EXAMINED AND ANSWERED. 183 



" But time alone can show," as observed by Mr. 

 Alcock, "how far the advantages of this port are of 

 a nature to excite the British mercantile commu- 

 nity to divert their capital from Canton, and em- 

 ploy the same amount of energy and intelligence at 

 Foo-chew-foo ; for on this, after all, must depend 

 the prospects of this port, as a mart for tea and 

 British produce." (Parliamentary Papers on the 

 Returns of the China Trade, January, 1847, p. 10.) 



Venice preserved much of her commerce with 

 India for nearly half a century after the discovery 

 of the passage by the Cape of Good Hope. Thus 

 the apparent predilection still subsisting for Canton, 

 and the mistrust now operating against the port of 

 Foo-chew-foo, may furnish history with another 

 example, that — " When any branch of commerce 

 has got into a certain channel, although it may be 

 neither the most proper, nor the most commodious 

 one, it requires time and considerable efforts to 

 give it a different direction." 



To return to our subject after a long digression, 

 though, I trust, not an unimportant or irrelevant 

 one : — the prohibition of the transport of tea by sea 

 rendered other arrangements necessary regarding 

 the Bohea. The large chests, even though reduced 

 in size and weight, were found too bulky and heavy 

 for inland conveyance. Finally, after a few more 

 experiments, it was found expedient to adopt the 

 form of the ordinary Congou chest. Consequently 

 a strong chest of this description was constructed, 



N 4 



