Tueee is nothing of the unexpected, so far as we have been able to find out, in the trade statistics at this port in the Customs Returns for the quarter ending with December last. In most of our principal articles of import there was a considerable shrinkage, both of the quantities received and of those delivered, as compared with the same quarters in the three preceding years. In Grey Shirtings, for instance, our receipts were only 853,158 pieces against 1,858,503 in 1881, 1,019,870 in 1880 and 1,814,561 pieces in 1879. The quantities of the same goods re-exported in the last quarter of 1882 were 661,865, of 1881 845,867, in 1880 827,508 and in 1879 1,219,185 pieces. The import of T-Cloths in the three months considerably exceeded that of the same period in the previous year, having been 414,435 against 276,524 pieces but it fell short of 1880 by nearly 30 per cent, Buglish Jeans and Sheetings are the only other cotton imports which compare favourably with the receipts of the previous year; the former showing an excess of 33,000 and the latter of 16,000 pieces. The deliveries of T. Cloths, Jeans, and Sheetings, show no great disparity between those of last quarter and those twelve-month before. American goods were received in amaher quantities, Drills showing a falling-off of 68,000 pieces and Sheetings of 37,000 pieces. The deliveries of these goods fell short of the quarter in 1881 by 41,000 pieces of Drills and 10,000 pieces of Sheetings. The import of Dutch Drills decreased 12,000 pieces, but the re-exports of them were some 3,100 pieces greater in the same quarter of the pre-In Fancy goods the between the two periods on the chief articles imported were—an inorense of 27,000 pieces in Obintzes and Furnitures, and of 19,000 pieces in Lawns and Muslins; whilst Turkey Red, cloths and cambrics, imported were only 34,000 against 101,000 pieces, Damaske 2,050 against 2,723, Velvets 7,908 against 9,218 and Handkerchiefs 83,121 against 92,892 dozens. With the exception of Velvets these articles show a falling off in the re-exports. Yarn was however imported to the extent of 400 bales more in the quarter of 1882 than in the same time in 1881, and the re-export of it shows an increase of 2,428 bales, the fighrea being 4,487 bales in the quarter of 1881 and 6,915 bales in that of 1882. Tobavg and Chinkiang are the only ports supplied from this which received a larger quantity of grey shirtings in the Inst quarter of 1882 compared with 1881, the former showing an excess of 13,000 pieces and the latter of 35,000 Lords! pieces. At Tientsin there were 34,000 pieces less received in that period, at Newchwang 18,000 and at Hankow 90,000 pieces. A portion of the short importintoNewchwaugis partly explain. able by Corea drawing an increasing amount of her supplies of goods from is vid Jupan; and the short receipts ow were dae to the fouds above that city iv districts which have hitherto taken ocousiderable quantities of goods. A reference to the tables wherein are chown the foreign goods taken to the interior under transit passes issued in Hankow, shows that 27,000 pieces of Grey Shirtings less were sent in that way during the last three months of 1882 than in 1881. Drills, Shestings, and T-Cloths have also been sent from Hankow by transit passes in consider. ably smaller quantities.
To the import of Woollen goods during the quarter under notice there is a falling-off of 21,200 pieces in Camlets; 20,200 pieces in Lnstings 10,900 pieces in Long ells; and 3,300 picces in Spanish stripes. The re-exports of Camlets exceeded those of the same quarter in 1881 by 1,400 pieces; Long ells wore about the same in the two periods, while Lastings fell short by 1,800 pieces and Spanish stripes by 2,100 pieces. Of the distributing centres Hankow is the only one that shows a largo falling off in the import, the quantity of Camlets being 2,400 pieces, of Long ells 4,600 pieces and Spanish stripes 1,100 pieces below that of the quarter in the previous year. The import of Lastings to that port was about the same in the two periods, but the quantity of these sent away under transit passes shows a large increase, from 4,700 pieces in the quarter of 1881 to 7,200 pieces in that of 1882.
The quantity of nail-rod iron im. ported in.the three mouths was about 49,000 piculs against about 71,000 piculs in the same time in the previous of Lead 17,000 against 54,000 piculs; Tin in 4,600 piculs, while the receipts of Tin plates fell to 427 piculs, Steel, on the other hand, rose from 989 to 4,774 picals, The import of Malwa, Benares and Persian opiam was about the same; bat some 600 piculs more of Patna were received in the two quarters. The receipts of native opium were some 240 picals short. The quantities of opium re-exported show a moderate increase in Malwa, a comparatively largo increnso in Persian and a falling off in Patna, Benares, and native drug.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.