Tali-Fu.
Ssumao.
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unlikely, while adventitious circumstances make the city more important as a trade centre than it deserves to be, or is likely to remain. At present considerable trade passes along the four great routes leading hence to Tali-Fu, Sui-Fu, Mengtsz and Kuciyang-Fu. The people are well-to-do, and the shops in the main streets contain a great quantity and variety of native and foreign goods. Yunuan-Fu is the chief depot for Puerh tea, all of which is sent thither, except a portion that goes to western Yunnan and Tibet. It is also a great depot for salt, copper, opium, and medicines, as well as for Canton and foreign goods, which come from Hong Kong vid Fakhoi, Nanning, Pose, and Kwangnan-Fu. It has metallurgical workshops and manufacturés of silk, carpets, felt coverlets, satins, &c. Yunnan-Fu stands in a well cultivated plain which is rich in cereals, flax, tobacco, &c., and contains a large number of sheep and cattle.
Tali-Fu (7,000 feet) has been an important town since the Christian era. Owing to its admirable situation it is the natural centre of the trade routes from south-western China, Burma, Tibet, and Ningyuan. In the Mohammedan rebellion it was held by the insurgents throughout, and it was here that the fighting raged most fiercely. Ruined houses and cultivated land within the walls show that Tali formerly covered a wider area. A recent traveller, M. Bonin, says that the Mussulmans are now stronger and more numerous in Tali than before the rebellion. Being a focus at which many routes converge, Tali has for centuries been the base of all operations, military or commercial, from Western China towards Burma. From these points of view it is still important. The present population is variously stated. Mr. Lenz said the town contained 20,000 Chinese, but there are many representatives of native races besides. Opinions differ as to the amount of commercial activity at Tali, Captain Davies saying that no great trade can be got out of it, while Mr. Turner states that Tali, with Hsia-Kwan (10 miles distant), forms probably the most important trade centre in Yunnan, and he places Hsia-Kwan above Tali. According to Mr. Morrison Hsia Kwan has the two largest caravanserais in Western China. Bamboo and gaupi paper, silk, cotton, tea, medicines, sugar, salt, paper, &c., are the chief articles of com- merce, and opium is sent in large quantities from Hsia Kwan to Sui-Fu, Chingi (in Kueichou), Pose, and Mengtsz. The preparation and dressing of skins is an important industry at Tali. An annual fair is held there, but it is said to be declining, and few attend it now except Tibetans and Chinese Shans. The Tibetans bring ponies and mules, yak hair, goat cloth, sheep skins, serge, furs, buffalo and horse hides, leopard and fox skins, decr skins, musk, gold dust, and rhubarb and many other medicines. There are large supplies of native medicines and native cotton cloth at the fair, but few foreign goods, though the fair is mainly for clothing. Canton traders bring small foreign goods and smuggle back opium. At all seasons the shops have articles from a distance, Central Asia, Shanghai, Canton, &c., but Captain Davies saw few European goods. Tali possesses native industries of marble work for paifangs and household ornaments and rough silver work. Lieutenant Roux considers that the future development of Tali depends on that of the commerce between Burma and China. The plain of Tali is one of the most important in Yunnan in area and population. There are three harvests a year, and abundant crops of rice, maize, poppy, buckwheat, peas, &c., are raised. In the district many mules and ponies are reared.
Ssumao (Szemao), so frequently referred to in connection with the railway scheme of Messrs. Colquhoun and Hallett, is situated at an elevation of It contains 4,600 feet, in a large plain, well-watered and highly cultivated.
a population of about 15,000, the town population being Chinese, with a mixture of races outside. The suburbs are as large as the town, and the numerous caravans lodge beyond the walls. There are no shops or godowns. Ssumao is the converging point of important trade routes from Yunnan-Fu (18 days), Mengtsz (18 days), Tali (20 days), and Kengtung (18 days), routes which present great difficulties. Thus on the Mengtsz route one pass rises to 7,850 feet. The favourite route for foreign goods is from Rangoon vid Mandalay, Kengtung, and Kenghung. Ssumao has a busy aspect owing to the number of caravans passing through it with salt and Puerh green tea, which comes from a district six to nine days south of Ssumao. The transit trade in tea is about 1,200 tons annually." The only
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important trade passing through the Customs is that in raw cotton, supplied mainly by the districts round Mongsing, Kengtung, and Monglem. The trade of Ssumao has been greatly exaggerated. The amount registered at the Customs in 1897 was only about 28,000%., much smaller than that of Mengtsz. Mr. Bourne has said that Ssumao is a busy town for Yunnan, but will not compare either in trade or appearance with third class cities in Ssuchuan or on the Lower Yangtze. Its export trade is trivial, while of the imports 90 per cent. go away under transit passes, chiefly to Linan and Yunnan-Fu. The chief trade is with Burma, wheñce come 85 per cent. of the imports, as against 15 per cent. from Tonkin. The chief trade routes from Rangoon to Ssumao are vid Moulmein, Paan, Zimmé, aud Kengtung (48 days), and viá Mandalay and Kengtung (42 days), but traders usually occupy two months by either. There seems no reason why goods from Burma should not oust all French goods. Of the trifling exports 77 per cent. go to Burma. But iron (in bars, pans, &c.) is the only export worth naming. On account of the few articles suitable for exportation no large foreign trade can arise at Ssumao, though fixed customs and transit duties should cause some improvement in imports of raw and manufactured cotton. Salt (not registered at the Customs) is sent to Burma in large quantities to pay for cotton. Transport, which is in the hands of Mohammedans, is cheaper in south-western Yunnan than in other parts, owing to the relatively low charges en route, necessaries being cheap. As the cost of carriage of goods from Hong Kong through Tonkin and Mengtsz is 100 dollars per too, plus Customs dues in Tonkin, while from Rangoon to Ssumao it is 85 to 90 dollars with no Customs dues, the latter route is likely to prevail. It may be added that Ssumao is about six days from Muong Hou, the nearest outpost in French Laos, and about 14 days from the Burma frontier, while the journey to Kunlon, vid Weiyuan, Mienning, and Mengtung takes 25 days. French and British consuls reside there, and it is opened to foreign trade on the same terms as the Treaty Ports.
Mengtsz (Mengtze, Mongtze) is situated in a fairly cultivated plain Mengtsz. surrounded by high mountains. It has 11,000 inhabitants, while the region around is thinly populated by Shans and Lolos. From Mengtsz, which is the Chinese Customs station for Tonkin, there are routes to Yunnan-Fu, Kwangnan-Fu, and the miues of Kuochin. The road to Yunnan-Fu is well maintained. Mengisz is in a good position to serve as a centre of dis- tribution, and the value of its transit trade was 91 per cent. of the total imports in 1897. According to Dr. Pichon, Mongtsz is taking the place of Fongai on the West River as the head of the line of caravans which set out to distribute foreign and Canton merchandise in Yunoon. Goods go from Haiphong to Yunnan-Fu in 22 days on payment of 7 per cent. for duties. But the chief import through Tonkin is Indian cotton yarn, which con- stituted over 70 per cent. of the total imports in 1897. M. Rocher said in 1894 that not one French article had appeared in the Mengtsz market. Cotton goods (especially T-cloths of 32 and 36 inches) go from Mengtsz under transit passes chiefly to Yunnan-Fu, Puerb, Kaihua, and Tali; and Indian cotton yarn to Chengchiang, Yunnan-Fu, Chuching, Kailua, and Linau which are the chief distributing centres for transit goods. In 1897 these five cities took 86 per cent. of the transit goods, ranking as distributing centres in the order named (Indian cotton yarns, grey shirtings, T-cloths, and long ells increasing). Less important centres are Tali (Taels 38,700), and Puerb. It is remarkable that Tali should draw from Mengtsz instead of Burma. It took cotton goods (especially T-cloths), cotton yarns, long ells and other woollens, brass buttons, medicines, liquorice, and tobacco. But similar goods went even as far as Likiang, while Shunning and Yungchang took tobacco and cotton. The transit trade with Kueichou is small, but increasing, and that with Ssuchuan insignificant. The export of tin from Mengtsz (the market for the Kuochiu mines) increases. The only other exports worth naming are medicines and Puerh tea.
Momien (Momein or Tengyueh) is on the route from Bhamo to Tali. By Momien, the agreement of August 1897 British subjects may establish themselves there and trade under the same conditions as at Treaty ports. Momien lies in a large, populous, well cultivated plain abounding in rice, cattle, sheep, &c. Captain Davies says the Momien plain is the richest district in western
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