560
571
The Black
30
TONKIN ROUTES.-(a.) Black River Route.-This route to west Yunnan River Route. is navigable for small boats to Mong Nhe, but large junks cannot ply beyond Laichau. Its simuous course and the great number of rapids above Tuen. Quan render it impracticable for trade. The river is almost valueless as a waterway, and it will not justify the works necessary for steam navigation. Rocher says that the routes between the Red and the Black Rivers, which are separated by a watershed of 8,000 to 10,000 feet, are commercially unimportant, while between the Red and the Mekong Rivers the people are sparse and poor, the country difficult, and transport expensive, so that commerce would not be remunerative. The French, he adds, must utilise the Red River and not be diverted to other routes.
The Red
(b.) Red River (Songkoi) Route.-It is this route which gives the French River Route. an important position in Yunnan. The French territory extends north to 25° 20′ and marches with China as far as the Mekong, which forms the west boundary of French Laos. This route became unsafe for foreign trade during the Mohammedan rebellion, and later through robber hands, and troubles between the French and Chinese. For years it was abandoned to Black Flag filibusters by the Chinese Government, and the borderland is still infested by brigands, whose attacks on Red River traffic the mandarins are alleged to encourage.
Opinions
about this route.
Red River trade.
There is practical unanimity among authorities as to the superiority of this over all other ways of penetrating Yunnan. Richthofen spoke of it as the most favourable route and the only navigable water route to the Yunnan frontier. General Mesny calls it the shortest of all land routes to Yunnan- Fu, all other routes thither from the highest point of navigation being longer by one-half, and no better off in respect of conveniences for travellers and merchants. M. Rocher says this is indisputably the most natural route to Yunnan, and the best in economy of time and in cheap aud convenient transport. It is surer, easier, and quicker than other routes. Consul Jamieson, who has recently traversed this route, speaks of it as by far the best and speediest to Yunnan. Mr. Colquhoun thinks this route will attract the trade of south-east Yunnan and of central Yunnan up to Yunnan-Fu, physical obstacles rendering it difficult for the trade to penetrate east or west. Opinions differ greatly as to the importance of south-east Yunnan. Mr. Bourne, Mr. Colquhoun, and others describe it as
poor and unproductive and capable of but little commercial development. Rocher directly denies these assertions, and contends that south-east is richer than south-west Yunnan, having a more fertile soil, a richer subsoil, and more numerous and more civilised population. M. Leroy-Beaulieu has recently described the provinces bordering on Tonkin as the poorest in the Chinese Empire, very mountainous, inhabited in great part by aboriginal tribes, and devastated and depopulated by rebellions.
a
The progress of Red River trade has been great since Mengtsz was opened to Tonkin trade under the Convention of 26th August 1887. The imports from abroad (including Hong Kong) and the exports to foreign countries as registered at the Mengtsz Customs House for the last seven years were as follows:-
Imports.
Exports.
Total.
IIk. Taels.
Hk. Taels.
FIk. Theis.
1890
635,000
461,000
1,096,000
1891 -
946,000
683,000
1,529,000
1892
1,150,000
736,000
1,885,000
1893 -
1,524,000
735,000
2,259,000
1894
1,242,000
943,000
2,185,000
1995
1,809,000
1,033,000
2,842,000
1896
1897 -
1,627,000 2,394,000
850,000
2,477,000
1,058,000
3,452,000
If the Haikwan tael be taken at 3s. for 1896 the value of the total trade for that year was equivalent to 371,550, or less than the Burma-China trade in 1896-97. But the China trade with Tonkin itself (as distinguished from the transit trade) is much smaller, the imports in 1896 being Hk. taels 86,000
31
River route.
and the exports Hk. taels 134,000, while in 1897 the figures were Hk. taels 74,000 and Hk. taels 191,000. Imports from Hong Kong in 1897 aggregated 97 per cent. of the total imports. The commercial members of the Blackburn Mission state that nine-tenths of the foreign goods imported into Yunnan now follows the Red River route, but this seems much too high an estimate.
The difficulties that have hampered Tonkin trade have been numerous. Obstacles to First, the traffic by the Red River cannot easily ascend beyond Laokai. trade on Red A regular weekly service of steamers ascends the Red River from Haiphong on the Tonkin Gulf to Hanoi and Yenbai, but they can ply for nine to ten months only, though they could run all the year if the channel were improved. At Yenbai goods are transhipped to a smaller boat. The rapids render navigation difficult and dangerous between Yeubai and Laokai; never- theless, for seven months in the year navigation is possible to Laokai. It is usually stated that Laokai is five days up from Hanoi, and two days down, but Consul Jamieson says that in January 1898 he took seven days from Yenbai to Laokai, and was congratulated on making almost a record passage. Cargo steamers could not get up to Laokai during the greater part of 1897, and Chinese merchants continued to send cargo in small boats from Hanoi to Yenbai, and thence by junks to Manbao. Junks are preferred, taking the year throughout, because they ensure more regular delivery. There is now a fine military road between Yenbai and Laokai. Beyoud Laokai the rapids become worse and the river is shut in by high, wooded mountains, but Dr. Pichon holds that in flood season light-draught steamers might reach Longpo and even Manhao, though the rapids are, between these places, very dangerous. According to a member of the Lyons Mission, the future of Tonkin depends on French steamers being able to ascend freely to the Chinese frontier, that is, to Laokai. The steamer service that exists between Hanoi and Laokai consists of boats with but small cargo space, and it is restricted to such an extent by shoals and rapids that the boats make only a few trips each season. The rapids are so dangerous that the losses from wrecks of junks are estimated at 16 per cent. annually. M. de Lanessan considers that, in spite of works, the navigation of the Red River will always be inconvenient. The frontier trade practically ceases from May to September. Complaints are made of the injury done to trade by excessive charges for freight both by junk and by steamer, and it seems probable that with lower freights and better constructed steamers trade would increase much faster. The boycotting of French steamers by Chinese merchants, whose customary arrangements for regulating trado have been interfered with by the steamer service, has also hindered expansion of trade. Again, French merchants are charged with deficient enterprise both in obtaining information and in providing capital, as well as in neglecting to suit the tastes and pockets of the people. The comparative poverty of north Tonkin and the absence of railways may help to explain the present comparatively small trade, Prince Henry complains that the Government does not improve navigation or facilitate trade, and he recommends a reduction in the opium and other duties. The import of opium into Toukin is prohibited under Treaty of 1885, as the French Government have granted a monopoly to a private person, who is allowed 10 per cent. on the sales. He buys only a small quantity of Yunnan opium to mix with Indian. Hence little except contraband opium enters Tonkin from Yunnan. This is a serious drawback to trade, for the imports of Yunnan must depend closely on its exports, of which tin and opium are the most important. Consequently, Dr. Pichon and others argue that Tonkin should be a free market for opium, or that a low duty should be levied, predicting as the result a steady growth of frontier trade. On the other hand, the Chinese Government forbid the importation of salt into Yunnan, because it would interfere with a monopoly. Prince Henry, however, asserts that the Chinese Government's contracts with Yunnan merchants, under which this prohibition takes place, have expired. Trade on the Red River is much impeded by the unhealthiness of Laokai, which has made little progress for several years. The climate of Manhao also is notoriously bad. By the Convention of 20th June 1895, the port of Hokou, opposite Laokai, was opened as a treaty port in substitution for Manhao. By this change the French aimed at opening up a more direct route for commerce into Yunnan
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.