Tue Returns of Trade for the quarter ondivg 30th June last, which have just been issued by the Customs, afford some evidence that trade among the Chinese is improving. At all events the shipments of several staple articles from one port to another have been on a larger scale than in the same six mouths of 1882. Sugar has been exported from Swatow to the extent of 833,000 piculs in the first half of this year, the Inst quarter, of course, being much the heavier. This is an increase of 333,000 piculs in the half-year. Again, beancake and beans have been shipped from Newchwang in somewhat increased quantities, though not so noticeably larger us that of sugar from Swatow. Cotton has also been shipped from this port to the extent of nearly 150,000 piculs more in the first half of the present year than in the same time of Inst yenr. These should be all indications of revival of trade among the natives, and should show that they have now more money to spend, or that, relieved from the approhension of disaster or the presence of calamities, they have more heart to spend their cash, Of course it may also mean that the overtrading "in sagar which las been so disastrous to Chinese merchants during the Inst sea dyson or two is being continued. But that is not very likely. After years of bad and ruinous trading have been brought to a climax, and. the weak among the merchants abd speculators have Lad to go to the wall, those who have survived, or those who have taken the places of the fallen, are generally cautions for a few years, Bankers also discourage speculation while the memory and smart of losses continue: We should, for this and other reasons, look to the legitimate wants of the country having caused such an improvement in its domestic trade as may be discovered in the Customs tables of imports and exports, There is one important article in which the trade of this district has beau very much smaller in the last bolt yenr than in the same period of 1882. The export of rice from Shanghui, which was 2,096,000 piculs in the first half of last year, fellto937,000 picals in the six months of the present year. That was owing to the great floods whioh did so much damage in the valley of the Yangteze daring the summer of 1882. The falling off will therefore in all probability be only tomporary, A good deal of rain has fallen this year in the rice producing districts and in the Yangtezo valley generally, but wwe Lave not heard any such reports. damage us were current a little over a twelve-month ago. And, as rice ie in grant demand in the Straits, owing to the failure of the crop in Java, the demand for northern rice from Canton and other southern markets should be large, and the peasants in near dis tricts should get good prices for their produce. The import of rice at Tiontsin, both mercantile and tribute grain, has been considerably loss this season than the average. Recent heavy rains in Obibli, and the consequent flooding of districts, will probably cause me creased shipments of rice to be made to Tieatsin, A simultaneous demand for rice from the north and south would be very much to the benefit of the farmers in this and neighbouring provinces, and by improving freights, would help the distressed British and Foreign steamboat owners, whose affairs seem to be in a bad way at present. And the prophets of evil have for some time been lifting up their voices and foretelling the com. ing of very bad times indeed, for all who own steamers or shares in them. The competition both in running their present steamers and in building now ones gives occasion for these forbadings, The construction of steamers, mostly of large size, goes on apace in England, notwithstanding the discouraging position of the shipping trade. Many of the vessels uow in course of building were contracted for Inst year, and there are not wanting indications that the rush to aoguire large steamers has sensibly abated. A part.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.