52

the different ports of that province. Both are known under the name of vessels of the north; and all that come to Shanghaí annually at the commencement of the northeast monsoon amount to 990. From Fuhkien about 300 come annually, but a greater part of them come from Hai-nan or Formosa, and some from Chusan and Ningpo, also from Manila, Bali, and other ports prohibited to the Chinese. About 400 come from Canton, a great part proceed from Macao, Singa- pore, Pinang, Jolo, Sumatra, Siam, and other places prohibited to the Chinese.

'The vessels therefore of the outer seas which come to Shanghái annually are 1690, although in some favorable years they have amount- ed to 1800. Taking these vessels at an average of 200 tons, we shall have an importation of 300,000 tons. Although the vessels of the north are 900, and those of the south only 700, these latter have a greater total amount; among the former are many of only 60 tons.

"The vessels of the north bring a great quantity of a dry paste, known under the name of tánping, the residuum or husk of a legu minous plant called teuss, from which the Chinese extract oil, and which is used, after being pressed, as manure for the ground; great quantities also of the same plant unpressed, hams and salted meat, oil, wine and spirits, timber for ship building, wheat, chesnuts, pears, fruits, greens, &c., come from the north.

A

"From Fuhkien they bring sugar, indigo liquid and dried, sweet potatoes, salted fish, paper, black tea, and soap; from Canton sugar, cinuamon, Canton cloth, fruits, glass and chrystals, perfumes, soap, white lead, &c.

64

The vessels arriving from Singapore, Malacca, Penang, Java, Jolo, Sumatra, Borneo, &c., and which are entered at the custom-house as coming from Fuhkien or Canton bring European goods of all kinds, opium, flints, pepper, shark's fins, deers' horns, cochineal, hides, nails, nutmegs, liquid and dried indigo, bicho de mar, birds' nests, mother o'pearl, shells, tortoise shells, ivory, buffalo's humps, sugar, canes, betel-nut, sapan-wood, ebony, iron, lead, gold-thread, and all kinds of wood for spars, ornamental and fragrant, as well as materials for dying and medicine, coming from the Red Sea, the Persian or Indian seas, and the isles of Polynesia.

"The ships of the north, that is those which return to Kwántung, Tientsin and Liáutung, carry away cotton, some tea, paper, silks, and cotton stuffs from Nanking and Suchau, European goods and flints, opium, and a great part of the sugar, pepper, bicho de mar and birds'

Share This Page