No. 223.
Mr. Denby
to Mr. Bayard.
Peking, July 20, 1888. (Received August 29.)
Sir: The feeling and interest displayed by the Chinese in the matter of developing the mining resources of this country have received quite an impetus during the past two years. China is beginning to realize the importance of, and the advantage that will accrue to the Government and people by, the utilization of her mineral wealth, and it is not infrequent that we hear of proposals being made by the high authorities to the throne for permission to open and work mines.
Recently a memorial was presented to the Emperor by Tang Chuing, director of mines in Yunnan, upon the subject of copper mining in that province. The memorialist reports the measures which he has taken for developing the mining industry of certain districts in Yunnan. He states that toward the end of last year he started for Chaotung and on his arrival there he found some Japanese mining engineers awaiting him. Accompanied by them he went over all the hills in the district, making a tour which lasted three months.
Rich seams of ore were found at several places. Lead was found in abundance at a place called Wei Ming. Mining establishments were started at all the places named under the charge of a public mercantile company, and in outlying points where the company could not start operations the natives were allowed to open mines on their own account. The company was to purchase the out-turn of these mines at certain fixed rates, and, to prevent smuggling, the miners were not authorized to establish smelting furnaces. The memorialist goes on to say that mining, smelting, and ail other operations were at first to be conducted on the native principle, but if this proved unsuitable an admixture of [Page 340] western systems was to be introduced. A worthy object cited by the memorialist was to give employment and support to the needy population. Every care was taken to provide for the comfort of the miners and the maintenance of discipline among them, and secret societies and sworn brotherhoods were strictly forbidden. As soon as success was secured for the enterprise in the east of Yunnan operations would be extended elsewhere.
There is one difficulty, cites the memorialist, and that is all the mines alluded to are new ones, and he learnt from the Japanese engineers that it was only by sinking to a depth of 400 or 500 chang (a chang is 10 Chinese feet) that they could be worked on a large scale. The work is so hard that unless foreign machinery is employed no result could be obtained for eight or nine months.
The memorialist concluded by saying that he will urge the company to use its utmost efforts to obtain successful results at the earliest possible date.
I have, etc.,