The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-12-14

Shanghai Correspondence Of the London Times.
A series of highly interesting returns has re-
Gently been published by the customs, showing
the import and export trade at the principal
treaty ports during the past year. Not the least
interesting among them nor the least astonishing
in the result it dscloses, is that relating to Han
koW. The total value of the trade at this river
line port was between seven and eight millions
sterling-namely 9,926,3l7 taels in imports, and
1874 908 taels in exports. The whole Of this
must, of course, not be attributed to foreigners,
though they monopolize very large
share. Two articles aone-shirtings and opium
contribute nearly 100000 taels towards
the total of imports, in the proportion OF
l 10000 taels the former, and 100000 taels the
l. tier; and If 100000 taels' worth of copper
ca b be exported, by far the larger proportion of
the remainder is made up by articles Of foreign
manufacture. Cloths of various kinds figure for
100000 tsels, and long ellis for 100000 taels;
black pepper for III 900 taels, and brOcades for
100 900 taes. Those who may sill regard
sharks fms Us a myth, and birds nest soup az
existing only in the imagination Of travellers,
may be Interested 70 learn that no less than 1000
taels' worth Of fins and $500 tlels' worth of ness,
were imported into Hankow during the last
year. Fancy 81 200 sterling for birds nests at
one city only. Among the exports, tea OF course
takes the most prominent position, figuring for
no less than O0OOO taels, OF t2,25O,OOO ster-
ling and this is the only article Of produce which
attracts the eye in running down the list. TAe
remaining 1000, 600 taels are all made up OF com
pRratYely small sums, the most worthy OF note
being wood oil, which figures for 100000 tsels,
saflOwer 344 900 taels, and tobacco 100000 taes
Among other items, 'walnuts" figure for no less
than Ii 600 taes, and "tgers' bones" for 292 aels
Eleven pounds of duck feathers are valued at
twelve shillings, and twenty pounds Of "human
hair figure for three taes, though for what
earthly purpose a Chinaman's hair, which is q
triile coaTseT than horses can be made 10 serve
it is difficult to conceive.
This large traffic, of course, employs number
of vessels, principally steamers in carriage, and
in this point, ard in this only, in China, American
enterprise outstrips British, as the number OF
ships plying on the river which fly the Stars anC
Stripes nearly double those which can boast The
Union Jack. Altogether the steamers running
on the Yang-tze paid No. 900 taels for tonnage
dues at Hankow alone during the past year. Tht
total inward tonnage of every description entered
at the port during that period was l9l ,l27 tons
and of outward ships 2O4, 1885. OF this, in The
aggregate l03 900 was British 270 900 American
and 36l7 (O French. Out Of this latter tota
1867 tOus were represented by native junks sailing
under French protection, leaving 100 tons repre-
sented by seven small lorchas purely French
/ am not able TO contrast these results Will
those exhibited by the previous years custom
returns, but am assured that they show cor
siderable increase. Taken by themselves the
are sufficient proof OF the large trade which
now carried on in foreign shipping at port whc
was visited for the first time by Lord Elgin onl
six years ago.