Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume IV.djvu/461

 CHINA " the Englishman does the chief work of the slaughterhouse upon his dinner table, and lie remits the principal work of the kitchen to his stomach." The Chinese cook is anxious to disguise the original shape and appearance of the food as much as possible. He discards spices, and uses oils and fats. Many strange articles of food are eaten, but they are gener- ally prepared in such a manner as to appear palatable to unprejudiced foreigners. Coffee, chocolate, beer, cider, porter, and brandy are unknown ; their common beverages are tea and a spirit distilled from rice. Wines are almost unknown. The native tobacco is of an inferior quality ; it is not chewed, but smoked or used as snuff. The pernicious habit of opium smok- ing prevails among all classes, and is spreading year by year, in spite of the earnest efforts of the government to prevent it. The social life of the Chinese is generally described as a mass of ceremonials and cold formalities, devoid of all real kindness of heart; but this opinion is based upon incomplete observations. In their common intercourse the Chinese are not more formal than is elsewhere considered to be well-bred; it is on extraordinary or official oc- casions that they observe the precise etiquette for which they are famous. Whether in the crowded and narrow thoroughfares, the village green, the bustling market, the jostling ferry, or the thronged procession, wherever the peo- ple are assembled promiscuously, good humor and courtesy are observable. Street fights, as- saults, and murders are not common except- ing in disturbed districts. The people are fond of processions and public shows, and celebrate several imposing popular festivals. The new- year's time, the festival of the dragon boats, the feast of lanterns, the fishermen's festival, &c., are occasions of general rejoicing and mer- rymaking. Gambling is universal. The vio- lent and gladiatorial sports of other countries are held in contempt. Duels are unknown among them, and they consider a resort to force as proof of an inferior kind of civiliza- tion. The subjoined table of the population of China is taken from the "Middle Kingdom" of Dr. Williams, who esteems the several esti- mates the result of regular censuses, and the only ones which may be relied upon as such. The reader is referred to that book for an elab- orate and able discussion of those estimates. Taking the census of 1812 as a basis, and esti- mating an increase of only 20 per cent, in 60 years, the present population of China would be about 450,000,000. For the last 20 years the empire has been ravaged by internal war, and it is probable that there has been an actual decrease in its numbers. An increase of 20 per cent, would not be a large one for the prece- ding 40 years, and allowing a decrease amount- ing to 50,000,000, the present population would reach 400,000,000. The observations of re- cent travellers would indicate that this num- ber is far above the true one. Baron Eicht- hofen, for instance, is disposed to believe that AREA AND POPULATION. PROVINCES. Area in English quare miles. 11 ?i l> Census of 1711. Census of 1753.

Chihli 58,949 65,104 55,268 65,104 44,500 48,461 72,176 89,150 58,480 70,450 74,320 67,400 86,608 166,800 79,456 78,250 64,554 107,969 475 444 252 420 850 705 820 671 276 889 251 153 175 128 241 93 82 51 8,274,870 2,278,595 1,727,144 8,094,150 2,656,465 1,357,829 2,172,587 2,710,312 706,311 433,948 885,034 2,150,696 368,525 8,802,689 1,142,747 210,674 87,731 145,414 9,374,217 12,769.872 5,162,851 7,114,846 12,618,987 12,435,861 5,055,251 8,662,808 4,710,899 4..->iS,MiO 4,386,882 8,851,048 2,188,222 1,368,496 8,969,248 1,979,619 1,718,848 1,008,058 221,742 27.990.^71 28.958,764 14,004,210 28,087,171 87,848,501 34,168,059 28,046,999 26,256,784 14,777,410 27,370,098 18,652,507 10,207,256 15,193,125 21,485,678 19,174,080 7,813,895 5,288,219 5,561,320 2,167,286 Shantung Shansi.. . 1 ! i mail Kiangsu Nganhwui Kiangsi Chekiang Fokien Hupeh Hunan Shensi Kansuh Szechuen.... Kwangtung. Kwangsi Kweichow. . Yunnan Shingking .... Total l,297.9i 268 28,605,716'l03,050,060 362,447,188 Chekiang, set down in the table as having 26,000,000 in 1812, does not now contain more than 8,000,000. But it is dangerous to take an arbitrary calculation in such matters. The traveller sees the country for a little distance on either side of his track. He makes no count. To declare a census wrong upon such evidence would be very bold. It is to be re- membered that the censuses of China have been taken for governmental purposes, and were not intended for the information of foreigners. In other statistics the Chinese records have been found quite accurate, and why should they not be in this direction? The question whether China is over populated does not turn upon an enumeration of the people. It is certainly known that there is no considerable district where, having regard either to the extent of land brought under cultivation, or to the meth- ods adopted, tillage is carried to the furthest point. As but few animals are reared or used, the soil will support a larger number of people than in Europe or America, where no inconsid- erable proportion of the produce is consumed by stock, and where owing to the wasteful hab- its of the people the best use is not made of that reserved for food. In Mantchooria and Mon- golia, and in the more unpromising regions of Koko-nor and Thibet, the population is a mere fraction of what it might be. Extensive dis- tricts near the Yellow river are subject to floods and practically abandoned, which under an efficient government would be quite safe for the operations of husbandry. In western Chih- li, the use of coal would admit of the growth of trees, and perhaps bring back the rainfall of former centuries ; and elsewhere the pres- ence of trees might save the land from destruc- tive erosion. In a country where the meth- ods and means of transportation are imperfect, any given district is practically isolated, and the disaster of a drought or flood becomes more serious. The drought of 1871 destroyed a large portion of the crops of the S. E. provinces,