Although the year 1881 was signalized by no specially remarkable revival of trade or any political event of supreme importance in the Far East, it yet witnessed more decided marks of progress in China than most of its predecessors. Not only has a line of telegraph been constructed from Shanghai to Tientsin overland and opened to traffic within the year, but the introduction of railways has been mooted and even advocated by high officials in memorials to the Throne. The first Chinese steamer with a cargo has also been despatched to London, and a Chinese mercantile firm has been established in the British metropolis for the purpose of inaugurating direct ing between England and China, Formidable additions to the Chinese fleet have been received from Europe during the year, while a naval station has been select-Shingking for a winter rendezvous and is to be fortified. All this looks like it must be confessed, and to might well appear to be voluntary. But as a matter of fact these steps have have all been influenced by one motive—the determination to keep the intruding foreigner at a distance. The recent difficulty with Russia, and the imminent prospect of war at one time, compelled the Peking Government to make Rowe to than the lamentable delicioncies reparations for defence. Then was brought
that existed in the meos of communication: from this cause was evolved thi land telegraph from Shanghai to Tientsin. When moving large bodies of troops the wretchedly inadequate nature of the transport service was forced upon their attention, and the desirability of railways thus became apparent to the conservative man-ai fad the state of the Imperial exchequer permitted, it is highly probable that the first sod of an experimental line i would ere this have been turned, and the introduction of the iron horse into the Celestial Empire is now assuredly only question of time. The desire to place themselves in a position to defy foreign invasion led to the purchase of the heavily armed gunboats and cruisers lately added to the fleet. The wish to do away with the presence of the foreign intermediary in trade in China was the moving idea in the despatch of a Chinese steamer to London and the effort to establish direct trading. All this is perfectly natural on the part of the Chinese and in some rospects laudable. Their idea is China for the Chinese, and it is one that will he perfectly intelligible to every Brit and mercantile man. the adopt to promote their object are always wise or even fair is another matter. The Chinese rulers are often shortsighted, sometimes over-reaching and consequently make sad mistakes. But less they are being steadily drawn by their very antipathy to all things foreign into adoption of foreign innovation. Let not the el r of events imagine, however, that the Chinese Government or people are in the remotest degree likely, because of their utilization of certain foreign inventions to embrace Western civilisation and discard their own. Few persons have any idea of the hold that the literature and customs of the Flowery Land have upon the Chinese race. The Chinese youth may be educated abroad and be induced to change their manners, religion, and tastes, but let them once return to the land of their fathers and in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred they will again become true sons of Confu-dus. China may be opened up to foreign commerce, may adapt many foreiyu institutions to her own needs, and in some particulars attain a higher civilisation, but she will not assimilate with the genius of the West. Her foreign intercourse and foreign trade, however, are, spite of her antiforeign proclivities, bound to go on increasing: it only remains to be seen whether she is to succeed in her attempt to reap the lion's share of the profit therefrom arising.—China Overland Trade Report.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.