The Sun.
London, England, 1842-11-30 00:00:00

sources.

For a period of many centuries China and its people
reppar to have remained jealously secluded within the
gaits oF their own territories, and the pale of their own
inltiPttions. Intercourse with foreigners, from the ear-
list times of their history, seems scrupulously to have
been avoided ; and though anciently, it is supposed, that
they in some slight measure traded with the Pharoalts,
that they sent some of their silks and perfumes to Sa-
baeo and Sesostris, that they corresponded with Ame-
nophis, and sent a bill of lading to the younger Menes ;
yet. these few instances are rather conjectural than cer-
tain, mid may be set down in the light of exfraordinary
exception:; to what was otherwise an undeviating rule.
Iry:todorn times the same disposition has reigned quite
as ;absolutely as regards their bearing towards Euro -
peons, who, except by their own intrusiveness and per-
se,!'enttnee, which has in repeated cases been checked by
the " flowery natives of the Celestial Empire," have

never been able to become acquainted with more of the
circuits of this " kingdom and its provinces" than with
a few straggling specimens near the quays and custom-
housesnf Canton and Macao.

Preserving thus, from time immemorial, their inde-
pe4dence and their institutions, -and tenaciously adhering
to ilicir own religion, habits, and customs, in spite of at-
ter -pts at innovation by the Missionary and the Jesuit, the
people, while E arope, in common with other parts of Asia,
hal been shaken by rapid changes, political commotions,
tumultuous revolutions, have remained in apathetic
quiet ; the other kingdoms of the world have been con-
vulsed with tempests, while no wave of its turbulence
ha ma le the slightest pressure on their shores. So long
as confined to themselves, and uninterfered with by
foreigners or intruders from without, so long this most
singular of the Asiatic nations sustained itself in a state
of permanent stability, characterised by a calm, orderly,
and unmoved tranquillity.

This ancient and long enduring state of things is now
about to be disturbed, and the revolution which will be
et cted in this respect is mighty. A large family of the
human race, which for oenturies has been isolated from
the rnst, is now about to miter with them into mutual

intercourse. Vast hordes of population, breaking through
the ignorance and superstition which has for ages enve..
loped them, will now come out into the open day, and
enjoy the freedom of a more expanded civilization, and
upon prospects immeasurably grander. The mighty
extension also, on the other hand, of the political and
commercial influence of England, is almost as enormous
am.l unequalled as the most ample imagination could
desire. The expectations of a nation have rarely been
opened to more magnificent and glorious views.

CHINA DIVIDED INTO PRO-

VINCES.

Earth's Kingdoms and their glory
Ms eye might there command, wherever stood
City of old or modern fame, the seat
Of mightiest empire : from the destined walls
Of Cambalu, seat of Cathaian Khan,
And Samarcand, by Oxus.
MILTON'S PARADISE LOST, b. xi., 1. 386.

By the Emperor Xuntis all China was divided into
twelve provinces ; but the Yva, who succeeded him,
about 9.60 years before the time of our Saviour, reduced
site whole empire into nine provinces, which then, how-
ev:2T, comprehended only the northern parts of China,
buying for their confines the river Kiang. But when the
mon:hern parts had been gained by conquest, the whole
t44;dozn of China was divided into fifteen provinces ;
9Me then it has been subdivided into eighteen.
The sovereignty of the Emperor of China over these
provinces extends thus, according to its division, into
smaller ea- greater cities :—The whole empire is slimmed
up into 145 capital cities, which, says a learned writer,
" outshine all the rest both in greatness and glory." These
cootain 1,331 small cities, amongst which 143 may be
mitared, in magnificence, beauty, and people, with any
of the chief Besides these there are thirty-two
great cities more, which are not subject to any other,
3 k.c.have not the title of capital, though they command
over thirty-six small cities. In addition to these there
are three cities more, for the officers and commanders of
tha-militia to dwell in. The forts and castles are -1 59 ,
beaides which there are seventeen great garrison cities,
anif silty-six small garrison towns, which are never with:
oat; full companies and soldiers.
The Chinese poll or register-book, in which is exactly
sat; down the number of the people of each province
(e4etiettiose of the Royal family) shows the population
to 4inonnt to 195,000,000 persons. The accuracy of this
stalement is made out by the custom adopted in the
c:)iiintry for the express purpose of a correct census.
Every master of 'a family is obliged, under a great
penalty, to hang out a little board over his door, upon
wi:lch he is obliged to set down the number of his
hmisehold and their condition. And, to prevent all fraud,
mid is appointed over every tenth house, whom they
call Titang, which signifies the tenth man, or Tither :
his office consists in taking an account of the number of
the persons upon the board ; and if the master of the
family fail to make• it known truly, his business is to
acquaint the Governor of the city with the abuse.
TAXES PAID BY THE PROVINCES.

No man possesses a foot of land in the whole empire
without paying to the Emperor something out of it, so
that it ceases to be a matter of wonder that over and
above the common expanses which are made upon the
account of petty viceroys, and military officers, there are
more than three score millions of crowns brought yearly
into the Emperor's coffers. The whole sum amounts to
150 millions of crowns, of which the Emperor has
voluntary disposal, but the money is brought into the
treasury, and if the King at any time desires a supply,
the treasurer, on being written to, is not to deny the
payment of it.
• The provinces bring in yearly in taxes 3,227,447 bags
0/ rice, and one hag is enough to serve 100 men 1;r one
day ; .100,949 pounds of raw silk ; 12,436 rolls of cloth,
made of hemp ; 36,770 bales of cotton ; 91,730_ rolls of
wrought silk. But the city of liu-eheu buys off this tax
yearly for the stun of liva hundred thousand crowns.
The provinces bring in likewise 1,794,261 weight of
salt, cacti weight being reckoned at 124 pounds;amount-
in.in all to 187,683,364 pounds ; 32,418,627 trusses
of hay and straw fur the King's stables, besides ail
other taxes.

PROVINCES ON THE SEA-COAST
" The Cathaian coast."—Milt. Par. Lost, b. x., I. M.

The border provinces of China, of which there are
eleven, four being inland, and seven on the sea-coast, are
the grand fences ankl strong securities to China. All the
inland border is surrounded by territories subject to the
imperor, except the west and south-west of Yun-nun,
and there is no great danger of invasion from that quar-
ter, the Burmese power being very inferior to that of
(ihina. It is thus only from the sea that Cbina is at all
vulnerable ; and a naval array only can annoy andinjure
the► towns and cities on the coast.

We now proceed to trace the frontier provinces of the
cfmrire,ou the sea-ward side, and point out their leading
cha.razt:.,,rs

CONTAINING itmcm.
TOTAL POPULATION, 27,990,871.
te-tche-le is the most northerly province of the
eattpice ; it extends from 38 deg, to 401; deg. north
; its boundaries are, the Imperial Sea and
Charn-bung on the east, 110-nan on, the south-west,
Cian-si on the west, and Chinese Tartary on the
nortla- . Besides Pekin, the capital, it contains nine
cities of theth.st class, forty of the second, and 103 of the
thir.l. Its surface is estimated at 58,763 square miles.
It ha.s few mountains, and great part of the land is only
two or three feet above the level of high-water in the
t.,aial rivers. The tide on this part of the shore being a
b.:,y-tisle, and one which is mach retarded by -islands,
does not give a rise of more than ten feet in the gulf ;
the consevence is, that the rivers are navigable for long
d'iAtcoces in comparison with their magnitude. The
p, as an instance of this, is a tidal river for 110
xuii-e inland of the bay; but there is a bar at the mouth,
.attsiflo the bar the water is only two fathoms deep.

•

11. CHAN-TONG.
TOTAL POPULATION, 28,938,760.

The cities of this province are—l. Tsi-nan-fou ; this
ca:it.al is not built near the GreAt Canal, yet, all its trade
is t1,1_140 it ; about a league from it, is a large vilhtge
ea.ll:•,T- Levu-Beau, on the banks of the river T:sing-ho.
which runs into the Imperial Canal, and by which all the
merchandise of this town is conveyed to it : it is a large
and populous place, and there are several lakes within its
walls, from which canals have been made through the
tits : there are within its district, four cities of the second
orchr, attd. twenty-six of the third in some of its moun-
t•tins are iron-mines. 2. Yen-tcheou-fou ; the territory
deponuing upon this capital is enclosed between two
considerable rivers. It has twentseven cities within
its jt:risdiction, four of p
the second order, and twenty-
three of the third. Tei-nie-tcheou, one of them, seated
in the midst of the Great anal, is one of the most
.con-
siderable marts of the empire. Tchai Chan, is the birth-
:Vit.; t,,...niacetr Confucius. 3. Tong tcharw-fou ; on the banks
' ,7,geta4-0.1;24ttt Can„al, and of great trade : it has three cities .
---(a-mrsoconcl order, and fifteen of the third. One of
ies.t• Lin-tsin-tcheou, has extensive glass-works • coasiderable for its trade, and it is there that
joins the river Pei-ho. 4. Tsin-tchou-
tliti-17,7.—',;-.1-'/44inous, and well watered with rivers ; it has
• he second, and thirteen of the third order
>jurisdiction. 5. Ten-tcheou-fou ; this city is
V a

NEW CHINA SUN.

The splendid advantages which the Treaty of Peace
concluded with China will, without doubt, open up to
England, place her at this moment in a truly elevated
position. With the highest exultation and devout thank-
fulness has the news been received throughout the king-
dom, not only on account of the military successes by
which it has been preceded, but because further bloodshed
is stopped, and because the honour accrues to British
arms alone, of opening a mighty empire andits resources,
to ourselves, and the other nations of the globe. Of this
ancient and magnificent empire, with its mighty marts
of commerce, ids superb cities crowded with industrione

inhabitants, its means of traffic and communication, the

nature of its vast territories, together with its past and
present history and statistics, the subjoined columns have
for their object to unfold a large body of explanatory-
and useful information, derived from the most authentic