294  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE
obtained  from  China  had  developed  to  a  considerable
quantity,  the  average  annual  shipments  to  England  in  the
last  five  years  of  the  East  India  Company’s  monopoly,
1828-33,  being  5,393  bales  (4,314  piculs).  During  the  next
four  years  of  open  trade,  1833-7,  shipments  increased  to
an  annual  average  of  12,497  bales  (9,998  piculs).  Then
followed  a  period  of  war  and  interrupted  trade,  and  in  the
five  years  1839-44  the  annual  shipments  fell  to  2,080
bales  (1,664  piculs).  Upon  the  restoration  of  peace  and
the  opening  of  the  five  treaty  ports,  the  annual  export
to  England  rose  again  in  the  five  years  1845-50  to  18,654
bales  (14,923  piculs).  In  i860  Japanese  silk  found  its  outlet
through  Shanghai  to  the  amount  of  6,248  piculs.  Apart
from  this  the  export  of  white  and  yellow  raw  silk  from
Canton  and  Shanghai  respectively  has  been  as  follows  :

Canton.
Piculs.
i860  ..  5,571
1867  ..  .  9,259
1886  ..  .  19,406
1905  ..  .  .  34,231

Shanghai.  Total,  all  Ports.
Piculs.  Piculs.
61,552  67,123
30,358  39,627
44,967  64,488
44,303  80,335

In  addition,  wild  silk,  the  product  of  silkworms  feeding  on
the  oak,  was  exported  as  follows  :  5,127  piculs  in  i860,
5,363  piculs  in  1867,  12,555  piculs  in  1886,  and  25,584
piculs  in  1905.  The  value  of  the  export  of  each  category
of  silk  products—cocoons,  raw  silk  (white,  yellow,  and  wild),
waste  silk,  and  woven  silk  goods—has  been  as  follows  :—

Cocoons.
i860  ..  53,845
1867  ..  39,598
1886  ..  350,482
1905  ..  1,344,286

Raw  Silk.
23,804,284
16,372,518
19,210,052
53,425,473

Waste  Silk.
16,807
H3,924
2,271,996
4,844,343

Woven  Silk*
2,166,481
2,234,887
6,753,939
9,938,750

In  1905  the  raw  white  originated  almost  entirely  in  Shanghai
and  Canton  ;  yellow  silk  came  chiefly  from  Szechwan,  a
smaller  quantity  being  also  produced  in  Shantung  ;  wild