of import and export. The most valuable | at a lower price than rules for the native one, portion of his report, however, is that in doubtless the demand would soon prove that which he deals with the openings which much profit is still to be gained by attention to China now offers, or promises soon to such matters. offer, for British trade, and this portion it may be advantageous to quote in full:

In the trade reports of the last few years [writes Mr. O'Conor] a very general complaint, repeated from several quarters, is heard of the unenviable position which British cotton goods have acquired, owing to the inferior quality supplied to meet an inflated trade demand. It is not that the British merchant has attempted to foist on to the Chinese market an article which is other than what it pretends to be, nor that he has exceeded the legitimate bounds of honest competition, but rather that, in trying to meet the demand for a cheap article, he has been forced to introduce into its manufacture only such inferior materials as will allow the price to be within that demanded. The consequences, however, have been none the less detrimental to English trade, and to the high repute formerly enjoyed by British goods. It will, in the long run, be decidedly to the interest of British trade now to prevent the growth of a popular belief in the inferiority of English manufacture. From different parts of China the natives are reported as going back to their own solid home-made stuffs, rather than buy the more choice, but less durable, English cottons, and that such is the case may be inferred by the increasing demand for yarn and cotton thereof.

The increasing competition of American fabrics in the Chinese market makes it of still greater importance that British cotton manufactures should maintain a good reputation. A remarkable falling-off in the demand for English drills is recorded as accompanying the lower estimation entertained of them, with a correspondingly increased sale of American products. At the same time, a decided improvement in the demand for English T'cloths and sheetings, which continued to be well spoken of, and a decided gain over similar American fabrics, is remarkable.

As competition grows, greater attention will have to be paid to the tastes, habits, and customs of the purchasers. A keen and observant person, employed in China as travelling agent for several commercial houses, would doubtless be able to discover important markets for various articles now little imported, or, at all events, in comparatively small quantity. Take, for instance, the common cotton handkerchief, in which almost every Chinaman carries all his small wares and parcels. Any one who has travelled at all in this country must have been struck by the general use of these cloths. They are mostly about thirty inches square, of a dark blue, brown, or yellow color, of strong, solid material, and for the most part homemade, and rather dear, considering the article. The quantity required for common use throughout the empire must be something enormous. If the same article were sold by foreign traders

lar favor, though as yet they are not sufficiently Woollen goods seem to be growing in popu.

known to be much used in articles of native dress. In time they will probably in some measure supersede the more common and cumbersome native skins and furs, particularly if they are especially manufactured to suit the Chinese taste.

The introduction of kerosene oil as a common domestic light has been attended with extraordinary success, and each year shows a very largely increased demand and consumption. Its peculiarly inflammable nature makes it, however, disliked by the official authorities in Chinese towns, and proclamations have, from time to time, appeared prohibiting its use. It is, however, apparently outliving the prejudices existing against it at first.

Among the articles of British import trade, which have assumed considerable developments of late years, window-glass should certainly be mentioned. This article is gaining favor amongst all classes, and gradually replacing the paper previously used in Chinese windows. It might be worth while to test the advantage of sending it out in panes, cut into sizes corresponding to the ordinary windowframes of Chinese habitations, thereby saving the purchaser the expense of cutting, fitting, etc., and making it still more popular among the poorer classes.

Matches are equally superseding the old flint and steel of former times. Japan seems to have pretty well monopolized the trade in this indispensable commodity of modern life by a spurious imitation of the well-known Swedish match. They are, however, of so inferior quality, and so liable to become useless from the effects of climate, that all matches are said to be losing the popularity won by the genuine importations. It ought not to be difficult for English industry to supply such a common article of use as would be superior in every way to the Japanese one.

Needles, not long ago sold almost as a "curio," are rapidly coming into common use. They are, however, still bought as a luxury, and in very small quantities, owing to the facility with which they are affected by rust. If this inconvenience could be guarded against by specially prepared wrappers, it would do much to stimulate commerce in this useful article of foreign production.

The time cannot be far distant when factories will be established in many of the principal ports and towns of China; at first, probably, under foreign supervision, but ere long worked as a native enterprise by the ingenious inhabitants. Within the last few years, a sugar refinery, tannery, etc., were started at Shanghai, but owing to the financial crisis then prevailing, as well as to the general depression arising from the fear of the outbreak of hostilities, the first serious effort of the sort does not seem to

have been attended with success, though, no | has been obtained, and put in charge, he doubt, prosperity will reward before long the becomes absolute master of the whole pioneers of industrial enterprise in China. affair. The Key Westers are great stickWhen this time comes-most likely already within measurable distance—the importation of foreign machinery will become a very impor tant item of trade, of which much of the profit will fall to those who have gathered beforehand the most correct information as to the kind of machinery best suited to the peculiar nature of the climate, etc. Native machinery, mostly of a rude and primitive description, is found in use throughout the country, but the appliances are laborious and archaic. It might be worth while to bestow closer attention to the difficult problem of how far foreign machinery can even now be made to supersede native appliances. Agricultural implements and tools of husbandry will doubtless, too, ere long, offer to importers a profitable business. One has seen at home how easily American implements and tools have, in spite of local competition, by merely copying the make and form in common use amongst the laboring classes, found a profitable trade in supplying the markets with cheaper, but equally handy and familiar, articles. In an essentially agricultural country like China, where agricultural implements are still of the rudest description, it is not too much to expect that British enterprise will find profit in imitating the example set them so successfully at home.

From The Field.

AFLOAT WITH A FLORIDA SPONGER.

THE sponge fishery of the Gulf of Mexico has its headquarters at Key West, though vessels are owned and sailed from | many other points in the same state. The "sponging ground," as now known, extends at intervals from Appalachicola Bay around the whole peninsula of Florida as far as Bay Biscayne. The fishing is carried on sometimes by individuals, each man in his own skiff near shore, as is the custom among the crowded reefs; but in the main it is pursued systematically by crews in sailing vessels, which go far from home. The craft employed, therefore, range, all told, from schooners of fifty tons to mere canoes. There are said to be in Key West about thirty-five good-sized "spongers" (for so the vessels, as well as the men, are styled), besides an equal number of small boats; to which about forty sailing vessels outside of Key West are to be added. When an owner of one of these schooners desires to send her on a trip, he first finds a skipper, or very likely he already has one, having sold a fraction of his interest to some capable sailor. When the right skipper

lers for their privileges and dignity under that phrase "put in charge." Having decided where he is to go, and how long the cruise shall last, and having bought provisions on this basis, the skipper selects his crew, paying no wages, but offering a share or "lay" arrangement; which plan has been found the most satisfactory to all concerned. The length of a cruise is from one to four months, depending on distance and other circumstances. Formerly the most distant, and perhaps the most frequented, grounds were opposite the Anclate Keys, about thirty miles west of Cedar Keys; but in 1878 the sponges on that bottom were all killed by the socalled "poisoned water," which brought wide-spread destruction of every sort of marine life along these shores. When the discovery of the Rock Island bars there, as in the West the gold-diggers was first announced, every captain went stampede to a new mine; yet the stock was so abundant that the uninterrupted and feverish zeal of the whole fleet seemed not to make any impression on its plenteousness. Before many months had gone by, however, scarcity began to be noticed, and, in consequence, the spongers demanded higher prices than they had been willing to sell for when they could secure a shipload in half the time it now took. When the vessel has arrived at the fishingground she reduces sail, until she is manageable by the cook alone, who must be a good man, not only in the galley but on deck-for to him is left the entire charge of the vessel all day while the crew is out. More than one cook has risen to be a skipper, and he shares equally with the crew in the results of the voyage. The words "hooker" and "hooking" are derived from the method pursued and the tool used throughout the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea for getting the sponges of those waters, which, of coarser texture, do not require the delicate handling necessary to preserve those that grow in the Mediterranean. The water of the Gulf of Mexico is noted for its clearness; but at best our unaided eyes cannot with any distinctness see objects farther than six or eight feet below the surface. The time-honored device of the water telescope is employed. Nearly a dozen different kinds of sponges are named by the Gulf fishermen. The valuable ones are, the "sheep's wool," "boat," "yellow," "grass," and "glove" sponges, but the

ure

66

66

66

last two are not of much account. "Log-eter, and standing in some protected shoal gerhead," bastard," finger sponges, where at high tide the water may be ten and the like, are useless. Expert fisher- or a dozen feet deep. Such a pen is called men can tell all these apart as far under a crawl," a word corrupted from the the water as they can see them at all, Spanish corral. Into it is thrown the though in six or seven fathoms the very first week's catch and left to macerate largest perhaps as big as a peck meas- a process rapidly effected in the poorly become mere purple spots on the organized tissues of the sponge animals. bottom. Unless the water is clear, how- When the vessel reaches it on the next ever, even the aid of the water-glass will Saturday, these first sponges have been not enable a man to see the large, deep. swashing about and rubbing against the growing sponges; and a locality is often poles until they are well rotted and parplayed out because it is so muddy that tially cleaned of sarcode. They are now nobody can tell what is there. This is taken to the shore, placed upon planks, not a common obstacle, however. In fact, and thoroughly beaten with a short padsponges would not grow where the water dle called a "bruiser; " which treatment is often soiled. When a sponge comes drives out of the interior of each, as well up bearing a "bud" of good size, this is as presses from its surface, the dirty broken off and thrown back. It sinks water and decayed animal matter with and survives, but is said not to become which it is saturated. It is a very noisy affixed to a rock, but to drift about on the and very nasty piece of work, and ends bottom with the motion of any storm or by slashing away with a knife any black current that may stir it. It increases in and limy particles that may still adhere. size, but easily eludes the grasp of the This done, the new stock is transferred clumsy hooks that try to pick it up. from the vessel's heaped and slimy deck These outcasts, the wandering Jews of to the corral, and left to be soaked out by their race, are called "rolling Johns" by the waves. After the "cruising," the the fishermen. In the regular routine of skeleton sponges are strung on a ropethe summer sponging, breakfast on ship yarn, in lengths of two-fathom " "strings," board is over in time for the boats to and are laid to bleach and dry on the hot start out at early daylight. At twelve sand beach until the end of the voyage. o'clock noon - if, in the excitement of All this work will be done by a ship's good fishing, it is not forgotten the crew, even if they have as many as two men come in to get a luncheon and empty thousand sponges, in half a day. The their catch on deck. Should a fog settle other half is devoted to repairing and upon the sea, it is the cook's business to tidying the vessel, mending the corral, work the vessel as near to the boats as or idleness. Sunday is almost universally possible, and to keep sounding his fog- kept as a complete holiday, most of the horn. Sometimes, in the spring, the spongers being very religious men so far roughness of the sea will prevent the as regards certain observances. handling both of hooks and glasses. Then the sponger throws a spoonful of oil into the waves, producing a calm about his boat, lasting as long as he cares to drift about 'with it. The oil obtained by trying out the liver of the "nurse" shark is considered by the spongers as far more effective than any other for this use, and they will pay a dollar a gallon for it. As these fish abound in the vicinity of the Florida Reefs, and are more easily caught than any other species, their capture is one of the many curious items that enter in to the Conch's means of livelihood at Key West. At the end of a week or fortnight a schooner collects her boats and carries her spoils to the shore, where has previously been set up an arrangement for preparing the raw sponges for market. This consists of a circular palisade of poles bound together by withies into a pretty close pen about twenty feet in diam

From St. James's Gazette.

THE CIVILIZATION OF SAVAGES.

THE report on the kidnapping of natives in the South Seas for work as semislaves in the Queensland sugar plantations has renewed the discussion of the relation of the white man to the negro not only in the southern Pacific but all over the world. There is, of course, a great difference between the races of natives thus taken some, like the Line islanders, being of a light complexion with straight hair and straight noses, while the inhab itants of New Guinea are full-blooded negroes; but the question concerning all of them is, can they be so far civilized out of their fetish rites and inhuman practices as to maintain self-restraint when the di

derstood how to manage a steam-engine, and could be left alone in charge of it. He was indeed often pointed to as an example of the absurdity of the race prejudice which led white men to look down upon people capable of developing such ability with a little instruction. It seemed

under any circumstances revert to his original habits, or that he could be induced to strip off his clothing, paint himself black and red, and take part in the picturesque but indecent dances of his

rect influence of white men has been withdrawn? We have pointed out that in Africa Mahommedanism has been far more successful than Christianity in raising the social status of the negro, simply because it has not attempted too much and has contrived to inspire the black man with a sense of self-respect. Against ex-impossible that this smart lad would amples like this, such instances as Hayti, the Southern States of America, the West India Islands, together with the Sandwich Islands, New Zealand and Tonga, have been adduced. It might be urged that neither the Sandwich Islanders, the Mao-native island. Yet it is the fact that this ris, nor the Tongans are negroes, but of a much higher type. Even in these cases, however, the veneer of civilization is very lightly laid on. At any period of great excitement the natives return to their old habits. Thus the Maoris, when differences have arisen between themselves and the colonists, have speedily thrown off the civilized notions they were sup posed to have imbibed; and the Sandwich Islanders still hanker after the old fetish rites abandoned in favor of a higher ceremonial. In Jamaica this tendency to revert to savagery is still more marked and more extraordinary. Most of the black inhabitants have been under the influence of Christianity and civilization for two or three generations; and it might be supposed, therefore, that the negroes were thoroughly leavened with the teaching of their instructors. Not so. Some, no doubt, half-breeds and full-blooded negroes alike, have completely overcome the hereditary instincts of their race, and display an ability which is worthy of sincere respect. But the great mass of the enfranchised negroes, where they are left to their own devices, are drifting back to savagery, with its concomitant devotion to Obi.

This may be observed in individual cases as well as in the general mass. Of these very natives whose case is now at tracting so much attention, it is safe to say that nine-tenths of them forget at once all they have learned during the six or seven or more years' intercourse with the white men, going back delighted to their savage state; and that the remaining tenth only hold out a trifle longer. There was a boy, kidnapped young from one of the islands in the New Hebrides, who had been a favorite with a planter's family; and, being in the midst of a civilized community, had become quite civilized, and to all appearance religious. What was still more to the purpose, he thoroughly un

man, who would have been paraded as a prize pupil at any mission station on the globe, no sooner landed on the island whence he came than he threw up all his civilization and within a few hours appeared in painted nakedness, ready to foot it with the best of them. It was observed, too, that he showed all respect for the drunken old savage his chief, though physically as well as intellectually his superior. That his fellows who went with him should go off in the same way was of course not so strange, for they had lived the ordinary plantation life. It is just the same with the women. Girls who have attended for years upon Europeans with the most scrupulous and even touching fidelity, becoming as much a portion of civilized society as any ordi nary Englishwoman of somewhat neg lected education, have reverted as speedily as their male companions to their old habits; and have even distinguished themselves above the rest by their shameless conduct, as if taking revenge for years of restraint. Any one who has seen much of natives could give many instances of this; and missionaries, if they would tell the truth, would say that they never feel altogether sure that their converts will not some day break out again.

Certain it is that any argument based upon the service done to the "inferior races by temporary enslavement and civilization has a very unsound founda. tion. So long as the pressure is maintained, so long perhaps will they improve; but remove this, and the old instincts revive-often with increased violence. This, after all, is only what might be expected. History gives no example of the sudden elevation of a race from a lower to a higher level at a bound; wherever the attempt has been made, the savages experimented upon have either died out or have gone back to the point from which they started.

From All The Year Round.
NATURE IN LONDON.

But the nature which excites our curiosity is the actual fauna of London — the sparrows that haunt its squares and gardens, the pigeons which hover about its public buildings; even the rats and mice, and other small deer that riot among its wharves and granaries. The ways of dogs, too, in London are worth a little study. That poodle, for instance, to be met with about the streets in the neighborhood of Leicester Square, which roams about quite composedly, and never loses its presence of mind even at the most crowded crossing; and yet seems always to have something in the way of business to attend to. There is another dog which has a mission in the world to be met with on Waterloo Pier, a smart little fox-terrier, whose one absorbing vocation is neither rats nor cats, both unattainable, probably, on a steamboat pier, but which finds a far more absorbing occupation in watching for all kinds of flotsam or wreckage that the tide may carry past. When he sees anything of importance coming within reach, his excitement is boundless, and his agitated barks bring out the piermaster with a boathook, who fishes out the log, or whatever else it may be. "Jumbo is then rewarded with the opportunity of giving his prize one vindictive shake, and then, amply satisfied, returns to his vigilant outlook upon the turbid tide.

and has probably been broken up and scattered about like other happy families THE suburbs of London are remarkable of more human interest. For these wanfor the variety of insect and animal life dering performers are not peculiar to Lonthat exist within their indefinite borders. don. As a matter of convenience they In spite of the bird catchers, small birds | may winter in London, but the summer come in flocks, and song-birds settle finds them scattered about at places of among the thickets. "There are more popular resort. birds round about London," writes the author of "The Gamekeeper at Home," "than in all the woodlands I used to ramble through." No farther off than Wimbledon Common, there are plenty of birds' nests to be found, and it is needless to add, plenty of boys to find them, in spite of the vigilance of their guardians. At Barn Elms, encompassed by villas and new streets, the songs of birds can still be heard in the springtime among the elms that have come down from Queen Elizabeth's time-birds as well as trees, no doubt, in unbroken descent. Sometimes, too, strange visitants from the wilder country beyond find their way into London. Not long ago a hare was seen to cross Brook Green the Brook Green of Punch's volunteer, now a public parklet, with red Queen Anne houses rising about it- a hare that went loping leisurely along one dewy morning, and turned into the Kensington Road. Wild fowl, too, have been seen circling about the Albert Docks, as if some tradition among the birds of the air preserved the memory of the marshy pools that once existed there. Still, all this is beyond the scope of our present article, which is intended to concern itself about nature in its city form that nature which has lost all trace of its country liberty, and has taken up its freedom of the city, with the sober livery that suits the atmosphere of town. Nor do we propose to treat of trained and educated of the small creatures in fur and feathers which help their owners by their tricks to pick up a precarious living. The depressed-looking parroquet, for instance, which at the instance of some East End Fornarina in gilt earrings and necklace, picks out the card of destiny for the passer-by; or the wandering exhibition on a stage like a butler's tray, where canaries are the performers, firing off pistols, driving coaches, or dancing the tight rope, while two sleepy-looking cats watch the proceedings without any show of interest, awaiting their turn for a set to with the gloves. It is this latter entertainment, by the way, that seems to have replaced the old "happy family," which proved too tame and undramatic for the present age,

nature

Yet while the regular London dog can make himself at home in the streets, and find honorable employment therein, the country or even suburban dog becomes quite lost and bewildered in the general turmoil. Astounded by the number and variety of the human swarm about him, he fails to recognize his master's form, or to hear his voice and whistle in the general confusion, and a lost dog he is likely to become, unless collared and led along. Once we landed at St. Katharine's Wharf with a little French dog accustomed to a country life and to bark at carts, horses, or anything else that might be coming or going. On Tower Hill he was as gay as you please, barking merrily at the early cart from Billingsgate, at the guardsman doing sentry-go before the Mint; but when he came in sight of the phalanx of