open by a treaty made with France in 1858, in which England participated under the 'most favoured nation' clause, had not been opened at the end of 1897.
The value of the total imports into the United Kingdom from China, and of the exports of British and Irish produce and manufactures from the United Kingdom to China (including Hong Kong and Macao), in each of the last five years, were, according to the Board of Trade returns:—
~
1893
1S94
1895
1806
1897
Imports into Great Britain Exports of British produce
£ 4,786,824 6,447,035
£ 4,177,446 6,263,773
£ 4,121,968 7,167,459
£ 3,788,606 8,540,543
£ 3,305,220 7,117,896
From China, exclusive of Hong Kong and Macao, the imports into the United Kingdom amounted in 1896 to 2,973,887^. ; in 1897 to 2,684,722Z. ; to China, exclusive of these ports, the exports of British produce amounted in 1896 to 6,717,353Z. ; in 1897 to 5,142,342Z.
In 1890 and in the last five years the quantities and value of the imports of tea into the United Kingdom from China, including Hong Kong and Macao, were : —
Year
Quantities
Value
Year
Quantities
Value
1890 1893 1894
lbs. 73,743,124
56,208,958 43,702,974
£ 2,813,060 1,990,107 1,522,985
1895 1890 1897
lbs. 40,083,864 35,299,730 28,760,297
£ 1,430,658 1,244,886 987,314
Other important articles of import into Great Britain from China are silk, raw and. waste, the value of which amounted in 1896, to640,62lZ, ; 1897, 576,574^. ; silk manufactures, 1896, Ql,72Ql. ; 1897, 53,118/. ; hemp, 1896, 198,094Z. ; 1897, 50,192^ ; bristles, 1896, 195,166Z. ; 1897, 175,804Z. ; drags, 1896, 66,907Z. ; 1897, 88,788Z. ; skins and furs, 1896, 237,375Z. ; 1897, 235411?. ; manufactures of skins and furs, 1896, 219,655/. ; 1897, 231,723/. ; straw plaiting, 1896, 348,453/. ; 1897, 288,290/. ; wool, 1896, 57,273/.; 1897, 38,148. The chief British exports to China were :— Cottons, 1896, 5,599,367/. ; 1897, 4,330,633/. ; cotton yarn, 1896, 282,867/. ; 1897,333,272/. ; machinery, 1896, 352,977/. ; 1897, 274,748/. ; iron, 1896, 514,493/. ; 1897, 582,140/. ; woollens and worsteds, 1896, 785,225/. ; 1897, 588,277/.
Shipping and Navigation.
During the year 1897, 44,500 vessels, of 33,752,362 tons (34,566 being steamers of 32,519,729 tons), entered and cleared Chinese ports. Of these 21,140, of 21,891,043 tons, were British ; 18,889, of 7,819,980 tons, Chinese ; 1,858, of 1,658,094 tons, German ; 653, of 660,707 tons, Japanese ; 333, of 269,780 tons, American ; 464, of 423,122 tons, French.
Internal Communications.
China is traversed in all directions by numerous roads, and, though none are paved or metalled, and all are badly kept, a vast internal trade is carried on partly over them, but chiefly by means of numerous canals and navigable rivers. In February the Chinese Government agreed that all internal water-
