86 NOTES UPON THE GULF OF PECHELI, [Nov. 22, 1858. 



of growing Importance. Captain Sherard Osborn's account of the silk trade 

 there is quite within the limits. These two places, with the addition of Han- 

 kow, are the three important points of China for foreign trade. Canton may- 

 regain for some years much of its ancient renown as a place of trade, but it 

 will never be the important place it was some years ago. Access to Tien-tsin 

 and Pekin is of great political importance, but the new consular ports of Nun- 

 chang in Manchuria, Tang- chow in the province of Shantung, Swatow in 

 Canton province, Kung-chow in Hainan, and Taewin-fu in Formosa, will 

 probably never have any very great and important trade. There may be one 

 or two ships go to them occasionally, but the three places I have named 

 — Shanghai, Fu-chow, and Han-kow — will be the great points of export 

 from China. Han-kow has not been visited by Captain Osborn, nor by any 

 foreigner ; but when we get more intercourse with China, it will, I think, be 

 a most important place. The reason we suppose it to be so important is, 

 from the accounts we receive from the native merchants, who we know 

 resort there in large numbers. 



One other point that I may allude to is the northern mouth of the Yellow 

 River. I am glad to hear Captain Osborn bear witness to the truth of some 

 remarks that 1 made upon this point last session to the Society. It is interest- 

 ing to find that other observers going to that region have noticed this extra- 

 ordinary change in the course of the Yellow Kiver — that, instead of flowing 

 into the Yellow Sea, it goes to the north of the Shangtung promontory, and 

 falls into the Gulf of Pecheli. As I said before, it is one of the most extra- 

 ordinary changes that have ever taken place in modern days in so large a river. 

 It is astonishing that so extensive a stream should be diverted from its course, 

 and pass two hundred miles to the northward. I think the Chinese will have 

 to incur great expense in building up the banks of the Yellow Kiver, for it 

 cannot possibly remain in its present state without great loss to the country. 

 It is not merely that the stream is diverted, but the consequence is, that much 

 of the level ground of the provinces of Chi-li and Shantung is under water at 

 the present time, forming an extensive marsh, and is thrown out of cultivation. 

 This loss of arable land has been a great loss to the whole of that district. 

 The district is hilly, and the Yellow River having broken over the plains, 

 the inhabitants have very little ground left to cultivate. When the present 

 rebellion is put down, one of the first things that the Chinese will have to 

 carry out will be a series of engineering works on the banks of this river, so as 

 to compel it to return to its former course. It cannot be allowed to fill up 

 the Gulf of Pecheli with its deposits. That gulf being the road to Pekin, the 

 Chinese themselves will be very anxious to keep it open ; and certainly if the 

 Yellow River continue to flow into the Gulf, it will shoal it up, and make it 

 a broad plain. That will be very undesirable for the welfare and prosperity 

 of Pekin, which depends essentially upon the river for the whole of its rice, 

 which is brought from the south of China to the north. The voyage from 

 Shanghai to the mouth of the Peiho is made by sea-going junks ; and in con- 

 sequence of the Grand Canal being stopped up by the rebels, the, Chinese have 

 had to send large quantities of grain by sea. They consider this very unde- 

 sirable ; and no doubt as soon as possible they will reinstate the passage of 

 the Grand Canal, which has been blocked up in many places, and so prevented 

 the rice-junks from going along its channel for the last five or six years. 

 These two circumstances have greatly interfered with the prosperity of northern 

 China, and the people have been greatly reduced in their circumstances in con- 

 sequence of the high price of grain. It is true, as Captain Osborn remarks, 

 that immense quantities are shipped to the north every year, but the expense 

 of carriage, either by canal as formerly, or by sea as at the present time, is 

 so great that, instead of costing two dollars, as at Shanghai, a ])icul — wbich is 

 133 lbs. — it costs from ten to fifteen at Pekin. By and by probably great use 



