1th September.
Mr. Fcnrorp's report to the British Foreign Office on the trade of his port, Newchwang, in 1900, published as a halfpenny blue book, remarkably laconic, and Mr. Fulford. has well succeeded in repressing the temptation to dilate on the remarkable train of circumstances which resulted in turning a Chinese treaty port into a Russian possession. The future historian of the events of 1900, that wrnus mirabilis, possibly be disappointed: a more detailed official account would have been of great use to him: he will have to rely more on Mr, Bowra's report in the Customs Annual Returns on which we have already commented, in July last.
Mr, Fulford begins with the incontrovertible statement that " the trade of Newchwang suffered severely from the anti-foreign rising of the Chinese in the year 1900." "He goes on to say: '"AIl forecasts of the extent of the trade were, in consequence, on-tirely overthroirn, and compari with the figures of other years seems to serve no purpose." A number of comparisons do follow, neverthele: "The port opened after the winter, ice-bound period in the last week of March, and by the end of June the disturbances in the interior had reached a pitch which made regular business impossible. A certain amount of expurt went on in the autumn months, but the figures given below practically represent three lenths' work, ju place of} the usual eight months of open season. The net amount of the trade was £3,418,408, compared with £7,253,643 in 1899, and £4,634,474 in 1898. These figures do not include the import and export of tre: sure, which amounted to £7: -and £429,246, respectively, in 1900." These figures are really by no means discouraging. Taking the New chwang trading season at eight months, and the durat of it last year, adopting Mr. Fulford's estimate, at three months, they show that the average trade per month was £580,000 in 1898, £900,000 in 15! and £1,140,000 in 1900.
"So far as it is possible," says Mr, Fulford, "to ascertain the origin of the foreign goods imported, British goods account for £366,784, American for £379,429, and Japanese fur £104,206. But this leaves a large balance of imports, and it is impos. sible, under the conditions of loc: trade, which looks chiefly to Shanghai and not to foreign countries a3 its source of supply, to ascertain the origin of such' imports as are included in the long list_of sundries and metals. The trade of Newchwang is principally in she hands of southern Chinese merchants who come north for the open season only. They are numerous and their transactions complicated. It is doubtful if they themselves know the origin or ultimate destination of all, or nearly all, of the goods they deal in, and they are suspicious of any attempt to ascertain the details of their shipments. The trade wich Japan is the most distinct and direct. Iinports from Japan in 1900 are given in the Customs returns as £192,428." OF the exports from Newchwang the greater portion goes, of course, to other Chinese ports, but Japan is a splendid customer, having taken in 1900 produce to the value of £526,108, the total net exports for the year being valued at £1,780,171.
Mr. Fulford men.'ons the increase in re-exports, caused by the desire of the native merchants when the troubles came on to put as much of their property as possible out of harm's way: and the abnormal excess of passengers outward. Foreiga ships brought in 29,862 native passengers and took out 66,995. "The bulk of these men were from or going to Chefov. There was naturally" an exodus of railway coolies when wor! ceased, and this port was glad to sce the departure of the few thousands employed on the Chinese railway, for they were a menace to the peace of the place soon as their work and wages were stopped." Fulford goes on to describe the progress of the Chinese and the Russo-i i:—When operations spended in the middle of June, nese railway was running trains from here to Shanhai-'The earthworks on the Hsin-minting extension were nearing that town, "Phe line was not mach aged by the Boxers. In faces, trains were kept running by the Chinese between Shanhaikuan and Chinchou all through the trouble, and the Russians on working their way along the line in October found it in gue order. Between Chinchon and Newchwang two large temporary bridges gone, and a short portion of the fine had' been torn up, but it is April, 1901) that the soon be able to run trains through to this po:
"The Russo-Chinese line was running trains from Port Atihur to Tiehling, some 49 miles north of Moukden. This line was more damaged but more quickly repaired for military purposes. It is being rapidly pushed forward. Construction trains can now go to Kaiynan, 25. mile north of {Tiehling. Work is going on from Harbin, near Hulan on the Sungari River, snd the two ends wil) mee this summer. From rain there is aire comes ion for construction purposes with Vladivostock. The distance in a straight line from Newchwang to Harbin is about and from Har! to Vladivostock about 400 miles. The railway line is of course much longer."
After noting that there was no reappearance of the plague in 1900, and the charter to the British Transport Officer at Shanhaikuan of the plant of the newly-established Newchwang Steam Ferry, Tug, and {Lighter Ca., Inv. Fulford proceeds to give his account of the Boxer rising; jas it affected Newchwang; and witl this we conclude this notice "The Boxer rising did not affect {this port till towards the end of june. On the 13th of that month Boxer drilling was reported in the town. On the 15th missionary refugees from towns in the interio between Newchwang and Shanhai-employ came in, They had re-kuan and the Chinese railway foreign ceived warnings from Tientsin, Their arrival created some little excitement among the natives, On June 23. false alarm was raised about 11 p.m. that an attack upon the foreign ter was imminent, Next day most of the ladies and children of the European community eft the port Ab this time the native authorities and merchants were still sanguine that no local outbreak would occur., But after the anti-foreign decrees of" the latter days of June reached Moukden, the provincial Government allowed the Boxers a free hand. On June 30 the Protestant. Missions in Moukden were sacked. All foreigners in connection therewith had_previously escaped to this port. On July 2 the French Mission in Moukden was destroyed, and the Bishop and his staff were murdered. This was followed by the gradual destruction of all mission stations in the province.
"Still Newchwang remained quiet. The Chinese Governor (Taotai) behaved well and kept control. Up to July 26 we hoped that we would tide over the crisis, On that day the troops make an attack upon xartacks of the Chinese garrison dise to the town, and the Taotai, who had assured his people that, so long as they observed the peace the foreign would do the same, fol that he was losing his influence over the more turbulent spirits among the population. Meanwhile the news of events at Taku, tientsin, and elsewhere, and of the outrages at Moukden and the attitude of the provincial authorities was spreading and the excitement increased, "On July 28 the Russian Consul, hearing a rumour that a Russian captive was held in the native city, wrote to the Taotai that he must be given up immediately, or if anything happened to him the city would be bombarded. The rumour was false, but the thr-at gave rise to great alarm. On August 3 the Russian Consul informed the Taotai that next day being a Russian festival a salute
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.