102 



CHINA. 



of Latsuma in Kiusiu (Japan). The Tienshan 

 Pehlu and Tienshan Nanlu are more usually 

 known as the province of Hi, and have main- 

 tained a quasi-independence for ten years past, 

 though it is not improbable that the Imperial 

 sway may be again acknowledged, as the 

 oppressions and devastations of the Moham- 

 medan rulers are worse than even those of 

 Chinese mandarins ; the population of the vast 

 region between Barkoul and Yarkand, in- 

 cluding Khoten and all the valley of the 

 river Tarim, has been diminished latterly, 

 and is now probably under two millions. The 

 present population of Mongolia is not far from 

 three millions, but probably less. The total 

 number over which the Emperor bears rule 

 is probably under three hundred and twenty- 

 five millions; the population is supposed to 

 have diminished fully forty millions during the 

 years 1852 -'64, by the combined effects of the 

 rebellions of the Taiping and Mohammedans 

 in the central and western provinces, aided by 

 famine, sickness, and robbers ; the latter rising 

 is far from being suppressed, and the Moham- 

 medans in Kansuh and Yunnan manage to 

 keep possession of the best part of those two 

 western provinces. 



The suppression of the Taipings in the 

 central provinces has been followed by rapid 

 recuperation of the regions on both sides of 

 the Yang-tse-Kiang, and the people are resum- 

 ing their agricultural and manufacturing pur- 

 suits. The rapid extension of the cultivation 

 and use of opium is one of the most disheart- 

 ening features of the future of China, as it now 

 pervades all classes; the native drug comes 

 more and more into competition with the In- 

 dian product, and everywhere weakens and 

 destroys those who become victimized by long 



use of the pipe ; the foreign importation is 

 about 85,000 chests (11,000,000 Ibs.) a year, 

 worth nearly $60,000,000, a little less than the 

 combined value of the tea and silk exported 

 annually. The native growth is at present 

 greatest in the western and northern provinces, 

 but no reliable statistics of the amount have 

 been obtained ; its price averages one-third of 

 the foreign article. 



The Peking official journal of July 13, 1869, 

 admits the loss of that part of Toorkistan which 

 was formerly under Chinese rule and adminis- 

 tration. It is impossible to obtain reliable 

 data concerning the present condition of the 

 finances of the empire. The last official re- 

 port of the revenue (published in 1844) gives 

 an aggregate of revenues from all sources of 

 191,804,139 taels, or 63,934,713. The cus- 

 toms returns show the following amount of 

 duties paid : 



Duties paid in Haiknan Taeh (1 Tael equal to $1.52) 

 at 8 Francs. 



The following is the official report of the 

 foreign commerce of China in the year 1868. 

 The commercial tael at $1.43. It embraces a list 

 of the countries with which a trade was carried 

 on, with the imports from and exports to the 

 same; also the trade at each of the open ports. 



In 1868 the port of Tschao-tschu-fu was 

 opened to foreign commerce, but there were 

 no arrivals or clearances during the year. 



* The importations oy way of Hong-Kong come from 

 Great Britain, America, India, and other countries. 



Converting the above values into United 

 States money, the imports sum up $101,346,- 

 000 gold ; the exports, $98,481,750 gold. The 

 following table shows the articles of import 

 and export in 1868, and their respective value : 



