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and these are a better criterion of the employment of the people than the value , though this may be the better criterion of the profit of the merchant and manufacturer . We . do not conceal from ourselves , nor hide from our readers , that this greater relative quantity than value of our exports tends to the advantage of the foreign buyer . He gets more for his money , but that relative advantage will speedily induce him ta enlarge his consumption and his purchases , and his increased demand will restore the equilibrium of price . So far as the returns inform us of consumption , they tend to confirm the statement that trade is far better in reality than it appears by only looking at pounds , shillings , and pence . The consumption of
wine , timber , and provisions has fallen off in IS 58 ; the consumption of coffee , of foreign corn , of sugar , tallow , tea , &c , has increased . The falling off in wine and timber may indicate a slackness in building and a reduction in the means of the middle classes ; but the increase in the consumption of the other articles is a sure sign of the comparative wellbeing of the multitude . In these facts we see reason to conclude that trade is now , and has been for several months past , conducted on sound principles , while the enlarged imports of many articles , including the large increase of bullion in the Bank , have extended its sure foundations and prepared for a larger structure than hasgyet been reared . We shall watch the progress . witU" great interest , particularly in relation to India and China , with both of which trade has of late rapidly extended .
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THE YANG-TSZE-KIANG AND ITS PORTS . Having called attention in our last to the five seaboard ports opened to foreign trade by the Treaty of Tien-tsin , we hasten to fulfil the pledge to make the rich ports of the Yang-tsze-kiang a separate Iheme . Bjr this time , all our readers are quite familiar with the name ofthis great river ; and most of them can with ease point it out on any plain map . By the Treaty of 1842 , one port at the mouth of the Xang-tsze was thrown open to foreign trade , namely , Shanghai , which has been rising ever since in the mercantile scale both of foreisrners and
natives . The recent engagements , however , promise to give our trading craft permission to sail 500 miles up the river , and to open four additional ports along this route . Prom information we have received on authority that we cannot question— " upon the point touching the navigation of the Yang-tsze , the Chinese Commissioners made a dead pause ; but a hint from Lord Elgin , that there might be fewer scruples if he went Avith his coadjutor Baron Gros to Pe-king , at once brought the Chinese Commissioners to terms . " This opposition was to be
expected , for said Commissioners know too well that if foreigners and foreign goods are admitted up the Yang-tsze , they must say good-bye for ever to the Protectionist system of Chinese Toryism . As the grand inlet , indeed the highway , into the interior of China , the paramount importance of the ** Ocean Child" ( as its name signifies ) cannot be exaggerated . It rises in the mountains of Thibet , enters China at the province of iTun-uan . the richest
metallurgical division of the whole empire ; passes between one half of the other and the most fertile provinces of ^ he " Middle Kingdom , " and , after a tremendous sweep , it pours its tawny liquid contents into the " Yellow Sea . " The traveller that would visit Central China and see its various districts , towns , and peoples , right up in the interior , must follow the route of this " Girdle of China , " as it is also called . Let him do so , and he will see every form and fashion of the " Chinese as tliey are , " The mercantile adventurer may also judge whfct a fine promising field is thus opened before him , and , to aid him in his calculations , we ask his further attention to the following facts .
in 1 S 42 , the British fleet , with two or three hne-ofbattle ships , anchored off Nan-king , the ancient capital of the empire , at a distance of 250 miles from the coast . So that we may safely conclude that the commercial signification of the opening of this artery into Cent ral China cannot be slight ; and here we quote the opinion of Mr . Pliny Miles , ' of the United States , expressed last spring at a meeting of t he lloyal Geographical Society : —
Perhaps in civilised and commercial countries there are no two rivers so nearly alike as the Yang-tsekiang and the Mississippi . But th ere is this difference , that , while one has a population of 100 , 000 , 000 on its banks , the other has not more than 10 or 12 , 000 , 000 . Now , when we come to consider the immense number of steamers running on the Mississippi , to supply the wants of those 10 , 000 , 000 , we can form some idea of the enormous number of vessels there must be on the Yang-tsekiang to supply the wants of that vast population of 100 , 000 , 000 or more . The Mississippi and its tributaries have in constant employment more than 1000 steamers , and many of these of very large size .
But , to confine ourselves to particulars of the newly opened ports on the banks of Yangtsze . The first named is Ghin-kiang . This place stands on the southern bank of the river , about 200 miles from the sea , and 50 east or Nan-king . It was known to Englishmen visiting those waters in 1810-42 , as the Mantchoo garrison , with which our troops had a stiff brush prior to their occupation of Nan-king . Since then , it has been made the stronghold of the Tai-ping insurgents , from which fortunately these piratical hordes were driven about
eighteen months ago . But that Mantchoos and 'Uaipingites both made it a fortress , sufficiently indicates the importance which the , natives attach to the city . This necessarily arises from the fact that , at Chin-kiang-, the grand canal of the empire forms a junction . On the south bank is the inlet to the south line of the Imperial Canal , that runs one hundred and fifty miles past Soo-chow , as far as Hang-chow ; and ' on the opposite bank there is the mouth of the northern line , that extends up to Tien-tsin- The traffic on these two branches is
enormous ' r not to say that the Government supplies are chiefly forwarded by these internal channels . If we take * our position here , then , we have the key into the country , north , south , and west ; and to retain it will be enough to secure a peaceful ialliance with a throne whose chief supplies in money and goods mainly pass by this port . It is officially arranged that " above Chin-kiang we are to have three more ports , as far as Han-kow . " This Han-kow is 250 miles further up the river , and is made , it would appear , the furthest boundary to which British vessels are "to . be peroounuary io which j > i"ilisii v ^ ssqis iue w uu
puimitted to trade , " Nor should we grumble at this provision . It is quite five hundred miles from the sea , " where the river lias a breadth of from two to three miles , and depth of water amply sufficient for vessels of from & 00 to 4 : 00 tons . " Beyond this we do not know exactly the depth of the river ; but as Capt . CpUinson , it . N ., remarks , " reasoning from analogy we can prognosticate that steamers will go more than 1200 miles above . " At present , however , the arrangement is that " British vessels" are not to proceed beyond this reach ; aud it may be just as well , considering that from and above this there is such a reticulation of
streams and affluents , which only an experienced hand could thread through . Apart from which , it is to be remembered that the treaty provides that " British subjects may travel for pleasure or trade into all parts of the interior , " and may also " hire boats for transport of goods and passengers ; " so that if an enterprising Englishman likes , he may go up to tho sources of the Yang-tsze-kiang in native boats " for trade" as well as " for pleasure . " But , to return to Han-kow , we arc firmly of opinion that pur merchants will be perfectly satisfied if they can reach as far as this port . The Chinese themselves say that , in the interior of their
crow over the " stupid English . " , We believe that our British plenipotentiaries m China have by this time learnt not to trust to the word of a Chinese mandarin , nor to give in to Ins polite dodges . But there is no question that , if a Chinese Secretary of State can by art , cunning , or courtesy , excuse the fulfilment of this part ot tlio treaty , on the ground that the rebels are m t » o vicinity of Han-kow , or prowling along the banks © t the river , he will do it , in order to prevent We
British vessels going up as far as Han-kow . However , it is cause of gratitude that we have obtained terms so advantageous both to us and to the empire of China ; and whatever stratagem may be tried by the defeated party to evade their engagements , we , as a nation , shall fulfil ours , uuu we have the power to keep them to theirs . , Wo trust that tho marauders , under tho Uiu-p »»© flag , will soon bo expelled from those borders . This will not only benefit our foreign traflic , but , from what wo know of tho character and pruci ices of those vagabonds , it will be a blessing to tho penceful and industrious inhabitants of tho Yung-two
country , they have four iamous marts , viz . —Fatshan , in tho neighbourhood qf Canton , not long ago visited by the British forces ; and the other three lying in the plain of the Yang-tszc-kiang , —Chooseen , on the banks of tho Yollow river ; King-Uhehin , the chief porcelain manufactory of tho empire , situated in tho Kian ^ -seo province ; and the last but not least is this same Han-kow . This is in . tho united vprovinco oallcd Hookwang , and stretches lar some miles on the" south bank of tho " Ocean Child , " in N . lat . 80 ° , and E . long , 114 ° . Here three cities lie close together , called Woo-chaug , Han-yang , and Haa * kow . Both
questioned , for there would be no benefit , in mixing ourselves up with the . squabbles of the nation , or exposing our countrymen to the atrocious insurgents that lurk about there . But the anxiety we feel is lest a crafty official o r a wily monarch should arise to use this as a dodge to check us and keep us out for aye . It was a like manoeuvre that Keying and his successors adopted at Canton , the working of which at last led to the Canton quir-el . Even Sir- Henry Pot t-inger , cautious , sagacious , and dexterous as he was in diplomacy , was outdone
by Kfc-ying and his crew who , with , apparent ,-irtlcssness , begged that—while the city of Canton . came under the Treaty provisions that ii < g . vtos should be thrown open to foreign visitors and resideuts- ^ -a short reprieve of two years might be granted on the ground that the feelings . of the . inhabitants uud thokviUagers'being very'much irritated against the English ,-the English would find it . uncomfortable , perliaps unsafe , to traverse the streets or pass
through the gateways of Canton . The request was granted—the ' Chinese commissioner undertaking on his part to improve the interim in soothing and quieting the minds of the populace . The two years expired . But the sage commissioner regretted he had not been successful ,-and begged for two years more of grace . Granted—but without effect ; except to confirm the hostility of the Canton natives , and to make their officials
plain . f dm The presence of such piratical hordes has , loi i w last five years , been a curse to tho rich and b »»» ' » cities wo have above named ? and they leave i town without traces of their waste , plunder , i » pillugo . But as soon as our merchant vessel * ic'cu the ports above Chin-kiantr , wo doubt not tliut ino people , tho commerce , and tho prosperity oi um »» localities will . revive . .. a , Take our goods ' thore—calicoes , woollens , ' glnss , &c—aud speedily tho nathro m orclml !! i ant gather round to ^; and as the Canton merchant m hi » English brogue , would any , " Can see , cm
banks at this point are packed with a btistlinntrading population , amounting hefore the late re ' bcllion to five millions of people . The traflic is said by native merchants to be enormous , and that it is so , is fully confirmed by some foreigu ' tiavtllers who have visited Hiui-kow m disguise . We have spoken of two of the opened ports of the river Yong-tszc— Chin-kiang and ' Han-kow But what of the other two ? Here we arc in ( he
dark , and there is no use in speculating , as Article 10 of the Tien-tsin Treaty provides that their selection shall be " as the British Minister , after consulting with the Chinese Secretary of Stato , shall determine . " We are , therefore , to bide their time . There is , however , a serious item in this loth Article of the Treaty , which naturally will awaken anxiety and suspense . We italicise the quotation :
British merchant ships are to be allowed to trade up the great river ( Yang-tsze ) , but , in the present disturbed state of the Upper and Lower Valley , no port is to he opened for trade with the exception of Chin-kiang , which is to be opened in a year from the signature of the treaty . Chin-kiang , then , is to be open to our British vessels and trade within twelve months ; hut the other rich and commercial towns on the banks of the Yang-tsze above this are to welcome foreign merchants only on the evacuation of the banks of the river by the rebels . The wisdom of this arrangement is not to be
Along its whole length of 30 G 0 miles it is cal - culated that 100 , 000 , 000 inhabitants live , and its banks are occupied b y numerous towns and villages , and in many parts uy large populous cities ; and thousands of junks are to bo seen sailing up and down its waters , carrying the produce of one part of the country to another . En route on both sides , numerous affluents and largo tributaries join it . most of which drain enormous territories lying north and south of the g / eat river , and lead up to cities * and towns of various consequence . At 400 miles from the river mouth the tides are perceptible , aud
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1040 THE LEA P . E _ B . __ ^_ [ ffg- , , October 2 , 1858 .
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 2, 1858, page 1040, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2262/page/24/
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