COPPER. 09 



From his writings it is gathered that after the commencement 

 of the civil war, the production of metals fell to practically nothing 

 and that after order was re-established, the Government, though 

 desirous of re-opening the mines as a source of revenue, hesitated 

 to do so through fear of fresh disorders. The miners of Yunnan 

 have always had the reputation of a turbulent class and there 

 appears to be justification for the opinion in the fact that the preli- 

 minary riots which ushered in the rebellion commenced in the 

 tin-producing region of Ko-chiu. Such events were not unforeseen 

 by the astute authors of the " Tien Nan Kuan Oh'ang " as the 

 following extract from their work shows :— 



" All riches to which access is freely permitted must give rise 

 to differences of opinion in a force of several thousands of men. 

 Therefore it is necessary to establish such regulations as are indis- 

 pensable to good order, and to see that they are observed under 

 pain of certain punishment. When the workers of two mines 

 quarrel over the same block of ore, no man should be allowed to 

 carry a sword or spear, or to fashion an instrument capable of 

 causing hurt. The formation of defensive leagues, which are often 

 started under the pretext of fraternity must be prevented. A 

 writer named (iien expresses the following views on such associa- 

 tions. ' It is rare to find a mine which does not possess a con- 

 spiracy of this nature. Mines are often the refuge places of male- 

 factors who under the pretext of friendship are already bound 

 together and are obliged to hide because of their crimes.' These 

 things must be watched from the beginning with the greatest care 

 if calamity is to be avoided." (G. 5 Vol. II, p. 190). 



Rocher states that copper is distributed throughout the province 

 and that the mines are the deepest of any he examined. He gives 

 an account of Chinese methods of mining, smelting and refining 

 the metal and reproduces the list of mines from the ' Tien Nan 

 Kuan Ch'ang." (R., Vol. II, pp. 218-230). Apparently a little 

 copper continued to be produced at the mines around Tung-ch'uan 

 Fu during the rebellion, though all the others were closed. 



Duclos, who visited Yunnan in 1896 and 1897, divides all the 

 mines of the province into two groups as follows :— 



(a) Ancient mines and those which were active at the com- 



mencement of the rebellion in 1853 but which were 

 abandoned then. 



(b) Mines in operation in 1896. 



