Peking to Lhasa : vol.1 / Page 37 (Color Image)

0037	Peking to Lhasa : vol.1

THE START FROM PEKING 15

aged forty who had been educated in England

and who had also sent his son to England. He

was one of the handful of really enlightened up-

to-date officials, rigorous in suppressing ill and

energetic in conducting reforms.

Just south of Yungcheng is the Salt Lake,

about 7 miles long by 3 miles wide, from

which the Chinese Government derive a large

revenue. It is surrounded by a mud wall and

trench, with eleven gates ; and a guard of 800

men is maintained to prevent smuggling. In

normal seasons the part of the Lake producing

salt is about 4 miles long by 1 mile wide. On

the bed of the Lake about 50 feet from the

surface there appears to be a layer of rock salt.

In circular pits or wells driven down to this depth

the water becomes impregnated with salt. The

brine is lifted to the surface by gangs of labourers

and is run into evaporating pans and condensed

by solar evaporation until salt is formed. It is

then sold to salt merchants.

In the old days the Salt Commissioners in China

used to make huge profits. But since the ad-

ministration of the Salt Revenue was entrusted

to Sir Richard Dane and an efficient European

staff has been organised, the revenue has increased

enormously. Salt in. China is not a Government

monopoly. It belongs to a Guild of Salt Mer-

chants. But the Government puts a tax on what

is taken out of the salt enclosures.

Famine refugees in some numbers—mostly

from Honan—had found their way to Yungcheng,

and those that were fit were put on relief works,

such as road-making. Some good macadamised

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