Directory_and_Chronicle_1902 — Page 680

TIENTSIN

143

Shimonoseki; and during 1901 Russia, Belgium, Italy, and Austro-Hungary have all appropriated large areas on the left bank of the Hai-ho as future Settlements, while the existing concessions have all extended their boundaries very considerably. Very extensive building operations are going on throughout the concessions, which have excellent roads, with police, oil, gas lamps, etc., etc. The British Municipality has a handsome Town Hall, completed in 1889; adjoining there is a well-kept public garden, opened in the year of Jubilee and styled Victoria Park. An excellent recreation ground of ten acres is also being developed, and three miles distant there is a capital race-course. There are many hotels, two clubs (Tientsin Club and Concordia, the latter chiefly German), a theatre, two excellent libraries and three churches (Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Union).

Distilling is one of the largest local industries; it is chiefly from kowliang (sorghum) or millet. Although a spirit, it is called "wine," and is exported to the south in large quantities. The manufacture of coarse unrefined salt by the evaporation of sea water is also carried on near Taku; the produce is stacked along the river bank just below the native city and sometimes gives off very offensive smells, rendering life a burden. The trade in salt is a Government monopoly. Carpets, shoes, glass, coarse earthenware, and fireworks are also made in large quantities in the city, but Tientsin is at present essentially a centre for distribution and collection rather than for manu- facture. The exports include coal, wool (from Kokonor, Kansuh, etc.), bristles, straw braid, goat skins, furs, wine, etc. The export trade is a recent creation, and is largely due to foreign initiative. Wool cleaning and braid and bristle sorting are the chief industries in the foreign hongs except those of the Russians, who are exclusively engaged in the transit of tea. The imports are of the usual miscellaneous nature: arms, tea for the Desert and Siberia, mineral oil, matches, and needles figure next to piece goods. The fine arts are unknown to the Tientsinese except in the shape of cleverly made mud-figures; these are painted and make really admirable statuettes, but are difficult to carry away, being remarkably brittle.

The export coal trade is expanding, 218,618 tons having been cleared in 1898; it may now be expected to develop rapidly, as the Chinese Corporation has been replaced by a strong combination of British and Belgian capitalists registered as an English limited liability company. The general trade is increasing by leaps and bounds, and no wonder, as Tientsin is practically the only sea outlet for the entire trade of the provinces of Chilli, Shansi, Shensi, Kansuh, and part of Ilonan, with a population not far short of 100,000,000. The total net value of the trade in the years 1896-7-8, less re-exports, was Tls. 51,316,367; Tls. 55,059,017; and Tls. 63,064,148; the net foreign imports in 1898 being valued at Tls. 32,579,514 and the native imports at Tls. 28,198,595 gross and Tls. 18,390,950 net after deduction of re-exports. The export trade, which twenty years ago was practically nil, was last year, not including re-exports, Tls. 12,093,684. The duty collected was Tls. 1,016,412, an increment of Tls. 43,375 on that of the previous year. Opium tends to a vanishing point, from native competition. The figures for 1896-7-8 are piculs 1,170, 928, and 912.

Tientsin has played a great part in the history of China during the two momentous years just concluded; after the capture of the Taku Forts and its own relief from twenty-seven days' siege in June-July, 1900, it became the primary base for the Allied invasion of North China. As the centre of the foreign influence and the new learning in North China it incurred the particular odium of the Boxers, and was the first object of their attack when they left Paotingfu at the end of May. They arrived in the city at the beginning of June, and at once overawed the provincial authorities; indeed the latter promptly entered into collusion with them, supplying them both with food and funds, as the cash- books captured at the Yanen later on proved. As in Peking the actual hostilities broke out in the destruction by fire of Mission premises, and in personal attacks on those suspected of association with foreigners. So great was the animosity towards the latter, that great numbers of the compradore clerks and shroff classes came into the Settlements to obviate certain death. The Boxers attacked the Settlements and the Railway Station in great force on the night of the 15th of June, but were easily beaten off by the 560 marines of all nationalities who had come up from the Fleet to conduct the defence. By great good fortune, as it afterwards turned out, a body of Russians, numbering 1,700 men, and including a battery of well-found artillery had been precluded from following Admiral Seymour in his gallant effort to rescue the Legations by the fact that the railway was cut these men had perforce to remain in Tientsin. Even with their presence the fierceness and determination of the Chinese

Digitized by

Google

Page 680Page 681