REVENUE  AND  EXPENDITURE  95
In  1148  the  grain  tribute  from  Chekiang,  Kiangsu,  and
Hukwang,  was  2,395,0°°  piculs.  I 3 2 4&gt;  under  the  Mongol
Dynasty,  the  grain  tribute  amounted  to  12,114,7°^  piculs,
of  which  Chihli  contributed  2,271,449  :  Honan,  2,591,269  ;
Kiangsu  and  Chekiang,  4,494,783  ;  and  Kiangsi,  1,157,448
piculs  ;  of  this  about  3,000,000  piculs  were  sent  to  Peking,
the  rest  being  retained  in  the  provinces  for  the  maintenance
of  the  Government  and  the  support  of  the  Mongol  garrisons.
The  tribute  in  kind  required  by  the  ruling  Manchu  Dynasty
takes  many  forms,  including  silks  from  Hangchow,  Soochow,
and  Nanking,  porcelain  from  Kingtehchen,  timber  from
Kiangsu,  fruits  from  the  southern  coast,  wax  from  Szechwan,
etc.  It  also  includes  copper  from  Yunnan,  the  quantity
required  annually  for  coinage,  before  the  introduction
of  foreign  supplies,  being  calculated  to  be  85,000  piculs,
of  a  value,  by  the  market  rates  of  1906,  of  Tls.2,500,000.
The  principal  tribute  under  the  Tsing,  however,  as  under
previous  dynasties,  is  grain.  Before  the  disorganisation
caused  by  foreign  wars  and  rebellion,  during  the  early
years  of  Taokwang  (1821-50),  the  stipulated  quantity
required  in  an  ordinary  year  to  be  sent  to  Peking  was
2,930,000  piculs  of  rice  and  300,000  piculs  of  millet.
Since  the  Taiping  rebellion,  of  the  eight  provinces  liable  to
grain  tribute,  Honan,  Kiangsi,  Hupeh,  and  Hunan  have
commuted  it  for  an  annual  money  payment,  leaving  Kiangsu,
Chekiang,  Anhwei,  and  Shantung  still  to  pay  in  kind.  It
is  estimated  that  from  these  four  provinces  about  400,000
piculs  continue  to  go  by  the  Grand  Canal,  and  the  annual
average  of  shipments  by  sea  for  the  years  1902-05  was
1,626,000  piculs.  Besides  this  is  the  amount  retained
for  the  maintenance  of  the  provincial  forces.  An  illustration
of  the  conservatism  which  rules  Chinese  finances  is  afforded
by  the  continued  payment  by  the  commuting  provinces
to  Chihli  for  cargo  boats  to  convey  from  Tientsin  to  Peking
the  grain  which  they  do  not  send  :  “A  year  or  two  ago
(3:895)  ninety-seven  cargo-boats  were  destroyed  by  a  tidal
wave,  and  Chihli  has  just  reconstructed  them  at  a  cost  of
Tls.39,800  ;  Hunan,  Hupeh,  and  Kiangsi  have  to  repay