124 
THE  TROMCAL  AGRICULTURIST, 
t August  i,  1892 
reduced  in  bulk  by  binding  the  leg  with  split  bamboo,  a 
new  article  of  commerce,  was  exported  from  this  last 
year  to  Chinese  poits  to  the  value  of  £548. 
Sundries. — The  increase  in  sundries  is  due  to 
three  items ; beans  for  the  man  .facture  ot  soy. 
£10,000;  copper  for  tribute,  over  £44,000;  and 
wood  poies,  £110,000.  The  last  increase  is  interest- 
ing. Wood  poles  cannot  be  brought  down  to  this 
port  under  transit  certificate.  The  rea- on  for  excep- 
ting timber  from  the  privilege  given  by  tbe  Chinese 
Government  is  that  the  forest  regions  are  sparsely  in- 
habited, and  sufficiently  policed  for  the  Chinese  Govern- 
ment to  bo  able  to  ensure  adequate  protection  to  per- 
sons sent  there  to  purcha'e  timber. 
Timbeb. — For  many  years  the  high  transit  duties  ini. 
posed, amounting  often  to  over  100  per  cent.,  ad  valorem, 
checked  tbe  trade  in  timber,  which  the  natural  fea:ures 
of  the  country — steep  declines  easily  formed  into 
timber  shoots  and  swift  torrent  capable  of  floating  the 
timber  to  navigable  streams — should  have  facilitated, 
and  which  the  very  low  charge  for  labour  in  tbe 
forest  regions  should  have  made  profitable.  Lately, 
however,  these  inland  trausit  dues  have  been  lightened, 
and  the  consequence  has  been  an  enormous  extension 
of  the  timber  trade  here.  Most  of  tbe  timber  goes 
down  river  in  the  form  of  huge  rafts.  These  rafts, 
with  the  huts  erected  on  them  for  the  raftsmen,  look- 
ing like  floating  islands,  are  a remarkable  feature  of 
the  river  landscape  of  the  Tangtsze;  and  the  floating 
timber  yards  where  these  rafts  are  lashed  together 
reach  (beginning  about  feur  miles  above  this  Consulate) 
for  some  six  miles  along  the  north  bank  of  the  Yargtsze. 
The  value  of  these  rafts  must  bo  enormous  but  they 
do  not  appear  in  the  trade  returns  of  this  port.  Owing 
to  the  increase  ol  both  rafts  and  foreign  shipping  at 
this  port,  collision  between  the  rafts  and  foreign  vessels 
at  anchor  here  were  at  one  time  lrfquerit,  giving  rise 
to  acrimonious  and  troublesome  disputes.  I accord- 
ingly, in  the  spring  of  1890,  persuaded  the  Chinese 
authorities  to  make  the  following  four  rules  fer  rafts:  — 
(1)  All  rafts  must  be  provided  with  strong  mooring 
tackle. 
(2)  No  rafts  must  get  under  weigh  except  early  in 
the  morniDg. 
(3)  No  rafts  are  to  get  under  weigh  in  threatening 
Weather. 
(4)  All  rafts  must  float  down  the  south  bank  of 
the  river,  merchant  steamers  and  lorchas  here  being 
anchored  on  the  north  bank. 
These  regulations  worked  well,  and  there  were  conse- 
quently no  oollhions  from  March.  1890,  till  June, 
1891,  but  in  that  month,  owing  to  Teshest  and  the 
raft  employes  not  using  sufficiently  strong  tackle,  some 
rafts  broke  from  their  moorings  and  endangered  our 
shipping.  I accordingly  invited  a deputation  of  raft 
owners  to  meet  me,  and  explained  that  it  was  to  their 
interest  to  force  their  employes  to  abide  by  these 
rules.  They  saw  the  force  of  my  argument,  and  gave 
mo  a written  guarantee  that  they  would  insist  on  the 
raftsmen  they  employed  adhering  strictly  to  the 
regulations.  There  has  consequently  been  no  collision 
since. 
The  poles  appearing  in  the  maritime  customs  returns 
were  sent  down  to  trc»4*^y;ts  lower  down  the  river 
by  British  and  American  lorchas,  and  by  junks  chartered 
for  that  purpose  by  British  subjoc's  and  American 
oitizens,  who  have  the  right  to  charter  junks  for 
treaty  ports  and  pay  on  tbe  charges  of  such  junks  dues 
according  to  the  treaty  tariff.  The  expansion  or  con- 
traction of  this  trade  will  depend  as  to  whether  the 
maritime  customs  or  ihe  native  customs  give  the  greater 
facilities  for  exporting  the  timber. 
Coal. — There  was  a very  slight  decrease  in  the 
export  of  native  coal.  Coalfields  exist  in  the  hills  from 
here  to  at  least  Chungking,  a dist  nee  of  over  600 
mile?.  They  are  probably  tbe  largest  coalfields  in 
the  world,  but  as  yet  have  produced  no  fuel  suitable 
for  use  with  machinery  such  as  that  at  present  here. 
Efforts  are  being  made  to  search  for  a more  suitable 
kind,  and  doub' less  machinery  will  be  ultimately  ad- 
apted to  th<  coal  moat  easily  procurable,  and  the  export 
of  this  commodity  will  be  a largo  one.  Coal  mines 
n this  region  are  worked  in  a very  primitive  method, 
nd  as  yet  only  surface  cal  has  come  to  the  market. 
Tea  Oil  is  used  both  for  purpos  s of  light  and  food. 
The  decrease  ;n  exports  has  bem  progressive,  and 
?s  probably  due  to  tbe  fact  of  other  iliuminaDts,  such 
as  k’toeeLe  oil,  coming  into  favour. 
The  short  export  of  Tea  tablets  was  probably  due  to 
the  tamiue  in  Russia.  Tea  tablets  being  exported 
after  tbe  leaf-tea  season  is  over,  and  being  consumed 
by  the  Russiau  commercial  classes  as  a luxury  the 
exp  rt  of  them  is  particularly  liable  to  be  affected 
by  the  prosperity  or  otherwise  of  Russia’s  commerce. 
Tbe  decrease  in  tbs  export  of  Tea-dust  of  over  60 
psr  cent,  is  serious.  All  the  tea-dust  exported  from 
this  went  to  Great  Britsiu,  to  flavour  Indian  teas. 
The  decrease  is  due  to  two  facts— first,  tbe  consu- 
ming classes  ary  getting  accustomed  to  the  flavour  of 
Indian  tea,  and  cons-  quently  the  dust  is  not  so  much 
in  demand  with  oar  grocers  for  giving  it  tbe  flavour 
of  Cniuese  tea;  and,  secondly,  the  tea  growers  of 
Ceylon  have  been  successful  in  producing  a flavouring 
tea  which,  blended  with  the  Indian  tea,  suits  tbe 
palates  of  our  consumers. 
As  eany  as  1880  I reported  to  tbe  Foreign  Office 
my  opinion  that  the  competition  of  Indian  tea  would 
injuriously  affect  the  export  of  Chinese  tea,  but  it 
was  not  till  1885  that  I was  sent  officially  to  this 
Consular  district.  1 at  once  pointed  out  to  the  Viceroy 
try-  tears  as  to  the  Hankow  tea  trade,  ar.d  urged  on 
his  Excellency  the  desirability  of  fostering  the  pro- 
duction of  other  commodities  that  would  make  up 
for  the  inevitable  decay  of  the  tea  trade.  I pointed 
out  to  him  that  the  hopes  of  Russia’s  supplying 
England’s  place  as  a tea  purchaser  were  illneive, 
and  recommended  to  his  consideration  the  three  pro- 
duels  of  rhea  fibre,  silk  and,  tobacco.  With  regard 
to  rhea  fibre  as  yet  attempts  to  export  it  have  been 
unsuccesBiul,  either  because  Indian  competition  has 
been  too  keen,  or  because  the  Chinese  have  not  ac- 
quired the  art  of  decorticating  it  so  as  to  suit  the 
requirements  of  e ur  manufacturers. 
FOREIGN  IMPORTS. 
In  Metals  the  increase  has  been  all  along  the  line, 
except  in  tbe  case  -of  pig-Lad,  and  as  most  of  the 
pig-iead  imported  is  used  for  lining  the  boxes  in 
which  tea  is  exported,  tbe  import  of  lead  will  naturally 
decline  with  the  diminution  of  the  export  of  tea. 
The  increase  in  the  import  of  Window  Glass  is  also 
progressive,  and  will  probably  continue,  as  the  Chinese 
find  its  superiority  for  window  panes  to  the  paper 
panes  generally  used  in  Dative  houses,  and  as  the 
increase  in  wealth  renders  more  of  the  natives  able 
to  afford  it. 
The  increase  in  the  import  of  Needles  is  also  pro- 
gressive, aDd  will  probably  continue,  our  needles  being 
far  cheaper  and  handier  than  the  native  needles,  and 
though  the  import  in  1891  reached  the  respectable 
figure  of  over  635  000  000,  it  has  not  yet  reached  its 
limit.  There  are  still  plsces  in  the  inUrior  of  the 
region  supplied  from  here  where  our  needles  are  un- 
known, and  whence  in  course  of  time  they  will  oust 
the  native  needles  as  they  have  done  in  other  regions 
of  China. 
The  enormous  increase  in  the  import  of  Kerosine  Oil 
is  noteworthy.  The  following  are  the  amounts  imported 
during  the  last 
fix  years : — 
Gallons. 
1886  ... 
••• 
...  3,715,810 
1887  ... 
... 
...  3,202,550 
1888  ... 
...  1,674,060 
1889  ... 
...  •• 
...  2,241,390 
1890  ... 
...  ••• 
...  3,045,460 
1891  ... 
... 
...  5,753,028 
The  use  of  kercsiue  oil  is  discouraged  by  the  Chinese 
authorities  from  the  very  praiseworthy  motives  of 
preventing  fires,  yet  its  cheapness  causes  a great 
demand.  I think  this  fact  ought  to  encourage  our 
manufacturers.  There  is  in  this  Consular  distriot  a 
Hrge  possible  market  for  our  goods,  if  only  our  people 
would  think  a little  less  of  what  they  want  to  sell, 
and  a little  more  CE  what  the  Chinese  want  to  buy. 
WUHU. 
Consul  Colin  M.  Ford  addresses,  on  March  11 , his 
report  on  the  trade  of  Wnhu  for  the  year  1891,  which 
stites: — * * * 
