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into China of the telegraph, which now connects, the principal cities from Viking to Canton. do it will -probably be with the construction of railways, which appears to an have been authorized by a recent Imperial ediot, issued chiefly :: consequence of the defect of
communications and facilities for the movement of troops and
in
warlike stores to the districts.
threatened by the French. There is still, however, much opposition to railways not only from the
vested
vested interests of the owners and
crews
of junks, and canal boats, and from the carters and packhorse-men, who have hitherto
enjoyed a monopoly of the inland traffic of China; but also from the inveterate hatred of all innovation
which is the main characteristic.
of the was last year entertained at.
governing classes. When I
འ
Tientsin, on my way to Peking, by Li Hing Chang, (probably the most able and powerful statesman of
na) 9.
China) I had much conversation
wi
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