CANTON' (Chinese Kicang-ehow-fu, or Sheng sheng). One of the chief commercial cities of China, capital of the Province of Kwang-tung and residence of the'viceroy for the two provinces of Kwang-tung and Kwang-si. It is situated on the Chu-Kiang or Pearl River, about 70 miles from the sea, in latitude 23° 7' 10" N., and longitude 113° 14' 30" E. The climate is moderate and not unhealthful for Europeans. Canton consists of the city proper. inclosed by a wall, and the suburbs extending along both sides of the river. There is also a large population living in boats on the river. The city proper is about 6 miles in circumference and is encircled by a brick wall laid on granite and sandstone foundations, and measuring about 20 feet in thickness and from 25 to 40 feet in height. An inner wall divides the inclosed city into the new and the old city. The streets are long, narrow, and clean in comparison with the streets in most of the Chinese cities. The houses are mostly low, very few above two stories in height, and built of brick, stone. or wood. The pagodas . are numerous and extensive; one of them, situated on the island of Honam on the opposite shore of the river, covering an area of seven acres. There is also a Mohammedan mosque. Among other interesting, buildings are the Examination Hall, the arsenal, and the mint. There are a Gothic cathedral erected by the French mission: a hospital, founded in 1835 by the American mission; and an ancient foundling asylum.
Canton is one of the principal seats of the Chinese silk industry: it also produces cotton goods, embroideries, paper, and some porcelain and metal ware. Owing to its advantageous posi tion, Canton very early attracted the attention of foreign merchants. The Arabs are believed to have traded there as early as the Ninth Cen tury. The first attempt by European Powers to open commercial relations with Canton was made in 1517, when a Portuguese mission was sent to Peking with such an object in view. The Dutch began to trade with the city later in the century, hurt wore soon superseded by the British, who, after seve•il unsuccessful attempts, estab lisped a factory in Canton in 1684, when the entity foreign trade of China was confined to that city. From 1684 to 1834 the Chinese trade
with Great Britain was a monopoly of the East India Company, while the British trade with China was confined to a few 'hong' merehants, who acted as intermediaries in all matters affect ing the Government and aliens. The aversion of the natives to foreigners, coupled with the in terferenee of the Chinese Government with the importation of opium (amounting. in 1837, to 3u,0on ehestsi, brought about a declaration of war by Great Britain in 1839. in 1841 the Bogle forts, guarding the approach to Canton, were re (hived by the British, and the occupation of the city itself was averted only by the payment of a ransom of $6,0s7,500. The conclusion of the Treaty of Nanking in 184•, by which four more ports were opened to British trade, had a detrimental effect on the commerce of Canton. Fresh outbreaks on the part of the natives in I 5b were followed by the military occupation of the city by French and British troops from 1857 to 1861. since when Canton has been practically open to foreign trade and residence.
The commercial relations of the United States with Canton and China date from 1784. The exportation of cotton from the United States to Canton began in the last decade of the Eigh teenth Century, and the product has since become one of the chief exports from the United States to China. The chief exports from Canton are tea, silk, matting, firecrackers, oils, paper, and preserves. The chief imports are cotton and cotton goods, woolen and metal goods, opium. petroleum. etc. The direct foreign imports and exports of Canton in 1900 were nearly $9,900,000 and over 813,600.000 respectively. The harbor is shallow. Large vessels are obliged to dis charge their cargoes at Whampoa, over 10 miles from Canton, from which place they are brought to the city by lighters and steam launches. The annual shipping of Canton amounts nearly to 4.000.000 tons, of which nearly three-fourths is in British bottoms, Canton has steam communica tion with ]long Kong, Macao, and Shanghai. Esti mates of the population vary all the way from 500.000, given in a native official report of 1895, to 2.500,000, an estimate of the Customs Trade Report.