Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-01-25
K0UA:NG-TONG.
China's Largest and Richest, but
Least Known Province.
Its Immense Population, Lead
Ing Products, Etc.

Its Immense Population, Load
Ing Products, Etc.
Kouang- Tong, which is tho largest
and richest province IN tho Chinese
Empire, is also tho Toast known. 1t is
situated In tho southern part OF tho E n
piro along tho seacoast, ard includes
the city OF Canton and all tho e1collont
harbors along that coast, and has q
population OF $4,000, 900 people. Ao-
cording to tho French Consul at Can
ION, who has takon tho trouble to in
vestigato carefully tho characteristics
OF this oxclu'ivo people, tho inhabitants
consist OF thrco races. tho Pounti, Hoklo
and Hakkas. Tho Pounti aro the most
numerous, and form tho class OF NOR
chants, aristocrats and rulors. Tho
Hoklos 1.-Two almost entirely In their
beats, and constitute that vast foot of
watormon which crowds tho river at
Canton, and spreads by tons of Thousands
over overy portion of tho dolta. Tho
Hokkas comprise the agricultural poo
plo of tho province, and havc retired
to tho Northeast of Kouang- Tong and
to tho island of Harwan. They aro
said to represent tho Chinese race,
properly speaking, and tho dialect is
worry different from tho Pounti and
Hoklo races.
This province contains tho busiost
manufacturing mart in China. One of
Its principal products is silk cloth,
which forms SO largo staple export of
tho Chinese Empire. In Kouang Tong
it Is carried to its most elaborate point,
and tho production of nil qualities of
silk in 1887 was 1000, 600 Kilograms.
Tho -RHiYe Consumption is very large,
and thoro is no means Of getting at tho
exact statistics. Tho great toa-produc-
ing region OF China is located in this
province. Enormous quantities arc OK
ported each year, but tho Government
is said to DO levying so much tax upon
tho farmers at tho present timo that the
OF tea is dimini,hiug. Con-
sumption has fallou off $500. 900
pounds within tho past five mouths and
tho competition of India, Ccylon and
Java is resulting in disaster both to tho
Chinese farmers and tho NOR chants.
Sugar cano grows in almost overy
part OF Kouans- Tong, aud throo kinds
OF sugar arc largely manufactured; tho
rcd, white and candiod varieties. 1t is
estimated that tho value of tho sugar
raised in this provin CO annually exceeds
that OF any othcr single product of tho
country. Chinese cinnamon, cereals of
all kinds, including immonso nroas of
rico, ginger, tobacco and medical plants
and drugs, also flourish as natural
products of this rich territory and add
to its wealth as producing aroa. Tho
consumption OF to bacco, it is curious to
note, is worry general, and of 100 mon
and women it is said that seventy or
eighty arc invetorato smokers.
Besides all these natural products tho
poop'o OF Kouang- Tong have tho great
ost ingenuity in tho manufacturing Of
littlo articles of bric.a-
brac, and it is snid that they almost
supply tho cntiro market in the United
States for firccrackurs and fireworks of
tho common varieties. They arc very
expert at this, and at Canton, Tong
Kouan and Houang- Kong they make all
sorts of pyrotochnica, firccrackors largo
and small, skyrockcts, fuses for bur ming
on tho water, Roman candies and arti-
fetal contrivauccs of all Sort, 1t is
said that the annual valuo Of those OK
ports to this country arc d, 1000, 900
francs. 1t seems rather aston ishing,
however, that tho prices which tho
writer givos as current in China should
DO go high compared with this country.
lilo say': "Thc actual prices of fire.
crackers at tho markets OF Canton nrc:
TOT pack Oh Sixty our fro crackers, 90
conts; for pack of scvonty-two fire.
crackers, 60 ccnts; for II pack of eighty
firecrackers, 76 ccnts."
Perhaps, however, they ore extra
largo size, of the kind tho boys call
"oannons," and which cost from S to
10 conts apiece horo.
Aud all this is contained within only
ono Of the provinces OF tho Chinese EN-
pire, tho complete resource, of which will
probably not BIO known to the outside
world for many years yet to como.
There Is certainly fold for extending
our foreign trado which is not equalled
in any other quarter OF tho globe. Why
should wo not DO tho first to take ad-
vantage OF it2-[N.w York Graphic.