776
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curious about us and collected in great crowds, as indeed they did in all the places we passed.
Above this town for some distance the hills sink into the plain or recede to a considerable distance. The country is apparently sparsely populated and only partially cultivated. It consists largely of undulating grassy downs, which look like excellent grazing land, but which at present lie unused. Ta Huang Chiang (75) is a prosperous. looking little town prettily situated at a bend of the river, with high hills in the back- ground. It imports a considerable quantity of foreign goods, and there is a daily steamer passenger service to Wuchow.
For the following 20 or 30 miles the river is inclosed by high, sloping banks, which afford splendid pasture, but scarcely any cattle are seen. 15 miles further on is the Prefectual city of Hsün Chou (98) which has a population of some 30,000 or 40,000 and is situated at the foot of high, sloping grass-covered hills. It was devastated by the Taipings, and has not yet recovered. The principal products of the district are silk and rhea. The aspect of the country continnes much the same up to Kuci Hsien (153), a town of some 30,000 inhabitants. Two steam-launches run between it and Ta Huang Chiang. I was told that rifles and revolvers were being freely sold in the town.
The land in the neighbourhood is generally fat, broken by ragged limestone hills and ridges of rocks a few feet high, which suggest that a part of the country was once the bed of a river or lake.
About 18 miles distant, at San Ma Shan, there are some mines of silver, gold, and lead worked by a Chinese Company registered in Hong Kong, under the superintendence of a antive engineer educated in England. Some 400 people are employed, but there is a lack of skilled labourers and experienced overseers. The capital of 300,000 dollars has all been spent, and an attempt is now being made to raise more money. The establishment is provided with American machinery, and large offices built in foreign style.
On leaving Kaei Hsien the river contracts to about a quarter of a-mile in width, and the country seems better cultivated. A broad fertile plain extends on both sides, and there is everywhere evidence of a sufficient and industrious population. The principal products are maize and rice.
At Wu Sun-po (178) we auchored for a week for the water to rise to enable us to get over the rapids a mile or so farther on. These rapids are the most dangerous on the river, and during our stay six junks were wrecked there out of a total of four or five that passed every day. The danger lies not so much in the want of a sufficiently deep channel as in the difficulty of making the sharp turns amongst the rocks. The pilot was of opinion that a launch of 4 feet draught with narrow beam could get over if she were fitted with sufficiently strong steering gear. It being often said that where a junk can go a steamer can also go, it is well to point out that the junks are fitted with very large rudders and are also steered from the bows by means of an immense car.
As the water continued to fall, and information reached us of the critical state of affairs in the aorth, we went back to Kuei Hsien, where orders were received to return to Wuchow.
We met with no accident during the journey, and I think Commander Carr is to be congratulated in taking his step safely through so many hidden perils.
There is no doubt that the navigation above Wuchow is dangerous, and is only possible, with a most thorough knowledge of the river. It seems probable that shallow draught steamers could run all the year round as far as Kuci Hsien (153), that is about half-way, but beyond that for not more than three months, subject, even then to liability to delay by a temporary fall of the river, a not infrequent occurrence. Even if it is possible for specially-constructed steamers to run to Nanning the whole year round, they would probably be of such a kind as to be fit only for towing purposes. The best method, I think, would be to run two sets of towing launches, one to the rapids above Kuci Hsien, and the other from above the rapids to Nanning, leaving the tows to be tracked over.
I am of opinion, however, that the volume of trade is at present not large enough to attract foreign capital, especially under the Regulations now in force, which woukl prevent a Wuchow-Nanning steamer from calling at places en route, and would prevent a steamer plying from Wuchow to inland places from entering Nanning,
There is no town up to Kuci Hsien of 50,000 inhabitants, and the rural population is, for China, very sparse.
Until the mineral wealth of the province is developed and the population and pro- duction largely increase, there is not likely to be much scope for profitable steam
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navigation. Moreover, the inducements the native authorities would be sure to hold out to merchants to ship by junk must be kept in view. The duties on steamer cargo are fixed and immutable, whilst the duties on junk cargo may be lowered at the will of the authorities. For instance, at present scarcely any cassia is shipped by steamer because the native Customs levy a much lower duty on it if shipped by junk than would be levied by the foreign Customs if shipped by steamer. It seems impossible to prevent this kind of preferential treatment unless a certificate of payment of duty to the native Customs be accepted by the foreign Customs as freeing the goods covered thereby from further charges.
Nanning was declared a Treaty port more than a year ago, but it still awaits the establishment of a foreign Custom-house before it is effectively open to foreign trade. A considerable quantity of goods is already sent there from Wuchow under transit pass, and the only advantage the opening of the post is likely to bring is that foreign goods for consumption in the port will pay only the import duty of 5 per cent. ad valorem, instead of import duty and transit duty (7 per cent.).
Goods distributed from Nanning will, for the most part, he in the same position as regards payment of duties as when distributed from Wuchow. As Nauning itself is probably not a very great consumer the gain thus accruing will not be of much value. Against this advantage, too, would have to be set the expense of maintaining agents there for putting merchandize through the customs, which would probably more than balance the saving of the transit duty of 23 per cent. on goods actually consumed in the port.
It is possible that the interport trade may benefit by the foreign Customs com- peting with the native Customs, but even so steamers are not likely to gain much, for the native authorities will doubtless find means of favouring the junk-borne trade as they do now in the lower part of the river. Moreover, anless steamers run to Nanning, or the Yang-tsze system of chartered junks be adopted, merchandize will not come under the Treaty Tariff levied by the foreign Customs, and the opening of the place does not take effect. In any case I am of opinion that in the present state of the country and under the conditions now obtaining, no benefits of great value will accrue to trade from the inclusion of Nanning amongst the Treaty ports.
(Signed) H. A, LITTLE.
Samshui, July 6, 1900.
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