October 14, 1907.]
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
received at Peking, and pilots would be in waiting to conduct the ships and the members of the Embassy to Tientsin, and thence latter on to Paking; adding that the Emperor himself had stated that, as so distinguished an officer had come so far to visit him, be received in a distinguished manner, and e must
Answer ble to the occasion." It is likely enough that this portion of the tale was correct and that the Emperor was really not at the bottom of what afterwards occurred.
hands the letter. Those merchants readily guessed that the letter related to the Embassy of which the rumour had spread amongst them; and expressed some degree of apprehension lest the measure might in its consequences affect the trade, property or personal security of the native merchants of Canton. The motives of the Embassy were anxiously enquired into on the part of the officers of government as a preliminary step to the audience required by the Commis- sioners, who replied that nothing further was intended than to effect a stricter friendship be The affair was practically as good as one of tween the courts of London and Peking, and an life or death at Canton, for the success of the increase of that intercourse which had been Embasy meant at least the dismissal and degrad- carried on for so many years to the advantage ation of the Viceroy and the leading provincial of both nations." What followed was character- officials who had already gone so far that retreat istic: the Foo-yuen sent a message to learn from was impossible; so that we can readily under- whom the letter came, and whether he was a stand that every means that money could bay servant of the King, and held office under his was pressed into the service, They had the seal. The bumiliating reply had to be given inestimable advantage of having penetrated to that he was no immediate servant of the Crown, the innermost secrets of the Envoy, and knew but that the letter came with His Majesty's know. perfectly how far his instructions would permit ledge to announce the approach of the Ambas-him to go. The blunder of the Chairman's sador. The end was that the audience could not letter, without official instructions from the be granted, but that the Foo-yuen would for. King was taken the fallest advantage of, and ward the letter if he were informed of its with a monarch so stringent in maintaining contents, but not otherwise. "As any contest his prerogative as Kielung probably more thin about ceremony might have been followed by a anything else contributed to the flasco. refusal to receive the letter till an answer could be received from Peking, it was determined to deliver the letter in any manner that might be presor bed."
It was with no small trouble and difficulty, adds that narrative. that the Hong merchants who were the only interpreters avail- able could be got to comprehend its contents! "Ihe want of a competent linguist, and the necessity of encouragement to attain the Chinese language were, perhaps, never so apparent as on this occasion." The affair ended in a promise that the letter should be forwarded to the Emperor, and the result, made known to them through the Chinese merchants.
It would be of little interest to our readers to describe how the Embassy was entertained at Batavia, and bow that woe-begone community for a time contrived to forget its immediate troubles, and take an interest in something more lively than the fever which annually more than decimated the unfortunate residents; but in due course the squadron sailed, intending only to take a look at Macao on its way to the Gulf of Peobili to see if there were any letters from home. In due course towards the end of June, the squadron anchored under lee of the Ladrones off Macao, and the Ambassador prepar. ed to send his messenger on shore, when a carious incident occurred, the full import of which we, with fuller experience of Chinese ways can understand, but which escaped notice at the time. We quote Sir George Staunton :
To be continued next week.]
247
EARLY HISTORY OF TRADE AND CUSTOMS AT AMOY.
The history of the Native Custom House in Amoy is of peculiar interest, for not only does it embody the records of the ancient foreign trade of this part of Chins, but with it is also interwoven the story of the rise and development of the Foreign Castoms and the growth of the modern tresty port.
Amoy must be taken as the successor and representative of the medieval ports of Zaitun, concerning which Yule gives this note: Zayton, Zaitun, Zaithun, Cayton, the great port of Chinese trads with the West in the Middle Ages, that from which Polo sailed of on his memorable voyage that at which Ibu Batuta landed, and from which Marignolli sailed for India, is mentioned by nearly all the authors who speak of Chins up to the fourteenth century inclusive. A veil falla between China and Europe on the expulsion of the Mongols, and when it rises in the sixteenth century. Zayton has disappeared." ["Cathay and the Way Thither," Vol. I., p. 108.]
Zaitun had indeed disappeared; and so com- pletely, that a controversy has raged over the identification of the site, Into the details of this it is needless to enter, for the weight of evidence to the mind of the present writer PARCELS POST BETWEEN JAPAN at least sustains the plea advocated stoutly
AND HONGKONG.
by the late Mr. George Phillips for many years; that the modern district city of Parcels Post Treaty concluded between the and the port to the city of Changchow until
The Japan Official Gazette publishes the
Haiteng situated at the entrance to the Japanese Minister of Communications, and the supplanted by Amoy-occupies the site of the Changcbow River, formerly called Geh Kong Director of the Postal Administration at Hong-famous medieval town. kong. The Treaty o›nsists of eighteen articles.
"After the expulsion It is to supersede the old Convention dated
of the Mongols from Chius, foreign commerce Tokyo December 26th, 1879, and Hongkong,
still flourished at this Funkien port, and it December 9th, 1879, and is to come into force
was at its zenith about the middle of the 15th
ities later. on a date to be determined by the two author-entury, which it maint ined till 1566, when,
owing to Japanese raids, it gradually declined." [Phillips: Two Medieval Fukbien Trading
The salient points of the Treaty are that the parcels posted in Japan for Hongkong must not exceed I kwan 320 momme in weight, and those posted in Hongkong for Japan 11 English pounds. The parcels may have a declared value or may be insured up to 3000 france. postal charges are as follows:
"The squadron being now upon the confines of China, and the Ambassador about to send messengers to Macao, application was made to to his Excellency by two native Chinese who had been companions of the interpreters, and to whom his Excellency had granted a passage in the Hindostan that they might be taken ashore by the same opportunity. They conducted themselves throughout the voyage with great propriety. One of them who was uncommonly expert in writing the Chinese character, had usefully assisted in the translation of papers into that language preparatory to the Ambassador's arrival in China. His Excellency wished to make him & compensation for his trouble: but tho' he had no means of subsistence beside a very scanty allowance from Rome, no efforts were able to persuade him to accept money or presents of any kind. He considered himself as under much obligation, not for the opportunity afforded him of returning to bis native country, but for the civilities shown to him during the voyage. He felt both gratitude) and esteem for the English nation; and ample justice would be done to its character in China were his opinious on the subject universally adopted by his countrymen." The innocent Chinaman was, of course, in the service of the Canton officials who had thus obtained possession of the secrets of the Em- bassy. The use they made of the information will be seen lower down. With him went on shore his companion and likewise one of the two engaged interpreters, who professed to have fears for his safety should he be noticed on board. The Commissioners informed his Excellency that word had been received from Peking that the Embassy would be honourably
The
only one of Marco Polo's "isles of the ocean." Corts," p. 5.j
In the days of Zaitun's greatness Amoy was It was sparsely populated, and the prey of the Its birth as a place of commercial importance native pirate and the Japanese sen-rover. may be said to be coincident with the arrival of the foreign vessels early in the 17th century, the establisement of the Dateh trading posts in Formoss, and the censolidation of the Koxings power. In the throes with which the mainland was convulsed during the expiring years of the Ming, foreign trade naturally found that it could best be carried on in the port governed by the strong hands of the Koxinga family; the Francs. Francs. Francs, Zaitun, or Hai-ting, trade, which bad long been waning, shifted here, the easy approach and the natu al advantages of the harbour soon won appreciation, and here the trade has remained,
Not exceeding 3603
mom me of 3 lbs.
Over 300
momne
or 3 lbs. and un-
шoin me
or 7 lbs. and un-
der 1,320 momme
Over 540 momme der 840
or 7 lbs.
or 11 lbs.
لله.
Charges for transporta- tion by land in Japan Charges for transporta. tion by sea between Charges for transporta-
Japan and Hongkong 50
tion on land at Long- kong
Total
25
1.25
.70
1.00
1.00
1.50
الا
2.25
.75
3.25
The account between the two Post Offices in
regard to the charges for parcels, value declared or insured, is to be fixed at the rate of 25 centimes per every 300 francs or fraction thers- of as follows:- ispatch office, 10c.; receiving office, 5c.; and maritime transportation. 100. The dispatch office may also charge a registra- tion fee not exceeding 25 centimes.
The following articles are not allowed to be forwarded by parcels post :-Correspondence, living animals, articles the import or export of which are probibited by the Customs House or by the laws of either of the contracting parties, and also articles of an explosive or inflammable nature.
In case of loss, theft or damage done to parcels, except in cases resulting from irresisti- ble force, either the sender or receiver of the parcel may claim damage equivalent to the actual value of the articles. In all cases the damages payable shall not exceed 25 franos, or must not exceed the value declared in case of the value having been declared. On the ment of a sum not exceeding 25 centimes in advance the senders of parcels may obtain a delivery certificate.
pay.
The Treaty is dated Tokyo, July 19th, 1907, and Hongkong, August 1st, 1907.
Foreign trade under the new conditions was ushered in by the Portuguese, who put in a1 appearance here not long after their first arrival in Canton in 1516. The Changohow and Chuanchowfu merchants seem to have been eager to trade, and intercourse was carried on at the island of Gösñ outside Tsingson, at the entrance to Amoy Harbour. But the official mind was strongly set against it, and in 1547 it is recorded that some 90 Chinese merchants were beheaded for the offence of trading with foreigners. Commerce, however, no doubt went on clandestinely.
**This
After the Portuguese came the Spaniards, who in 1575 sent a mission from Manila to Foochow with the view of obtaining permission to trade from the Viceroy. In this they were unsuccessful, but a steady trade was established by junk between Amoy and Manila. important trade employed 30 to 40 Chinese junks running constantly between Amoy and Manila. Silk, procelain, and other products were carried amounting to a million and a half dollars in gold annually. At that period these were more than fourteen thousand "Spanish in Mexico who were dependent upon the raw silk
of China to weave the celebrated fabrics so much in vogue at that time. The Spanish vessels orried this merchandise from Manils to Mexico. So extensive was the intercourse with Chins that 20,000 Chinese had located ià Manila." [Davis "Island of Formoss,” p. 12, Note.] The Spaniards on their journey to Foochow anchored at Amoy, which they called Tan-su-so, tha
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