218 



SIHiiRIA. 



lished for lliis soil "i i.-.i m llie difTorent customhouses. According to the cusioiij- uu. - 

 now in operation, the duty on bri<k tea is levied at the European frontier at the rate of 21 

 roubles gold per pomi, that is, at the same rate as from Bohea, while the same tea passing 

 through the Irkutsk Customhouse pays only 2. 50 roublfS. Thus it is evident that to 

 import it into Odessa and tlienco forward it lo Eastern Russia does not present any ad- 

 vantages. 



lirick tea, to lesurae, is imported annually to the amount of about 750,('0'» pouds. 

 l"]xclniliiig this ([uantity from the total importation, it will appear that the most expensive 

 or Uohea tea is despatched principally by sea, there being a strong tendency to conveyance 

 l»y sea, evident at a glance from the following comparison as regards the importation of Bohea 

 tea, paying duty. 



The quantity of Bohea tea imported has remained during the last live years almost 

 without change, the transport in the beginning of the period being divided almost equally 

 between the sea and overland carriage, while in the subsequent years the traffic across the 

 Asiatic frontiers declines, in 1891 only 29 per cent passing in this direction. Judging from 

 this, it might be thought that the sea carriage is so much cheaper than that l»y overland that 

 the privileged tariff now existing in respect to the importation of Bohea tea through the Irkutsk 

 Customhouse, namely 13 roubles gold per pood Instead of 21 by the European Customs, is 

 insufficient. But as a matter of fact this is caused by the steadiness of the freights by the 

 sea carriage, while the cost of the overland carriage is sul)ject to considei'able fluctuations 

 and depends on many circumstances. To clear up this side of the question and ascertain 

 the significance of tea freights for the future Siberian Railway, it is necessary to indicate 

 of what elements is composed the cost of carriage of tea overland and by sea. 



Bohea tea is imported into Russia mainly from Han-Kow, whence it is despatched hy 

 sea through Thian-Tsin to Pekin, and thence to Kalgan, Urga and Kiakhta to Irkutsk. 

 Besides this, a small pgrtion of tea Is forwarded to the Irkutsk Customhouse by another 

 route, namely by water. 'This route is from Ilan-Kow by sea to Xikolaevsk, then by the Amour 

 to Sretensk, and thence overland. By this last route the carriage to Irkutsk costs two roubles 

 cheaper than through Kiakhta. But the following circumstances are in the way of the suc- 

 cessful development of the traffic in this direction. Nikolaevsk is accessible to steamers only 

 during four to five months of the year, from June to October, and even so only for light 



