320"  r  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE
Oil-seeds  were  shipped  in  1905  to  the  extent  of  1,581,5*4
piculs.  Cotton-seed  supplied  657,379  piculs,  the  entire
amount  going  to  Japan.  Rape-seed  shipments  in  1902  were
223,149  piculs,  but  in  1905  only  28,919  piculs,  the  greater
part  going  to  Japan.  Sesamum-seed  was  895,216  piculs,  of
which  379,530  piculs  went  to  Europe,  chiefly  to  Germany,
39,911  piculs  to  Egypt,  and  125,474  piculs  to  Japan  ;  ^ ie
balance  of  shipments  remaining  for  home  consumption
amounted  to  320,000  piculs.
Silk  in  its  raw  state,  when  not  exported  to  foreign
countries,  is  generally  woven  in  the  producing  district.  Of
silk  piece  goods  the  shipments  in  1905  amounted  to  26,926
piculs,  valued  at  Tls.19,747,539.  Of  this  9,793  piculs
went  to  Hongkong  for  further  distribution,  and  2,597  piculs
to  other  foreign  ports,  leaving  14,536  piculs,  valued  at
Tls.10,849,912,  for  home  consumption  in  other  than  the
original  producing  districts.
Sugar  was  shipped  to  the  extent  of  1,481,524  piculs,
almost  entirely  from  Kwangtung  ports,  and  found  its  market
in  the  Yangtze  and  northern  ports.  This  was  in  addition
to  4,156,663  piculs  imported  from  abroad.
Vegetable  tallow,  expressed  from  the  seeds  of  the  Stilling
sebifera,  was  shipped,  almost  entirely  from  Hankow,  to  the
extent  of  167,160  piculs.  Of  this  67,277  piculs  were  Shipps
abroad,  chiefly  to  Italy,  leaving  100,000  piculs  for  hoiU e
consumption.
Tobacco,  leaf  or  prepared  and  cut,  was  shipped  to  the
amount  of  529,253  piculs,  of  which  216,704  piculs  came  fro#
Hankow,  98,522  piculs  from  Kiukiang,  and  182,346  picuh
from  Kwangtung  ports,  and  it  goes  wherever  there  a#
Chinese.  This  was  in  addition  to  cigarettes,  Chinese  made*
valued  at  Tls.  1,667,698,  shipped  coastwise,  and  cigarette*»
valued  at  Tls.4,427,171,  and  cigars,  worth  Tls.381,466,  i#'
ported  from  foreign  countries.
Railways
This  volume  deals  with  the  past  and  the  present,  a#6
not  with  the  future,  but  a  few  words  must  be  said  on  th e