Chap. XI. 



OF FOO-CHOW-FOO. 



223 



foreigners, is only nearer to one district — that 

 which I have already noticed as being on the 

 south side of the great Bohea mountain-range. 

 The fine districts in Kiang-se, where the Monings 

 or Ningchow kinds are produced, are all on the 

 northern side of these mountains, and could be 

 taken more readily south to Canton, over the Meling 

 Pass, or north to Shanghae. In taking them to 

 the latter place, the whole journey, except about 

 twenty miles, is by water. What are called Hoo- 

 pak and Hoonan teas can be brought down the 

 Yang-tse-kiang all the way to Shanghae. And 

 finally, with regard to tea, all the green-tea dis- 

 tricts are much more accessible from Shanghae 

 than from Foo-chow-foo. 



3rd. The country lying between the sea and 

 the great mountain-range in Fokien, in so far as is 

 at present known, has no other articles of export 

 except tea for which there is a demand in Europe 

 and America. 



4th. The river Min has its source amongst 

 rugged and barren mountains, thinly populated : 

 it does not lead into the heart of the empire ; and 

 hence it is doubtful if ever there will be an ex- 

 tensive market for foreign goods, such as there is 

 at Shanghae or Canton. 



Supposing therefore that it is possible to render 

 the navigation of the Min comparatively safe, it 

 appears that the port of Foo-chow has the advan- 

 tage of being nearer one black-tea district than 

 any of the other ports in China open to foreign 



