Star.
London, England, 1830-05-11 00:00:00

TUESDAY EVENING, MAY 11, MO. PnwE jo.

for every square mile. Let this be compared with the
known averages of some other countries :

Souls.
ChM', per squire mile
illodoostan

Austria.. ...... .............. ........... 110

France
England

Thus we see that this so much vaunted population
does not amount to one-half of that of England, com-
pared with the relative extent of territory of each country.
The cause of the apparently excessive population of
China, arises from the provinces being very unequally
peopled, and the over-crowded portion of the country
being that to which foreigners generally, if not solely,
lad access.- There are, in feet, but four provinces, out
of the fifteen into which the empire is divided, that are
densely inhabited; these embrace but little more than one-
fourth of the entire area, yet contain about two-thirds of
the population.
The circumstances connected with emigration have been
also ill-understood, and therefore much misrepresented.
The following summary of the information given in this
curious document will serve to show the real state of the
case, and in some measure to develop the grounds of the
misconception. The emigrations of the Chinese take
place chiefly from the four southern maritime provinces.
The emigrants direct their course to every neighbouring
country where there is any hope of finding employment
and protection. They are excluded, like the European
nations, from settling in Japan, on political grounds ; the
government of Cochin-China affords them no great en-
couragement, from the same reason, and the Dutch and
Spanish governments of Java and the Philippines have
always looked on them with much suspicion. Distance,
and the existence of a dense and comparatively indus-
trious population, exclude them from the British posses-
sions in Hindoostan, where there are only a few shoe-
makers and other artizans from that country, and these
confined to Calcutta, Madras, and Bombay.
Every emigrant who leaves China, does so with the
intention of returning to it, although comparatively, few
are able to accomplish this object. The expense of emi-
gration to the countries to which the Chinese usually re-
sort, amounts to very little. Yet even the slender sum
required, is commonly paid for the fruits of the emigrant's
labour on his arrival, and seldom in advance. They are
invariably of the labouring classes, and their whole equip-
ment for the voyage consists of little else than the coat
on their back, a bundle of old clothes, and a dirty mat
and pillow to sleep on. They no sooner land than their
condition is wonderfully improved. They meet their
countrymen, and find immediate employment in a conge-
nial climate where the wages of labour are, perhaps,
three times as high as in China, and the necessaries of
life cheaper by half.
The Chinese are not only intellectually, but physically,
superior to nations among whom they settle. A Chinese,
is, at least, two inches taller than a Siamese, and by
three taller than a Cochin-Chinese, a Malay, or a Ja-
vanese, and his frame is proportionably strong and well
built. Their superiority in personal skill, dexterity, and
ingenuity, is still greater. The wages of a Chinese la-
bourer at Sincapore, are eight dollars a month, and of a
Malay, four ; thus proving the work of the former to be
double the value of that of the latter.

The different classes of Chinese settlers not only live
apart and keep distinct from those of other nations, but
from each other. There is a wide difference between
their character, habits, and manners, according to the
provinces from which they proceed. The emigrants from
the town of Canton, besides being addicted to mercantile'
pursuits, are the best artizans, and are much disposed to
enter into mining speculations. It is they who are chiefly
employed in working the silver mines of Tonquin, the'
gold mines of Borneo, and of the Malay peninsula, and
the tin mines of the latter country, and of Bence. The
Chinese of Macao, and the other islands, are held in
very little repute by the rest of their countrymen, but
those of the mountainous districts, who are numer-
ous, are the lowest in rank. Their most frequent employ-
ment is that of fishermen and mariners ; and it is from
their ranks that European shipping, when in want, have
occasionally received hands. Of all the Chinese, these
are the most noisy and unruly.
The Chinese settlers, of whatever class, engage with
much eagerness in agricultural employments, seldom,
however, unless through necessity, as day labourers.—
They conduct, almost exclusively, the cultivation and
manufacture of the catechu or terra Japonica in the strait
of Malacca, the pepper cultivation of Siam, and the cul-
ture of the cane, and the manufacture of sugar in Java,
Siam, and the Philippines. Differing materially from
each other in manners, habits, and almost always in lan-
guage and dialect, and entertaining towards each other
provincial prejudices and antipathies ; broils and quar-
rels, sometimes even attended with bloodshed, frequently
break out among them. These ate occasionally subjects
of embarrassment in the European settlement ; but no-
thing is to be apprehended from their systematic combi-
nation or resistance ; for of all the Asiatic inhabitants of
our eastern dependencies, the Chinese are the most obe-
dient to the laws, and, notwithstanding the superior
amount of their property, and even of their numbers, af-
ford the least employment to the courts of justice.
The emigrant population from China is of a peculiar
description, consisting, for the most part, of adult males,
and of very few women, or children, a circumstance easily
explained. The laws of China, which prohibit emigra-
tion in general, are a dead letter, as far as the men are
concerned ; but it is imperative in respect to women and
children, or, perhaps, more strictly, the manners and feel-
ings of he people themselves, prevent the latter from
quitting the country. The person who gives this part of
the evidence, and who had resided many years in the Bri-
tish dependencies, states that he had never seen or heard
of a female among the emigrants, and never saw a Chi-
nese woman, except at Hue, tbe capital of Cochin Chins,
were two or three were pointed out as objects of curiosity,
who had been kidnapped, and brought there when chil-
dren. The emigrants, however, without scruple, form
connexions with the females of the country, and the de-
scendants of these repeatedly intermarrying with Chinese,
are in time not to be distinguished from the genuine Chi-
nese, either in features or complexion. But in countries
where the settlers have been only recently established,
the disproportion of the sexes is immense. Mu, out of

the 6,200 Chinese inhabitants of Sincapore, the number,
of females is but 360, and even of these the greater part
are Chinese only in name The number of emigrants who
return to China, though considerable, is very small in
com n with the arrivals. Even of those, the greater
number back again. There are resident in the Bri-
tish settlements, Chinese emigrants, men of property,
who have visited China, and returned with titles.
The evidence details a great number of facts relative to
the culture and exportation of tea, highly worthy of no-
ttee. The excellency of the herb is attributed chiefly to
the attention paid to its culture ; hence it is, that though
the tree i If is a hardy plant, thriving under a great re-
mate, the marketable commodity produced from
it is very inferior in all other countries to that of China.
Like the grape, it also differs in flavour from difference of
I toil and management, and there is as much difference be-
lt,isen the choice teas conveyed overland to Russia, and
tlss to Europe, as between the claret and Burgundy
wines of France. It is also said that the flavour of the
plant is much deteriorated by the sea voyage.
As to the prices, which involves a great political and
commercial question, now agitated with much energy, we
must refer our readers to the document itself, which will,
in this and other respects, amply repay the trouble of dis-
entangling the facts, from the tedious and complicated
tissue of question and answer in which they are involved.

LISBON, May 1.

PRIVATE CORRESPONDENCE Or THE HERALD.

The proclamations of the Portuguese Regency now installed in
the island of Terceira, which were brought to Lisbon by the last
packet, have been circulated on all sides. The packet reached this
city at three o'clock, and at eight the soldiers were reading them in
the different barracks of the Ist Cavalry, the 4th and the 18th In.
fautry. The Government was not only annoyed at this fact, but
puzzled as to what line of conduct to adopt. An order of the day
was published, prohibiting the soldiers to leave their barracks
without the written permission of their Colonels, and even their
undress was strictly forbidden. The insubordination of the soldiers
became very great. One man of the 4th regiment was on Tuesday
so severely flogged, that he died within a few hours. His crime
was having spoken of the news contained in the proclamations. An
I attempt was made to chastise others; but the Wilms, knowing the
spirit of the men, did not dare to carry their intention into effect.
To counteract the statements of the proclamations, as well as to
prevent the effects which such statements are calculated to produce
in the provinces, the Lisbon Gaulle, which is, if possible, more
meagre and stupid than of old, published a report from a London
Sunday paper of the 4th ult. in which Lord Mounteharles is said
to have received instructions to come hither as Ambassador to re-
cognise Miguel I. Much ridicule was excited by this statement,
which the editor of the Gazette had, as it appeared, kept ten days
in stem, as it had arrived by the previous packet.
The vexation of the Miguelite government has extended itself to
the Captain of the packet, which is a new one on this station. It
has lately been the practice of the government to put one or two
alone of Customs on board the packet, where they acted as spies.
Twice they attempted to place them on board the Cygnet, but the
Captain ordered them to retire, alleging that it would be a disgrace
to the British flag to suffer such persons on board. An Ineffectual
application was made to the Consul, who said that, as his Majesty's
ship was under the orders of the Admiralty, he could not interfere.
The four British sailors, whose vessel were seised off St. George's
island, were liberated this morning from confinement, and go to
England on board the packet.
In order to remove the effects produced in the minds of the sol-
diers, a review of the troops has taken place. I was present at that
of the cavalry on Thursday evening. Miguel was received with a
partial cheering by the troops, as be entered the royal park near Al-
cantara; but the people scarcely gave any token of recognition.
There were reviewed eight squadrons. There were none of the corn.
mon people allowed to enter the park, which, as well as its environs,
was studded with police patrols.
One of the measures of defence contemplated by the Miguelite
Government is the increased fortification of the Tower of St. Ju-
lien's. at the entrance of the Tagus, for which purpose it is rumoured
that the political prisoners are to be removed from thence to the pri.
sons of 'Prefer* on the southern side. Perhaps it was this bum-
tion which caused orders to be issued this morning that no person
whatever should be allowed to embark or to go on the river. This
order, which proved a serious annoyance to the British and other
merchants, has this evening been changed into a prohibition to allow
persons to land on the other side of the Tagus who have not pass-
ports. Report says that several thousand proclamations have been
landed on that shore. Strict search has been made in several houses
for the proclamations, and all who enter the Castle have their per-
sons examined.

The alarm of the Government is not lessened by the news brought
from the Acores. Two vessels have arrived, one lad►% with run.
away. from St. Michael's, and the other with political prisoners
from Faye). It is stated that a French frigate had arrived at Ter-
ceira,which saluted the fortress, and received a return, and that illu.
ruination' were seen at Angra on that evening. The Spanish
Minister remains still at Cintra, in expectation of the decision which
the Emperor of Russia is to give to the protocol, said to have been
signed at Paris, relative to the affairs of Portugal.
The want of their pay is most acutely felt by the employers :
bread is dearer than before, and there is not corn for two weeks sup-
ply in Lisbon. Persecution still continues. The large storeahip,
Joao Magnanhno, is to sail to-meerow with 43 political convicts
for India. In the Gosette you will fund the names of several
officers who were tried last month, for refusing two years ago to
yield to Miguel's rule ; some have been acquitted after two years
imprisofiment.