s virgin gold derived from gold workings in Manchuria on the upper
waters of the Amur river.

Customs duty is levied on exports as well as imports, both being
assessed at rates based on a nominal 5% ad val.

_Shipping and Navigation._--Besides the over-sea trade China has a
large coasting and river trade which is largely carried on by British
and other foreign vessels. During the year 1908, 207,605 vessels, of
83,991,289 tons (86,600 being steamers of 77,955,525 tons), entered
and cleared Chinese ports.[22] Of these 28,445 vessels of 34,405,761
tons were British; 33,539 of 11,998,588 tons, Chinese vessels of
foreign type; 103,124 of 4,947,272 tons, Chinese junks; 5496 vessels
of 6,585,671 tons, German; 30,708 of 18,055,138 tons, Japanese; 653 of
998,775 tons, American; 3901 of 5,071,689 tons, French; 1033 of
980,635 tons, Norwegian.

Of vessels engaged in the foreign trade only the entrances during the
year numbered 38,556 of 12,187,140 tons, and the clearances 36,602 of
12,057,126 tons. The nationality of the vessels (direct foreign trade)
was mainly as follows:--

+-------------+--------------------+--------------------+
| | Entrances. | Clearances. |
| Nationality +--------+-----------+--------+-----------+
| 1908. | No. | Tons. | No. | Tons. |
+-------------+--------+-----------+--------+-----------+
| British | 4,569 | 4,678,094 | 4,614 | 4,754,087 |
| German | 891 | 1,195,775 | 928 | 1,124,872 |
| Norwegian | 255 | 254,211 | 259 | 255,295 |
| French | 468 | 629,680 | 468 | 616,883 |
| American | 136 | 440,602 | 131 | 439,947 |
| Japanese | 2,187 | 2,587,818 | 2,046 | 2,461,132 |
| Chinese | 29,775 | 2,001,872 | 27,888 | 1,915,258 |
+-------------+--------+-----------+--------+-----------+

The tonnage of the Dutch, Austrian and Russian vessels cleared and
entered was in each case between 102,000 and 127,000.

_Communications._

External communication is carried on by ancient caravan routes
crossing Central Asia, by the trans-Siberian railway, which is
increasingly used for passenger traffic, but chiefly by steamship,
the steamers being almost entirely owned by foreign companies. There
is regular and rapid communication with Europe (via the Suez canal
route) and with Japan and the Pacific coast of America. Other lines