[This_Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
20.
SOUTH-WEST CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
No. 1.
1736
[December 26.)
TREGE 18 JAN 05
SECTION
284
Acting Consul Litton to the Marquess of Lansdowne.-(Received December 26.)
(No. 8.) My Lord,
Teng Yueh, November 24, 1904. THE question of the improvement of the communications in West Yünnan along the routes followed by the Bhamo trade has occupied the attention of the Indian Government. Last open season a good mule road was, with the exception of a permanent iron bridge over an unfordable stream, completed from the Bhamo frontier out on to the Plain of Manwyne, in Chinese territory, through the defiles of the Taping River, a distance of about 17 miles through difficult country. A further extension to Teng Yueh is advocated by the Burmah Government and is under the consideration of the Government of India.
In the course of my duties during the heavy rains of this year I have had an opportunity of personally inspecting the condition of the trade route between the Bhamo frontier and Ta-li Fu, and I now beg to submit a short Report on the subject.
I venture to think that, next to (1) the exactions of the Mandarins, which have, since the opening of the Teng Yueh Custom-house, been mostly suppressed, and (2) the prohibition against the transit of Yunnan opium across Burmah en route to the East Coast of China, the rescission of which is under consideration, the condition of the roads has been the principal obstacle to the development of our trade in West Yünnan. Nothing is more discouraging than the extreme reluctance of the Chinese officials to spend a shilling of the considerable sums which they draw from the people upon so obviously useful a service as the repair of the public roads.
The new mule road through the Taping River defile has stood the stress of the very beavy rains of this summer fairly well. Under pressure, the Chinese bave been induced to spend the small sum, 1,500 rupees, necessary to keep it open during the summer, and it has been used by a number of coolies and pack-bullocks. The large Chinese mule caravans at present keep to the old road, partly because the new one leads through jungle where, as yet, there are no Chinese stables or villages, and partly because there is only a flimsy bamboo bridge over the unfordable torrent of the Nam Sa. The Government of Burmah intend to construct suitable caravanserais and to erect an iron suspension-bridge, it is hoped, at an early date; as the new road saves the fording of three rivers and the passage of a difficult mountain, some 6,000 feet high, by an execrable track, it will certainly come into general use in time.
From the head of the new road up to Teng Yueh, the route, so far as it exists at all, is in a lamentable condition. In spite of the large sums which the officials have drawn from the foreign trade, it is years since a penny has been spent on road repairs. After the rice has been cut and the padi-fields have been dried by the sun, caravans can pass freely along the Valley of the Taping, but in the summer man and beast have to struggle or wade belly-deep through miles of deep ditches, which represent the place where long ago the road used to be. In some places the broken remains of old paving-stones make things worse; in two places mountain torrents often block the traffic for days together. If there were no other reasons, the state of communications from June to November is quite sufficient to account for the restricted volume of the trade.
Between Teng Yueh and Ta Li the road leads diagonally over five difficult mountain ranges and crosses four river basins in a distance of 175 miles. The difference between the summits of the passes and the valleys below them is from 3,000 to 6,000 feet. In places the road has been repaired by the generosity of private individuals, but only in a very unscientific manner, and with no regard to grading. In many places the first rains Convert the road into a deep quagmire, out of which mules have to be hauled bodily by their tail and ears.
Some of these miry places have to be avoided altogether, and a détour made into the jungle or up the steep hillside. All that the officials have done for the roads is to establish some eighteen taxing stations between Teng Yueh and Ta Li.
To make a good, easily-gruded mule road from Teng Yueh to Tu Li would require heavy expense. Judging from work which I have seen done by the Burmah Public Works Depart- ment, I doubt if it could be done for less than 4,000 rupees a-mile, not including bridges; but a small sum, if honestly, promptly, and scientifically expended would, no doubt, effect a
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