Directory_and_Chronicle_1879 — Page 712

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CONVENTION BETWEEN RUSSIA AND CHINA.

Art. II.-Following the range of hills along the Amoor's course, the long established Chinese frontier posts, and the marks put down in the 6th year of Yung-ching's reign (1728) at Sha-peen Ta-pa-ha, (in the vicinity of Tarbagatai), it is agreed that, waere these marks terminate, the Western boundaries, not yet laid down, shall commence; they shall extend westward to the Lake Tse-sang-cho-urb, from which, after running in a south-westerly direction along the Tib-mih-urb Too-choo-rh of the Tee-shan-range, they shall go southwards to Khokand.

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Art. III.-Sbould there hereafter occur disputes or misunderstandings in respect of frontier boundaries, it is agreed that they shall be deterinined by the two articles that precede. With reference to the placing of boundary marks in the tracts of country lying on the East, between Lake Hin-Ka and the Toumen, and, on the West, between Sha-peen Ta-pa-ya and Khokand, it is agreed that trustworthy officers shall be appointed by the two governments for that purpose. For the lacing of the marks along the eastern frontiers the officers appointed shall meet at the mouth of the Usuri in May, 1861; and for similar duty on the Western frontiers, officers shall meet at Tarbagatai,-but the time of meeting it is unnecessary to fix. The officers appointed for the above work shall act with all fairness and justice; and, as in accordance with the bounaries indicated in the First and Second art.cles of this convention, they shall make four charts, two of which shall be Russian and two either Manchurian or Chinese, and the said charts having been duly signed and sealed by the officers in question, shall be deposited, two (one in Russian and one in Manchurian or Chinese) in Russia, aud two (one in Russian and one in Manchurian or Chinese) in China. On the inter- change of these charts, they shall be appended hereto as forming part of this article,

Art. IV. At all places along the frontier agreed upon in the First article of this convention, Russian and Chinese subjects may hold intercourse at pleasure. There shall not in any case, be duties levied; and all frontier officers shall afford protection to merchants quietly carrying on trade.

In order to greater precision, the substance of the second article of Gac-hwan (Ay-Kom), is hereby again enunciated.

Art. V.-Russian merchants, in addition to trading at Kiachta, may, when passing in the old established manner from Kiachta to Peking, dispose of sundries at Koo-lun and Chang-kia-how. A [Russian] Consul with a limited retinue may be stationed at Koo-lun, he shall Lin self supervise the building of a consulate, but the site, the number of buildings, and the land for pasturage of cattle, shall all be de- termined by the high officers stationed at Koo-lun.

Chinese merchants, desirous of so doing, are at liberty to repair to Russia, and there carry on trade.

Russian merchants visiting the Chinese marts shall be under no restrictions, whether as to the time at which they may visit such places or the duration of their stay; but the number of merchants at any one place shall not exc ed two hundred. The Russian officers stationed on the frontiers shall supply each party of merc':ants with a passport, in which shall be specified the name of the chief merchant, the number of people that accompany him, and the place about to be visited by them for trade. The merchants shall themselves provide funds for the expenditure at endant on their business and for the purchase of food and cattle.

Art. VI.-In the establishment of trade, the same regulations, shall be applied at Kashgar as at Ili and Tarbagatai. At Kashgar, China agrees to make a grant of land whereon to build residences, warehouses, and churches, in order to suit the convenience of such Russian merchants as may live there; ground shall likewise be granted for burial purposes, and, as at Ili and Tarbagatai, a tract of pasture land for cattle. The high officer stationed at Kashgar shall be officially directed to d termine the a'nount of grounds to be granted for the purpose, and to make the other requisite arrangements Should people from the outside enter the Russian concession at Kasar, and plunder the property of Russian merchants trading there, China will not tanany action in the matter.

Art. VII.-The merchants of both countries may trade as they please at the vario marts, and shall not be subjected to any obstructions on the part of the officials; theb