536 TRADE AND COMMERCE. 



(g) Shiwo-tara, salted haddock {Gadus Brandtii, Hilgdf.) from 

 Yezo. 



Numberless varieties of the herring family furnish fish-oil, Giot6 

 or Uwo-no-abura, of which for about 146,000 yen goes annually 

 to foreign countries, and the highly prized fish-guano, Jap. Ko- 

 washi, also called Shime-kasu, i.e. pressed refuse. 



The outward trade of Japan is for the most part in foreign hands. 

 Of its total exchanges in 1885, with a value, in round numbers, of 

 644 million yen, only 574 million, i.e. about one-eleventh, passed 

 through Japanese houses, and this small fraction refers almost 

 wholly to the trade with China and Corea. 



In steamer communication with Japan, as in shipping generally, 

 England stands far ahead of all other countries. It is followed by 

 France, Germany, and the United States. 



As may be seen from Table II., the United States, France, and 

 China consume more of the chief export articles than the British 

 Empire. Germany ranks only sixth, but in importation has lately 

 passed France and reached the fifth place. Table V. furnishes a 

 view of the division of the chief export articles according to coun- 

 tries. The value of the foremost purchaser of each article is printed 

 in italics. The same has been done concerning importation, as re- 

 presented in Table VIII. The lion's share here falls to England. 

 Together with India (Bombay) it furnishes in the first instance the 

 vast quantity of cotton yarn which Japan takes for weaving, as well 

 as cotton fabrics themselves. It also far precedes all other 

 countries in woollen cloths and blankets, and half- wool Italian cloth. 

 Its competitor in woollen stuffs, Germany, furnishes the most 

 flannel and half-silk stuffs. One of the favourite woollen articles, 

 for women's chemises, is cochineal-red muslin. France sends most 

 of this, from Rouen. Germany follows as a good second. Metal 

 importation is mostly from England. China provides sugar, from 

 Canton, Swatau, Amoy, and Formosa. Petroleum comes from 

 North America. After insufficient harvests, India and Siam 

 supply most of the demand for rice ; and great part of the tortoise- 

 shell is sent by them, via Singapore. That the United States 

 furnish the most leather, France the most wine, Belgium the most 

 glass and glass-ware, Switzerland the largest number of watches, 

 Italy the coral, is likewise to be seen from Table VIII. Of drugs 

 and dye-stuffs England furnishes more than China and Germany, 

 although the latter ships aniline dyes of the value of 93,000 yen to 

 Japan. Spain is first in quicksilver and saffron ; Australia sends 

 the wool which has been worked up since October, 1879, when the 

 first cloth manufactory was established. It is situated at Senju 

 near Tokio, having been set up by the Hartmann machine factory 

 of Chemnitz at the instance of the government. It is under 

 German management. 



When Japan was opened to foreign commerce, people in Christ- 

 ian, industrial and commercial states indulged in golden ex- 



