[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
244
C.O.
30309
SOUTH-WEST CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
"C
(No. 5.)
My Lord,
No. 1.
[June 8.]
The SECTION 14 AUG OF
Acting Consul Litton to the Marquess of Lansdowne,.(Received June 8.)
Yunnan-fu, April 6, 1903.
I HAVE the honour to submit a Report, with sketch maps, on a journey in North-west Yunnan, which I performed last winter.
Almost all the country described is within the sphere of British commercial or political interest.
If your Lordship should direct that this Report be printed, I should be glad to receive six copies for use in Yünnan.
I have, &c. (Signed)
G. LITTON.
Inclosure in No. 1.
Report on a Journey in North and North-west Yünnan, Season 1902-1903.
1.-Yünnan-fu to Pin Chuan, the Slope to the Yang-tsze.
THE main west road from Yünnan-fu to Ta Li runs chiefly along the head waters of a series of streams, which flow north and discharge themselves into the Yang-tsze. The average distance from the main road north to the Yang-tsze is 100 miles, and the drop is about 2,000 feet. Along the line of the main road, there is a series of valleys and plateaux (Yunnan Hsien, Chu Hsiung, Chen Nan, &c.), but further north, great ranges of mountains, running north and south, generally confine the streams in narrow defiles or valleys. The rush of water down this slope into the Yang-tsze during the rains is tremendous, and is a main cause of the rapid rise of the river at Sui-fu in August. The lines of main-trade communication in this country have naturally run north and south, and not east and west, but I resolved to commence my journey by taking a line to Ta Li, roughly equi-distant from the Yang-tsze and from the Burmah high road.
Leaving Yünnan-fu by the North Gate on the 16th November, 1902, and proceeding over the plain for 5 miles, we crossed a limestone and sandstone col, and descended into a gorge, where we put up for the night, and the next day descended to the little city of Fu Min Hsien, in the valley of the An Ning River, which is the main outlet of the Yunnan Lake; 75 per cent. of the country consists of bare hills, with a sparse population of Lolos. After leaving the Fu Min Valley, we proceeded through poor and broken country above the west bank of the river to Ché Pei, whence we ascended past Chi Kai Market, to a sandy plateau sparsely clad with pine woods, and thence down to the valley of Wu Ting Choù, a tumble-down city of about 400 families, in a treeless barren country.
This town was destroyed in the disorders which marked the close of the Mohammedan rebellion in Yunnan, and has never recovered, but it was once an important stage on the Yunnan trade route between Yünnan and the Chien Chang (South-west Szechuan), which was once the principal trade route in the province. The "oldest inhabitant" of Wu Ting (1873) remembers the days when 100 laden mules per diem passed the city, but now there are not as many in a month. As soon as the Panthay troubles commenced, trade left the Chien Chang-Wu Ting route and took to the Sui-fu (Szechuan)-Chao Tong-fu-Yunnan-fu line, on the other side of the Yang-tsze from the Chien Chang; this route was in its turn strangled by the Lao Wa Tan li-kin, and yielded much of its importance to the west river route, which grew in importance with the growing demand in Canton for Yünnan opium. Pirates, the establishment of order on the Red River, and, above all, the establishment of the Customs at Mengtse, again diverted the commerce into the channel which, as regards Central Yunnan, it is likely to occupy permanently. There
[2021 -1]
B
...
[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
244
C.O.
30309
SOUTH-WEST CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
"C
(No. 5.)
My Lord,
No. 1.
[June 8.]
The? SECTION 14 AUG OF
Acting Consul Litton to the Marquess of Lansdowne,.~~(Received June 8.)
Yunnan-fu, April 6, 1903.
I HAVE the honour to submit a Report, with sketch maps, on a journey in North- west Yunnan, which I performed last winter.
Almost all the country described is within the sphere of British commercial or political interest.
If your Lordship should direct that this Report be printed, I should be glad to receive six copies for use in Yünnan.
I have, &c. (Signed)
G. LITTON.
Inclosure in No. 1.
Report on a Journey in North and North-west Yünnan, Season 1902-1903.
1.-Yünnan-fu to Pin Chuan, the Slope to the Yang-tsze.
THE main west road from Yünnan-fu to Ta Li runs chiefly along the head waters of a series of streams, which flow north and discharge themselves into the Yang-tsze. The average distance from the main road north to the Yang-tsze is 100 miles, and the drop is about 2,000 feet. Along the line of the main road, there is a series of valleys and plateaux (Yunnan Hsien, Chu Hsiung, Chen Nan, &c.), but further north, great ranges of mountains, running north and south, generally confine the streams in narrow defiles or valleys. The rush of water down this slope into the Yang-tsze during the rains is tremendous, and is a main cause of the rapid rise of the river at Sui-fu in August. The lines of main-trade communication in this country have naturally run north and south, and not east and west, but I resolved to commence my journey by taking a line to Ta Li, roughly equi-distant from the Yang-isze and from the Burmah high road.
Leaving Yünnan-fu by the North Gate on the 16th November, 1902, and proceed- ing over the plain for 5 miles, we crossed a limestone and sandstone col, and descended into a gorge, where we put up for the night, and the next day descended to the little city of Fu Min Hsien, in the valley of the An Ning River, which is the main outlet of the Yunnan Lake; 75 per cent. of the country consists of bare hills, with a sparse popula- tion of Lolos. After leaving the Fu Min Valley, we proceeded through poor and broken country above the west bank of the river to Ché Pei, whence we ascended past Chi Kai Market, to a sandy plateau sparsely clad with pine woods, and thence down to the valley of Wu Ting Choù, a tumble-down city of about 400 families, in a treeless barren country.
This town was destroyed in the disorders which marked the close of the Mohammedan Remark on rebellion in Yunnan, and has never recovered, but it was once an important stage on the Yunnan trade trade route between Yünnan and the Chien Chang (South-west Szechuan), which was routes. once the principal trade route in the province. The "oldest inhabitant" of Wu Ting (1873.) remembers the days when 100 laden mules per diem passed the city, but now there are not as many in a month. As soon as the Panthay troubles commenced, trade left the Chien Chang-Wu Ting route and took to the Sui-fu (Szechuan)-Chao Tong,fu-Yunnan- fn line, on the other side of the Yang-tsze from the Chien Chang; this route was in its turn strangled by the Lao Wa Tan li-kin, and yielded much of its importance to the west river route, which grew in importance with the growing demand in Canton for Yünnan opium. Pirates, the establishment of order on the Red River, and, above all, the establishment of the Customs at Mengtse, again diverted the commerce into the channel which, as regards Central Yunnan, it is likely to occupy permanently. There
[2021 -1]
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