Aug. 9.
Mr. Sowerby's letter has brought us a good' deal of further information of one kind and another on the extinction of game, one piece in particular of a serious kind. A local firm was recently asked by a Paris house to quote for some rare plumage, skins with feathers on them, gold and silver pheasants, the Lady Amherst pheasant, etc. The merchant in question replied that the export of these from China is forbidden; but just for curiosity (it should be mentioned that our informant is wholly in sympathy with the preservation of game and would not think touching the suggested business) he inquired of a Chinese dealer, who explained that, the export of plumage was not prohibited in Hongkong and that skins could be smuggled, there and re-exported, payment being made on receipt of the bill of lading showing the steamer on which they were shipped from Hongkong. Inquiries we have made suggest that the smuggling must be on no very great scale, as no reputable shipping firm would accept such cargo and the Customs are alert to stop it. But our informant states that the Chinese dealer was prepared to quote for a thougind skins sent as described. This is a matter which the Hongkong authorities might investigate.
As regards the supply of game to passenger steamers, another informant says that as this trade, which certainly represents a large quantity of birds, is carried on from Woosung by tender, it cannot be controlled by the Customs. But this is not quite correct. The game is certainly shipped from Woosung but only under a is not wrung from people already} Customs permit. In this connex-may not be generally! known that the Customs regulations prohibit the export of game during all months of the year except November, Dezember and January. This is a good rule in intention but a, moment's reflexion shows that it rather adds to than lessens the difficulty of protecting game. For so long as the cold storage chambers of the exporting companies exist, the latter can take birds from the native hunters all through the year and hold them until the months when export is permissible. Assuredly Peking might give instructions to all district magistrates and tipao to restrain the native hunters between February and October, inclusive. But it is doubtful whether Peking's orders would carry very far in this respect. The only practicable method would be to persuade Peking to institute total prohibition of all export of game.
Meanwhile the Customs regulations quoted suggest one possible relief, namely, that those interested in the preservation of game, who include many leading Chinese as well og foreigners, might approach the Tuchuns of Kiangsu and Chekiang to obtain their help in having the regulations obeyed ju spirit as well as in letter. Both of them are keenly interested in the well-being of their provinces, and could probably do much to stop the ravages committed by native hunters. The first thing to do is to call a meeting of persons interested in the preservation or rather restoration of game, and it would probably not be a bad thing if they were to open, negotiations with the export companies. For, as we said on Friday, the export business in cattle, eggs and poultry can be cultivated and increased indefinitely, but that in wild birds can only last a very few years at the present rate of consumption. The fate of the 1917 committee's efforts is not encouraging, certainly: but there is a virtue in the old saying of "try, try again'' which is not to be denied. And the case is surely one for undaunted effort. It is tragic to read, in ''Houseboat Days in China,' written only fourteen years ago, the account of the prevalence of game in districts now wholly denuded.
Presiprxr Hsu Shih-chang has ordered the Ministry of Finance to allot to the various flooded areas of the country the sum of $100,000 for relief purposes.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.