Although the following article, hich appeared in a recent Times, was unfortun-oat based on a misconception, the histoical part of it la very interesting After several years of fruitless applications and exertions, Mr, Archibald Little is immediately to obtain from the Chinese Government permission to do that which British subjects have had a right to do ever since the Chefoo Convention in 1877—namely, to attempt the navigation of the Upper Yangtze.
Tt may be remembered that on November 10th last the news arrived that the objections of the Chinese Government at Peking to the scheme had then been overcome, and that the permit would be granted subject to the arrangement at Ichang of certain regulations to prevent collisions between the steamer and jun were to be framed by the Eh officials in conference with the British Consul at Ichang and Mr. Little, and it was believed that the matter was 0 simple, the delay would be one of a few days only. But the Chinese officials had not yet exhausted their copious resources of delay. On arriving at Ichang from Peking, expecting, as the steamer was ready for the journey, to be able to start almost immediately, Mr. Little found that no one there had authority to discuss the regulations, but that four officials, two from each of the Viceroys of the riverain provinces, purpose, these came from the re-were about to start for Tchang for the
(Cheng-tu) was between 500 and 600 miles spective provincial capitals, ong of which Off, it was clear that the end was not yet. As a matter of fact, the delegates did not arrive for four months, and on February 28th the first meeting took place at the British Consulate. Then, at least, there was reason to hope that the new regulations would be promptly arranged and that the season would be saved. But here, again, allowance must be made for the
and it speedily appeared that, besides proinatiuetive procrastination of the Chinese, crastination, there was a scheme on the part of the delegates to prevent the steamer from ever starting and to weary out the patience and the pockets of those interested in the voyage. 'The delegates knew well that the company was a small one, formed for a definite object, which was' expected to be, accomplished without serious delay, and that its directors never contemplated heavy and prolonged strain of keep an expensive steamer, with highly-pai officers and crew—highly paid because they were specially selected from more than one quarter of the world for their experience in river navigation—lying idle month after month in the Yangtze. It was evident that the object was to wear the company out, and thus to stifle the enterprise. It would be wearisome to recount here the negotiations that went on. The delegates never intended to frame practicable regulations. An idea of the nature of their proposals may be gathered from one which they gravely advanced. To prevent collisions effectually they offered to stop all navigation on the river in the neighbourhood of the steamer for two days every month, the steamer to travel during these two and to lie by during the rest of the month—this arrangement to last only from May to October, but not from October to May, the river during these latter months being closed to the steamer. As the latter, at first, at any rate, cannot travel at night, \d as Chungking is 400 miles from Ichang, this modest proposal meant that Mr. Little would take six months to arrive at Chungking, and that he would be forced to stay there until the following year, when his turn came round again, and thus the voyage up and down would take about 16 months!
The delegates had nothing to offer but monstrous proposals of this character until about the middle of April, when Mr. Little
should abandon the enterprise and sell the nares with the suggestion that he steamer, receiving compensation from the Chinese Government. It was proposed that he should not only sell the steamer but should also give up the right to renew the attempt within ten years. Whether it occurred to those making this offer that Mr. Little's undertaking could only bind himself and not others, and that if he did not carry out the plan there were others who would, or at least who would make the attempt, if there were a prospect of being bought out, perhaps at a profit, does not appear. The suggestion must' have been very alluring toa man with an pensive steamer and staff on his hands, harassed and worried by the calculated and ingenious delays of Chinese officials, with a number of shareholders at home, largely personal friends, who had put down their money in reliance on Mr, Little's judgment, and here was a chance of saving their investments, at least; it would not be glory, but' it would' be business, Fortunately, as it will doubtless turn out, the ineradicable propensity of the Chinese for remaining in a state of dubiety and unsettlement came to the rescue here; the price tu be paid for the steamer, the compensation to those mainly concerned, and all other details were settled, with the exception of a single item. For days this remained open, and Mr. Little and the company, foreseeing the danger of falling between two stools, and not knowing whether this was not merely ruse to waste more time, did not relax, their exertions to obtain a permit. A week ago this was -how the matte none knew whether the Chinese did seriously intend to buy the company out altogether or not, and none could tell what the result of the persistent demands of the company for the permit to which they were entitled would be. Now comes the unexpected news that the permit is to be granted at once. Probably the Foreign Office, which has all along supported this interesting and important enterprise with vigour, and the British Minister at Peking had satisfied themselves that the delegates and their proposals were shams, and mere time-wasting agencies, and that they peremptorily demanded' the full permit at Peking without any more delay. At any rate, the highly ingenious cobwebs of the delegates at Ichang have been swept away roughly, and once more. Mr, Little's prospects are "set fair."
than anything else the extraordinary cliffs One or two dates will show more Gard culties and delays with which Mr. Little has had to contend all along. It will be borne in mind that he asked for no favour or privilege; the right to attempt the navigation of the Upper Yangtze was con+ ceded by the Chefoo Convention in 1877, to British subjects. Yet in 1885, after they had had eight years to digest the clause, with a British Consul-Agent at Chungking ever in their eye to keep then in mind of it, they seemed as much amazed and flustered as if he had dropped from the skies when Mr. Little appeared before them and demanded a permit to do that which for eight long years he and other British subjects had a perfect right, and which the Chinese had every reason to expect they would do sooner or later. In October, 1885, the first appli tion was made; Mr, Little announced that he had satisfied himself by repeated in-that he was about to have a. steamer con vestigations that the river was navigable,
structed for the purpose, and wanted to make quite sure of his permit. To this the answer was:—There can be no difficulty about this, as it is your right by treaty; but first build your steamer, and then come for your permit." Then Mr. Little came to England to construct his steamer and make preparations for the pioneer voyage, all of which were known to the Chinese Government, who had two years more to make their arrangements, giving ten years in all; but when in November, 1887, Mr. Little arrived in Shanghai with his steamer and again demanded his permit, then the Chinesetalked as if they had never heard of such thing before; they must refer to the local Vioo*
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.