Nov. 22, 1858.] AND THE PEIHO RIVER. 75 



capable of giving one nose-ache. All tlie water drank by the in- 

 habitants is either that of the river or canal, and all day long 

 thousands of stalwart water-bearers are rushing in and out of the 

 city on four paved causeways especially intended for that purpose. 

 This water as it is drawn is full of foreign matter and muddy ; the 

 Chinese clear it by putting into it a very small quantity of alum — a 

 practice it became necessary to adopt ourselves, as the river-water, 

 in its natural state, gave our men diarrhoea. Next to the vast store 

 of salt which lined the river banks, the wood stores of Tientsin ap- 

 peared very important and valuable. Acres of ground were covered 

 with magnificent slabs of beech- wood, most of them 1 00 feet long, 

 and from 4 to 9 inches thick. This wood enters largely into the 

 construction of river craft in the province, and, in spite of its ten- 

 dency to sun-rents, when coated with Chinese varnish, and wetted 

 twice or thrice a day with water, stands the powerful sun of 

 Northern China remarkably well. Nearly every house in the sub- 

 urbs was a shop : those to which we gained admittance were very 

 well furnished with the products of different parts of China ; articles 

 from the southern and west provinces — Yunnan, Quantung, and 

 Fokien, &c. — being dear, showing the want of greater facilities of 

 interchange. Other articles — such as rattans, canes, peppers, spices, 

 sugar, &c. — were plentiful ; but they, as well as tea, were in great 

 demand, and dear. The profits that would have accrued to importers 

 of all these articles would have been very handsome, and I heard 

 that it would have taken many cargoes to have glutted the market. 

 People at home often suppose tea and sugar to be produced all over 

 China, but as a proof how great must be the demand for sugar 

 alone in Northern China, I would point out from the Custom-house 

 records of Shanghai, the following interesting figures, showing 

 the extraordinary vitality of commerce in China : — 



European Imports. — Sugars Imported into Shanghai from Southern China 

 and the Straits of Malacca. 



Sugar Imported. Value 



Piculs. Tons. £ sterling. 



vessels j 



1856. During the entire year ending i 438,004 = 27,395 = 404,-534 

 June 30th j ' ' 



1855. None imported by European 



vessels 



1856. During the entire year ending 



June 30th 



1857. During an entire year .. .. 529,009 = 33,062 = 751,103 



Increase 5,667 = 346,569 



I do not deny that it is possible that a portion of this used for- 

 merly to be imported in native craft, and that it may only be con- 

 sidered as so much tonnage added to the European carrying trade ; 

 still it is said that the native vessels visiting Shanghai have in no 

 wise decreased in number in an equal ratio, which would have 



