Polynesian., 1854-07-15
HONOLULU, H. l., JULY Is. 1854
Gbe polpnesian.
POpHlOusness of China.

An exaggerated estimate of the density of pop-
uiatlon In China has got possession of the public
mind. This comes from adopting without sufi.
clept examination the census of 1912, which makes
the population 362000,000. According to this
same census the province Of Kiang-su has. on an
area OF 44,5pO square miles, population of 38-
OOO,OOU, wanting fractiOn-that is, $50 and one
third to square mile. The same density of pop,
ulatlon would give to Illinois the enormous num-
Der OF 44OO0,OOC0, and to France 10000, 1000
Virginia, which is certainly not surpassed in fer
| ullty by China, taken a whole, would, at the
same rate, have 55O00,000! Can any one believe
IN such astonishing populousness? From A. d.
1893 to the present time there are more than doz-
en- censuses referred to in Chinese authorities the
lowest of which makes the population only 81 :
OOO,OOO, while the highest goes up to 362 600 600
Why disregard utterly the lowest and receive un-
doubtingly the highest? The truth is, none of the
censuses can be depended on-for, when compared
together, they are so inconsistent with each other
and so at war with what we know to be the condi
ton and capabilities of the Empire, that we are
forced to reject them all. Considerable portions
of China are known to be mountainous and unpro-
ductive. Even the census of 1912 makes the pop
uation of one of the largest of the eighteen pro-
vlnces only fifty one to the square mile, while the
aggregate of the nine Eastern provinces, with an
area OF about 500 1000 square miles, is made to ave-
rage 45S to the square nile. Now, if we take an
area OF the same size In the heart of Europe, Sc
ecting its most fertile and populouS countries
France, Belgium. Holland, Hanover, Austria,
Lombardy-we find the population of the whole is
not quite 7o,OOO,OOO. Yet the population of the
same area in China has, according to the census,
230, 100000, making the population three times as
dense, as In the very garden of Europe. In regard
to Chinese agriculture, Barrow one of the best au-
thortles on China, who travelled i'll the country
before the great agricultural Improvements, and
consequent increase of population in Europe, says
that, "as horticulturiSts, they perhaps be al
lowed a considerable share of merit, but on the
great scale of agriculture they are certainly not to
be mentioned with many European natons.'' He
says further that the careful Gu tivation is mostly
in the vicinity of cities and towns, and that much
of the open country is infested with robbers thiny
inhabited and poorly cultivated. The testimony
of Davis is 10 the same effect, and so is that of
Williams. The land, then, cannot feed and clothe
the vast population of the books. Evidently the
census must be rejected, and we are left to form
our estimate of the populousness of the country as
we do that of other countries where no trustwor-
thy census has ever been taken. Matte Brun es-
Inmates the population at 150,000O00, and that is
probably high enough.
Chinese authority is not of much value. 1t u
often of piece with statement gravely made by
of their greatest statesmen, that the closing of
the Chinese ports "wouId stop the supply of rhu-
bard and thus cause the English and other outside
barbarlans to die Of constpationI"
The population of Chinese cities is over-rated.
Canton, for instance, is put down in most of the
books at million and half, and never lower than
a million. Yet the number probably does not
much exceed half million. One may walk round
the walls (Which enclose two thirds or more of
the lnhabitanis) in less than two hours. The num-
beT of people crowded into given area in China
is not large rs in thr cities of Europe and Ame-
rca-ior, though the streets much narrower
the houses are much lower, seldom more than
story and a half, and without cellars. In these
low houses (most of which are shops with lofts
overhead for families) it is impossible to stow
away quarter of the number often found, from
cellar to garrett in the lofty houses of our cities
NJ Y. Tribune.