CHINA
79
in 1883, which are of 7,430 tons displacement, have 14 inches armour, and each carry four 30 cm. and two 15 c.m. Krupp guns, eight machine guns, two light guns, and two launching carriages for torpedoes; the Lai Yuen, built at Stettin in 1887, which is of 2,850 tons displacement, has 9 in. armour, and carries two 8 in. 10-ton breech-loaders, two 6 in. breech-loaders, seven machine guns, and one torpedo tube and three launching carriages; and the small armoured gunboat Tien Sing, with 14 inches armour on the belt and 3 in. on the turret, and carrying one 17 c.m. Krupp gun. Amongst the unarmoured vessels is an Armstrong cruiser with protected decks, the Ching Yuen, built in 1887, and carrying three 8-in. 12-ton breech loaders and four torpedo tubes; the cruiser Tsi Yuen, built at Stettin in 1883, with protected deck, and carrying two 21 c.m. and one 15 c.m. Krupp guns, four light guns, six machine guns, and four torpedo tubes; the Hai An, a frigate built cruiser carrying two 21 c.m., four 15 c.m., and twenty 12 c.in. Krupp guns; the cruisers Nan Shuin and Nan Thin, built in Germany in 1884, carrying two 8 in. and eight 4 in. Armstrong breech-loaders; the cruiser Yang Pao, carrying three 8 in. 10-ton and seven 43 inch breech-loaders; the gun-vessels Mei Yuen and Tsing Yuen; and eleven so-called alphabetical gunboats. Of the latter the first four are 118 feet 6 inches long, with a draught of 7 feet 6 inches, and a displacement of 400 tons. They each carry a 274-ton gun. The next four, which arrived in China in October, 1879, are built of steel, and are double-ended, the stern lines being exactly after the model of the bow rudders. They measure 127 feet in extreme length and 125 feet at the water line, with 29 feet beam, a depth of 12 feet 3 inches, mean draught of 9 feet 6 inches, and a displacement of 440 tons. The main feature of these boats is the 11-inch 35-ton muzzle-loading gun carried by each. They are further armed with two 12-pounder breech-loading Armstrong guns and four Gatlings. The last three, which arrived in China in July, 1881, are almost identical in style with their immediate predecessors, and each carry one 35-ton gun, but are also provided with two 13-pounders, two Gatling, and four Nordenfeldt guns. They were all built on the Tyne by the Elswick Company. Lu Shun Kou, known as Port Arthur, which is on the south coast of Shingking, strongly fortified, and Wei Hai Wei n the south coast of Shantung, are the chief naval stations. The former was captured by the Japanese on the 21st November last and is at present occupied by them. TRADE AND INDUSTRY.
The ports open to trade are:-Canton, Hoihow (in Hainan), Pakhoi, Swatow, Amoy, Takow and Tainanfu, Tamsui and Kelung, Foochow, Wênchow, Ningpo, Shanghai, Chinkiang, Wuhu, Kiukiang, Hankow, Ichang, Chefoo, Tientsin, and Newchwang; Under the provisions of the Chefoo Convention, permission was also accorded to British merchants to trade with Chungking and Yunnan-fu, and the former port was in 1891 formally opened to foreign trade and residence, but steamers are not allowed to proceed there. The import trade, exclusive of the Colony of Hongkong, centres chiefly at Shanghai, Canton, and Tientsin, while the bulk of the exports pass through the ports of Shanghai, Hankow, Foochow, and Canton. The annual value of the trade of China coming under the supervision of the Imperial Maritime Customs was as follows:-
Not Imports from
Net Exports to
Foreign Countries. Foreign Countries.
Total of Foreign Trade.
1870...Hk. Tis. 71,000,278 Hk. Tls. 61,990,235 Hk. Tls. 132,990,513
Net Imports of Native Goods. Hk. Tls. 30,409,512
1875...
19
1880...
"
67,803,247 79,293,452
68,912,929
"}
77,883,587
"}
1885...
88,200,018
11
65,005,711
1886...
1887...
"
1888...
""
1889...
"
1890...
15
87,479,323 102,263,669 124,782,803 110,884,355 127,093,481
"}
77,206,568
""
"
"1
85,880,208 92,401,067 96,947,832
""
19
136,716,176 157,177,039 153,205,729 161,685,891 188,123,877 217,183,960
"
42,927,455 56,826,447 57,117,407
"1
58,445,766
63,467,830
65,146,457
19
207,832,187
69,784,606
19
""
1891...
""
1892...
"}
1893...
134,003,863 135,101,198 151,362,819
"1
87,141,480 100,947,849 102,583,525 116,632,311
"}
214,237,961 234,951,712
74,017,519
80,085,179
"
.
237,684,723
76,717,666
31
267,995,130
80,079,118
1893 equals at
Ex. 1.54 Mex. 8233,098,741
Mex. $179,613,759 £22,961,986
Mex. $412,712,500
Mex. $123,321,841 £15,765,576
Ex. 3s. 114d. £29,799,555
£52,761,541
The increase in the last seven years is partly accounted for by the Native Customs. stations outside Hongkong and Macao having been placed under the Foreign Inspectorate the trade passing these stations was not formerly included in the returns.
The following was the value of commodities imported from and exported to Foreign Countries in 1893:-
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