Ten years ago it was thought a great commerce would spring up, but the result has been otherwise.

There can be no traffic where there are no people to trade with, and when the Amoor was opened the country was little better than a wilderness.

The natives were not a mercantile community.

There was only one Manjour city on the bank of the Amoor, and for some time its people were not allowed to trade with Russians.

Even when it was opened it had no important commerce, as it was far removed from the silk, tea, or porcelain districts of China.
Plainly the dependence must be upon colonization.
The Amoor was peopled under government patronage, many settlers coming from the Trans-Baikal province, and others from European Russia.
Nearly all were poor and brought very little money to their new homes.
Many were Cossacks and soldiers, and not reconciled to hard labor.
During the first two years of their residence the Amoor colonists were supplied with flour at government expense, but after that it was expected they could support themselves.