Directory_and_Chronicle_1911 — Page 795

784

I

TIENTSIN

n 1909 the salt export was valued at nearly six and a half million taels. 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 manufacture. The exports include coal, wool (from Kokonor, Kansuh, etc.), bristles, straw braid, goat skins, furs, wine, etc. The export trade is a creation only some 15 or 20 years old, 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The export coal trade may be expected to develop rapidly, as the Chinese Corpora- tion has been replaced by a strong combination of British and Belgian capitalists registered as an English limited liability company. The output and sale of the Kaiping collieries is about 1,250,000 tons a year, of which about 280,000 tons annually is brought to Tientsin for disposal to local consumers and to native craft navigating the Grand Canal and other inland waterways. Tientsin is practically the only sea out- let for the entire trade of the provinces of Chibli, Shansi, Shensi, Kansuh, and part of Honan, with a population not far short of 100,000,000, but the trade of the port has de- clined substantially since 1906. Following are the comparative statistics for the years 1906, 1907 and 1908 :-

Net total imports-

Foreign

Native

Total exports of local origin

1907.

1908.

1909. Tls. 61,208,744 Tls. 35,903,450 Tls. 44,299,136

>>

18,317,007 17,253,215

24,721,132 19,144,941

"}

};

26,376,763 28,076, 85

Net value of trade of port... Tls. 96,778,966 Tls. 79,772,523 Tls. 98,752,584 Tientsin played a great part in the history of China during the momen- tous years of the Boxer outbreak; 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 Paotingfa 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 Yamen later on proved. As in Peking, the actual hostilities broke out in the destruction by fire of Mission promises, 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 escape 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 attacks were phenomenal and were with difficulty met. It is terrible to think of the disaster that might have happened had this Russian force been absent. The lines tended over a length of two miles, exclusive of 2,000 yards of river frontage. The Chinese saw with great acumen that the key of the strategic position was at the Railway Station on the native side of the river to the east of the French Settlement, and directed all their efforts to carry it. It was here throughout that the Russians under Colonel Wogack did very fine service, but at one time would have yielded the position, but for the determination of the small British force under Capt. Bayly to stand their ground. Had the Station been carried, not only would the victors have been able to enfilade the Settlements with rifle fire, but they would have got a commanding position for their heavy guns, and in a day or two would have reduced the French and British Concessions to a heap of ruins. At first no fears were entertained of the Boxers, but when the defenders became aware that the Taku Forts had been attacked on the morning of the 17th of June, it was at once seen