Hanoi to
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by affluents in the direction of Hsinhsing-chow and Chinning. By turning the mountains such a line would lead by easy gradations to Yunnan-Fu. Branches could be constructed to Linan and Mengisz. Rocher claims that such a line would put Laokai in direct communication with the valley of Talang and the tea districts south of Ssumao. Brenier, however, says that a railway to Yunnan-Fu will not be the work of a day, and that even if it were made the products of Ssuchuan will not necessarily flow to Tonkin, or those of Tonkin to Ssuchuan, because the road from Yunnan-Fu to Sui-Fu on the Yangtze leads for 25 days through high mountains. There is an alternative caravan route of nine easy stages from Mengtsz to Yuunan- Fu, and there are two alternative railway schemes, one vi Mengtsz, Linan, Tunghai, Hsinhsing-chow and Chinning, the other vid Amichou, Lunan, and Iliang. Consul Jamieson, in a recent report, says that various syndicates are converging on Mengtsz with the view of finding a practicable railway route. Rocher also proposes a line up the Namti valley to its source and thence to Kaihua and Kwangnan. These lines, connecting the chief towns, would develop production. They could, he says, be cheaply made with narrow gauges, and by them the whole commerce of south-west China would be drawn to Tonkin, and the French, free from competitors, would radiate all over Yunnan.
(c) Hanoi to Lungchow Route.-This route from Tonkin to Kwangsi is Lungebow. indirectly important. A railway runs to Langson and is being continued to
West River.
Lungehow, a treaty port in Kwangsi. A Times telegram of 12th September 1898 announced, on the authority of L'Avenir du Tonkin, that difficulties had arisen between the Lille contractors constructing the line and the Chinese officials, and that the contractors threaten to abandon the project and claim a heavy indemnity. But the telegram suggests that the French desire to withdraw from the scheme, because they wish to reach Yunnan-Fu by a different route, and do not want the Lungchow line to be a feeder to the West River. Lungehow is 12 to 18 days up (or 6 to 9 days down) from Nanning on the West River, being situated on the Tsokiang, an arm of the West River. There is no market between Nanning and Lung- chow. In constructing a line to Lungchow the French aim, not at getting the direct trade with that place, which is small (except for aniseed, a special product of this region, of which trade Laungchow is the centre), but at capturing the trade which enters Pakhoi and thence passes for consumption into Kwangsi and Yunnan. By a special tariff the French are endeavouring to divert the aniseed trade from Pakhoi to Tonkin. It seems doubtful whether the railway can carry goods as cheaply as the West River. A bale of cotton yarn goes from Hongkong to Wuchow for about seven dollars, all duties included, and railway carriage could hardly be cheaper. But the total of imports and exports registered at Lungehow was only Hk. Tls. 45,500 in 1893, Fik. Tls. 111,328 in 1896, and Hk. Tls. 109,000 in 1897-an insig nificant trade compared to that of Mengtsz. The Customs Report of 1897 says that Lungchow, though an open port for nine years is still in the primitive stage of an inland distributing and collecting mart, differing in "no way from what it was before it was opened as a port." It may supply the poor and scattered population west of Nanning, and undertake a transit trade to Nanning and places beyond, but so costly an undertaking as a railway can in this way hardly do more than pay its working expenses. May 1897 a convention was signed agreeing in principle to an extension of the line from Lungchow to Nanning.
In
WESTERN ROUTES.-West River Route.-This is the natural waterway to Direct route. east Yunnan. The West River (or Sikiang) is one of the most important river systems of China, draining 200,000 square miles of territory. Its S.W. branch, the Hsünkiang, with its arms, the Tsokiang and Yukiang, mainly concerus the present subject. These arms unite above the town of Nanning, which is 510 miles from the mouth of the West River. Wuchow, opened as a Treaty Port last year, can be reached by light draught steamers, and is by far the most important place between Canton and the Yunnan border, since it commands the whole trade of Kwangsi. The trade of Wachow is justifying the most sanguine anticipations. Nanning, 17 days above Wuchow and second to it in
35
commercial importance, is admirably situated for trade with Canton and Hong Kong, Kwangsi and Kueichou, east Yunnan, Toukin, and Pakhoi. Nanning contains a brisk population of Chinese and Shans. There are a great many junks on the river at Nanning, which serves as the entrepôt for a considerable trade in tobacco, drugs, tea, sugar, &c., between Canton and places in the West River basin. The traffic by the West River has suffered from various obstacles. The navigation is rendered dangerous by rapids and rocks, though apparently it is capable of improvement without vast expense. Insufficient water at one period of the year and strong currents at another are further hindrances to trade. Through Kwangsi organised piracy has hindered trade. Consul Jamieson says that a regular transport service to Nanning is required if only on account of the rascality of the boatmen. Until recently, too, there has been an enormous number of likin stations on the river, and the imposts have driven away trade to other routes. It remains to be seen whether steamers can be taken up the river, so as to supersede junks in the traffic between Wuchow and Nanning.
Besides the direct route up the West River, there are routes to Nanning Pakhoi from Pakhoi on the Gulf of Tonkin. The chief of these routes are (1) that route. which goes by sea to Chinchou (one to two days), then by porter overland to Nanning (five days), a hilly and difficult route across three passes, including one especially bad, and therefore followed only by lighter goods, such as yarn and cotton goods, which the porters divide into parcels at Chinchou; (2) the easier route vid Nauhsiang, three days by land and eleven days by boat, including six days up the West River. This is the route followed by heavier goods (metals, &c.). Before the Tonkin route was opened much trade passed this way. Nanning is the distributing centre of the trade by which foreign goods from Pakhoi are exchanged for the opium of Yunnan and Kucichou consumed in Kwangsi and Kwangtung. Paklioi supplies many foreign goods to east and south Yunnan, west Kwangsi, and south Kueichou, in spite of the heavy likin. Much smuggling of opium takes place. Considering the area served, the total imports of foreign goods are small. But most of the Chinese population were destroyed in the rebellion, and the inhabitants are chiefly Shans, Lolos, and Miaotzu, who want nothing but salt and cotton. It was long ago suggested that a railway should be constructed from Pakhoi to Nanning, a distance of 95 miles, and Consul Bourne said that such a line would be the easiest way to ascend the plateau into Yunnan, that the engineering difficulties would not be great and therefore the expenso not heavy, and that it would thoroughly revolutionise the carrying trade. On 28th May 1898 the concession for this railway was granted to the French. Before 1890, when the Tonkin routes began to affect its trade, Pakhoi had become an important entrepôt between Hong Kong and Yunnan. But the opening of Meugtsz and Lungchow at once began to divert traffic from Pakhoi, and" an effective steamer service to Laokai with a railway to Lungchow must affect it considerably, unless the French utilise the railway concession just mentioned. The opening of ports on the West River also menaces the trade of Pakhoi. In the Pakhoi trade returns appears a large quantity of Indian cotton yarn, which, though declining, constitutes more than half of the total imporis. Opium comes through Yunnan in annually increasing quantities to pay for foreign goods. In 1896 there was a slight expansion of trade at Pakhoi, but in 1897 there was a fall, the total trade being Hk. Tls. 2,657,000 for foreign imports, and Ik. Tls. 1,513,000 for exports, (or 625,0007. in all). Important towns in Kwangsi, such as Liuchow-Fu, Hsüuchou-Fu, and Chiangkou have been in the habit of drawing goods from Pakhoi, but probably they will resort to Wuchow in future. At present there is no native authority at Pakhoi, robberies are frequent, and piracy prevails on the coast line. No considerable expansion of trade appears possible without greater security of life and property and the stimulus of links with larger markets. A railway should be able to effect improvements in these respects.
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Nanning to Pose-Ting (Posé, Peisch, or Paise) and Yunnan-Fu. From the Nanning to mouth of the West River to Nanning takes 40 to 50 days. From Pakhoi to Pose. Nanning the journey is about 14 days. From Nanning to Pose it is 12 to 20