‘Seistan’ [‎26r] (51/98)

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( Enclosure in Foreign Office letter of 25th January 1901 .)
Enclosures of Political and Secret Department letter No. 5 , dated the 1 st February 1901 .
CONFIDENTIAL.
Memorandum by Mr. C. Bigham on the Upper Valley of the
Yang-tsze Kiang and the Provinces immediately beyond
its Northern Watershed.
The following Memorandum has for its object a general examination of
the Upper Valley of the Yang-tsze Kiang from the commercial and political
point of view, some remarks being added on the economic and strategical con
ditions of the provinces immediately beyond its northern watershed. In this
connection the existing and future lines of traffic and the possible railway
routes, as well as the prospects of British trade, direct, or resulting from the
development of Chinese resources, industry and communications, are briefly
discussed ; while some attention is paid to the defensible frontiers of the Empire
and of the British sphere of influence.
The information here submitted to Her Majesty’s Government is the result
of seven months’ travel in the interior of China Proper, comprising, firstly, a
journey from Canton to Peking, by way of Hankow, through the provinces of
Kwantung and Kiangsi to the south, and Hupeh and Honan to the north of the
Yang-tsze Kiang; secondly, an ascent of the river from its mouth at Shanghai
to Chungking, and thence to Kiating and Chengtu, the head of navigation, with
an excursion further west to the foot of the Tibetan Mountains ; and, thirdly, a
land journey north-east from Chengtu to Peking, by way of the Tsingling
Mountains, Singanfu, the Tungkuan Portress, and the Yellow Biver; the
distance traversed in each case being about 2,000 miles.
Valuable assistance has been obtained from Her Majesty’s Consuls along
the line of route, from the various British officers and engineers who have
latterly been engaged in surveying or prospecting the country, from the
missionaries of several nations, and from those Chinese who had the ability and
the will to give it; while the study of the literature bearing on the questions
considered has contributed material aid.
In these journeys, although time has not allowed the collection of statistics,
or the detailed observance of the actual articles required by the inland markets,
I have been generally impressed by the accuracy of the reports published from
time to time by such of Her Majesty’s Consuls as have travelled in the interior,
especially those of Messrs. Hosie, Bourne and Litton. The prices of labour and
transport do not appear to have altered very much since the days of Baron von
Bichthofen, Mr. Baber, and Captain Blakiston, nor does the standard of
comfort seem to have greatly changed. In Szechuan I remarked more and in
Honan less opium-smoking and early marriage than was formerly the case, and
in Hunan the state of feeling is improved.
Shensi is certainly the most backward and the poorest province I have
visited, and its capital, Singanfu, is losing in wealth and importance every
year.
The excellence and cheapness of the majority of the goods made by the
Chinese for their own consumption especially struck me, and the immense
possibilities for mining and manufacturing, and the ubiquitous need of steam
communication were always evident, the inference being that there were better
prospects at present for exploiting and the export trade than for imports.