*7

THE  PROVINCES  AND  THE  TREATY  PORTS  257
The  principal  imports  into  the  delta  through  the  three  offices
in  1904  were  cotton  yarn  (Tls.  4,171,000),  flour  (Tls.1,133,000),
kerosene  oil  (Tls.3,834,000),  rice  (Tls.11,423,000),  sesamum
seed  (Tls.2,763,000),  and  sugar  (Tls.  1,276,000).  The  principal ­
  exports  were  silk  and  its  products  (Tls.31,420,000),
cassia  (Tls.1,233,000),  eggs  (Tls.509,000),  fans  (Tls.572,000),
leather  (Tls.601,000),  straw  mats  (Tls.929,000),  matting
(Tls.3,369,000),  paper  (Tls.  1,234,000),  and  tobacco
(Tls.i,605,000).  Tea,  which  in  i860,  with  shipment  of
263,264  piculs,  contributed  50  per  cent,  to  the  value  of  the
export  trade  of  Canton  in  that  year,  in  1904  contributed
(53,250  piculs)  less  than  2  per  cent,  to  the  value  of  the
exports  passing  the  three  offices.
Samshui  (23 0  6'  N.,  112 0  53'  E.),  “  Three  Waters,”  an
unimportant  city  of  5,000  inhabitants,  situated  at  the
junction  of  the  West  and  North  Rivers,  was  opened  as  a
treaty  port  in  1897.  It  was  expected  to  tap  all  the  North
River  trade  and  much  of  that  by  the  West  River,  but  the
hopes  entertained  have  not  been  realised.  In  1904  imports
were  valued  at  Tls.1,828,935  and  exports  at  Tls.1,217,873,
a  total  of  Tls.3,046,808.  The  principal  export  was  paper
(Tls.231,000).
Kongmoon  (22 0  35'  N.,  113°  9'  E.),  “  River-mouth,”  a
city  of  35,000  inhabitants,  situated  on  a  side  creek  of  the
delta  near  the  mouth  of  the  westernmost  branch  of  the
network  of  rivers,  distant  70  miles  steaming  from  Canton,
87  miles  from  Hongkong,  and  45  miles  from  Macao,  was
opened  as  a  treaty  port  in  1904.  The  object  of  its
opening  was  to  tap  the  trade  of  the  western  part  of  the
delta  and  of  the  district  lying  west  of  it,  and  a  measurable
degree  of  success  has  been  obtained.  Not  including  the
trade  by  junk  to  and  from  Hongkong  and  Macao,
which  is  included  in  the  statistics  of  the  Kowloon  and
Lappa  stations,  the  value  of  the  trade  by  steamer  and
junk  in  1905,  the  year  following  the  opening,  was  imports
ris.3,082,954,  exports  Tls.3,794,676,  total  Tls.6,877,630.
The  principal  exports  were  palm-leaf  fans,  straw  mats,  and
poultry.