THE province of Szechuan with its fertility. its mineral resources, its agricultural products, its large hardworking population, and its vast existing and potential trade, is the foal to which English, French, and germans are all directing their efforts, nor should we be surprised to hear that Russia, despite her convention with Lord Salisbury, has got an eye on the northern and eastern roads into the provice. Mr. Archibald Little having proved at his own expense and risk that steamers can be taken safely to Szechuan through the Yangtze Gorges, it is understood that the Germans are building steamers to follow him. The French are trying to tap Szechuan through Yunnan, and are surveying line s from Laokai to Yunnanfit and so on to the Yangtze. The English have nearly completed a railway from Man-delay in Burma to Kunlong Ferry on the Salween, which divides Burma from Yunnan, and this railway it is proposed to carry on to Talifu and thence to the Yangtze. This would make Rangoon the seaport for western Szechuan, instead of Shanghai, and would very appreciably shorten the distance between London and Chungking. Not only would goods landed at Shanghai be unable to compete with goods landed at Rangoon and sent on by rail, but goods landed at Haiphong and sent on by rail hrough Tongking and Yunnan would be at almost as great a disadvantage.
A still shorter route, however, from London to western Szechuan is proposed by Mr. James Stuart, engineer of the Assam-Bengal Railway, in the November issue of the Fortnightly Review. He begins by pointing out that we must do something to regain our waning supremacy in China. "Russia has practically annexed the whole of Manchuria; Germany dominates the province of Shantung" (it would be better for the peace of the province and the security of the missionaries if she dominated it a little more); "France holds Tongking. What has England to show as the of Weihaivei anda strip of hinterland result of her diplomacy? The port
near Hongkong. "has been sitting on the fence, while other nations more enterprising than her: self have taken what is legit ately hers." Meanwhile we have made a vague sort of claim to the Valley as our sphere of influence; but this we may probably now relegate to the shelf, for we gather that the United States and ourselves are reed that there shall be no more! special spheres of influence in China, and no more partition of this gr empire: but the Open Door to all, with the determination to make a firm united stand against any attempt on the part of France or Russi close the markets even in any section that has already come under their influence. This is a wise and states: manlike solution, a does honour to the two or three (if there are three) Great Powers who have, as we believe, now adopted it. The only pity is that it was not adopted e: Stuart, see direct railway communica-We shall, sooner or later, says
tion between India and Chin:
The situation is, indeed, peculiar, if for no other reason than the methods adopted by our rivals. For the first time in history we find the invasion of a vast empire being conducted, not by means of the bay-oner, but by the iron horse, which is destined to open up the few' remaining dark places of the earth to civilisation.
is still wrapt in slumber, which has endured for but an an ug is at the world. Te will bout by railways, which have ly revolutionized the commercial and life of India and Cent Let us be humanitarians first, patriots afterwards. Let us welcome the introduction of ays into China by any Power, and reflect with self-humiliation that, as far as her interests in the Far East are concerned. England has been asleep as well as China.
Our navy, Mr. Stuart says, holds the key of the front door of the Yangtze Valley, and can prevent the door. being closed, but what about the back door? This he puts at north-western an, abou Kinsha or Yangtze, and 15 miles of the Mekong. It was visited by Mr. T.'C. Cooper in 1868, From Weisi due westwanl is a tract of country that no white man a is recorded has ever cro: ed, but there is reason to belie that its difficulties have been greatly exaggerated, and that the alleged mountain' barriers Assam between and China have no basis in fa Gill, in his River of Golden Sunil, describes the country near Weisi as being "dotted with numerous vil-Sin fine groves of walnut. tre:
thriving population culti in all the th the n mile wide, and has the appear-of a fine partly owing to ing in flood; but even in ordinary times the width must be considerable." We dwellers on the China coast have but little idea, though we read about it from time to time in books of vel, of the beautiful country that will be thrown open to me of the many contemines av+ built. Mr, ever crossed savour to define more psu te which would be more if, after exploration, erable dittculties were encoun: tered.
The section from Assam to the Bor Kampti country would form the first stage of the journey. There are three or gore well-kit own routes, and Wondthorpe, ud others have travelled the east of 3 as neat as possible latitude ven and Mekong we should rene ween the M Tris Chinese to Up to. this point a thie n is requisite.
tain Binkiston, reckoned the nee from Sadiy in' Assun, to the 0 miles; but, accord'
ps, it would appear to approximately, 200 miles from the most, easterly border of Assam. One of the highest authorities in India, who has travelled in the Bor Kampti country, and who knows the people and can speak their Linguage well, writes, ina letter now fore me, as follows test desire was to perform this journey, anged that Chiers id Ushould de ity but he unfortunately lost his life in Borneo Aropped through. route to Chit try. The route thros The town of W Kudew, on the Yangtze a little would really form the termini latitude with roads ding into all parts—roads towards the south, to Tali in Yunnan, roads to the north, to Batang, the provine- n, and othe in Tibet, to Likiang and the vi the Yangtze, as well as roads
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.