No. 180.
Mr. Avery
to Mr. Fish.
Peking, August 17, 1875. (Received October 7.)
Sir: A short time since, through the courtesy of his excellency Mr. Tei, Japanese chargé d’affaires at this court, I was informed of the arrival in China of a commission, appointed by His Majesty the Emperor of Japan, to inspect several departments of the Chinese government, with a view to informing themselves whether any modification of the present system in the same departments of the government of Japan could be made with advantage.
This commission was composed of four gentlemen, one each from the boards of agriculture, war, customs-revenue, and internal affairs.
It is certainly a sign, encouraging in no small degree, to see these eastern powers, naturally jealous and suspicious of each other in the extreme, become willing to take lessons, not merely of the Western World but of each other, in the art of the economical and efficient administration of public affairs.
Of these officials, the three severally deputed by the boards of agriculture, customs-revenue, and internal affairs, after a stay of a few days in Peking, returned to the southern ports of the empire, where they can hope to prosecute their inquiries most successfully.
The member appointed by the board of war remained in the capital as a military attaché of the Japanese legation here. He has under his care four students, who are to fit themselves, by studies of the Chinese spoken language, for future service as consuls at the various open ports. This is also encouraging, as giving indication of a determination on the part of the Japanese to establish permanent commercial relations with the Chinese government.
It appears that the more especial object of the deputy from the board of agriculture is to obtain information concerning the process employed in the manipulation of “black teas.”
The tea heretofore grown in and exported from Japan has all been “green,” and I am informed by Mr. Tei that, understanding the “black tea.” to be a distinct and peculiar variety of the tea-plant, the Japanese [Page 402] government, anxious to cultivate that variety, dispatched an agent several years ago to China with orders to purchase, at any cost, “seven hundred pounds of the black-tea seed,” in order to introduce this variety into Japan.
Much to the chragrin of the government, the seeds thus secured developed a plant identical in all respects with the tea-shrub of Japan, and by this costly experiment the Japanese learned that the two varieties of tea came from two different modes of manipulation of the same leaf.
Persevering in their determination to add black tea to the exports of their islands, this commissioner has now been directed, with the necessary assistants, to inspect in person the process of manufacture of that peculiar brand, and to secure, if possible, skilled Chinese workmen to proceed to Japan to give to the Japanese the necessary instruction in the art. Their perseverance certainly deserves to be crowned with success.
My informant also stated that the military attaché was appointed to the Japanese legation at this court because of the complications existing between China and Great Britain consequent upon the “Margary massacre,” referred to in my Nos. 46, 52, 62, and 85; and because of the disturbances on the Corean border, mentioned in my No. 77, under date of July 13.
I may add that the last-mentioned Japanese official has recently departed for the scene of the disturbances in Manchuria, under the escort of a petty official especially deputed to attend him by the Chinese government.
Considering the peculiar distrust and suspicion supposed, on good authority, to exist in the minds of the Chinese with regard to the ulterior intentions of Japan upon Corea, it would be strange indeed should the Chinese government permit this Japanese official to witness and study the military operations undertaken to suppress this insurrection upon the Corean border.
I have, &c.,