Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1843-01-20
CHINA AND JAPAN.

CHINA AND JAPAN.
In late number of the London Shipping Ga
| zette, we find an account Of he Population Com.
merce, &c. of China and Japan, by II. Mont.
gomery Martin, from which we make the follow.
ing extracts, which are particularly interesting
at this time.
The empire Of China, with which we desire
TO form an amcahle and commercial intercourse
is estmnied at 1000 miles long by 1900 broad
i ana containing on an area of 1,29S. 900 square
miles every variety of climate between the 18Th
and 4lst degree Of north latitude. The sea
coast is OF great extent, and the country posses.
ses, IN addition TO its rich allnvial plains and
complete inland navigation, the advantage Of nu.
merous fine rivers, lakes, bays, harbors and
creeks, with habitablc islands of various size,
sklrflnS nearly the whole maritime frontier
The population of this immense territory are
IN peculiar degree an agricultural, manufactu-
ring, commercial people, with fixed and hcred.
| nary government, based on simple but effective
principles, for merging the interest of the indi.
vdua in that Of the body political people I'M
fe,tered by the prejudice of CASTE advanced to n
considerable extent in literature, art, and science
and adopted for receiving the cvizing and
Christian influence of Britain.
The following is stated to have been the pro.
gressive increase of the inhabitants of China
since the commencement of the fourteenth CEN
fury "A. ID. 1893, population G05i5,S1l (au-
thorIy kang-kecn-c.chu; ) 1913, population,
oh3Ol,733 (Amiot-Pck y 1862,
population, 1921 1,553 (Grosscr and Pekin
documents 1902, population, 3O7 .467, 200
(Anglo-Chinesc College Report y 1913, popu-
laton 36l.G93,S70 Census taken in the 18Th
year OF kcakng, including the population OF
Iarary and the independent provnces.)
! The justly celebrated Dr.. Morrison quotes,
with appreciation and conviction of its veracitv,
the census Of the provinces of China from an OIL
fetal work, called the Tatsinr, published by au.
,horI'y in 1925. which table gives the popula
ton at 3o2.S66Ul2, or to each square mile of
territory 2SS, which is the same rateable pro-
portion TO the square mile as in England.
The products and exports OF China are vari-
Gus and valuable, including teas, sugar, silk
(raw and manufactured) spices, drugs, dyes,
porcelain, metals, &c. The principal article is
tea, which, although only introduced INTO Eu-
rope at the commencement of the 18th century
| Ga. y. l6O2 to l6l0,) now requires about 90,
OOu,0OO pounds per annum 10 supply the in
creasing demand OF Europe and America.
In lOOo, a. d.. our East India & mpany re-
celvcd their first invoice of tea, amounting &c
two canns,ers. containing lab LIB. In l67s
they imported 41l3b; but this quantity SC
giulted the market that the imports of tea du.
ring the ensuing SIX years amounted in all to
only 3lSIb. Bat in the space of 100 wears, viz
from ITO to $50. the East India COMPANY
sales OF tea amounted to 1j02l50l9b., the val.
ne OF which was l2s, s0f30Jl sterling. From
the commencement OF the present century to
the year 1880, the tea sold by the East Inda
Company amounted to 900,0O0,00Olbs. weight
and the revenue paid to the British Exchequer
tnt,t I,ts tao .
This extraordinary branch of trade in an innI.
trlous, aromatic leaf grown on the mountains &
a distant continent, employing about 1.O00VHJ
English capital, and yielding 3,O0),O0O annu
ally to the English treasury, is still capable ol
great extension.
Europe received from China various branch
es OF art and science. The mariners compass,
the calculation OF eclipscs, printing, gunpowder
the smelling and combination Of metals, the
weaving OF cotton and silk the manufacturing
of porcelain the preparation of sugar. tlr. &c
have all been known from time immemor.al to
the Chinese.
! The Chinese carry on a considerable traffic
by means OF the coasting trade, for which pur.
pose no less than 222 junks, or vessels, are en-
ployed.
In the year 700 A. D. Canton was first made
a regular commercial port OF the Chinese en-
pre; and in the year 400 A. d. the Chinese
compelled foreigners to bring tribute ever,
third year to Canton where l20 houses were
built for their accommodation. The Portu
glese, Spanish and Da,ch carried on lucra
tr'e trade with China at different ports along
the coast Of Canton, Annoy, Macao, Nngpo, ant
Chusan, during the 10Th century. In 1858, the
Portuguese, alter their expulsion from NngpC
and Chngahew, made Macoo their permanen
residence. after having had temporary abpdes
on the island for 20 years. They pa", at the
beginning of every year, a ground rent of 81
taels oi silver to the Chinese treasurer at Can
ton, for which rccei pit is duly furnished. Eng
land turned her attention to China at the begin
nIng of the 17Ih century; in 1870 the Ensis,
East India Company had factory on the ISLAM,
Of Formosa, and carried On a considerable trade
in those seas, particularly with the adjacent Chi
nese province of Fukien. In 1876, A. d. they
had factory at Annoy from which lhev reiire'
in 1850, on the contests between the Mantchol
; Tarlars aud the Chinese for the imperial throne
but in 1854 the English were permitted to re
turn to their factory at Annoy, anA they remain
ed there until 1907, when The foreign commerce
of China became restricted to Canton and Ma
Gao IN 100 the English had factory at Chu
: san, and IN l7O2-3 at Pulo Con1ore. I'll,
Dutch cndeavored to eype the Portuguese
from Macao in 1922, but failed, and then pro
ceeded to Formosd, on which latter island they
formed factory in 1924, and remained Their,
, until 1861, when pirate (Coxnga,) expelled
them
The unjustifiable and sanguinary contests
which the European nations long wage'
against each other on the coasts of China, com
PEELED the Chinese government TO restrict then
all to the porl of Canton where OF late years TIN
whole foreign commerce OF the country has beef
conducted. But sufficient has been SAID to show
that the inhabitants of China are not averse t,
intercourse with European, and it is wei
known that the Chinese themselves carry on al
extensive maritime trade, and many OF the
large junks annually traffic along the coast o
Cochin, China and Siam to Sumatra, Java, Sin
capore, Borneo, Sc. on which latter named is
land alone there are, it is said, 100000 Chinese
Col. Burney states that there are 100000 Chi
nese in Siam and Bankok, the capital, more
than $4,000. Their numbers are ascertaincG
by the imposition of a capltaton tax on every
male Chinese. 10000 tons OF Chinese shippin.
| annually visit the ports OF Siam. In the MALAY
, states there are 10000 Chinese employed IL