CO129-103 - Others - 1864 — Page 493

:

Sis Borderick Choyers. Burt

490 32105 State for the Coloncin with the brrupts of

Under Keretary

ay

18, Lower Phillimore Pluce,

Kensington, W, 22nd July, 1863.

VIII.

Capta Aprze

COMMERCE WITH WESTERN CHINA:

AND EXTENSION

OF

THE CALCUTTA AND RANGOON TELEGRAPH,

BY LAND,

TO HONG-KONG AND THE CHINESE OPEN PORTS.

TRADE WITH WESTERN CHINA.

(Leeds Mercury, 13th July, 1863.)

We have often drawn the attention of our readers to the seeming extensive--but we believe far from visionary--project of Captain Sprye and his son, for the opening up of a line of new com- merce with Western China. There are obvious advantages in the proposal which will commend themselves to the mind of every attentive reader. If any person will take a map in his hand, he will perceive that there are two ways to the west of China. On the one hand he will see that this region lies quite near the Bay of Bengal, and is divided only by a comparatively narrow strip of territory from our own possession of l'egu. On the other hand he will see that by going all round the isthmus of Malacca, sailing or steaning up to Shanghae, then hiring a river bout and ascending fifteen hundred to two thousand miles of the course of the Yang-tse, ho has got to pretty nearly the same, point-at all events, he has got into another part of the same vast region. If our student of the map were then told that the latter of these courses was the only practicable one, he would experience considerable surprise. Ife would ask whether it was possible that the only way of getting over a distance of three or four hundred miles was by making a circuit of nearly twice as many thousands. He would inquire whether the difficulties which stood in the way of a direct overland commerce were quite insuperable, and whether any cost of engineering works would not be preferable to a continual circuit of such enormous magnitude. And he would be inclined to doubt whether the commerce of this region was worth possessing, see- ing that no authority has taken sufficient pains to adopt a simple plan of opening it out for the benefit of our country and the world. His surprise would be increased if told that the district to which this short route would lead was among the most valu- able commercial districts in the world, that its population was enormous, its natural wealth almost unrivalled, and that all it wanted was foreigu intercourse, which would enable the inhabi-

tants to exchange the rich products of their own mines and fields for the manufactured goods of other countries.

Yet all this is actually the case. And if our inquirer were to press the question as to the existence of difficulty in opening up the communication, we should be compelled to answer that the difficulty was more imaginary than real. Over Eastern Pegu to the borders of Burmah, we have the best engineering evidence that a tramway could be carried with comparative ease, and with no extravagant expense; while from this point to the borders of China, a distance of but 250 miles, we have not only an existing caravan road, but we have a right of transit for our goods on the most liberal terms. In fact, there is abso- lutely nothing wanting escept official arrangement with China, for British trade at their frontier towns-and in the present temper of the Chinese Government there is little doubt that such an arrangement could be easily obtained--and a road across our own territory by which our merchants could obtain safe transit for their goods, and for the products of China in return, the year round. These fulfilled, the boundless commerce of this productive and populous region is at once opened to the enter prise of England, British India, and the world.

There is another most important object which the opening of this route would enable us to accomplish. There can be no question that the telegraph to India will at length be success- fully established, by the direct route of Constantinople, Bagdad, and the Persian Gulf, to Karrachee. Many failures have not daunted British enterprise. For years the telegraph to Alexandria battled the skill of our engiucers. But the telegraph to Alexandria has now been completed, and, though just at present out of working order, has been for some time in regular operation. And if the rest of that route to India has failed, it will also be established in course of time. From Kurrachee the telegraph is open to Calcutta, and there is also telegraphic communication from Calcutta to Shway-Gyen in eastern Pegu, through Rangoon. There, however, the system stops. All communication between China, Rangoon, and Calcutta must come tediously round the peninsula of Malacca.