388 
The  Camphor  Trade. 
/Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
(     Aug.  1,1874. 
Vice-Consul  Baber  maintains  that,  even  under  adverse  circum- 
stances, the  production  of  camphor  succeeds  in  maintaining  itself  at 
about  the  same  annual  rate  without  much  progress  or  retrogression. 
The  production  in  the  San  Koying  district  had  decreased  about  200 
piculs  per  month,  owing  to  the  frequent  attacks  of  the  aborigines  on 
the  distillers,  while  the  production  in  the  Tokoham  region  had  scarcely 
increased.  The  country  round  Kiamchaiang  had  afforded  an  irregular 
supply  of  200  to  300  piculs  per  month.  The  three  might  roughly  be 
estimated  13,200  for  the  whole  of  the  year  1872.  The  Customs  re- 
turns show  that  of  this  amount  10,281,  piculs  were  exported  in  foreign 
vessels.  The  price  during  the  same  time  had  ruled  at  rates  showing 
a  profit  of  two  or  three  dollars  per  picul  to  producers.  There  had 
been  a  larger  number  of  Chinese  buyers  visiting  Tamsuy  for  the 
Hong  Kong  market  than  in  former  years,  owing  to  the  increased 
facilities  for  transport  afforded  by  regular  steamers.  Foreign  buyers, 
not  being  able  to  compete  with  these  Chinese,  who  can  live  and  work 
cheaper,  had  not  bought  so  much  as  in  former  years.  Several  Hong 
Kong  Chinese  were  anxious  to  obtain  transit  passes  in  preference  to 
paying  "Ckin,"  but  none  had  as  yet  been  issued  to  them.  No  attempt 
had  been  made  at  renewing  the  monopoly  of  former  years,  and  the 
trade  has  lost  much  of  the  danger  which  once  existed  in  its  pursuit. 
The  Japanese  camphor  is  produced  chiefly  in  the  districts  of  Tosa, 
Satsuma  and  Bungo,  and  the  principal  exports  are  from  the  ports  of 
Hiogo  and  Osaka.  At  Nagasaki,  in  1869,  a  considerable  decrease 
had  taken  place,  in  consequence  of  its  having  been  sent  to  Hiogo  on 
trial,  rather  than  from  any  falling  off  in  the  production.  Only  597 
piculs  were  exported,  showing  a  decrease  of  3,974  piculs  compared 
with  1868.  The  prices  ranged  from  18  to  23  dollars.  In  1870  only 
13  piculs  were  exported  from  Kanagawa,  and  from  Hiogo  the  quan- 
tity was  15,770  tubs,  valued  at  220,780  dollars.  At  Nagasaki  the 
camphor  had  declined  in  price  the  average  during  the  year  being 
$15.25  per  picul.  This  was  attributed  to  the  large  quantities  of  For- 
mosa camphor  which,  since  the  removal  of  the  restrictions  upon  its 
export,  had  been  brought  into  competition  with  the  Japanese  cam- 
phor. In  the  year  1871  the  value  of  camphor  exported  from  Japan 
amounted  to  138,575  dollars,  and  the  following  will  show  also  the  value 
and  places  of  export  in  1872  : 
