February 9, 1901.].
speaks far otherwise. It has been, he says, a conspicuous success. Near the Tonkin bor- der, within eight easy stages from Yunnan-fu, enjoying an excellent climate, and only a day and a half's journey from Manhao, the head of navigation on the Red River, it is very favourably placed for trade, and is the commercial key of the best districts of Yun- nan. The imports for the three years 1897-9 have reached the figures £389,029, £398,748, and £548,216; the exports, £171,882, £198,056, and £306,036. The principal imports were yarns, cotton and woollen goods, tobacco, and matches the principal exports, tin in slabs, opium, and Pu-erh tea.
Its contiguity to the French frontier is of great ad- vantage to that nation, for whose officials and soldiers in the unhealthy Red River valley it is the natural sanatorium. But it is, as Mr. LITTON points out, a notable fact that in 1899 only £59,800, or a little over seven per cent. of the total trade of £854,252, was to or from the French Colonial Empire. All the rest went from or came to Hongkong. The satisfactory development of the Mengtse trade Mr. LITTON attributes to the four reasons following:-(1) The Red River is the natural trade route betweeen Hongkong and Yunnan, the land carriage being much less than by the West River route. (2) The respect paid to transit passes by the local officials in Yunnan is very beneficial to the trade. (3) The considerable tin product
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
:
111
uan-fu through British Burma, one from such close proximity to Chinese territory Mandalay to Kunlon Ferry across the Sal- and our openness to comers and goers, ween, ar to Yunnan-fu via the Nam Ting it is practically impossible to check the in- Valley a. Shunning-fu, the other along the flux of native spies; but an efficient detective Irrawadi to Bhamo and thence to Teng-force would enable us to get rid of some at yueh (Momein), Tali, and Yunnan-fu. The least of such dangerous persons. It is ques- first route he considers expensive and value- tioned by many whether such an efficient less, except as part of a larger scheme force is obtainable, for, they argue, no reli for a line to Szechuen and the Yangtsze. ance can be put in the native detectives, who It would pass through exceedingly poor are themselves under the influence of Im- and difficult country east of the Salween, perial silver. Capable English detectives and Shunning is a third-rate tumble-down for such work as is required of them in city. Of the second route he says: "A Honkong are very rare. We have had and good part of the country on the high road still have them, but not as many as we want. from Tengyuel to Yunnan is well The whole question is a very difficult one, populated. Several Chinese officials of and a solution is hard even to imagine. It experience have expressed to me the belief is, however, undoubtedly galling to our that when this route is properly opened pride that under the protection of our flag "the imports by it will equal those by the the local Chinese can be most effectualy Mengtse route. At present only a small intimidated from the mainland, and that we "portion of the latter go north or west should be unable to cope with this ex-
beyond Yunnan-fu. It is, however, un-traneous influence. "fortunate that there does not appear to be
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any staple export in the Tengyueh dis-
trict, such as tin at Mengtse, which will
for many years after their first suggestion. Undoubtedly beyond Yunnan there are vast resources, which must one day be exploited.
CHINESE INFLUENCE IN HONGKONG.
KOWLOON'S WATER SUPPLY.
(Daily Press, 2nd February.) Mr. LAWRENCE GIBBS's report on the water-supply of Kowloon, as laid before the Legislative Council, is an instructive docu- from the miserable supply available and ment. Those who during last year suffered who urged on every possible occasion the necessity of increasing this supply without delay will find therein no lack of arguments in support of their contentions. Mr. GIBBS
overtaking the available sources of supply- points out that in 1898 the consumption of water in Kowloon was found to be rapidly and that authority was then obtained to con struct the works, which are now in progress for the collection of an additional supply from the hills in the New Territory. These works, however, can only be regarded as tem-
table:-
enable consumers to pay for their imports. Still the history of the Mengtse trade proves that the Yunnanese possess the commercial instincts of the Chinese race, "and if the Bhamo-Tengyueh route at all an: swers to expectations, the minor enterprise of a railway between those two towns "will be well worth considering." At studies that the best chance for British en- any rate it appears from Mr. LITTON'S the Yunnanese to pay for their cottons and line will be by way of the second route. (important mines are near Mengtse) enables terprise in Western China along a British yarns. (4) The tranquility of the Red River, How far the engineers who were prospect formerly much infested by pirates, had been ing in Western Yunnan at the end of 1899 secured by the French authorities. (5) The and beginning of 1900 agree with him we unsatisfactory conditions of the West River are not in a position to judge yet. There route has driven the trade to the rival route. The considerable opium trade for the Can-
can, however, be little doubt that some day ton market along the West River in spite most Chiua ou some such line as Mr. LIT-porary, though they will meet the present an attempt will be made to tap Western- of the blackmail levied by pirates, continues
TON mentions, and the results may be as
requirements of the district now supplied, because the combined risks of bad roads, surprising as many previous commercial en-
bringing the minimum dry weather quantity brigands, and lekin are more than counter-terprises which have been coldly received up to 300,000 gallons a day. To estimate balanced by the heavy charges for exporting
GIBBS takes the census of British Kowloon the full quantity of water required Mr. from China into French territory and re- importing into China via Hongkong. For
in January, 1897, and estimates population the complete development of the Mengtse
and water supply required in the following trade, Mr. LITTON says, a railway from Hanoi or Haiphong to Yunnan-fu via Mengtse is indispensable, though it might take a long time before it would
(Daily Press, 8th February.) pay its way. The French for some years The suggestion made by the writer of the past have been considering the question of letter in another column on behalf of the a complete railway system for Tonkin, and family of the murdered schoolmaster YEUNG an extension from Laokai, the present head Ku WAN, that the Chinese in Hongkong, of Red River steam navigation, to Yuunan-fu who might otherwise be willing to subscribe, is contemplated, but the Chinese officials, are afraid to show their sympathy, is an un- gentry and the literary class offer a strenuous, pleasant one, though probably not new to The average thus obtained of nine gallons if covert, opposition. Physically the only such of our readers as take an interest in this a head is not excessive for domestic pur- difficulty, according to Mr. LITTON, is the affair. We know of one case in which a poses alone, and, Mr. GIBBS adds, it must ascent of nearly 4,000 feet from the River Chinese gentleman of unimpeachable char- be borne in mind that the Dock Company's valley to the Mengtse plateau. The pro-acter when asked if he would assist to a Hunghom establishment takes 20,000 and spects of Mengtse appear from the report small extent in the support of the Gage the Wharf and Godown Company 15,000 before us to be as bright as those of Ŝsu- Street victim's wife and children declined, gallons a day. "In fact," he continues, mao are gloomy.
and when pressed for a reason said that “ the supply can only be kept within these the deceased was a
bad man. "1 Asked limits by strict supervision, by metering all why, he replied that he was an enemy private services, and by allowing no private of China; and though it was pointed out services in Chinese houses." The probable that, even were this so, his family was increase of a population like that of Kow- still a deserving object of charity, he declined loon is impossible to estimate between to allow his name to be in any way asso- 1891 and 1897 it increased 33 per cent.- ciated with the fund. We fear that there and in view of the fact that the works will are a great number of Chinese in this probably take three or four years to com Colony similarly driven to check any in-plete, it is proposed, Mr. GIBBS says, to stinct of benevolence with regard to their provide a fair margin over present require- unfortunate countrywoman and her chil-ments and to lay out the works in such dren. It cannot be denied that this is a way that they may be extended without bad state of affairs, and it recalls the early stoppage of supply. The supply thought days of the British settlement on this island. advisable is not less than 500,000 gallons Our correspondent speaks of the strength day, as against the existing 200,000 to of the Imperial Chinese spy system and 300,000 gallons. the deficiency of our detective force in comparison. From our situation in
If British enterprise is to attack Western China on a line of its own, Ssumao on Mr. LITTON's showing is useless as an objective, and of Western Yunnan as a whole he has as poor an opinion as Mr. JAMIESON and previous fobservers formed of the region. He does not, however, speak so despairingly of railway prospects as they did. It may be remembered that Mr. COLBORNE HABEE, come years age now, sp,ke of "improving the road from Burma to Yannan-fu by pier- cing half a dozen Mont Cenis tunnels and erecting a few Menai bridges." Mr. JAMIE- SON quoted this with approval, and said that the same remark held good for any projected railway in southern and western Yunnan into Szechuen. Mr. LITTON, on the other hand, mentions briefly two routes to Yun-
S
Population. Gallons Total gallons
por head.
por day. Civil European, land... 1,000 x 20 = Civil Chinese, land ..30,000 x 10 Civil Chinese, floating 8,000 x 5 Naval and Military,
European
300 I 20 Naval and Military,
Asiatic
1,200 I 10 New Territory
3,500 x 10
..44,000
a
Total...
20,000 300,000
40,000
6,000
12,000
35,000
413,000
It will be seen from Mr. GIBBS's estimate of 413,000 gallons a day as the quantity at
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