New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-04-07

years, seems to bsve attained q cOnsideraoc III
crosse. The quantity of tea sold to the Russians
KiakhtA did Lot ten or twelve years ago, exceed al
sverige Of forty thousand chests; but In l''1 IL
amounted to hundred and seve1Iy-hve thou'a"o
chests, Of which the larger part was OF thaI suPo-
rior quality well known TO continental CONSUMERS
caravan tea, in contradstinction from 'ne me
rior article imported by sea The other artci
sold by the Chinese were some small quantities Oh
sugar, cotton. raw silk and silk goods, but all TO
very limited amounts. The Russians PAID aoou'
equally in cotton ard wooden goods, With the sd-
dton of small quantities of Ru,ss leather, wrought
me.sls, furs aud even opium. The Whole amount
Of goods bought and ,old-wbch seem in the Puo-
lshed accounts to be stated at very moderate
prices-reacbed the large SUN Of upward OF fifteen
millions Of dollars. In 1853, owing TO the nernai
troubles Of China and the occupation OF the road
from the tea provinces by bands of marsudng
rebels, the quantity Of tea sent to Kiakhta fell OIL 70
fifty thousand chests, and the whole value OF 'he
trade of that year was but about six millions oil
dollars In the two following years, however
this commerce revived, and the tea sent to kIashta
for the fair of 1855 did not fall short OF hundred
aid twelve thousand chests.
In consequence Of the increase Of this trade,
Kishhta which 10 situated within The Russian iron
ter, from q mere fort and fair ground, has grown
up into a considerable city. II has been selected
as The capital Of that part Of the frontier region,
end is to be dignfed by having a military CON-
nandant and civil governor. at the same time
direct and regular postal communication for the
transmission Of official dispatches has lately been
estsbli,hed between Kiskhta and Pekin, which is
staIt from it about nine hundred miles.
1t is evident that, should the pending hOstilties
result in a suppression Of the maritime trade,
Europe might receive its entire supply Of tea BY
this route. Indeed, it is suggested that even with
tie maritime trade open, Russia may, upon che
COZ pleiion Of her system of railroads, become q
powerful competitor with the matitpe nations for
supplying the European markets with tea. These
railroads will supply a direct communication be-
tween the ports Of Cronstadt and LIbau and the
ancient city Of Mini Noygorod in the interior Of
Russia, the residence of the merchants BY whom
the trade d. Kskhta is carried on. The supply of
Europe with tea by this overland route is certainly
more probable than the employment of our projected
Poetic Railroad for that purpose. Silk, too, the
other chief export of China, is an article of such
small bulk in comparison to its cost, IS to make its
transportation by land by no means impossible;
while this Chinese traffic opens an outlet for Rus
sian manufactures, slch as they cannot elsewhere
attain.
We may observe, however, that the efforts of
Russia are by no means limited to the Development
Of this ipland trade. 1t is several years since she
took possession of the banks of the River Amour,
the native country of the present ruling race in
China Her efforts in this direction received some
check and interruption during the late war, but will
doubtless be revived and pushed with energy. She,
has possession of The Kure Islands and the neigh
boring coasts of Kamtchatka. Already she main
tsins feet in those seas, and will doubtless i'm
prove any opportunity that may offer to obtain
participation in the maritime trade with China.
This, however is of little consequence to her CON-
pared with the extension Of that overland trade Of
which she possesses the monopoly.