The mirror., 1922-05-18

at the westernized appearance of the city
the broad streets, the beautiful parks, and
the imposing public buildings. Only the
gateways of the old wall, which sur
rounded the ancient Chinese city, remain,
looking as out of place in their reju-
venated setting as the Egyptian obelisk in
Central park. Even Daitotei, the Chinese
section of Taihoku, is unnaturaly clean
for Chinese city.
The japanese insist upon two official
house cleanings year, and as they are
executed under policeman's vigilant eye,
there is nothing slipshod in the undertak-
ing. All mans chattels his lares and
penates, his wives and children, even to
cherished opium pipe, are heaped uncer-
enormously in front of his dwelling, and
the work of securing begins.
During the summer months Daitotei
presents its busiest face, for it is then
that the tea season is in full swing The
colonnades OF. the tea hongs, if such an
can be fttingly applied to such unimpos-
ing structures are ahum with the staccato
accents of chattering tea pickers These
are generally young girls, as old hands
are too numb for the deft manipulation
of the tea leaves.
Seated on low stools before wide wicker
trays, these bright-eyed maids, in their
peacock-blue smocks, their front hair
clipped in bangs, and with gay posy or
two stuck in the braided knots at the
backs of their necks, are in animated con-
trast to their rather drab surroundings
Everywhere one sees coolies packing the
gayly Aowered lead-lined boxes that carry
their sensitive freight of tea to America.
About 90 per cent of Formosa Oolong goes
to the United States.
The population of Formosa is mainly
agricultural. The cultivation of rice, and
more especially sugar cane, is encouraged
by the government, and these are grown
in great quantities.
However, the most interesting industry
is the production of camphor, and it can
truly be said to be peculiar to the island,
when it is remembered that Formosa holds
practical monopoly in the worlds mar
ket of this valuable drug.
Shortly after the Japanese came to For
mosa, IS years ago, the camphor industry
became government monopoly. Before
that time there had been a great deal of
ruthless waste, both in the cutting down of
trees and in extracting camphor from
them.
AT first the Japanese, too, were careless
in this respect, for the supply of camphor
trees seemed practically lmitless, but the
product in late years has made scientific
afforestation necessary. Now large tracts
of land are given over to the cultivation
of the camphor laurel. The oldest of
these cultivated trees are now some twenty
years of age.
In point of view of value, few trees can
rival the camphor. An average tree, say
with basal circumference of IL feet, will
yield about so piculs of camphor (approx-
imately $3.50 pounds), which, at the
present market price, is worth several
thousands of dollars. Native stills are
scattered here and there throughout the
districts where crude camphor is collected,
packed in tins and carried down precipi-
tous mountain paths on coolies backs to
the nearest railway line, whence it goes to
the refinery at Taihoku.
Ever since we have any authentic record,
Formosa has been peopled with wild
tribes of probably Maayan and Polynesian
origin. They are nearest in point of re-
semblance to the Dyaks of Borneo and, al
though their origin has never been proved
beyond doubt, they are sufficiently like
certain of the South Sea tribes to Justify
us in ascribing to them a common ancestry.