Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1871.djvu/669

 REVENUE AND POPULATION.

633

Area in

Provinces

Provincial capital

English miles

Population

Chih-le.

Peking.

58,949

27,900,871

Shan-tung ,

Tse-nan-foo.

65,104

28,958,764

Shan-se.

Tae-yuen-foo.

55,268

14,004,210

Honan

Kae-fung-foo.

65,104

23,037,171

Keang-soo

Nanking

[ 92,661 |

37,843,501

Gan-hwuy

Gan-king-foo.

34,168,059

Keang-si.

Nan-chang-foo

72,176

30,426,999

Foo-Keen.

Fuh-choo-foo.

53,480

14,777,410

Che-Keang

Hang-choo-foo

39,150

26,256,784

Hoo-Pih.

Woo-ckang-foo

I 144,770 j

37,370,098

Hunan

Chang-cha-foo

18,652,507

Shen-se

Se-gan-foo

[ 154,008 j

10,207,256

Kan-suh.

Lan-choo-foo.

15,193,135

Sze-Chuen

Ching-too-foo.

166,800

21,435,678

Kwang-tung, or Canton

Kwang-choo-foo

79,456

19,147,030

Kwang-si.

Kwe-lin-foo.

78,250

7,313,895

Yun-Nan.

Yun-nan-foo.

107,869

5,561,320

Kwei-Choo

Kwei-yang-foo Total.

64,554

5,288,219

1,297,999

367,632,907

The above population, giving 283 souls per square mile throughout the empire, appears to be excessive, considering that some of the outlying portions of the immense territory are by no means densely inhabited. Nevertheless, later returns than those of 1812, likewise said to be official, give still higher figures. It is stated that in a census taken in 1842, the population of China was ascertained to number 414,686,994, or 820 per English square mile, and that in 1852 it had risen to 450,000,000, or 347 inhabitants per square mile. But there is, probably, less accuracy in the given results of the latter enumerations than in that of 1812, as the power and authority of the government have been on the decline for more than half a century, and disturbed by constant insurrections, mostly spreading over large portions of the empire.

The standing military force of China consists of two great divi- sions, the first formed by the more immediate subjects of the ruling dynasty, the Tartars, and the second by the Chinese and other subject races. The latter, the main force upon which the imperial government can rely, form the so-called troops of the Eight Banners, and garrison all the great cities, but so as to be separated by walls and forts from the population. The Chinese forces are said to be composed of 600,000 men, scattered over the surface of the empire. The soldiers do not live in barracks, but in their own houses, pur- suing as chief business some civil occupation, frequently that of day-labourers, and meeting only on certain occasions, pursuant to orders from the military chieftains.