Papers Relating to Foreign Affairs, Accompanying the Annual Message of the President to the Second Session of the Fortieth Congress
Mr. Burlingame to Mr. Seward
Sir: I am happy to enclose a memorandum [A] from Robert Hart, esquire, inspector general of customs, from which you will learn what great progress the Chinese are making. They have decided to appropriate the entire tonnage dues to the building of light-houses, and for the improvement of harbors on the coast of China. This result, so creditable to the Chinese and so advantageous to us, is entirely due to the patient and enlightened efforts of Mr. Hart. It is also, with the increase of trade, an indication of the faith of those who believe in. reason and kindness more than in brute force.
I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.
Memorandum.
The coast of China, notwithstanding its fogs in spring, its typhoons in autumn, and its heavy northerly blows in winter, is comparatively free from the shoals, sunken rocks, and dangerous headlands which, in other parts of the world, contribute so much to swell the amount of losses by shipwreck. A properly prepared resumé of the marine mishaps of the last five and twenty years would go far to show that, typhoons excepted, the causes must be looked for not so much in the dangers of the navigation as in the carelessness of those on watch, resulting in collision, fire, or stranding, and in the reckless competition which has sent goodly vessels to the bottom with all sail set. Much therefore as the appropriation of funds to the purpose of lighting the coast may do towards insuring against the few dangers that do exist, it may almost be said to have for its object the convenience of navigators rather than the security of life and property at sea.
The alarming proportions at one time assumed by the tacking movement increased the difficulty of providing funds for the payment of the troops in this lightly-taxed country, and the government had therefore to avail itself of the bulk of the moneys which, known to Europeans by the name of “tonnage dues,” and held by them to form a special fund for the carrying out of such public work as should give increased facilities to coast and river navigation, had never before been looked upon by the Chinese in any other light than as forming a branch of revenue for the support of the state derived from ships. Since the capture of Nankin, it has gradually become less necessary to divert any portion of the tonnage dues from the purposes for which foreigners hold they ought to be set apart, and the termination of the large payments made from the most reliable source of revenue, the customs, as administered by foreigners, on account of indemnities to England, Prance, and the United States, may be said to have completely freed the fund in question from all calls for the supply of deficiencies elsewhere.
[Page 468]These points premised—a coast whose natural disadvantages have been so neutralized by careful surveys as to free it comparatively from dangers, and an exceptional state of affairs imperilling the life of the government, and emasculating its exchequers—I proceed to notice what has been done, and what it is proposed to do, for the convenience of seafaring men, and to facilitate the movements of ships on the rivers and in the harbors.
Niuchwcmg.—In entering this port the only danger is the bar at the mouth of the river, a danger aggravated, first, by the storms which often keep pilots on shore, and secondly, by the want of a proper survey. The survey, thanks to Captain Townsend, of the United States sloop Wachusett, has now been made, and the question of lights has been seriously considered. The river is frozen for four or five months every year, and although shipmasters would like to have a light-ship constantly at the bar, its expensiveness and the dangers and inconveniences the ice would expose it to, will probably prove a sufficiently strong objection to its adoption, and a permanent light on a beacon, to be erected on the inner end of the spit, will perhaps be found most feasible, if not fully as useful. Buoys have been placed on the bar, and a light-ship (if procurable) will be anchored near it during the trading season of 1867; the necessary measures will be at once taken for the selection of a site and erection of a beacon for a permanent light. To the north of the port, at the head of the gulf, shoals and shallows are numerous and dangerous; but it is only the careless or inefficient navigator who is likely to overrun his course so much as to get among them. The proper beacon will, for all practical purposes, be a sufficient mark for tire port,
Tin-Tsin.—The approach to this port cannot be said to be dangerous; the bar off Takee is an inconvenience, and the land lies so low that inward-bound vessels must keep a good lookout when seeking the outer anchorage. Various marks have been erected on shore near the forts, (visible from the outer anchorage,) at the mouth of the river, from which the pilots are enabled to take the bearings necessary for crossing the bar. Buoys have been ordered for the bar; a light-house is about to be placed on the Sha-ling-teen banks, the first place sure to be made by any vessel overrunning her course, and a light will probably be put on the North Fort.
Chefoo.—The land about Chefoo is so high, and so well marked, that ordinary care is all that is required to make that port in safety. A little to the south, the formation of the land is, however, somewhat like that of Chefoo itself; and, in order to avert the possibility of the recurrence of a mistake like that which led to the stranding of the Swatou and the loss of the Ranhone, a light of the first order has been procured for one of the island off the harbor.
Shanghai.—This, the port most frequented by shipping, is also the one least easy of approach; its difficulties are, however, of a kind that will always demand a good hand in the chains and attention to both helm and sails. Collisions excepted, steamers come and go in absolute safety; and for sailing vessels, it is the tug-boat that is requisite, rather than the light or the buoy. The Saddle islands and Gutzlaff are sufficient guides to the mouth of the Yangtsi to the south, and the high island, known as the Sha-wir-shan to the north, is a very conspicuous object. With Sha-wir-shan in sight, and a chart on board, nothing but absolute carelessness would run a vessel on the only rocky dangers in the approach to Shanghai, viz., the Amherst and Ariadne rocks. The real difficulty of the approach is to keep in the channel when once in the river. After leaving the Saddles, Gutzlaff or Sha-wir-shan, a vessel will make the light-ship—a light that has been kept up for the last 10 years—in the vicinity of which a pilot is sure to come on board. From the light-ship, the pilot has no great difficulty in taking the vessel far enough up the river to sight the beacon, a lofty tower on the shore below Woosung; and the beacon passed, Woosung is soon sighted. Inside Woosung, there is a bar in the Shanghai (Hwang Poo) river, but on a flag flying at the house of one of the harbor-master’s staff, at Woosung, is always to be seen the numbers of feet of water on the bar; and, at the bar itself, marks have been put up of a kind to enable vessels of the proper draught to pass in safety. At Shanghai, a harbor-master and a large staff are employed, from the employment of whom has resulted much order and regularity in the anchorage, but whose powers, require to be defined, and whose office must be respected and supported in order to—I shall not say the improvement—but the conservation of the harbor; filling in at various points to low-water mark, and the construction of wharves and jetties along its banks, have tended much to spoil it as an anchorage for ships, and, while increasing temporarily the value of front lots, have sown the seeds which will produce decay there and a rival elsewhere.
A light-house is now about to be built either on the Ariadne, or on one of the Saddles; a light will also be placed on Gutzlaff, one on the beacon, and another at Woosung. Those lights once placed, the navigation will be as easy, so to speak, as would be a walk down Regent street when the gas is lit.
Before attempting to do anything with the bar inside Woosung, a competent engineer will be brought from Holland, and on his opinion will depend the measures to be proposed. The suggestions made by some for the removal of that bar would involve an immense expenditure, and the result of the attempt would be problematical. In the absence of the opinion of a man, at once scientific and practical, who has made such works his study, my advice to the Chinese is to do nothing, rather than to bury sycee in the mud.
Chinkiang, Kinkiang, and Hankow vessels going up the Yang-tsi have, in ordinary times, but one danger to avoid, and that is the banks at the Lang-shan crossing. A light-ship has [Page 469] been kept there for the last two or three years. During the summer, when the river rises, some difficulty is experienced in keeping the right channel, and at a few places beacons might be built with advantage; but, generally speaking, the high lands on either bank form sufficient guides for the navigation of this inland river.
From the Lang-shan crossing to Wu-hn, (above Nanking,) an additional light-ship and eight shore lights are now being placed; from Wu-hu to Kinkiang inquiries are being made as to whether lights would be useful or not, and from Kinkiang to Hankow about a dozen lights are being put up.
Ningpo.—A rock covered at high-water, called the Tiger’s tail, is the only danger at the mouth of the river leading to Ningpo. Any miscalculation of the strength of the tide, or any mismanagement of the sails, if working in or out with any but a fair wind, will endanger vessels, be the rock buoyed or not. It has, however, been buoyed, and three lights have been placed in such a way as to make the approach to the entrance to the river easy in the extreme. In the harbor the anchoring of ships is attended to by the tide-surveyor, one of the customs employés, who performs some of the duties of a harbor-master; and, at Chinhae a couple of customs officers are stationed, whose duty it is to keep the passage through the channel from being overcrowded by the Chinese junks that anchor there.
Foo-chaw.—The formation of the land is such that the White Dogs once made, no difficulty can be experienced in finding the mouth of the river. There is a bar to be crossed, but with the aid of the pilots, who are always on the lookout, it is passed in safety and without difficulty. At the Pagoda anchorage, where some dangerous spots are buoyed, the tide surveyor, as harbor-master, attends to the anchoring of ships. It is probable that a light will be placed on the White Dogs.
Amoy.—The harbor of Amoy, though small, is one of the finest on the coast; but at the same time it has many sunken rocks, on all of which buoys and beacons have been placed. A light is kept on one of the seven islands through which vessels pass when entering or leaving the estuary. In the port the tide surveyor, as harbor-master, arranges the vessels on arrival, &c. It is proposed to put a light on Chapel island, the sea-mark for vessels bound to Amoy. This light will also be useful to coasting vessels generally, as it will remind them of the proximity of the Meriope shoal.
Swatow.—The high land around Swatow makes the approach very easy, and the pilots there settled know the place so well that accidents need never occur. The anchorage, however, is one in which vessels always suffer severely when typhoons rage. It is proposed to put a light on Double island for the accommodation of steamers entering or leaving by night.
Formosa.—The land is high enough to do away with the necessity for lights that its rocky shores might otherwise exhibit. For the convenience of vessels going into Ke-lung and Takow, lights will be put up at those places.
Canton.—No necessity for lights has ever been known to exist at the mouth of the Pearl river. The bars are sufficiently well marked by the pagodas on the neighboring hills, and on the three rocks between Honan and the city have been placed lights for the convenience of steamers plying by night. The local authorities are said to have some plan in contemplation for lighting the river. Such a plan may have beneficial results as tending indirectly to the suppression of river piracy, but it cannot be said that it is at all called for by the necessities of navigation. A light will probably be put up at the Bogue.
Having now gone through the ports one by one, I proceed to make a few general remarks bearing on the subject.
Knowing the monetary difficulties of the government, I have now attempted to prevent the authorities from diverting a considerable portion of the tonnage dues from such works as harbor improvements and lighting of rivers and coasts, to military uses, knowing that temporary pressure alone caused them to avail themselves of that fund once they began to understand the light in which foreigners viewed it. I have frequently had occasion to talk of the matter, both at the Kung-le-yamen and with the provincial officials, and I have ever found them not only ready but very willing to assist in carrying out such suggestions as were made; and from the manner in which they have received such suggestions in the past I am quite certain that they will, of their own accord, and without pressure, furnish the means for carrying out of unobjectionable plans tending to the improvement of navigation along a coast and up rivers, in which they clearly see that in a few years time they themselves will be more deeply interested than are those who now wish to initiate such improvements. The suppression of the rebellion, the quieting of the seaboard, the payment of the indemnities, and the authorization at length about to be issued by imperial decree, (which, hoping against hope, I have for more than five years been laboring to obtain,) allowing and inviting Chinese to build and own vessels of the foreign kind, both steamers and sailing craft, all combine to render easy of execution what a few years ago it would have been almost suicidal to attempt. The customs officers are now in such working order that my hands will be comparatively free, and I shall, therefore, be able to give my attention to several matters which could not be taken up, although they never escaped my notice before. Among these may be pointed out, as having special reference to the disposal of the fund created by the payment of tonnage dues, the creation of—
1st. An engineer office for advising on all matters connected with the improvement of river [Page 470] and coast navigation, and of harbors, and for the superintendence of all public works undertaken with that view.
2d. A harbor-master’s office to be represented at the treaty ports, superintending the anchoring of ships, the police of the rivers, and the examination and appointment of pilots.
3d. A coast-light office to take charge of the lighting department generally, and most especially of about 15 light-houses soon to be built on the most necessary points between Newchwang and Haellan.
The flourishing condition of the treasury at Hong Kong, and the energy of its official staff, will, doubtless, enable the authorities of that colony to put up such lights as its approaches require; considering that that colony deprives the Chinese government of a considerable portion of the tonnage dues that would otherwise be collected at Canton, it is not too much to expect that Hong Kong will do all that is needed for the improvement of navigation in its vicinity; and what may be then done, enlightened as are the views of the colonists on all that affects navigation, and able, as its rulers are, to command the highest engineering skill, will be a not inappropriate guide to the Chinese government in determining upon the need for sundry works at various places along the coast. Amongst the light-houses to be first built I may mention one that is to be put on the Pratas shoal, the only real danger of the Chinese seas. When that light is put up foreign governments will be invited to direct passing ships of war to visit it occasionally to see that the light-keepers are safe and well. Further, a light is to be placed on either Breaker Point or the Cape of Good Hope, but competent advice will be taken before the site is resolved upon.
The amounts hitherto expended from tonnage dues for harbor improvements, &c., have been small,* but it may now be stated with confidence, that the Chinese government will do its share of the work faithfully and well; it will provide funds and secure services of first-class men, and that the only assistance to be asked for is one which treaty powers are, by exterritorial privileges, bound to afford, and that is, to join in the prevention of all acts on the part of foreigners settled at the ports, be they the acts of individuals or of municipal councils, pronounced to be of a hurtful tendency by the Chinese agents, and to recognize and support those agents in the performance of their duties.
During the last five years my duties have taken me up and down the coast some score of times, and my visits to the ports spoken of have been numerous; what I have written I have accordingly written as having myself seen the coast, the entrance to ports and the rivers, and as having myself heard the remarks and suggestions of the commanders of the ships and steamers by which I have travelled.
ROBERT HART, Inspector General of Customs,
January 31, 1867.
Note.—Since writing what precedes, I have received official instructions from the Hung-le Yamen, (board of foreign affairs,) authorizing me to carry out all that this memorandum sets forth. The annual collections under the heading of tonnage dues are not likely to exceed 300,000 taels, (£100,000,) or to fall below 210,000 taels, (£70,000.) In order, therefore, to effect as much as possible with the funds at my command, while employing professional men specially educated for special work, I shall endeavor to incorporate the bulk of those to be employed with the customs establishment rather than create a new service; the plan as about to be worked by me will not impair the efficiency of either department, but, by leaguing them together, will cause each to be a support to the other, and will enable me to use the funds that are for the special support of each in such a way as to increase the revenues of both.
In the selection of men I shall follow the principle to which I have adhered during the last six years in the customs; that is, I shall employ them just as they may be required, without respect to their nationality, provided individual fitness can be secured, and I shall not aim to exact numerical proportion, or attempt to provide a representative of every treaty power for every port. The service will continue to be cosmopolitan in its general constitution, guided by the requirements of the work to be done, and by the character and capacity of the individual. Appointments, promotion, and dismissal will be dealt out without respect to nationality. A fair attempt will be made to represent with approximate correctness the chief treaty powers, but the chief object to be aimed at will be to keep in existence on a cosmopolitan basis a thoroughly efficient service, and to carry out faithfully and well for the Chinese government the works it pays for and approves of.
Difficult as is the management of a cosmopolitan service, to attempt to carry out a system of numerical proportion, while resisting ill reeling, disputes, and jealousy, would defeat its own object by the inefficiency in which it would culminate; the fact that the door is open to all is a sufficient guarantee on the part of an honest administration for the interests of each.
- Annually, during the last five years, about 45,000 taels, and for special purposes, during the same period, lightships, beacons, buoys, repairs, &c, about 50,000 taels. The revenue (tonnage dues) for the five years has been, say, 1,000,000 taels, and the expenditure, say, 275,000 taels, or more than one-fourth.↩