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0604 Across Asia : vol.1
Across Asia : vol.1 / Page 604 (Grayscale High Resolution Image)

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doi: 10.20676/00000221
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C. G. MANNERHEIM

vering from a recent attack of rheumatic fever. He had been cured by a Chinese doctor

with decoctions of herbs. He assured me that he began to feel the effects of the medicine in a few hours. The pain had begun to change its seat and in 2 or 3 days it was almost gone.

A similar attack would have required 2 or 3 months' treatment in Europe. Father Damaret

told me the sad news of the death of two more of my friends among the priests in Bishop Otto's diocese. Typhus had carried off a young priest, Keirkhofs, who was in charge of the

congregation at Lianchow during my stay there and who had made an uncommonly favourable impression on me. It seems strange that Roman Catholic missionaries should not be permitted to study medicine. — The British mission is presided over by Mr D. A. Gordon Harding, a stout, jovial man, his wife and three daughters, whom I did not see.

The town carries on a lively trade, probably livelier than any other place in Southern Kan Su, though in recent years it has fallen off. One of the causes is the increase in the

likin tax introduced 3 years ago (the likin was raised not quite 50 °,/o; the opium tax was

simultaneously fixed at io times the former rate). This year an attempt had been made to raise the likin tax still more, but the merchants had succeeded by means of joint repre-

sentations in warding off the danger. The number of large businesses is said to be not more than half of what it used to be. — The introduction of the »tungdzivandziy» has proved a benefit to trade. This entitles business men to obtain certificates in some of the larger

places, which are considered valid in other provinces. In spite of this, however, merchants are taxed under various pretexts even in the places they have to visit in passing.

According to information obtained at the local likin station, the principal exports consist of opium, amounting to about 2,200,000 Jiang (in weight) annually (the annual likin is about

150,000 taels). Opium is not only produced locally, but also in the surrounding district

and is mostly despatched via Shensi and Taigung to Shanghai. Lambskin 6-70o tan to the value of 400,000 taels, also from the surrounding district and sent to Shanghai. Wool

from the immediate neighbourhood 6-7,00o tan to the value of 200,000 taels is exported, too, to Shanghai. 4-500 tan of hides to the value of 200,000 taels are supplied to Tientsin. Medicinal herbs, wooden vessels, brooms, baskets, string shoes etc. are sold to the value of 300,000 taels. The herbs are sent to Shensi, Hennan, Sytchuan and »Kouwei», the rest to Lanchow and Southern Kan Su.

Imports consist of: coarse cotton cloth (»lopu») about 8-9,000 tan to the value of 3-400,00o taels from Shensi and Hunan; silken cloth, print and various articles 1,000 tan to the value of 3-400,000 taels from Shensi and Peiping; silk and sundry goods 1-2,000 tan to the value of 200,000 taels from Sytchuan. About 6o % of the imported goods are sold in Tsinchow, the rest being sent to other parts of Southern Kan Su. — A large part of the transit goods, such as wool etc., from the neighbourhood of Taochow and further west is not included in these figures.

The town consists of 5 connected fortresses, Pei, Tung, Hsi Kuan, Pyng and Tsung cheng. I was told that the population amounted to 70,000 tja (Wang; of these 40,000 merchants); 30,000 tja (according to the priests) and 70,000 inhabitants (British mission — of them 5,000 Dungans).

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