1
Mr Fiddes
have no
wat
for them.
on
This series (S. W. Chian) was sent to us & 7.0.
their own
suggestion (3070/13). We practically
never
sent any of the prints any where, or they relate
to the parts about Burma. They manly cumber our
almost wholly
it woh will to hell 70. privakly that wr.
cupboards to think
REJ8/6.
alone
Thane written
Buty
D
afrie
LAJ
This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.j
SOUTH-WEST CHINA.
C.O. 16534
(
CONFIDENTIAL.
[13648]
(No. 211.) Sir,
No. 1.
[April 29.]
SECTION 1.
,9 MAY 07,
88
Sir A. Nicolson to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received April 29.)
St. Petersburgh, April 18, 1907.
WITH reference to your despatch No. 122 of the 22nd ultimo, I have the honour to transmit herewith summaries by Mr. Cooke of certain extracts from the Reports on Russian trade with Chinese Turkestan which were forwarded in your above-mentioned despatch.
I beg leave to return the Reports in question.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
A, NICOLSON.
10
Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
Summary of a Report of four printed pages, by M. Kolokoloff, Russian Consul at Kashgar, on Money Currency in the Kashgar Market.
(Published in the "Collection of Russian Consular Reports, 1906,” Issue 6.)
Money Currency in the Kashgar Market-Russian currency long since prevails as the only monetary interchange for commercial operations between the Kashgar market and the neighbouring Russian Provinces of Fergan and Semiretch. The rouble, however, varies considerably, one year falling from its normal rate of 10 tengas to 74, and other years rising to nearly 13, the variations due to local causes. Russian money is in demand among Chinese and Hindus, the former buying up credit roubles for despatch to the Shanghae market. Gold is bought up by Hindoo money-changers resident in Kashgar, who despatch it to Cashmere and India. This is not the case with the silver rouble, as this coin in local opinion in quality, and consequently in value, is inferior to local silver coined from purer metal. The local branch of the Russo- Chinese Bank and the custom-house partly act as regulators of the value of the rouble in the Kashgar market, these institutions periodically dispatching Russian money back to Russia. Though Russian gold and silver currency is met with even in the remoter oases of Chinese Turkestan, it cannot be said that its diffusion is favoured by the population, even in Kashgar itself, where Russian currency most circulates, a considerable portion of the population, and especially the smaller traders, request settlement exclusively in local coin. The rouble is thus restricted in Chinese Turkestan to but a comparatively narrow trading circle. Russian paper currency for its convenience in dispatch and travelling is in greater favour.
(The remainder of the Report deals with some new local silver coinage in 1905 in Kashgar, with issues in the same year of credit notes, and with the prevalence in 1905 in the bazaars of false Chinese silver coins, the very primitive and coarse make of the real coin rendering imitation easy, and the slackness of the authorities facilitating its circulation.)
Inclosure 2 in No. 1.
Summary of a Report of M. Lavroff, in charge of the Russian Consulate-General at Kashgar, on Russian Trade in Kashgaria (Chinese Turkestan).
(From the text of forty-three printed pages published in the "Collection of Russian Consular Reports, 1904," Issue 3.)
Chief Trade Points and Routes.-The chief points of departure for trade between Russian territory and Kashgaria are, on the Férgan Province side, the town of Osh, 375 versts (250 miles) to Kashgar, and, on the Semiretchensk territory side, the town
[2472 f-1]
B
į