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of
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South Yunnan route.
Nanning to Kueiyang- Fu.
West River.
Transit passes.
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days by boat. There is no place worth naming in the 220 miles between Nanning and Pose, and the population is sparse towards the borders of Yunnan and Kueichon, Pose is an important entrepôt for trade with Yunnan, the agents being almost invariably Cantonese. It is situated on the Yuchiang at the apex of its two branches, one of which runs north throngh Kwangsi and the other west into Yunnan. At Pose, on the Yunnan border, the navigation for large boats stops, and goods for Yunnan are forwarded in small boats to Poknay (3 days up and 15 days down stream). Pose is in a narrow damp valley, encased by high hills, and is reputed to be very unhealthy. Poknay (or Pongai) is a busy village, the meeting place of the boat and caravan traffic on this route, and the likin station for goods crossing the Yunnan and Kwangsi boundary. Goods entering Yunnan here pay a tapiao likin (taels 3. 9. 0 per 100 catties), rendering them free from all further likin in Yunnan. Opium is the staple export through Pose from Yunnan and south-west Kueichou, other exports being drugs, musk, and tea, The usual, and by far the most important, route to Yunnan-Fu from Pose is through Kwangnan-Fu (18 to 25 days), but there are several other routes used by coolies to evade duties (e.g., viá Tunghai to Tali in 38 days). Kwauguan Fu (4,810 feet), situated in a partially cultivated plain, has a few Cantonese houses engaged in the foreign goods trade, but the local consumption is small. Between Pose and Kwanguan the whole population is Shan. The direct route from Pose to Yunnan-Fu runs (21 days) viâ Lopingcheo, and is little used except for the export of opium. Mr. Bourne was prevented from going by this route last year owing to brigandage. It scems to be agreed that a railway from Pose to Yunnan-Fu would be easy, but east Yunnan, which it would traverse, appears to be unfertile and ill-populated.
Reference should be made to the route from Pose to Yuanchiang vid Kaihua, one of the main trade routes of Yunnan, though long and tedious (52 days). The country is difficult, unhealthy in parts, and exposed to brigandage. The route passes at first through poor villages and thinly peopled tracts until near Kaihua, where there is more prosperity, the valley being closely cultivated and studded with villages. (Mapai, three days S.S.W. of Kaihua is said to be an important mart between Tonkin and Yunnan.) Bands of armed traders come from Hongkong through Pakhoi by this route, bringing foreign goods and taking back opium.
Nanning to Kueiyang-Fu-Pakhoi supplies foreign goods to a number of towns on this route, though the towns nearer Kueiyang draw part of their supplies from Hankow via the Yuan River. It is stated that a railway could be made without great difficulty, as there is but little change of level until the ascent of the Kueichou plateau. A pass of 4,250 feet is the only serious ascent. There are said to be some fine plains on this route not half cultivated. Towards Kueiyang-Fu opium is the main crop.
Develop- The year 1897 saw the beginning of great developments on the West ments on the River. For forty years likin had been levied contrary to treaty, to the great detriment of trade. In January 1897 the Governors of Kwangsi and Kwangtung issued proclamations enjoining strict observance of the regulations for transit passes within their provinces. They declared that, in the case of foreign produce conveyed under transit pass to any place in the interior, there should be no attempt, overt or covert, to make up the likins to which it would otherwise have been liable en route, and that, when foreign goods shall have separated from the pass, the charges thereon shall in no case differ from those levied on goods that have satisfied the ordinary likin in transit. The inland 23 per cent. duty is affirmed to be a commu- tation of the likin leviable in transit. But it appears that the authorities take the transit pass to apply only so long as goods are in foreign hands. When they are transferred to a native a terminal likin is levied in addition. There is thus always a danger of foreign goods being further taxed in the way of lo-ti-shui or destination dues, and fu-shui or prefectural dues, after the transit pass certificate is given up, which means a heavier price for Treaty Ports, up-country consumers to pay. By the opening of Wuchow and "Samshui (with Kongkun) as Treaty Ports, and of four intermediate calling stations,
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trade with Kwangsi and the neighbouring provinces, hitherto little accessible to foreign goods, will be developed. Native boats ply regularly from Wuchow to Pose, and the demand of Yunnan for foreign goods should increase considerably. The Lyons Mission were not favourably impresssd with the prospect of opening up the trade of south-west China by the West River. But taking the rates so far charged on the French line to Lungchow, together with subsidiary charges, the Wuchow route should be much cheaper, and numerous staples, such as opium, aniseed, hides, and leather will probably pass down the river from Pose and Nanning. But these two ports should also be opened to trade together with Hsünchow. The complete opening of the West River would be of the greatest value to British trade by giving freer intercourse with the interior, where there are bad roads and no railways. If there were direct traffic to Nanuing by steamer for goods under transit passes, goods would not go all round from Hongkong to Yunnan vid Pakhoi or Tonkin. Mr. Bourne thinks that, with a strict enforcement of transit passes, British goods from Burma and the West River would pass along the ancient channels of trade in Yunnan, and leave but a small area to be supplied by Tonkin.
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YANGTZE ROUTES.--Authorities are unanimous that the Yangtze is, and The Yangtze. will always remain, the most important commercial artery of China. It has 2,000 miles of navigable waterway, or 3,000 miles including its tributaries. In its upper reaches and by means of its affluents, it taps Ssuchuan, one of the richest and most populous provinces in the Empire, and also Yunnan and Kucichou. The trade of Ssuchuan with the provinces north, south, and west of it must follow for the most part difficult and dangerous mountain paths, so that by the Yangtze alone can its resources be developed. The Yangtze is formed by the junction of the Minkiang and the Chin-sha-kiang, or River of Golden Sand (which flows from Tibet past Batang in the direction of Tali-Fu and then bends N.E. to Ssuchuan).
The Yangtze
was opened to English commerce in 1890 by a supplementary article of the Convention of Chifu, according to which, "English and other merchandise may freely circulate as far as Chungking after paying entry dues at Shanghai." The terminus of navigation is Pingshan, about 25 days up from Chungking.
Western Ssuchuan consists of mountainous territory with a few patches Sauchuan. of plain, little cultivation, and a small population. Eastern Ssuchuan (the Ssuchuan known to commerce) is a comparatively low-lying region surrounded by lofty mountains. The population is large and in parts hopelessly congested. What the total population of the province may be is extremely uncertain, but Consul Litton and M. Brenier, whose estimates are the most recent, place it at about 40 to 45 millions. The trading and farming classes are well-to-do, and the people generally are keen and enterprising. But there is much poverty, and the idlers and malcontents occasionally revolt. The number of parasitic officials is extraordinary.
As to the resources of Ssuchuan, Consul Spence says: "Ssuchuan is in "the variety of its productions, its numerous industries, and the well-being
and prosperity of its people, without an equal in the provinces of China. Richthofen said: "There are few regions in China that, if equal areas are compared, can rival the plain of Chengtu-Fu [2,500 square miles] as "regards wealth and prosperity, density of population, and productive power, fertility of climate, and perfection of natural irrigation." According to Consul Litton's recent report on north Ssuchuan the plain of Chengtu contains 15 distinct cities besides the capital. Chengtu-Fu itself, with a population of over 500,000, is the meeting place of routes from the northern and eastern provinces, from Yunnan and Tibet. It has great commercial houses and numerous important credit houses having correspondents in the provincial and port towns. In the plain are numerous villages, and flourishing marts occur at intervals of four or five miles along the many roads that intersect the plain. Among them are Chiang-Kou and Chao-Chia Tu, which are among the chief commercial centres of Ssuchuan. Travelling merchants bring to the markets many foreign goods, such as cotton yarn, long cloth, and woollens. The plain, admirably irrigated, is cut up into an extraordinary number of small farms, producing rice, opium, and wheat,
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