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mentioned above. There is, in addition, however, quite an appreciable trade in metal utensils of European Russian make, while quantities of glass articles come from Germany. The prospects for this trade are nevertheless, owing to the high freight charges on the railway, unpromising. Finally, there is a small demand for tinned meats, provisions, &c., of local manufacture.
No reliable trade statistics are obtainable, though apparently the gross quantity of goods dealt with at the three Harbin stations in 1906 was 22,636,160 pouds, divided as follows:-
Arrived Dispatched
Fouds. 16,987,383
5,558,885
Total
22,541,268
Under the first heading, salt and firewood were the most important items; the second, flour.
under
The weight of goods dealt with at the Sungari Wharf during the same period was 3,810,762 pouds, divided as follows :-
Arrived-
From Lower Sungari
"
Upper Sungari
Dispatched--
For Lower Sungari
Upper Surgari
Total
Pouds.
2,857,715
2,880
1,450,717
3,810,762
Native cart transport is naturally not included in these figures, nor do the wharf figures cover more than the cargoes carried by Russian shipping.
Near the wharf district is the Chinese town of Harbin, with a population of 60,000. Beyond the fact that it contains the Chinese Government Offices, there is nothing in the place which merits particular notice. The Chinese merchants here lay in their supplies of goods at Tien-tsin, Shanghae, and Newchwang, and to a lesser extent at Peking, Chefoo, &c. The area of distribution commanded by Chinese Harbin is very large, extending beyond Tsitsitar, and Aigun on the north-west, and Hulan, Tetuanhutzu, Hsin-shan, Pinshu, Sanshan on the north and east.
Cereals for this place come mainly from Hulancheng on the north. Harbin is 466 miles from the mouth of the Sungari, 485 from Vladivostock, and 588 from Dairen,
Shuong Cheng Pu is a growing town, with a population of 25,000 inhabitants, situated about 30 miles south of Harbin, on the old high road from Sanchan to Newchwang. This place has made great strides since the establishment of the railway, and now boasts a flour mill, which grinds 4,200 pouds of grain every twenty-four hours. The value of the grain appearing in the market of Shuang Cheng Pu is 360,0007 ?
Foreign imports come via Changchun and Newchwang.
Changchun (Kilin Province). Changchun, or Kwangchengtzu, with a population of about 130,000, is the key of North and South Manchuria, and a starting point for Kilin, and Mukden Provinces, or for Mongolia.
It is the junction also of the Russian and Japanese railway systems, and later will be one of the termini of the line running to Kilin. The trade of the place is mostly transit. Here is situated one of the great wholesale markets of Manchuria; in fact, it is no exaggeration to say that there is not one important centre of trade in the whole of these territories which has not relations with Changchun. There can be no doubt that a great future is in store for this town.
The exports are as usual agricultural produce, and the imports, mainly, cotton yarn, sugar, cotton cloth, hemp cloth, and miscellaneous goods. The value of the farm produce and manufactures therefrom passing through the Changchun market annually is estimated at about 680,0007.; the value of the imports, over 1,800,0001.
Ashihho is an ancient walled city of Manchuria, situated about 24 miles from Harbin. Its population is 32,000.
*
The value of the trade of this place, according to most recent investigations, 26,000,000 tiao (870,000l.). Of this amount, 6,800,000 tiao are to be credited to foreign imports, the most important of which is hemp-cloth.
* Aces rding to this report the "tino" is equal to about one-third of a “yen.”
Ningula is an ancient walled city to the north of Kilin, and distant about 16 miles from Harbin Station on the Chinese Eastern Railway. The country in the neighbourhood of Ninguta is well cultivated, and it is estimated that the value of the agricultural products raised in the district is about 1,212,000 tiao (400,000) yearly. The imports, valued at about 2,000,000 tiao (70,0001.), consists mainly of hemp cloth, cotton goods, sugar, and table salt. There is, likewise, a good trade with the Russians in hair and hides. Both the wheat and the tobacco raised in this district are of exceedingly good quality.
Tsitsihar and Tsitsihar Station (Amur Province).. Tsitsihar, which is the centre of government of the Amur Province, and is situated on the Sonchan River, a big tributary of the Sungari, has a population of 80,000, A road leads from the town to Tsitsihar Station, distant about 14 miles, and thence on through Aigun to Blagovestchensk. Owing to its conveniences, in the way of land and water transport, this place enjoys considerable prosperity, and is resorted to, not only by numbers of Russian merchants, but also of Mongols. The country around is unsuited for agriculture.
A branch of the Russo-Chinese Bank is established here, as well as one or two foreign firms, including a German. Japanese residents number 101.
The settlement, or town, at Tsitsihar Station, is situated in the middle of a vast uncultivated plain, Trade, there is virtually none, and the business of the place is divided between the restaurants and the stores dealing in miscellaneous goods and fancy articles. The means of communication between Tsitsihar and Tsitsihär Station are so wretched, that the Chinese are said to be making arrangements for the laying down of a light line of railway from one place to the other. The contract for the supply of material has gone to the German firm in Tsitsihar.
Hailar is on the Hailar Railway, 500 miles from Harbin. The population of the place is very small, only 3,000; but, nevertheless, the cattle market here is the most important in North Manchuria. Numbers of oxen and sheep are brought in for sale, and the Russians estimated the annual value of this trade, before the war, at 1,000,000 roubles.
Manchurie. A new settlement. Both the Chinese and the Russians have customs offices here. The population numbers 12,000, 40 per cent. being Chinese, and the trade of the place, like that of Hailar, is in cattle only.
Petune (Kilin), is situated on the right bank of the Sungari in the middle of a sandy plain. Petune, which occupies an important position on the line of communica- tions, seeing that it is either by road or water connected with Kilin, Harbin, Tsitsihar, Changchun, &c., is: for the moment, unimportant only as a place of transhipment.
The chief items of trade here are tobacco and timber.
The soil around Peture partakes of the characteristics of that of Mongolia, being sandy and unsuitable for farming purposes.
In former days there was a thriving trade between this place and the neighbouring parts of Mongolia, but, since the construction of the Chinese Eastern Railway, it has decreased very considerably.
Payansasu (Amur) is a town of considerable importance near the middle waters of the Sungari River. The soil of the surrounding country is fertile and eminently suited for agriculture. Payansasu is not on the Sungari itself, and therefore lacks water communication; but this drawback does not, thanks to the close tradal connections existing with Shuaugchengpu, Hulan, and Petuanhirtzü, materially affect the prosperity of the place.
Foreign goods come from Newchwang via Harbin or Hulan. The value of this trade is about 4,000,000 tian (133,0001.) per annum; 70 per cent. of this amount represents local consumption. The remaining 30 per cent. that of the surrounding districts.
The value of the agricultural products of this district is about 324,0001, per annum. Wheat is becoming a most important item of the trade of the place. Payansasu is the centre of a large spirit-distilling industry.
Hsinshan, and Chiapanshan (Kilin). The former, once a tiny hamlet, is, by reason of its situation in the middle of an agricultural district and also because of its anchorage facilities on the Sungari, becoming a place of importance. Ever increasing numbers of Russian merchants gather here annually from Harbin, Khabarovsk, and Blagovestchensk to purchase wheat.
Foreign imports come through Chiapanshan, or Harbin,
Chiapanshan is in close tradal connection with the place just mentioned. The
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