our review of the goods of Foreign origin may be concluded, none of the other items being brought in sufficient quantities to warrant special notice. C our TRADE IN NATIVE PRODUCE IMPORTED. The trade in Native produce imported from Coast Ports viâ Hongkong, valued at Hk.Tts. 92,740, is a branch of commerce in which Foreign merchants do not participate in any way. This produce consists chiefly of comestible articles, such as Betel-nuts from Hainan, Dates and Dried Lily Flowers from the North, Medicines, and Vermicelli; but few of which were imported in large quantities. Raw Cotton, to the amount of 4,036 piculs, contributed more than half-Hk.fts. 48,435—to the total value of this division of trade, the remainder being made up principally by the above-named articles, of which Dried Lily Flowers yielded Hk.its. 6,390, all the other items being below that figure. From the neighbouring port of Kiungchow, in the island of Hainan, the Imports were valued at Hk.Tts. 5,676, included in the total given above. PRODUCE OF LOCAL ORIGIN. The produce of local origin shipped away during the year, to the value of Hk.Fts. 446,604, should be divided into two divisions : 1°, Produce destined for reshipment abroad; and 2°, Produce for consumption in China. Of the former, Star Aniseed, Aniseed Oil, Cassia Lignea, Cassia Oil, Cassia Leaf Oil,—a product hitherto unrecorded in our Annual Returns-Hides, and Sugar are the only Exports likely to find their way to European or American markets. If the figures given in last year's Report by Mr. Piry-namely, 10,000 piculs represent the average annual production of Aniseed, then nearly the whole crop must have been shipped by steamers, as 8,842 piculs, valued at HK.fts. 109,993, were exported during the year, besides 465 piculs of Broken Seed, of Hk. Pts. 838 in value. It was expected that Cassia Lignea would become the staple export to Foreign countries on the opening of Pakhoi; but as a further instance of the tardiness with which new routes are adopted, it may here be noted that, although it is generally asserted that the most direct outlet to the coast from the Cassia districts of Pingnan and Yülin-chow is Pakhoi, none of the former Cassia monopolists have taken advantage of it, as no Cassia was shipped during the year, the 278 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. Canton route being still given the preference, although infinitely longer. The unwillingness on the part of the Canton Cassia dealers to abandon the old route is most likely due to the fact that it is against their interest to do so, and that a transfer could not be made without disturbing the whole machinery of their business, not to speak of the depreciation of their capital embarked in property, in the shape of warehouses, re-packing establishments, etc., which a change to this port would entail. But that Pakhoi will become the chief outlet there can be little doubt, if the Transit Pass system now inaugurated continues to work satisfactorily, as by this means the Foreign merchant can free the Cassia from all onerous exactions en route, which ought to attract the bulk of the crop to this port, whence it might be shipped direct for Europe (instead of, as at present, from Macao and Hongkong), so soon as a market is established here and sufficient quantities are brought to induce homeward-bound steamers to call to receive it. In addition to the Cassia, such vessels might find consignments of Cassia Oil, Aniseed, Aniseed Oil, Hides, and Sugar, all of which products could similarly be brought from the producing districts under Outward Transit Pass whenever merchants find a Foreign market for these goods. Although no Cassia was exported during the year, large experimental shipments have been successfully brought from Yülin-chow, in Kwangsi, and on re-package will be shipped away. In establishing a new trade, many obstructions are invariably encountered, and in the case of Cassia-formerly a locally prohibited export, to favour the Canton monopolist,-apart from the opposition of the Canton dealers, other difficulties had to be surmounted, such as re-package in a marketable form, which it was averred could only be done at Macao by skilled workmen, whereas it has been accomplished here by unskilled women, and the procuring of suitable insurable premises for the carrying on of such work in a town where godown accommodation is scarce. However, now that the opposition has been overcome, and the new route to the Cassia and other rich districts successfully opened, it is to be hoped that merchants will find it a good field for the employment of capital. We are all familiar with the urgent appeals made by the different mercantile communities for the opening up of the interior of China, but when new ports and districts are opened, it is surprising how little Foreign capital flows in. The five new Treaty Ports afford a striking instance. Cassia Leaf Oil was shipped to the extent of 732 piculs, worth Hk.Pts. 38,954, and as the total export by junk before the opening of Pakhoi to Foreign trade was approximately estimated at the above figure, it may be concluded the entire crop was sent away by steamer. The export of Hides, of which such large quantities have been sent to Europe from other ports, amounted to 913 piculs, valued at Hk.fts. 5,848, and as cattle seem abundant in this prefecture, a large business may be predicted. Sugar amounting to 8,281 piculs, and valued at Hk.fts. 29,569, was sent away by steamer. This quantity is not more than a quarter of the estimated yield of this district; we may therefore confidently expect a great increase in this export during the ensuing year. The above products of local origin are the principal ones likely to be shipped abroad. A few other articles appear in the list of Exports to Foreign countries, but they are too trifling to be worth noticing. The first division of our Export trade was estimated at Hk.Tts. 210,870, of which Hk.its. 1,030 only went to Annam, the balance being credited to Hongkong for Foreign countries. The second division of our Export trade—Produce consumed in China,-valued at PAKHOI. 279 Hk.Pts. 235,734, is naturally analogous in character to the Import trade in Native produce, and, similarly, is also a branch of traffic in which Foreign merchants find no employment for their capital, unless as carriers. A glance at the list of Exports will, however, prove interesting, as affording an insight into the nature of the products of the southern part of the Kwangtung province. Most of the articles enumerated hereunder continue to be largely shipped in junks; but so soon as Native merchants are able to transfer their freights to steamers without serious detriment to their own interest, a great augmentation in the export of all these staples may be counted on. Liquid Indigo, far in excess of what was estimated as likely to be given to steamers during the year, left the port. The amount was 27,094 piculs, valued at Hk.Pts. 129,639, which is more than six-tenths of the entire value of this division of trade. Ground-nut Cake comes next, with a value of Hk.Tts. 32,172 for 38,402 piculs. It would be interesting to ascertain what are the fertilising properties of this manure, as well as of the northern beancake, so extensively used in Southern China, to the exclusion of guano, which does not seem able to compete with the home-made stuff. Beancake is said to have been tried unsuccessfully for coffee plantations in Ceylon, owing to the high cost of transport in the island; but since poor Chinese agriculturists can afford to pay for its conveyance by steamer from the extreme north of China to the South, one would suppose that wealthier farmers in distant countries might likewise employ it to advantage for sugar crops—for instance, in Mauritius, where the want of a cheap manure is said to be much felt,-provided the cost of transport would not enhance its value too much. Cuttle-fish, of which there are two varieties, described in last Report by Mr. PIRY, was exported to the amount of 1,795 piculs, of Hk.Its. 23,536 in value. As this branch of industry can scarcely be less in these waters than that of the Cuttle-fish fisheries of Ningpo, an equally large traffic may be anticipated when merchants find a market in the North for this “delicacy of the sea." nd Quality, in quantity amounting to 4,285 piculs, worth Hk.Tts. 23,372, and 921 piculs of Medicine, valued at Hk.its. 9,407, comprise the only other products shipped in amounts sufficient to merit attention. Merchants interested in the manufactures and products of this new port, all of which have been carefully described by Mr. Piry in previous Reports, will find a detailed list in the published Annual Returns. In concluding this notice of the Export trade of Pakhoi, it should be borne in mind that this is the first year that steamers have had a share in the carrying trade; that these shipments do not represent the whole trade of the port, but only the portion not carried by junks. The latter craft still retain the largest share, but that the tonnage in Foreign vessels will rapidly increase no one can doubt. TRANSIT TRADE. The results anticipated from the introduction of the Transit system, as provided by Treaty, into this part of the Kwangtung province have not been realised, and but little advantage 280 TRADE REPORTS, 1880. has been taken of the opportunity of freeing merchandise from “burdensome” taxation on its way to the inland marts. That the right now acquired is not more readily availed of is, however, not due to any fault in the system, but rather to the indifference shown by merchants to its application. The advantages likely to accrue from its introduction into this province—just 22 years since the privilege was conceded by Treaty-were pointed out in last Report; but unless Foreign merchants put the Transit Rules in force practically, this method of exempting goods from inland taxation is likely to continue inoperative for another quarter of a century, and goods destined to marts belonging, geographically speaking, to this district will still be sent by most circuitous routes, from other ports where Passes are obtained, to towns comparatively close to this port, in order to escape the en route dues. The capital (Kweilin-fu) of our neighbouring province, Kwangsi, does a considerable inward business with Hankow under Transit Pass, although the latter port is said to be four times further than centres of supply to the west of Kwangtung. Last year only one Pass was taken out here experimentally, covering a bale of Yarn destined to Nanning-fu, in Kwangsi. This year two Passes were granted, to protect 12 piculs of Cotton and 15 piculs of Yarn to Yülin-chow, and as both consignments reached their destination without further exactions in transit, it proves the route to be opened to goods of Foreign origin and ownership, a fact which should enable the markets in Kwangsi to be supplied with Foreign manufactures at much lower rates than heretofore, in exchange for the products of that province, such as Cassia, Aniseed, and other commodities consumed abroad. The trifle certificated inland, as compared with the total import, will show to what limited extent the Transit system has been availed of; but there is no reason why at least one-half our Foreign Imports should not be freed from the heavy taxation said to exist, by taking out a certificate in sending them into the interior, whenever merchants choose to do so. The Outward Transit system also works satisfactorily, and certificates covering considerable lots of Cassia have been taken out, but only 128 piculs had arrived at the close of the year. It will be interesting to watch the effect that the opening of a new outlet for Cassia will have on the Canton trade. By some it is thought it will act detrimentally, by others that it will increase the demand without diverting the traffic from the old Canton route to the new one viâ Pakhoi. REVENUE. The total receipts for the year amounted to Hk.Tts. 84,545.0.4.9, of which sum Opium con- tributed Hk.Its. 40,472.9.9.2. The share of the total paid by Foreign flags was Hk.Tts. 74,828.3.5.9, and by Chinese steamers Hk.Tts. 9,664.9.4.9, to which should be added Hk.Its. 51.7.4.1, derived from Transit Dues. Viewed as the result of the first twelvemonth's collection on trade in Foreign bottoms, the above figures may be regarded as eminently encouraging; and as we may hope that the effect of opening Pakhoi to Foreign commerce will lead to the same development of the resources of Southern Kwangtung as is proved to be the case at the Formosan and other ports not ranking as large trading centres, there is good reason to believe that though this port is last in the order of arrangement in our Revenue Return, it will not be least as a collectorate. PAKHOI. 281 GENERAL REMARKS. Now that the opposition to steamers has been completely withdrawn, and the inward and outward Transit system introduced into this province, a large Import trade may be expected so soon as the means of freeing goods from taxation inland becomes better known and generally adopted by traders. The stimulus which the system has given to the trade in Cotton and Woollen Goods in the North of China ought to act as an incentive to merchants to encourage its development in the South, where its extension is as urgently called for as in the North; and but for the opposition shown to any change in the ante-Treaty trading customs peculiar to Canton, it would doubtless have taken place simultaneously with its adoption in North China. It is generally asserted that wherever the inland trade is water-borne, taxation throughout China is invariably higher than the half-Tariff dues; and that the Kwangtung province is no exception, the report of the delegate of the Hongkong Chamber of Commerce in 1870 affords ample proof. “It is very significant,” he remarks, “ of the heavy taxation along the river, that from Wuchow-fu Foreign goods do not ascend the Fuho, and that Kweilin-fu draws her supplies from Hankow, a market nearly four times as distant.” The fact of the capital of Kwangsi drawing supplies of Foreign manufactures, under Transit Certificate, from Hankow (in 1879 to the value of Hk.Pts. 34,346; see Hankow Customs Trade Report) is sufficient evidence of the value afforded by these documents in freeing goods from burdensome dues levied en route ; but all that is needed to enable merchandise to reach the marts of Kwangsi and Western Kwangtung by direct instead of by the indirect and circuitous routes now followed is the application of the same system now in force throughout the North of China. The provinces to which certificated Imports are sent from the open ports north of Swatow are Shantung, Honan, Hunan, Hupeh, Kiangsi, Kiangsu, Chêhkiang, Anhwei, Kweichow, Shênsi, Shansi, Kwangsi, and Fukien. Dealers from these 13 provinces fully appreciate the value of the protection afforded by the Transit Pass in exempting goods from further exaction after payment of the Transit Dues; and when once the system is implanted in this province and the southern part of Kwangsi, there is no reason why its extension should not be as marked and the results as beneficial to trade as in the other provinces above mentioned. The only occurrence during the past year worthy of record was the typhoon of the 31st August, of which the following is an account written at the time by Mr. CHALMERS :- “Yesterday, the 31st, was marked by a fierce hurricane which blew here. On the 30th a strong wind, almost amounting to a gale, blew steadily from the north, but with diminished force towards evening, when a gorgeous sunset threw a lurid tint over the landscape. Beyond this and a slight fall in the barometer, there seemed to be no reason to expect a violent change of weather, although I am now told that the Natives had been expecting a typhoon for several days. On the following morning, however, the wind had increased tremendously, and the glass stood at 29.45 at 8 A.M. Up to 11.30 A.M. the storm of wind and rain raged with increasing fury, passing by degrees from north to east. At 11.30 the glass stood at 29.22, but from that point it rose rapidly, and the wind, passing to the south, abated its force. “Two steamers were in harbour, and rode safely through the storm, namely, the s.s. Hainan and the s.s. Hongkong, the latter a small boat of 67 tons. The Hainan received no damage. 36 APPENDIX SERVICE LIST · OF THE IMPERIAL MARITIME CUSTOMS. (Corrected to 31st July 1881.) CONTENTS I.-Revenue Department:- Page. 1. In-door Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiv 2. Out-door u . . . 3'. Coast . . . . 4° and 5 . Chinese Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . XXV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxvii II.-Marine Department:- xlii xliji xlv xlviii 1°. Engineers Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2. Harbours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3º Lights „ ....................... 4. Chinese . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . III.--Distribution of Staff:- Revenue and Marine, according to Stations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Revevue : Tabular Précis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Marie: ? ? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xlix Ixvi lxviii IV.- Leaves :- Shanghai Unattached List ..................... Canton · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · . lxx lxxi . . . . . . . lxxii V-List of Employés who have left the Service :- Foreign :- 1°. Revenue . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2°. Marine . . . . . . . . . . . Native :- 1. Revenue · · · · · · · · · · · · · 2°. Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . · . .. · . · . · . · . · . · . · . · . · . ·, . REFERENCES. * Retired and rejoined. + Has officiated as Acting Commissioner or Assistant-in-Charge. # Including extra service. || Acting also as Harbour Master. 1 On leave. Imperial Maritime Customs. SERVICE LIST, 1 AUGUST 1881. I.-REVENUE DEPARTMENT. 10-IN-DOOR STAFF. # TE INSPECTOR GENERAL AND COMMISSIONERS. .............. 277 DEPUTY COMMISSIONERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FIRST ASSISTANTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SECOND , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . THIRD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 | 190 FOURTH , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 CLERKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 MISCELLANEOUS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 SURGEONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23) Date of Appointment to present Rank. Years pre- viously served. NAME. Nationality. Date of first Appointment Station. INSPECTOR GENERAL. 總稅務司 ​Robert Hart ............ 1863, Nov. 41 A British .... 1859, June Peking. COMMISSIONERS DE Ē 1859, Dec. Geo. B. Glover. ........... 1862, Feb. 274 Geo. Hughes . ........... I, Nov. | 33 | C. Hannen ........ · · · · · + American British ... ! .... 1859, Aug. Kiukiang. „ Nov. Chefoo. » Aug. 9 SERVICE LIST. Date of Years Appointment | pre- to present viously Rank. served. NAME. Nationality. Date of first Appointment. | Station. ACTING COMMISSIONERS. 署理稅務司 ​A. E. Hippisley ... .... ... 賀 ​F. A. Morgan ...........馬 ​H. Edgar ............ 愛 ​J. L. E. Palm....... . . . ,班 ​W. B. Russell .......... 勞 ​賀馬愛班 ​勞 ​璧格 ​理根爾讓偶 ​British ... 1867, Oct. | Tamsui. 1864, July Ichang. 1868, Aug. Foochow. 1866, Jan. Wuhu. 」 , ... 1869, Oct. Annoy. DEPUTY COMMISSIONER-IN-CHARGE. 代理稅務司 ​J. Mackey............馬 ​吉 ​| British . 1861, March | Wenchow. DEPUTY COMMISSIONERS. 副稅務司 ​1874, April | 13 | T. M. Brown ..........., 鲍 ​朗 ​British ... 1861, Feb. | Shanghai. 1875, , 8G | James Twinemt..........屠邁倫​」, … 1866, Nov. | Hankow. , ,| 7 | A. E. Hippisley [Acting Comissioner] ....賀 ​璧理 ​… 1867, Oct. Tamsui. 1877, Jan. | 8 | E. Ohlmer .............阿理文 ​German ... 1868, May , Feb. 17 | W. H. Clayson [Detachel] ........ 葛雷森 ​British .... 1870, Jan. | Tientsin. » April 17 | Is. Rochert . ... .. ... .. .雷 ​樂石 ​French 1869, Oct. | T 12 | T. F. Hughest ...........許 ​妥瑪 ​British 1865, March | T 10. | A. M. de Bernierest.........,穆 ​意 ​索 ​158 | F. A. Morgan [Acting Commisioner] . .... 馬 ​1864, July Ichang. 1881, Jan. 12 | H. Edgar [Acting Commisioner] .......愛 ​1868, Aug. | Foochow. » April 15 | J. L. E. Palm [Acting Commissioner] ..... 1866, Jan. 「Wuhu. , July | 184g | H. E. Sidfordf [General Office] . .....席 ​福 ​1862, Sept. Shanghai. | 12 | J. Mackey * [in charge] .........馬 ​吉 ​1861, March | Wenchow. 朗倫理文​· 「邁璧理雷樂妥意格 ​愛班席馬 ​索根爾讓福吉 ​ APPENDIX.—ANNUAL REPORTS, 1880. Date of Appointment to present Rank. Years pre- viously served. NAME. Nationality. Date of first Appointment. Station PRIVATE SECRETARY, 1.G. 總司錄事司 ​1880, July M. Boyd Bredon ......... if British ... 1880, July Peking. ACTING DEPUTY COMMISSIONERS. 署副稅務司 ​# # G. d’Arnoux (In-door) ........ F. Schjöth (Out-door) .........♡ C. C. Stuhlmann . . . . . . . . . then H. M. Hillier † [Acting Assistant A udit Secretary, 1.G.) * T. Piry † (Acting Assistant Secretary, I.G.) . . . J. Acheson † [Acting Assistant Statistical Secretary, I.G.] Po Andrew P. Happer (Acting Assistant Chinese Secre- ) A p tary, 1.G.] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . s French .... 1867, Nov. Canton. Norwegian 1868, March » German ... 1870, Jan. Foochow. British .... 1872, Aug. Peking. French .... 1874, April British .... „ July | Shanghai. American 1879, , Peking. o FIRST ASSISTANTS: A. : * 1864, March 4, C. A. Lord t ............ A British .... 1859, Sept. Canton. | 1867, Oct. 91 P. Piry .............. | French .... 1857, Nov. Ningpo. 1873, April 13143 R. Markwick . ........... 7 British .... 1859, Dec. Shanghai. 1519 M. E. Towell ............fi 1 .... 1861, June | R. Hough. . . . . . . . . . . . . To » .... 1864, Jan. F. Hirth + .............1 file German ... 1870, June R. J. Abbott ............ Bo British .... 1863, 1 13,2 E. T. Holwill t. ............ I American 1867, Nov. » July 131929 G. d’Arnoux (Acting Deputy Commissioner, In-door] # #13 » » Canton. » » | 1112 W. B. Russell (Acting Commissioner) . . mer] · · . . British ....) 1869, Oct. | Amoy. 德理骨 ​禮福德 ​德威那個 ​Y. SERVICE LIST. vü Date of | Years Appointment pre- to present viously Rank. served. NAME. Nationality. Date of first Appointment. Station. FIRST ASSISTANTS: B. . , Jan. 頭等幫辦 ​1875, April 12 J. L. Blackmore ........... 1877, Feb. H. J. Fisher t ............* » Oct. 93 F. Schjöth + [Acting Deputy Commissioner, Out-door] À April | 1215 | R. M. Hobson ............ | J. W. Carrall . ........... He | 121 | W. N. Morehouse . .......... » April 1212 F. S. Unwin . . . .. . . . .. . . 1879, July 129 A. Lay +. ............. 1881, „ . 12,1 E. L. Lépissier ........... II C. C. Stuhlmann (Acting Deputy Commissioner) . . en t # 瑪 ​世德參格士文 ​British .... 1863, April T „ ....1861, May Tamsui. Norwegian 1868, March Canton. British .... Shanghai. » ... » Aug. Tientsin. American „ April Hankow. British .... „ Sept. Chefoo. u .... 1867, April French .... 1869, June Canton. German ... 1870, Jan. Foochow. T 99 AJ SECOND ASSISTANTS: A. = ### 1879, July | 919 W. Krey t ............. e 932 H. de Sombreuil ...........# 1880, March 77 H. M. Hillier + [Acting Assistant Audit Secretary, I.G.] # » April 11,9% S. Lesliet............ # # 1 , 10, 12 J. F. Schönicke . . . . . . . . . . . tipy Paste 1881, Jan. 11 G. C. Stent ............ i 111 G. F. Müller. ............ i » April 712 Pascal Martin ........... The W » July 71 | T. Piry † [Acting Assistant Secretary, I.G.]. ... „ 722 J. L. Chalmers t ........... JE \ 禮兒理機得喇 ​German ... 1869, Nov. 1870, April British ....I 1872, Aug. 1868, Oct. German ... 1869, Nov. British .... » March » Dec. American 1873, Aug. French .... 1874, April British .... 1873, Oct. Shanghai. Peking. N'chwang. Shanghai. Swatow. Amoy. Chinkiang. Peking. German ... 37 viii APPENDIX.-ANNUAL REPORTS, 1880. Years pre- Date of Appointment to present Rank. NAME. Date of Nationality. first | Appointment. | Station viously served. 1877, Oct. SECOND ASSISTANTS: B. 二等幫辦 ​| 4 | E. H. Grimani ...........紀 ​默 ​理​| British | 1872, Nov. | 44 | A. A. Fauvel ............福威勒​| French.… 1880, April 6 | A. Ainslie ............. 殷思 ​立 ​British.. Foochow. 58 J. Acheson+[Acting Assistant Statistical Secretary, I.G.] m lehet „ .... 1874, July Shanghai 1881, Jan. | S. Campbell ............甘 ​1872, Ange 1 Kiukiang. 17 | P. H. King .............慶 ​」 , … 1874, Jan. London. ,, April | 65 | W. Hancock ............ 韓威禮​」, … , July Tamsui. 17 | L. von Fries ............費理 ​司 ​| Austrian.. | 1873, Nov. Kiukiang. | 6 | W. F. Spinney ........... 司必立 ​| American | 1874, Aug. | Peking. July | 78 | J. van Stappen .... .......方達 ​本 ​| Belgian ..… 1873, Oct. } THIRD ASSISTANTS: A. 三等幫辦 ​1880, July i 5 | C. C. Clarke ............ 客 ​American 1874, Aug. Wuhu. 1881, Jan. 6 | H. B. Morse......... ....馬 ​士 ​| London. 6 | H. F. Merrill ............ 賢理​」 |, Sept. Amoy. 4 | F. E. Taylor............. British .... Peking. E. F. Creagh ............ 格 ​類 ​| , … 1875, April | Foochow, 5 | J. H. Hunt .............何文德 ​| , , Aug | Nichwang 16| H. de la Bastide...........巴恒 ​利 ​French ..... „ March Kiukiang 6 | E. Rocher .............彌樂 ​石 ​5 | P. H. S. Montgomery ......... 孟國美​| British .…. 1876, July | Tientsin. 3 | J. R. Brazier ............白 ​茶 ​喜 ​」 , .…. 1878, April N'chwang 5 馬墨戴格 ​納賢樂文恒樂國萊 ​格士理師類德 ​何巴彌孟白 ​利石美 ​喜 ​ SERVICE LIST. Date of Years Appointment | pre- to present viously Rank. served. NAME. Date of Nationality. first | Appointment. Station. """"叫​"""" THIRD ASSISTANTS: B. 三等幫辦 ​| 42 | C. A. Pennington .......... 柏喻 ​敦 ​| British ... 1876, April | Chefoo. 4 | T. A. W, Hance ..........韓 ​詩 ​Hankow. | 4 | A. Duncan............. 幹​」 , ... Oct. Shanghai 4 | Sigismund von Fries .........費習 ​孟 ​Austrian .. , Nov. Canton. | Raoul de Nully ........... 德努 ​理 ​French .... 1879, July Chefoo. 选​| Frank J. Smith ...........師範西 ​| British … 1876, June Ningpo. | J. C. Johnston .. ... .. ... . 港 ​參 ​…… 1877, July | Pakhoi. | Julius Neumann ..........,轟 ​務满​| German. 1878, Jan. | Shanghai. J. F. Diesen ............歐 ​森 ​| Danish …… 1877, July Tientsin. 4 | C. Le Bus Rickman ......... ,雕 ​British ... , Shanghai. 韓鄧 ​敦詩韩孟理 ​西安清 ​師湛 ​範務 ​一西些滿森曼 ​聶歐點 ​FOURTH ASSISTANTS: A. 四等幫辦 ​1881, Jan. | 41 | R. S. Yorke .. ... .... ...岳 ​格 ​| British ... 1876, April | Chinkiang- | 41 | F. A. Scherzer ............師 ​克 ​和 ​| French ..…. , July | Hankow. 3. | E. Y. Touzalin ... .. ... .. . 杜 ​塞 ​林 ​| British ... 1877) , Swatow. 3.1 G. J. Philips ............斐麗 ​斯 ​Shanghai. 3 | J. W. Innocent ........... 股 ​Takow. May | J. L. Remusat ............勒幕 ​French .... Canton. June | R. Stokes .............師 ​多 ​British ... Amoy. July C. W. Davies ...........德維世 ​Ningpo. | 25g | P. M. Gustave de Galembert ...... 嘉蘭貝 ​| French .. 1878, Oct. Shanghai. | G. F. Montgomery .. . .. . ....孟 ​家 ​美 ​British .... 1880, July | Peking. 克塞麗萼慕多維蘭家 ​和林斯森薩克世貝 ​美 ​ APPENDIX.-ANNUAL REPORTS, 1880. Date of Appointment to present Rank. Years pre- viously served. NAME. Nationality. Date of first Appointment Station. FOURTH ASSISTANTS: B. hy # # # 1877, July 1879, Jan. - - Dec. 1880, Jan. April » , July Aug. Sept. „ .. » Nov. 1881, Jan. E. A. Deacon . . . ... . . . .. . By the British .... 1877, July J. A. Kerr ............. » ... 1879, Jan. Amoy. F. Clayson . . . . . . . . . . . . . * » ... » Oct. Chinkiang. G. H. J. Kleinwächter. ........ German... „ Dec. Shanghai. A. S. Deane (Medical Officer] ....... British .... 1880, Jan. | Wuhu. A. M. Sowdon ........... ... , , April Swatow. Hugh Lyall . ............ in » July Foochow. J. H. Fougerat ........... , Aug. Chinkiang. E. Liot . .. . . . . . . . . . . . than British .. Sept. Shanghai. E. A. Aldridge (Medical Officer) ...... Bas Kiungchow W. G. Lay ......... · · · · Peking. H. C. Whittlesey .......... American 1881, Jan. Shanghai. G. T. Tickell [on probation] ........ 1 British .... .... . . . John Mencarini (on probation] ...... Spanish ... , , Canton. D. J. Macgowan (Medical Officer] ....JE U American 1879, July Wênchow. H. W. Brazier [on probation] : ...... British .... 1881, April London. H. E. Wadman [on probation] ....... 1 ... » , Chefoo. H. A. Huntington [on probation). ..... INFO I American Shanghai. Paul von Kehrberg ..........$it to Russian Peking. Henry Brosche (not arrived) . . . . . . .. Shanghai. Paul Tanner (not arrived) ........ Hankow. John Henry Lowry [Medical Officer). .... OFU British Shanghai. Augustine Henry [Medical Oficer] ..... M 1 John C. Bodkin [Medical Officer] (Detached) . . Dit John Frederick Wales (Medical Officer] (Detached) 康田 ​蘇賴 ​德蔚德吉嘉高 ​萊 ​德治具哲禮 ​義温壽德 ​綿瑪白 ​華 ​» April June » ... SERVICE LIST. Date of Appointment to present Rank. Years pre- viously served. NAME. Nationality. Date of first Appointment. Station. CLERKS. Canton. Shanghai. 1881, April 11,9 S. Paul .............. British .... 1869, Oct. „ „ 1219. J. Keymeulen ............# # la Belgian.... 1868, „ 1878, » 17 T. S. Southey . ........... 81 t British .... 1871, April 1881, March J. T. Pearson . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1873, March 80 W. B. Loam ............ „ Jan. April | A. J. Reeks . ............ .... Feb. June - Lucio d’Azevedo. .......... to Portuguese 1881, June - Nelson E. Bryant. .......... American » » 1880, Dec. 4 J. P. Donovan ........... Se British .... 1876, July W. C. Castle . . . . . . . . . . . . t see „ .... 1873, Aug. 1881, March D. Percebois. . . . . . . . . . . . e 7 French.... 1876, Oct. F. W. E. Dülberg . . . . . . . . . . . if German ... » July · Lewis · · · · . . . . . . . . . British .... 1874, Sept. March M. Chaumont . . . . . . . . . . . . . Belgian.... 1877, March April 41 J. D. Poli ............. F 70 Italian .... Italian .... , 479 S. J. Hanisch ............PA Biti German ... 1876, Aug. » April 17. P. Poletti ............. Hi alle Italian .... 1879, , 包甘邵畢樂 ​格西蘭諾斯司理意蒙密 ​Swatow. Canton. Peking. Shanghai. 72 April June Wênchow. Tientsin. SERVICE LIST. Xüi Date of Appointment to present Rank. Years pre- viously served. NAME. Date of Nationality. first | Appointment. Station. SURGEONS. 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Peking. N'chwang. Tientsin. Chefoo. Hankow. Kiukiang. Wuhu. Chinkiang. Shanghai. 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 British .... 1865, Sept. » May 1868, April 1877, Aug. 1870, Jan. 1881, May 1880, Jan. 1879, , , .... 1869, Oct. French ... 1879, Sept. German ... » » British ... „ June American | 1881, April British .... 1878, Jan. „ .... 1880, April 1 1 1 1 J. Dudgeon ............ The James Watson . ........... John Frazer ............ J. G. Brereton . . . . . . . . . . . . ! A. G. Reid. . . . . . . . . . . . . G. R. Underwood . .......... A. S. Deane . . . . . . . . . . . H = R. G. White. ..........· ·f R. Alex. Jamiesontt......... # L. Pichon . . . . . . . . . . . . . V. Zachariæ . . . . . . . . . . . . W. A. Henderson . .......... D. J. Macgowan. .......... I J. A. Stewart ............ T. Rennie ............. J. J. Underwood ........... C. H. Johansen . .......... # W. W. Myers ............ THE P. Manson ...........i. B. S. Ringer. . . . . . . . . . . . . J. Pollock . ............. F. Carrow .............it E. A. Aldridge ........... ... m Biog 1 真遵思敦德威德梯 ​森順厘森温徒呢吳森令參蘭羅 ​1 1 Ningpo. Wênchow. Foochow. 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 瑪司禮 ​周買馬凌 ​Tamsui. 1 1 man 1 1 1 1 1 1 British .... 1879, July Takow. 1871, April | Amoy. 1880, Nov. , .... 1881, April | Swatow. American 1878, Nov. Canton. British .... British .... 1880, Sept. Kiungchow 1 1 1 1 1 1 ++ Consulting Surgeon. xiv APPENDIX.--ANNUAL REPORTS, 1880. 2°:-OUT-DOOR STAFF. BE TIDESURVEYORS, ASSISTANT TIDESURVEYORS, AND BOAT OFFICERS ........ 37) CHIEF EXAMINERS, EXAMINERS, AND ASSISTANT EXAMINERS . . . . . . . . . 66 TIDEWAITERS (IST, 2ND, AND 3RD). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 240 „ . PROBATIONARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 WATCHERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 ) Date of Appointment to present Rank. Years pre- viously served. Condition. Languages Nationality. NAME. Date of first Appointment. Station. spoken. TIDESURVEYORS. 總巡頭等 ​Chief Tidesurveyors :- 5 1872, March 121 1881, April 16,2 H. J. Meade ........ W. C. Howard . ....... British .... 1859, Dec. Canton. „ ....1864, Aug. Shanghai. W Tidesurveyors :- J. S. Halsey ........ To J. H. May ......... S. Parkhill || ........ e F. Gallagher || ........ W. N. Lovatt 11. ....... A. Kliene || ........... J. H. C. Günther |I. .... H. Vierow. . . . . . . , . E. V. Brenan || . . . . . . . . Ti De B 巴賈魯葛聖 ​師 ​美禮格富寬得魯恩 ​American 1859, Oct. 1 British .... 1860, Nov. T » ... » June | Amoy. 1862, July Takow. 1863, Jan. Tientsin. Danish..... 1863, Aug. Ningpo. German ... 1864, May Chinkiang. British..... 1860, Jan. 1871, April Foochow. 1874, April 1875, June 9 147 41 1 ... Note.—“ Condition :" M, married ; S, single. “Languages spoken :" C, Chinese; D, Danish ; E, English; F, French; G, German; Gk., Greek; H, Dutch; I, Italian ; J, Japanese; M, Malay; N, Norwegian; P, Portuguese; R, Russian; S, Spanish; Sw., Swedish. SERVICE LIST. XV Date of Appointment to present Rank. Years pre- viously served. Condition. NAME. Date of Languages Nationality.. first spoken. Appointment. Station. 1877, Feb. 5143 „ „ » March 1519 14, 士廉敦赫師 ​| 1211 TIDESURVEYORS—Cont. 總巡頭等 ​T. N. Manners ....... W. Rae || ....... · · · C. Deighton-Braysher || .... T. Moorehead 11. ....... T. C. Jennings || . . . . . . . J. Armour || ......... Bong R. Trannack . . . . . . . . 1 H. C. Müller || ........ W. Brennan*ll ....... # » » 1878, April 1880, July 1881, April British .... 1871, Oct. Shanghai. . .... 1861, April Swatow. 1862, June 1 American 1864, April Hankow. British..... 1875, , Chefoo. 1867, Nov. Kiukiang. 1864, July German ... 1861, „ Wuhu. American 1864, Dec. Tamsui. » ..... 12, 16,79 73 » # # ACTING TIDESURVEYOR. T. J. Ballard ....... e British ...1875, May N'chwang. 1881, May 1867, Oct. 1279 6,43 » » 1874, Feb. 10,95 » April „ Oct. 1877, April 1879, July 1880, „ 1881, April ASSISTANT TIDESURVEYORS. 總巡二等 ​Assistant Tidesurveyors:- J. Poynter ......... W. Watson . . . . . . . . . H. Eldridge ........ Bos W. Fenning ......... R. Moran ......... E. J. Smith . ........$ G. Clarke . . . . . . . . . * A. Iffland. . . . . . . . . . F. O. Hanisch . ........ A. W. Field * . . . . . . . . J. von Jezewski . . . . . . . . C. J. Price ......... 德遜治常蓮七歷倫 ​義德 ​依士 ​British .... 1863, Aug. Kiungchow. American 1861, June Swatow. ( Canton, Wham- I poa. British .... 1863, , Shanghai. Spanish .... 1862, „ Swatow. British .... 1867, Nov. Shanghai. „ .... 1861, June Ningpo. German ... 1866, Oct. Canton. 1873, Dec. Shanghai. British .... 1879, Sept. Hankow. German ... 1864, Mar. Foochow. British ..... 1867, June Amoy. 9 ... 2017 賈衣 ​韓斐羅卑 ​. » » 1319 38 xvi APPENDIX. — ANNUAL REPORTS, 1880. Date of Years Appointment pre- to present viously Rank. served. Condition. Languages Nationality. NAME. Date of first Appointment. Station. spoken. Boat Officers :- 1878, Jan. 2018 British .... 1875, May N'chwang. 1881, April 11, 7112 | T. J. Ballard (Acting Tidesurveyor & {e te pe Harbour Master] .... T. G. Lant . . . . . . . . . G. Nutter. ......... H. A. McInnes ....... EN U | J. Nielsen .........BETTO 巴藍雷麥 ​納得德理生 ​„ .... 1869, July Kiukiang. SW. 1874, Mar. Ch’kiang. » UT. 1875. Jan.) » .... 1875, Feb. Chefoo. Danish .... 1867, March Amoy. » July 1414 EXAMINERS. 驗貨 ​1876, April 1311 1880, , 1411 Chief Examiners:- 頭等 ​T. Tolliday. ........ F. H. Ewer ......... A. B. Menzies ....... D. C. Byworth ......... T. D. Burrows........ Pie toe te Png 1712 優 ​滿白 ​釐吉威羅 ​British .... 1862, May Shanghai. Si W.1866, Mar. Swatow. » ? T. 1866, Oct.) 1863, Feb. Tientsin. SW.1865, Mar. } Canton. » T. 1866, Jan. I American 1865, May Hankow. 15112 1514 ii I Examiners :- 1868, Nov. 51 1874, April 1li » » | 712 po 10 W. Youngson . ..... W. J. Sayle ......... Serti J. Liaigre ......... J. M. Land ......... G. Reeves ......... J. Ross .......... British .... 1863, Jan. Ningpo. » ... » » N'chwang- French .... 1866, Aug. German... 1863, , Chefoo. British ...„ Sept. Shanghai W.1861,July , June 101! 臣禮 ​格道士士温 ​* » Oct. 11 1876, April 14 | T. 1862, April S. » , June 14,1 A. A. Godwin ........ 3 W.1862, Maya ?T. 1862, June 1 SERVICE LIST. xix Date of Years Appointment pre- to present viously Rank. served. Condition. NAME. Languages Nationality.. Date of first Appointment. Station. spoken. Assistant Examiners-Cont. 1881, April 812 German W.1873, Mar. Hankow. T. 1873, July L. Liedcke .........7 S. Rosenbaum ........ # # J. Sjögren . .. . . . . . . Binti * U A. Bartolini . ........ LE American 1875, Feb. Foochow. Swedish... 1874, March Kiungchow. Italian ..... 1873, April | Shanghai. | 6 1876, June , July 1877, Feb. , Dec. 1879, Feb. » July , Nov. 1881, April British .... 1867, Nov. Shanghai. Dutch ..... 1873, Jan. Ningpo. American 1872, Aug. Canton. British .... 1864, July Shanghai. „ ...1869, March » American | 1867, May Tientsin. British {W. 1873, Feb. 20 好威勒 ​British.. T. 1873, May TIDEWAITERS. A * # First Class Tidewaiters :- 「 頭等 ​R. P. Carr ......... * * J. M. Elshout . ....... J. H. Allcot . . . . . . . . . Bong Tu J. Moulls * .... bulls * · · · · . . . . . ET J. Howell .......... W. French ......... J. Ruthven . . . . . . . . . J. Chartin ......... W. E. Clodd . ........ # # W. H. Williams ....... * Murdo Mackenzie . ......E# G. F. W. Lührss : ...... et en # F. Knäpel ......... L. Loft ........... E. MacCarty . ........ I. F. Large ......... M. B. J. Ström ........A J. L. Tebbutt . . . . . . . . | J. Wells ........... I » » 大薩格仕勒赤芬珍武林西斯波地地志龍弼士 ​Chefoo. T. 1875, Mayl Swatow. Belgian ... 1866, Aug. | Shanghai. British .... 1873, July | Tamsui. „ .... 1874, March » » Shanghai. (W. 1874, Mar. ? Swatow. German „ ... 1875, April Amoy. British .... 1871, Dec. N'chwang. American 1874, Sept. Hankow. British .... 1875, July | Kiukiang. Danish..... 1876, May Foochow. W.1874, Sept. Louliong & British .. } !T. 1875, Mayl} Ch’kiang. „ .... 1873, April Shanghai. | XX APPENDIX.-ANNUAL REPORTS, 1880. Date of Years Appointment pre- to present viously Rank. Condition. NAME. Date of Languages Nationality. first spoken. | Appointment. Station. Second Class Tidewaiters :- 21! 34 1876, July 1877, Feb. „ April 21% 1879, Aug. 319 羅勞費那 ​» Oct. 1880, Mar. 1881, Apri I J. H. Logan ........ . i G. W. Luce . ........ + T. Phillips . ........ * 1 A. Ramasse ......... FB IL ÉTti C. Killeen ......... ** J. Roberts (Diver). ...... to T. J. Scott ......... P. Cunniffy ......... in J. Eagan ......... C. Wanderleach ....... R. von der Leithen...... G. Roberts . . . . . . . . . J. Burns .......... W. B. Walter ........ W. F. Kahler . ........ E. Felton. ......... F. McQuire . ...... F. Bartenstein ........ H. T. Wavell. ........ A. Berthet ......... J. F. Isaacson ........ J. Edgar .......... A. J. Hadley* ....... T. W. Harrocks . ...... i W. Creek . ........ 1 W. A. Washbrook. ...... En R. Macgregor ........ W.1875, May 1 Pakhoi. 耿盆溫雷駱布葛葛費馬巴威 ​巴挨愛夏 ​British . Sa SW.1873, Aug. Wuhu. h. T. 1874, March}" , .... 1873, Oct. Kiungchow. SW. 1873, Dec. Canton. » {T. 1875, Jan. } Ca French ... 1875, Oct. Wuhu. British .... » May Amoy. .... 1877, Jan. Shanghai. 1875, March Hankow. , Oct. | Chinkiang. 1876, Feb. Shanghai. German T. 1875, Dec.) ... 1876, May Ningpo. British . SW. 1875, Sept. ". T. 1876, Junel Chefoo. Canton. " . T. 1876, June .... 1876, June Ningpo. » July Ichang. , Oct. Shanghai. 1875, Sept. Foochow. German ... 1877, Jan. Amoy. British .... » March Tamsui. 近士池師 ​林資 ​第非根力鈕思斯達聯丹貫淡 ​禮弟悄賈歷 ​師立下德 ​French .... , , Swatow. SW.1875, Nov., Tulol K’kiang. British . } T. 1877, July 3 Š W.1877, Aug. N'chwang ?T. 1879, March 1 SW.1879, July T. 1879, Oct. Amoy. 1877, March Swatow. JW. 1879, July ?T. 1880, April Hankow. W.1875, Nov. Ch'kiang. T. 1877, April .... 1875, Nov. Tientsin. SERVICE LIST. xxi Date of Years Appointment pre- to present viously Rank. served. Condition. NAME. Languages Nationality. Date of first Appointment. Nationality. Station. spoken. 1881, April » May 4ite 5i Second Class Tidewaiters—Cont. = W. I. Mason . ........ J. Cornelli . ........ fotot H. Heather ......... 3 T. W. Laidler. ....... F G. D. Sharnhorst . ...... » June 5 純立達樂世 ​W. 1876, Dec. British . } T. 1877, April Austrian... 1876, Feb. Foochow. W.1875, Oct. British. I | T. 1876, Oct.)? 1876, Oct. Shanghai. W.1873, Nov. T. 1877, July 1 " » July Third Class Tidewaiters :- 92 1880, May 1881, , TS » 1877, 1 , Jul » Sept. 1879, July » Aug. E G. A. Dissmeyer* . . . . . . A F D. Davies. . . . . . . . . . J. W. Andrews ....... F. G. Becke ......... ** C. Tonkin . . . . . . . . . * F. Haughton ........ fate C. P. C. Lynborg. ...... # R. A. Carr ......... top & F. Oehl* ......... T. Williamson * ....... H. J. Brockdorf* ....... Abel Johnsen *. ....... Jürgen Hörning* . ..... B. I. Sandström *....... F. Cartman * . ....... J. J. McGrath* . ....... tot en C. A. Meyer* . ....... it w A. Ladage*. . . . . . . . . } German ... 1874, Aug. Ningpo. British .... 1875, Oct. Amoy. American 1876, „ Shanghai. British ....! 1877, March Ichang. , .... 1876, April Kiungchow. » ... » „ Wenchow. Danish...... 1876, March | Tamsui. British .... 1871, June Foochow. Swiss..... 1878, Aug. Tientsin. British .... 1876, May Amoy. German ... 1877, July Danish .... 1876, Sept. German.... 1877, July Takow. Russian... W.1879, July Kiukiang. British .... » » Chinkiang American » » » Shanghai. German ... , Kiukiang » ... » » » Tientsin. , Dec. : 1880, Jan. , Feb. SERVICE LIST. XXV 30.-COAST STAFF. 海班 ​. COMMANDERS OFFICERS . . . . . . ... .. . . . . . . . . ... ... .. . . . . . ... ... 4 7 ENGINEERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 GUNNERS, ETC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4) Date of Years | Appointment } pre- to present viously Rank. served. NAME. Date of Nationality. first | Appointment. | Vessel. COMMANDERS. 管駕 ​官 ​1869, June | - | Thomas Edwin Cocker ........ 1874, Aug. 114! Nils Peter Andersen .......... 1879, Oct. | 4 | A. J. Booth . .. . .. . .. . .. 1880, April | 2 | John Farrow * ............法 ​# 哥安布法 ​嘉生德樂 ​Tientsin : British ... 1869, June 3 Detached Danish...... 1862, Sept. Kua-hsing. British ... 1875, Aug. | Fei Hoo. , ... 1880, April | Linug Feng. 藥 ​」 OFFICERS. First Officers:- 管駕副 ​1878, Marchli | E. Stevens ............. 司第 ​| British ..… 1875, March | Fei Hoo. 1880, | S. J. Johnstone | Tientsin; . . . . . . . . . . .章 ​師 ​| 1880, ll Detached. 1881, Feb. | 3 | G. Hext ............. 愛 ​斯 ​德​」 , …. 1877, July | Ling Feng! 師斯 ​敦德 ​1877, Feb. 1881, Feb. » July Second Officers :- 管駕二副 ​Richard Chenoveth .... MICIO HELL . . . . . . . . . .莫 ​阿 ​威 ​British .... 1877, Feb. Kua-hsing. R. C. Passmore (Acting)........巴師模 ​」, … 1881, [Fei Hoo. - | G. Rome (Acting)...........龍 ​義​」 , , July | Ling Pring. 威模 ​義 ​Third Officer :- 三副 ​Andrew McKechnie 1879, Ang. ......... 麻格 ​| British ... 1879, Aug. 「Kua-hsing xxvi APPENDIX. —ANNUAL REPORTS, 1880. Date of | Years Appointment pre- to present viously Rank. served. NAME. Date of Nationality. first Appointment. Vessel ENGINEERS. 管輪正 ​First Engineers :- J. Kirkwood ............ R. W. Shaw . . . . . . . . . . . . U Richard Wolfenden . ......... 374 1876, April „ Oct. 1877, July WI * 德德禮 ​British .... 1872, May 1876, Oct. „ ... 1873, June (Detached.) Kua-hsing. (Detached.) 47 19. Ling Feng. Second Engineers :- 管輪副 ​Robert William Wolfenden (Acting First Engineer] J. Armstrong (A) .......... G. A. Corder (Acting First Engineer) . .... J. Armstrong (B) . . . . . . . . . . R. W. Landells ........... 1876, April 1877, June » Aug. 1879, Dec. # # # # British ...! 1874, Oct. 1877, June , Aug. 1879, Dec. „ ... „ „ Fei Hoo. . » – 9 Ling Fêng. Third Engineer :- J. F. Lawson . 1880, July - . . . . . . . . . . .Ě British .... 1880, July Fei Hoo. GUNNERS, BOATSWAINS, AND QUARTERMASTERS. | 砲手首領 ​Gunners : J. Phillips ..., J. Phillips . . . . . . . . . . . . . Thos. W. Leaf ............ £ 1876, Jan. 1880, March 19 – m British .... 1875, March Ling Féng. u .... 1880, „ (Detached.) Boatswain :- | 水手首領 ​H. Schnepel ............ 1877, Oct. 27 German ... 1874, Aug. Fei Hoo. 1880, Nov. 1 – Quartermaster :- William Henry Legg ......... American 1880, Nov. Ling Fêng. SERVICE LIST. xxix Date of Appointment to present Rank. Years pre- viously served. NAME. Special Qualifi- cations. Monthly Birth-place. Dialects spoken. Date of first Appointment. Station. Date of Appointment to present Port. 1876. Kiangsu...... N., C., F. 1873, July... Amoy ...... Kwangtung.. C., F. ... Foochow .. 1873. 1879, July 16 L. Kwan Tung . # l Loke Chew Leong JT Hwang Tsew .. Chun Kü ....Bait # 1881, June 749 Lee Shü Wing. . „ » „ ... Shanghai.. Aug... Canton..... 513 | ... Pakhoi..... 1877. 1873, Sept... Shanghai... 1873. 40 | Chehkiang... Kwangtung.. Third Clerks: 20. 1879, July | 519 Chang Wên Hsien # * * 549 Leong Yaou name 519 Ip Ahon ..... 548 Chun fu.... en 1881, Jan. 73 Lai Hing ... 1874. 9 ... Amoy ...... ... Shanghai.. 3 , 1878. 1873. Macao.... Nov.... 1881, Jan. Kwangtung.. C. 7. Chin Che heuen . 陳嫌 ​Cheong Yin . ..TE 61% Lo Tseung . . . Li Tat chang . . Z II Lee Iu Wing . . * * * 關 ​朝樹 ​通長就瑶榮 ​梁葉 ​陳黎 ​鐵達 ​耀 ​軒南漢富興垣鉉祥璋 ​榮 ​「夏樹文俊 ​錦欽賢 ​羅亞 ​「耕勳端才全元平貴貴錦 ​C. 1873, Dec.... Shanghai.. „ „ ... Chefoo..... 1874, Feb.... Chinkiang 11 March Foochow... T., May... Kiungchow 1873. 1880. 1878. 1874. 1877 Fukien........ California ... » June 40 C. 1881, Jan. 35 | Kwangtung.. 1876. 1874. 6,Kwok Leung Kang BTW 64 Ch‘an Shü-fan . . 38 Liang Wen Tuan. Lo Tsun Tsoi . . 3}! Leung Kan tsun. A 1874, May... Shanghai Canton..... 1877, Oct.... Tientsin... , July... Ningpo ... , March Amoy ...... 1877. 1880. 1877 1881, Jan. 35 Kwangtung. 1874. 1875. 62 Leaou Khin Yuen . Ek T Lam Ping... # Chun Yin Kwai. . * 512 Kwok Lo Kwai . 1 H * Cheong A Kam . . . 1874, Oct.... Shanghai 1875, Jan... Canton..... 1 April.. » » May... Amoy ....... 1876, Dec.... Swatow .. » June 1880. XXX APPENDIX.-ANNUAL REPORTS, 1880. Special Date of Appointment to present Rank. Years pre- viously served. Monthly Pay. Dialects NAME. Date of first Birth-place. Qualifi. Station. Date of Appointment to present Port. cations. spoken. Appointment. C. 1876, Dec.... Chinkiang 1876. Fourth Clerks : 14. 41? Leang Chim Funge Stellen 475 Li A Tai .... Lai Chee San . . Woo Kwang Yin . fii * 379 Thu Ching Hsiang it vjet Kwangtung Hongkong... Macao......... Kwangtung Hupeh. 峰 ​戴山賢祥 ​1877. „ „ ... Swatow... 1877, March Chinkiang „ Hankow... » » » . 1881, Jan. 30 1877. u 18 319 C. Him Shan. . . Da bi Lo Ming Kün .. | 31. Cheung Fung Ting & 279 Tong Lun Sun .. 2% Pan Chi Hua . . # # Fukien........ C., F. Kwangtung C. ... „ Kiangsu...... C., N. Kwangtung 1877, March Shanghai , , Ningpo ... „ Oct. .... Shanghai 1878, March , „ April ... , 1878. # 謙 ​銘鳳潤啟 ​七藩隆紹 ​1879 19 Hung Tsat Shing. #ť Whang Fan Che | 1, Chew Leong Hoe. 9 BE FU | 10 Tung Shao-wen · * * * Hongkong... C. Kiangsi.............. Singapore ... Kiangsu...... 1879, March Canton..... » April... Shanghai „ Aug... Tamsui ... „ Nov... Shanghai 1880, April - Kwangtung 1880. » June Candidate Clerks : 9. Lo Sik piu . . . , Chiu Chi ming . . # U Ting Fan . . . ! Chin King-son .. Bell # Chow Kwok Tsün ? 1880, April... Canton..... „ June ... » ..... » » ... » .... „ July .. Hankow... » Oct. ... Canton..... Chehkiang... 15 Kwangtung ......... 錫志廷乾國 ​標明勳生銓思泰全安 ​「額福徒 ​1880, Oct. 15 1880. » » 1881, April Tung Ying Sze ,董題思 ​Chan Fuh tai .. Lai Chuen ... Sze Tu On . . . at het een Kiangsu............. Hongkong... Kwangtung 1880, Oct. ... Shanghai » » ... 1881, April ... 1881. xxxii APPENDIX.-ANNUAL REPORTS, 1880. Date of Receipt of present Pay. Years pre- viously served. NAME. Monthly Pay. Date of Native Province. 1 first Appointment. WRITERS (55) and SHUPAN (129). Chihli ... INSPECTORATE GENERAL. a. Peking Writers : Li Ch'ing-fang. ........... Wu 'Huan . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chang Wên-chao . . . . . . . . . . . Yü Kuan ...........· · Hsieh ‘Ho-ming ........... 1875, Jan. 11 1877, Oct. 1881, May - July 1602 1879, „ | 5 1868, May 1874, April 1877, Nov. 1880, Oct. Kiangsu........ (Bannerman) Kiangsu....... (Bannerman) Fu K‘uan . . . . . . . . . . . . . 李吳張裕謝富翟朱辛張趙王 ​慶文鶴改謙友樹 ​慶 ​芳焕照觀 ​鳴 ​寬謙順賢琴棠榮 ​1864, - 1871, July. 1881, May. 1865, - 1874, May. 1862,- 1874, April 1877, Jan. 1880, Oct. 1870, March. 1880, Oct. 1881, July. Chihli .. (Bannerman) Chihli .......... Chai Ju-ch‘ien ............ Chu Ch‘ien-shun .......... Hsin Hsien . ........... | Chang Yu-ch'in ............. Chao Shu-t'ang' . .......... Wang Ch‘ing-jung .......... E » July „ Oct. 1881, July » ............ (Bannerman) ( 1 ) 10 b. Shanghai. Writer :- Tao Yung-ch'ang 1881, Jan. - .......... K 20 Kiangsu........1879, Nov. NEWCHWANG. 1877, Oct. Writer :- Ch'ên Shih-kʻun ........... 30 Chéhkiang....... 1877, April. 1866, Oct. 1874, July , , Shupan :- 2,4 Ma Ch'ing-yian ........... 40 4}! Pai Kao-ju. ............. het to 30 | 2 | Chao Wên-chan . . . . . . . . . . # # # 120 Anhwei..... 1864, April. Chihli............ 1869, Aug. 1871, Nov. 40 » ............. SERVICE LIST. xxxii Date of Receipt of present Years pre- viously served. NAME. Monthly Pay. Native Province. Date of first Appointment. Pay. TIENTSIN. Writers :- 1874, Jan. | 41 Chihli..... » 1 - 1 'Hu Yin-hsien ........... Shih Yung-ch‘ing . . .. .. .. . Chên Ping-hsieh ( Assistant) ....... 10 she The 1869, Oct. 1873, Jan. 1880, March. 1880, March – TÉ 30 Chihli........... Shupan :- 1874, Jan. 7 Yü T'ing-chih . ........... 1872, Sept. | 19 | Huang Jui-ch‘ih . . . . . . . . . . 1875, March| - | Wang Sên . . . . . . . . . . . . . + ....... 黄王 ​1866, April. 1870, Dec. 1875, March. 20 CHEFOO. Writers :- 233 | Chiang Chu-tºang . . . . . . . . . . - Li Sung-yuan (Assistant) ........ 8 1879, May 1877, Oct. 30 DC = HAO * Kiangsu......... 1877, Jan. Chihli............ „ Oct. 10 30 Shupan :- 1873, Dec. 1- | Ts'ao Sung-ch‘ing .......... 1 1876, , 13,8 Liu Ping-ch'ien ........... , | 13 | Chêng Pi-tông . . . . . . . . . . . . 1879, May | 16 | Liu Tung-wền. . . . . . . . . . . . 8 15 慶乾登文 ​Shantung........! 1873, Dec. ........ 1863, April. 1863, April. Kiangsu......... , July. Shantung........ March. 15 H 15 ICHANG. Writer:- Têng Chi-tsang : .......... # B 1880, July 1! ye 25 Kiangsu......... 1879, Aug. Shupan:- 14'Hu Shih-an... 16 Il Du - l. . . . . . . . . . . . * 12 IIupeh ........ 1878, Aug. 1879, Oct. 1877, April. 1879, Oct. Ho Li-fêng . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 / 1 ....... xxxiv APPENDIX.-ANNUAL REPORTS, 1880. Date of Receipt of present Pay. Years pre- viously served. NAME. Monthly Pay. Native Province. Date of first Appointment HANKOW. 1876, July » 10 1 Writers:- Li Chung-‘han . ........... Hsü Shih-ch'ên ........... 40 20 (Bannerman).. 1866, April. Chêhkiang...... 1875, Jan. * 1878, Jan. Hupeh ......... 1876, July 313 „ ....... Anhwei ....... Hupeh ......... » » " Shupan :- 15112 Yao Ta-kuan ............tel 15 Chang Shao-liang .......... Mện Hua-tung . . . . . . . . . . . 3 12! Fêng Yung-yu . . ... . .. .. . 1275 Li Wên-ying ............ Chou Cheng-ên . . . . . . . . . . . Ting Chên-chi . . . . . . . . . . . . T Ch'ên Ming-yuan ........... Ting Ping-nan............T Yin Fêng-hsiang........... ......... sje * Ý 8 1862, Dec. 1863, Jan. 1872, Sept. 1863, Aug. » Dec. 1869, Jan. 1877, Sept. » Oct. 1880, Feb. , Oct. 712 觀良棟祐英恩祺遠 ​南翔 ​1877, Sept. » Oct. 1880, Feb. „ Oct. KIUKIANG. Writers :- i ft 1879, May 1877, Jan. - 314 Chai Ju-chou ............ T'ang Shou-k‘un (Assistant) ....... L 25 10 Chihli ......... 1879, May. Kiangsi ......... 1873, Sept. 25 Kiangsi ......... ........ 1 ......... Shupan :- 1876, April | 121 | Ts'ai Chi-ch‘ang . . . . . . . . . . . , 12, Hu 'Han-chang ........... , 1919 Wu Hsü-chai ............ Shên Hsing ............ et , | 79 | Ts'ai Ching-yün ........... 1875, March Niu Wên-chêng . . . . . . . . . . 1879, Nov. Ts'ai Yin-ch‘ing (on probation) ...... 昌章 ​齋馨雲徵卿 ​Chehkiang...... Kiangsi ......... 1863, May. Nov. 1866, Aug. „ May. 1868, June. 1875, March. 1879, Nov. # SERVICE LIST. xxxvii Date of Years Receipt of į pre- present viously Pay. served. NAME. Monthly Pay. Native Province. Date of first Appointment. 1880, Oct. 1944 Wang 'Hou-tsai ........... 1879 Ku Hsiu-ch‘ing ........... 7 77 Chên Ch'ing-chʻun . ......... Yao Mien ............. del 644 Wang Chung-hou .......... E Tube 汪顧 ​陳 ​Chehkiang....... 1861, May. Kiangsu.......... 1862, „ Chehkiang...... 1873, April. Kiangsu......... 1874, Oct. 1873, Nov. 12 NINGPO. Writers:- Li Kuei . ............. Ching Ch'uan-hsin (Assistant). ...... $ 40 1876, Jan. 1878, April 10,12 4112 Kiangsu......... 1865, June. „ ....... 1875, March. Nov. Est Shupan : 64 Hsiang Erh-shou .......... 1315 Ch‘iu Lin ............. 141 Chiang Chung-hsiu . . . . . . . . . # # 131! Tai Chang-fu ............ 9 Wang Pao-tien. .....::::: I Ch'ên Chêng-hsi . .......... Chang Ching-pao .......... de Chao Ming-fang . . . . . . . . . . . - Ts'ao Wei-chung.......... 戴王陳張 ​爾鍾章寶承敬銘 ​40 | Chêhkiang...... 1870, Oct. 30 1 ..... 1863, April. Kiangsu........ 1862, June. ...... 1863, Aug. Chhkiang...... 1867, » 1874, July. Kiangsu......... 1875, Jan. „ ......... 1874, Nov. 9 Chêhkiang...... 1878, Sept. 1875, Jan. 1878, July » Sept. WÊNCHOW. Writer:- 1879, Jan. 1, Li Mou-hsün ............ 30 Kiangsu......... 1877, Dec. Shupan:- "1878, Oct. 1 - Hsü Pao-hua ............ 4 h 1877, April | - | Tang Shih ............ 30 Chêhkiang...... 1878, Oct. | 15 | Kiangsu.......... 1877, April. xxxviii APPENDIX.-ANNUAL REPORTS, 1880. Date of Receipt of present Pay. | Years pre- viously Name. Monthly Pay. Native Province. Date of first Appointment. served. FOOCHOW. E 1879, Oct. 1876, Dec. 1878, May 1872, Oct. Writers :- 1779 Chao Chu-ch'ên . .......... 157 Chêng Hsing-yuan .......... 101: Yang Ting-chih . .......... 4 Têng Shu-jên ............ 25 25 Fukien........... Kwangtung ... Chihli............ 1861, Dec. „ July. 1867, , 1868, , Ź Fukien........... Fukien........... 25 Shupan :- 1876, Dec. 13.12 Ch'ên Wên-huan .......... 1878, Sept. | 1376 Tao Tao-ch‘ing ........... 1879, Jan. 779 Chao Kuei-jung .......... 6,9. Lin Ch‘in-chih ............ 57 Hsieh Tsu-shên . .......... Liu Shao-i ..........· · · 1878, Sept. Li Tso-chieh ............ 1879, Jan. Chêng Fêng-lai ........... 1877, May Tsao Chung-wên . . . . . . . . . . 女道 ​桂勤祖紹作鳳忠 ​焕清蝠志申儀 ​楫來文 ​1863, June. 1865, Feb. 1871, March. 1872, July. 1873, Aug. 1874, July 1878, Sept. 1879, Jan 1877, May. , ........ TAMSU. Writer :- 1879, May | - | Fêng Ch‘i-kʻun ........... # 30 Fukien...........1879, May. 10 30 1880, July 1878, Nov. 1880, March Shupan :- Lin Kuo-pin ............* Mao Hsiu-tzŭ ........... E Tsºai Ching-ch:êng . . . . . . . . . . 賓滋激 ​Fukien............ 1870, July. 1878, Nov. 1880, March. . TAKOW. Writers:- WE Chihli .......... 1880, March - Fan Wei-chang . . . . . . . . . . . 1879, July | 41 | Hsieh Tuan ............ 1880, March. 1875, Feb. 20 Fukien........... APPENDIX.—ANNUAL REPORTS, 1880. Years Date of Receipt of present i pre- NAME. Monthly Pay. Native Province. Date of first Appointment. Pay. viously served. CANTON. Writers :- 319 Fx 40 5i? Chang Ch‘iu-t'ien .......... P'an Kuang-ying ........... Li Tso-ch'ên . . . . . . . . . . . . t 1881, Jan. „ June 1877, July 1881, Jan. 1878, June 1881, May 田瀛臣儀元山 ​Kiangsu.... .... 1877, July. Kwangtung ... 1876, April. 1873, Oct. 1877, Aug. Chihli ........... 1878, June. 1881, May. Ho Ch'ên Jui-i . . . . . . . . . . . . . Di Li Tiao-yüan . . . . . . . . . . . . Fu Hsiu-shan . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 10 1 - Shupan :-- 10, 1868, Oct. 1871, , 1868, , 4, 1869, Dec. 1871, Oct. ) 12 1861, March – 1867, 1 1869, Dec. 1874, July 1877, Dec. Yü Yao............... 50 Chêhkiang...... 1859, Oct. Yao Yü .............. tege . » » Shên Chóêng ............ 5 ...... 1860, April. Yi Lang . . . . . . . . . . • • • • 1864, Aug. Wang Wên-tai . . . . . . . . . . . + 1859, Oct. | 'Huang T'a-shan ........... Anhwei ......... Wang Chia-yen ........... I 20 Chehkiang...... 1861, March Ku ‘Hui-t'ing. . . . . . . . . . . . PRI RE ME .... 1867, , Hsiao Ch'uan. ........... 20 Kiangsu......... 1869, Dec. Li Sung . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 21 20 | Chehkiang...... 1874, July. Chan Hsien-chung . . . . . . . . . . 5 BH 8 20 Kwangtung .... 1877, Dec. 俞王黄王 ​耀 ​鈺誠 ​琅台山言庭 ​銓松忠 ​KIUNGCHOW. Writer:- 1874, Feb. Li Chan-ch'uan . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Shansi .... 1874, Feb. Shupan :- - 134 B 1876, April Sept. Lü Chieh-ch'ên . . . . . . . . . . . Shên Chien-kʻun . . . . . . . . . . . 20 | Kwangtung .... 1876, April. | 20 Chêhkiang...... , Sept. SERVICE LIST. xli Date of Receipt of present Pay. Years pre- i viously served. NAME. Monthly Pay. Native Province. Date of first Appointment. PAKH01. Writer:- 1}! | Hao Kuo-ch‘ang........... 1880, April | 25 | Chihli .......... 1878, May. Shupan:- Ch'ên Ying-tsou ........... 1877, Dec. - i 25 Chêhkiang...... 1877, Dec. MISCELLANEOUS (5):- Kiukiang:- 1876, April | 53 | Wu Tung-ying: Shroff ......... | 18 | Kiangsu......... 1871, Jan. Chinkiang:- 31. Chang Chun: Shroff .......... 1870, April | 25 | Chêhkiang...... 1866, Nov. 7 1876, Jan. 1879, Sept. Shanghai:— Ch‘in Shao-ch'ing: Copyist, Tidesurveyor's Office : Chêng Yueh T'ing: Shroff ....... ' hypp 14 12 Kiangsu......... 1868, Aug. ........ 1879, Sept. Canton:- Liang Su Liang Su 1861, June 2 ............. ............. set 30 Kwangtung .... 1859, June. APPENDIX.- ANNUAL REPORTS, 1880. INSPECTORATE GENERAL-Cont. LONDON :- I. Revenue : In-door: Non-Resident Secretary, 2nd Assistant, B, 3rd „ A, 4th , B (on probation), Miscellaneous : Office Keeper, J. D. CAMPBELL. P. H. King H. B. Morse. H. W. Brazier. Thomas Houlston. NEWCHWANG:- I. Revenue : In-door : Commissioner, W. T. Lay. 2nd Assistant, A, S. Leslie. 3rd , , J. H. Hunt, J. R. Brazier. Chinese Clerk: ist Clerk, Wong Kum Shü. Out-door: S Tidesurveyor (and Harbour Master), ester), T. J. Ballard. Acting, Examiner, W. J. Sayle. Assistant Examiner, J. Ecclestone. Ist Class Tidewaiter, L. Loft. 2nd » J. Edgar. 3rd » G. Whitlock. Probationary , E. C. Tregillus, G. Keeble. II. Marine : Lights: “Newchwang” Lightship: Captain, W. Trebing. ist Mate, W. W. Orfeur. 2nd , G. Deitz. Probationary Lightkeeper, J. H. Hammeran. TIENTSIN: I. Revenue : In-door : Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, ist Assistant, B, 3rd » A, 3rd , B, Clerk, G. DETRING. W. H. Clayson (detached). J. W. Carrall. P. H. S. Montgomery. J. F. Oiesen. P. Poletti. SERVICE LIST. Chinese Clerks : Ist Clerk, Sz Tu Yuen. 3rd » Liang Wen Tuan. Supernumerary Clerk, Liang Yun Chih. Out-door : Tidesurveyor (and Harbour Master), W. N. Lovatt. Assistant Tidesurveyor, Acting( Taku) W. F. Stevenson. Chief Examiner, A. B. Menzies. Examiner, F. Diercks. Assistant Examiners, C. C. de Castro, E. F. Ottaway, E. Molloy. Ist Class Tidewaiter, W. French 2nd, 2 R. Macgregor. 3rd , , F. Oehl, A. Ladage. Probationary Tidewaiter, H. J. II. Kirchhoff. Coast: Commander, T. E. Cocker (detached). Ist Officer, S. J. Johnstone ( ). Ist Engineers, J. Kirkwood ( » ). Richard Wolfenden ( » ). Gunner, T. W. Leaf ( ). II. Marine : Harbours : Berthing Oficer, Signalman, S. E. Williams. H. A. Behnke (Taku). Lights : “ Taku” Lightship: Captain, Mate, James Sloane. L. O. Medicus. Wm. Knight. 3rd Lightkeeper, B, CHEF00:- I. Revenue: In-door: Commissioner, ist Assistant, B, 3rd » » „ „ (on probation), GEO. HUGHES. F. S. Unwin. C. A. Pennington, Raoul de Nully. H. E. Wadman. Chinese Clerks: 1st Clerk, 3rd , Ho Pin Wên. Cheong Yin. APPENDIX.—ANNUAL REPORTS, 1880. Out-door: Tidesurveyor (and Harbour Master), T. C. Jennings. Boat Officer, H. A. McInnes. Examiner, J. M. Land. Assistant Escaminer, T. M. Campbell. Ist Class Tidewaiter, W. H. Williams. and , G. Roberts. 3rd , , J. H. Wills, H. E. Taubert, H. H. Montell. II. Marine: Lights: Shantung Promontory Light: Chief Lightkeeper, B, 3rd , A, Kungtung-tao Light: 2nd Lightkeeper, B, C. G. Amy. John Anderson, C. Sellenthin. D. Wisas. ICHANG: I. Revenue: In-door: Acting Commissioner, Chinese Clerk: 2nd Clerk, Out-door: Assistant Examiner, 2nd Class Tidewaiter, 3rd , F. A. MORGAN. Au Kai Ting L. Le Breton. W. F. Kahler. F. G. Becke. HANKOW: I. Revenue: In-door: Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, ist Assistant, B, 3rd 4th „ A, F. W. WHITE. James Twinem. W. N. Morehouse. T. A. W. Hance. F. A. Scherzer. P. Tanner (not arrived). Lim Chinguan. Sung Ying Ch‘un. Woo Kwang Yin, Thu Ching Hsiang. Chin King-son. Chinese Clerks : Principal Clerk, and » 4th , Candidate , SERVICE LIST. Out-door: Tidesurveyor (and Harbour Master), T. Moorehead. Assistant Tidesurveyor, A. W. Field. Chief Examiner, T. D. Burrows. Examiner, J. Morgan. Assistant E.caminers, P. H. Purcell, A. W. Kindblad, E. Brandon, L. Liedcke. Ist Class Tidewaiter, E. MacCarty. 2nd , T. J. Scott, W. Creek. 3rd » » G. A. Meyer, T. H. S. Wade. Probationary Tidewaiter, J. T. Green. “Ports of Call" on the Yangtze (Shashih, Luk'i-k-ow, Wusüch, Ank'ing, ar Commissioner-in-Charge, F. W. White (Commissioner, Hankow). I. Revenue: In-door : KIUKIANG: I. Revenue: In-door: Commissioner, GEO. B. GLOVER. 2nd Assistants, B, S. Campbell, L. von Fries. 3rd » A, H. de la Bastide. Chinese Clerks : Principal Clerk, Tong Chok Hing 2nd » Lee Wing Shang. Out-door: Tidesurveyor (and Harbour Master), J. Armour. Boat Officer, T. G. Lant. Examiner, Assistant Examiners, C. V. Bono, E. V. Calver. ist Class Tidewaiter, I. F. Large. J. F. Isaacson, W. I. Mason. 3rd » » B. I. Sandström, C. A. Meyer, H. C. Russell. 2nd » » WUHU: I. Revenue : In-door: Acting Commissioner, J. LLOYD E. PALM. 3rd Assistant, A, C. C. Clarke. 4th , B(Medical Officer), A. S. Deane. lviii APPENDIX.—ANNUAL REPORTS, 1880. Out-door : Tidesurveyor (and Harbour Master), A. Kliene (on leave, 15th June to 15th September 1881). » Acting, E. J. Smith (during Mr. Kliene's absence). Assistant Tidesurveyor (Chinhai), G. Clarke. Examiner, W. Youngson. 1st Class T'idewaiter, J. M. Elshout. R. von der Leithen, W. B. Walter. 3rd , , G. A. Dissmeyer, P. Mondini. Probationary , F. J. Allshorn. Square Island Light: Native Lightkeeper. Tiger Island Light: i Native Lightkeeper. and , " II. Marine : Lights: WÊNCHOW :- I. Revenue : In-door : Deputy Commissioner-in-Charge, J. MACKEY (on leave, 1st June to 1st September 1881). Acting Deputy „ „ „ T. Piry (during Mr. Mackey's absence). 4th Assistant, B (Medical Officer), D. J. Macgowan, Clerk, S. J. Hanisch. Chinese Clerk : 2nd Clerk, Chun Yü. Out-door: Assistant Ecaminer, J. W. Burke. 3rd Class Tidewaiter, F. Haughton. FOOCHOW:- I. Revenue : In-door: Acting Commissioner, Acting Deputy Commissioner, 2nd Assistant, B, 3rd A, 4th , B, Miscellaneous : Assistant, H. EDGAR. C. C. Stuhlmann. A. Ainslie. E. F. Creagh. H. Lyall. J. Jaques. SERVICE LIST. lis Chinese Clerks : 1st Clerk, Tai Tsze king. 2nd , Ho Chee Chuen, Choah Leng tee, Loke Chew Leong. 3rd » Li Tat chang Out-door : Tidesurveyor (and Harbour Master), E. V. Brenan. Assistant Tidesurveyor, J. von Jezewski. Examiners, J. D. Smith, S. Young. Assistant Examiners, R. Goodridge, H. I. Waller, S. Rosen- baum. Ist Class Tidewaiter, M. B. J. Ström. 2nd, 2 F. McQuire, J. Cornelli. 3rd , R. A. Carr, W. K. Taylor, u Probationary, W. S. Ward, J. F. J. Seier, G. T. Murray. II. Marine: Harbours : River Police: Sergeant, Constable, D. Mullins. J. Deas, TAMSUT:- I. Revenue : In-door: Acting Commissioner, A. E. HIPPISLEY. ist Assistant, B, H. J. Fisher (Kelung). and „ B, W. Hancock. Miscellaneous: Mining Engineer, D. Tyzack. Chinese Clerks : 1st Clerk, Li Wang Yang 4th , Chew Leong Hoe. Out-door: Tidesurveyor (and Harbour Master), W. Brennan. Assistant Examiner, J. W. Patersson. Ist Class Tidewaiter, W. E. Clodd. and , H. T. Wavell. 3rd , , C. P. C. Lynborg Probationary , G. Claremont. APPENDIX.—ANNUAL REPORTS, 1880. TAKOW:- I. Revenue : Indoor: Commissioner, A. Novion. 4th Assistant, A, J. W. Innocent. Miscellaneous: Assistant, A. Courtau (Anping). Chinese Clerks: 1st Clerk, L. Kwong Sung. and , Chun Mun. Out-door: T'idesurveyor (and Harbour Master), F. Gallagher. Assistant Examiners, R.J. Hastings( Anping), L. A. Byworth. 2nd Class Tidewaiter, H. Heather. 3rd » J. Hörning Probationary » R. H. Nazer, D. Browne. „ B. AMOY:- I. Revenue: In-door : Acting Commissioner, W. B. RUSSELL. ist Assistant, A, R. J. Abbott. 2nd » » G. F. Müller. 3rd » » H. F. Merrill. 4th » R. Stokes. » J. A. Kerr. Chinese Clerks : ist Clerk, Wong Wai. 2nd , Wong Kam Ming, L. Kwan Tung. 3rd , Ip Ahon, Leung Kan tsun, Kwok Lo Kwai. Supernumerary Clerks, Leow Būn Hoat, Soon Sooh Yan. Outdoor : Tidesurveyor (and Harbour Master), S. Parkhill, Assistant Tidesurveyor, C. J. Price. Boat Officer, J. Nielsen. E.caminer, J. Mesny. Assistant Examiners, J. Newbury, N. D. Ghika, J. McIntosh, 1st Class Tidewaiter, F. Knäpel. 2nd » C. Killeen, F. Bartenstein, A. J. Hadley (additional). 3rd „ „ D. Davies, T. Williamson, H. J. Brockdorf, A. Johnsen. Probationary » G. W. Smith, E. E. Smith. lxii APPENDIX.-ANNUAL REPORTS, 1880. Breaker Point Light: 2nd Lightkeeper, A, J. Noble. 3rd » A. Michel. » Probationary Lightkeeper, G. E. von Pein. 3 Native Assistant Lightkeepers. Relieving Officer: and Lightkeeper, A, C. M. Peterson. SWATOW:- I. Revenue : In-door : Commissioner, 2nd Assistant, A, 4th » » » » B, Clerk, Chinese Clerks : Principal Clerk, A. HUBER. G. C. Stent. E. V. Touzalin. A. M. Sowdon. L. d’Azevedo. L. Wong See Bwan Ann. Lam Tat hing: Cheong A Kam. Li A Tai. Ist 2nd » 3rd 4th Out-door: Tidesurveyor (and Harbour Master), W. Rae. Assistant Tidesurveyors, W. Watson, R. Moran. Chief Examiner, F. H. Ewer. Escaminer, H. Schaumlöffel. Assistant Escaminer, J. F. Dubois. ist Class Tidewaiter, G. F. W. Lührss. and » » A. Berthet, T. W. Harrocks. 3rd „ J. L. Knoepfler, T. H. Kingsley. Probationary , W.G. Tindall, E. Phair, W. E. Southcott, J. E. Barker, Grante Carlson. SERVICE LIST. lxiii ist 2nd CANTON : I. Revenue : In-door: Commissioner, F. E. WOODRUFF. Acting Deputy Commissioner (General G. d'Arnoux. Office), Acting Deputy Commissioner (Out- F. Schjöth. door), Ist Assistant, A, C. A. Lord. 1st , B, E. L. Lépissier. 3rd » B, S. von Fries. 4th „ A, J. L. Remusat. » , B(on probation), J. Mencarini. Clerks, J. Keymeulen, N. E. Bryant. Chinese Clerks : Principal Clerk, Tsaü Wan. Wong Kum Ping. Mak Sze Che, Chun Kü. 3rd Ch'an Shü-fan, Lam Ping, Chun Yin Kwai. 4th » Hung Tsat Shing. Candidate Clerks, Lo Sik niu, Chiu Chi ming, U Ting Fan, Chow Kwok Tsün. Supernumerary Clerks, Chow Hing, Leong Ahin. Out-door : Chief Tidesurveyor (and Harbour H. J. Meade. Master), Assistant Tidesurveyor, H. Eldridge (Whampoo), A. Iftand. Chief E.caminer, D. C. Byworth. Escaminer, W. Sanders. Assistant Examiner, A. L. Virmaitre, G. Mason. ist Class Tidewaiter, J. H. Allcot. 2nd , T. Phillips, J. Burns. Probationary , H. Haines, G. Baldwin, C. C. Nasling. Watchers, T. Davies, J. A. van Aalst, J. H. Smith, H. P. C. Jörgensen, J. C. L. Rouch, E. J. S. Anderson, W. Allan, J. A. Tip, C. H. Erskine, F. R. H. Klam- permeyer, F. Richter, J. A. Daniel- son, J. H. M. Noodt. SERVICE LIST. Ixy "Fei Hoo": Commander, Ist Officer, 2nd Acting, 1st Engineer, , and Engineer, 3rd , Boatswain, A. J. BOOTH. E. Stevens R. C. Passmore. G. A. Corder. J. Armstrong (B). J. F. Lawson. H. Schnepel. [At Amoy.] "Kua-hsing": Commander, 2nd Officer, N. P. ANDERSEN. R. Chenoweth. A. McKechnie. R. W. Shaw. 3rd , ist Engineer, [At Shanghai.] SERVICE LIST. lxvii TABULAR PRÉCIS. DEPARTMENT. FOREIGN COAST. CHINESE. In-door & Out-door. Commanders. Ist Officers. 2nd and 3rd Officers. Ist Engineers, and and 3rd Engineers. Gunners, &c. TOTAL FOREIGN. TOTAL CHINESE. TOTAL REVENUE DEPART- MENT. TOTAL. Clerks, Writers, and Shupan. Skilled Employés. Official Servants. Coast. Inspectorate General. 2 Newchwang. Tientsin. Chefoo. Ichang Hankow. Kiukiang. Wuhu. Chinkiang. Shanghai. Ningpo. Wênchow. Foochow, Tamsui. Takow. Amoy. Swatow. Canton. Kiungchow. Pakhoi. Detached. On leave. 286 614 456 1591,515 1,944 TOTAL. 1 Peking, Shanghai, and London. SERVICE LIST. lxxi NAME. RANK. Last Port. Leave granted. To report for Duty. 2º. OUT-DOOR:- J. S. Halsey.......... Tidesurveyor........ Hankow.......... .......... J. H. May.......... Tientsin .......... C. Deighton-Braysher.... R. Trannack.. H. Vierow .......... .... Newchwang.... Tientsin ..... Shanghai .......... Kiukiang ........... Shanghai 2 years......... 31st May 1882. 18 months ...... 30th September 1882. 2 years......... 30th 1882. 30th 1882. 2 years.......... 31st March 1883. 6 months ...... 31st October 1881. I year ......... 31st March 1882. 18 months ..... 30th September 1881. I year ......... 31st October 1881. 18 months ...... 30th September 1882. Examiner ........ ................... A. A. Godwin....... J. Liaigre .......... G. Swainson........ M. Eckhold.. Assistant Examiner ....... ....... ~ ......... Newchwang... J. Mahon ........... Chinkiang ......... UNATTACHED LIST. CANTON. Leave NAME. RANK. Last Port. To report for Duty. granted. 1.-REVENUE. 1°. IN-DOOR:- W. Cartwright............ H. E. Hobson ....... C. Hannen ...... 32 months A. M. de Bernières............ A. Lay........ J. L. Chalmers ......... Commissioner ........ Canton.......................... 29 months ..... Amoy ........... 2 years....... Foochow ......................... 2 , ....... Deputy Commissioner ...... . ......... ist Assistant, B .............. Kiungchow ....... 2 years......... 2nd , A ........ Pakhoi........... 18 months ...... 4th » B....... Foochow ...... I year ........ Clerk.................... Swatow 2 years......... 15th November 1881. 30th April 1882. 30th , 1883. 30th November 1882. 31st March 1883. 30th September 1882. 31st August 1881. 30th September 1881. E. A. Deacon ......... . . . . . . . . . . . . . S. Paul.... 45 lxxii APPENDIX.-ANNUAL REPORTS, 1880. V.-RESIGNATIONS, &c. T 1st August 1880 to 31st July 1881. First Appointment. Withdrawal from the Service. NAME. Nationality. Remarks Date. Position. I Date. Port. | Position. Mode. 1.-REVENUE. » Oct. .../ 188, Féng (on prob.) Dischrgd. 1879, » } Annatoyn, J. D..... American 1874, April 3rd c. Tidewtr. 1881, March N'chwang 2nd c. Tidewtr. Deceased. Arçelli, G. F. ........ German ... 1879, July Watcher......... ,, April Shanghai u u » Arnstein, M......... Hungarian 1876, „ ~ ......... 1880, Sept. Hankow ... 3rd c. 1 Resigned. Bennett, C. W. B.... British .... 1880, Oct. Shanghai Watcher ........ Deceased. Borrowdale, J. F..... 1873, » 3rd c. Tidewtr. „ Aug. Swatow... and c. Tidewtr. Resigned. Boxer, F. T. ......... 1881, Mar. 3 12 com 2nd Officer, Ling 2nd Officer, Ling Disabred { 1881 Fêng (on prob.)3 April Collio, W. ............ 1880, Sept. Watcher ........ 1880, Oct. Shanghai Watcher ........ Dismissed. Connell, F......... » ... » Aug. „ ........ „ Nov. » » ....... Resigned. Curran, J... | Quartermaster, Quartermaster, Ling Fêng..... Sept. Ling Féng.....) Elia, Jacob............ Austrian ... 1880, Dec. | Watcher ........ 18 Watcher ........ Gardner, F. A........British .... 1879, , } 2nd Officer, Fei s and Officer, Fei Hoo ........... Dec. Hoo............! Hall, J. H............ .... 1871, June 3rd c. Tidewtr. 1881, Feb. Shanghai | Assist. Examr. Deceased. Harrison, W. G. .... .... 1865, Nov. | „ „ „ May Kiungchow Dismissed. Holm, T. W.......... 1881, June » June | Canton ... Watcher ........ Resigned. Hoskings, T. J. ... British .... 1866, March 3rd c. Tidewtr. 1880, Nov. Shanghai Assist. Examr. Deceased. Jardine, J. ........... 1874, May Medical Officer 1881, May Kiukiang Medical Officer Resigned. Jenkins, W. ......... 1863, July 3rd c. Tidewtr. „ July Deceased. Johnston, A. D. .... 1876, Sept. | 1880, Aug. N'chwang 3rd c. Tidewtr. Resigned. Kennedy, C. ........ 1881, Feb. Watcher ...... 1881, March Canton ... Watcher ........ King, G. J. ......... 1880, June ........ Jan. - ... ......... Langlands, R. ....... 1877, March Proby. Tidewtr. „ Feb. Chinkiang 3rd c. Tidewtr. Dismissed. Le Sueur, P. ........ 1881, Feb. | Watcher ........ , April Canton ... Watcher ........ Discharged. Lowder, G. G. ....... 1863, Aug. | 3rd class Clerk 1880, Oct. 3 > s Shanghai llista {l'ist Assist., B... Deceased At London. MacFarlane, E. P... 1879, „ Medical Officer 1881, April Ichang ..... Medical Officer Resigned. lxxiv APPENDIX.—ANNUAL REPORTS, 1880. First Appointment. Withdrawal from the Service. NAME. Nationality. Remarks Date. Position. I Date. Port. I Position. Mode. Proby.Mate 1881, May June Nielsen, C. ........... Danish ... 1880, Oct. Taku....... 1 Lighthouse Oastler, J............ British ... 1877, Aug. B | Mechanics » s Assistant Lights' Wellesley, G. E. .... , ... 1875, » Engineer D " River Police ) Wilgaard, J. J....... German ... 1878, Oct. 1 Constable si 1880, Sept. Tientsin... Proby. Lightkpr. Dismissed. Shanghai Lighthouse } Re | Mechanic Assist. Lights pl Engineer 1 | River Police / | Constables On leave EEN First Appointment. Withdrawal from the Service. NAME. Birthplace. Date. Position. Date. Port. Position. Mode. 3.-CHINESE CLERKS. Chew Tiam Eck.... Singapore ... 1864, July Linguist ....... 1881, May Canton ... ist Clerk ...... Discharged. Chia Chên......... am Chehking... 1876, , Shupan ......... 1880, Oct. Chinkiang Shupan ......... Ching Wang........ # Kiangsu...... 1854, » Examiner ...... 1881, March Shanghai Supery. Clerk Deceased. Kwan Sheung Long 19 KE Kwangtung.. 1875, Feb. Linguist ........ 1880, Oct. , 4th Resigned Lam Su .............. The Macao ....... 1876, May Candidate Clerk „Aug. Canton ... , , Leung Man Chiu .. * Kwangtung.. 1880, April 1 , l , Sept. Discharged. Mak Kwai ........ i 1874, May Linguist ........ Aug. Ningpo ... 3rd Deceased. (On leave.) Shên Tên Ho ...... Fu Kiangsu...... 1880, July Candidate Clerk „ Oct. Shanghai Cand. Resigned Yên Wen-tsao...... | 4 G Shantung.... , May | Writer .......... 1881, July Peking .... Writer ......... Discharged. Yen Yün-ch‘ang... Kiangsu...... 1861, March Shupan ......... 1880, Aug. Shanghai Shupan ....... Deceased. Yin Li-yung ....... en La Hupeh ....... 1862, Dec. „ Sept. Hankow.. » .. ... Resigned ... Cand. anak Kebida TITITIL) L IITTO IT IPT' I '111. 32101 066803717 DATE ISSUED DATE DUE DATE ISSUED DATE DUE MAY 13 NIT INTERŞLIBRARY LOAN