CHINA-PAKHOI.
297
of Miscellaneous Piece Goods, Tls. 169,384. Most of these goods came from British looms. The value of the Opium, imported in 1880 was Tls. 32,344,628.
Although China is traversed in all directions by roads, they are usually mere tracks, or at best footpaths, along which the transport of goods is a tedious and difficult undertaking. It was owing to the imperfect means of communication that such a fearful mortality attended the recent famines in Shansi, Honan, and Shantung. A vast internal trade is, however, carried on over the roads, and by means of numerous canals and navigable rivers. The most populous part of China is singularly well adapted for the construction of a network of railways, and a first attempt to introduce them into the country was made in 1876, when a line from Shanghai to Woosung, ten miles in length, was constructed by an English Company. The little railway was subsequently purchased by the Chinese Government and closed by them on the 21st October, 1877, when the rails were taken up and the line with rolling stock shipped to Formosa, where it has ever since been lying idle and rapidly spoiling. Latterly the introduction of railways has been advocated by some of the high officials. telegraph line has been erected between Tientsin and Shanghai, which was opened in December last.
PAKHOI.
Pakhoi is one of the ports opened to foreign trade by the Chefoo Convention of 1876. It is situated on the Gulf of Tonquin in long. 190 deg. 13 min. E. and lat. 21 deg. 30 min. N. The British Consul hoisted his flag on the 1st May, 1877, and the foreigners were well received by the natives. Pakhoi is the port for the important city of Lien-chau, from whence considerable quantities of foreign piece goods are distributed over the country lying between the West River and the sea-board. It is believed that it will also become the great outlet for the trade of the province of Kwang- si. The trade was formerly almost exclusively in the hands of Chinese, who transhipped goods from Hongkong and Macao (chiefly the latter) in native bottoms, and in 1877 the value of the trade passing through the Foreign Customs amounted to no more than Tls. 11,714, while in 1878 it was nil. Trade has, however, greatly improved and in 1880 its value was Tls. 1,748,160 as compared with Tls, 328,532 in 1879. The exports are sugar, oil, rice, tea, &c. It is anticipated that the trade of Pakboi will ultimately be very important.
The town is situated on a small peninsula and faces nearly due North. It stands at the foot of a bluff nearly forty feet high, which deprives it of the South-west breeze in summer, while in winter it is exposed to the full force of the North-east monsoon. From the bluff an extensive uncultivated plain stretches, over which there is good sport, geese, duck, snipe, plover, quail, and pigeons being found in abundance. The climate is considered to be very salubrious. The estimated population of the port is 25,000.
No port in China is more easily approached and entered than that of Pakhoi. The landmarks are conspicuous and unmistakeable. The channel is wide and deep and has no hidden danger to be avoided. The anchorage is a mile and a balf from the town. There is good landing at high water, but at ebb tide only for small bonts.