CHINA. 667 



aging are kept from cultivated fields by a guiding-cord attached to a 

 ring in the nose, when a small boy leads them, or more often sits upon 

 the backs of the animals and from his perch directs them to the best 

 browsing grounds. 



BREEDING. 



No attention is paid to selection. The cows are allowed their own 

 course under gestative impulse, and find their mates by force of instinct 

 only. Hence the cattle have been bred in and in for ages, and have un- 

 doubtedly degenerated. 



NUMBER OF CATTLE IN THE VALLEY. 



The total number of either breed it is utterly impossible eveji to guess 

 at, as no statistics are accessible, and probably none ever existed in any 

 part of the Empire. The stock is amply sufficient for the needs of the 

 people, but no surplus is exported, nor is any sort of product from the 

 cattle an article of merchandise save the hides and horns. These indi- 

 cate immense numbers of cattle scattered over the Empire ; but I have 

 never seen more than two or three animals the property of one man or 

 one household. E. E. Bredon, esq., commissioner of customs, and a 

 most intelligent observer, in a recent report commenting on the increase 

 in the quantity of hides exported, estimates that five times as many ani- 

 mals are left alive as the skins represent, and well says: 



It looks as if there must bo many more horned cattle than is generally supposed, 

 when the district within reach of ono treaty port supports nearly 700,000'head. 



Following out this idea, and of an approximation to the total number 

 of cattle within a reasonable distance of Hankow, let me call attention 

 to the export of hides from this port as given in my annual report for 

 1882, and more recently detailed by months for the same period. These 

 show the total amount sent from this port alone at over 3,730,000 pounds. 

 At the highest weight given for a single hide, 28 pounds, the total in- 

 volves the slaughter of more than 133,000 cattle. But the returns for 

 L883 show a still more noticeable total. The export for the last year 

 was 54,116J piculs, equal to 7,215,545 pounds, of hides. At the rate of 

 28 pounds for each hide we have 257,698 skins, and if five living cat- 

 tle were left behind for each one slaughtered it shows the enormous 

 amount of 1,288,490 cattle on December 31, 1883, supported in the dis- 

 trict of country furnishing the exports to Hankow alone. But I am 

 bound to say I think the given weight of a single dried skin is about 

 twice too large, and the allowance of five times as many live cattle left 

 as are slaughtered too small by 100 per cent. If I am correct in this 

 the total live cattle as given above should be quadrupled. Either con- 

 clusion shows the Chinese much more of a beef-eating people than they 

 have ever been supposed to be. 



EXPORT OF YAN&-TSE CATTLE TO THE UNITED STATES. 



The method of exportation, should any be desirable, would be by 

 river steamer to Shanghai, thence by the Japanese steamers to Yoko- 

 hama, and thence by Pacific Mail steamers to San Francisco, occupying 

 probably six weeks. A native Chinaman to care for half a dozen cattle 

 could be hired for $6 per month, and the food would probably cost $5 

 to $10 per head per month. Passage money and cost of freight cao 

 better be learned at the Pacific Mail office than from me. 



