Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1857-04-10

l-..-=-=..=--z==--The sfafsEef cnina.
letter addressed to the Registrar. General. Lon
dom by Sir John Bowrng, has been published In the
Journal of the Statistical Society We make The
following extracts from this interesting document.
which was written in July, 1855 -
There has been no official census taken since the
time of Kia King, 4s years ago. Much doubt has
been thrown upon the accuracy of these returns.
which gave 1862. Al, 1s3 tie total number of in.
habitants of China think our greater knowledge
of the country increases the evidence in favor of the
Approximate rrectness If the official document, and
that we may with toIera'le safety estimate the pres
ent population of the Chinese empire as between
$50, 600, 900 and 4OO, 100000 of human beings.
| think there is abundant evidence of redundant
population pressing more and more heavily upon, and
suffering more and more severely from, an inadequate
supply of food. Though there re periods when ex-
traordnary harvests enable the Chinese TO transport
nce the principal food of the people, from one pro-
vince to another and sometimes even to foreign coun.
tries, of late The importaons from foreign coun-
tries have been enormous, and China has drawn
largely on the Straits, the Philippines, Slam, and
other Places to fill up vast deficiency IN supply
Famine has, notwithstanding, committed dreadful
raysges al the provisions of the Imperial granares
have been wholly inadequate 10 provide for the pub
tic wants. 1t is true that cultivation has been great
y nterfered with by intestinal disorders and that
there has been much destruction by foundations, in
cendiarism and other accidental ransitory causes
but without reference to these, am disposed to be-
eve that there is greater Increase in he numbers
| OF the population than In the home production of
food for their 1t must be remembered, toO that
while the is thus augmenting. the causes which
lead to the destruction of food-such the overflow
of rivers fires, ravages Of locusts bad seasons, and
other caamitles-are 10 great extent beyond the
control of human prudence or human exertion. 1t
would be difficult to show what new element could
be introduced which would raise up the native sup
ply of food beyond lis present productiveness,
slderng that hand husbandry has given to cultivation
more OF horticultural than an agricultural charac-
er
The constant flow of migration from China, con-
!asted with the complete absence of grafton into
China, is striking evidence f the redundancy of the
population
The multitudes of PERSONS who live by the fisher.
les in China afford evidences not only that the land
is cultivated to the greatest possible extent but that
it is insufficient TO supply the necessities of the
flowing population; for agriculture is held in high
honor in China, and the husbandman stands next in
rank 10 the sage or literary man in the social hierar
chy 1t has been supposed that nearly tenth of the
population derive their of support from fish
cries. Hundreds and thousands of boats crowd the
coast OF Chlna-somelimes acting in communities,
sometimes independent and isolated. There is no
species of craft by which fish be inveigled
which is rot practised with success in Chna-every
variety of net, from vast senes, embracing miles, 10
the small handfet in the care of child. Fishing
by nig ht and fishing by day,-tishing in moonlight
by torchlgh, and in utter misunderstanding in boats
of all sizes,-hshing by those who stationary on
the rock by the seaside and by those who are absent
for weeks the widest of seas.-hshing by cormo-
rants,-fshing by divers, fishing with lines, with
baskets, by every imaginable decoy and device
There river which is not staked 10 assist the
fisherman in his craft There is no lake. no pond
which is not crowded with sellers of live fish, who
carry their commodity in buckets of water saving all
they do not sell TO be returned to the pond kept for
another days service. And the lakes and ponds OF
or nY,lU 10 IF 6eb kbau
produce considerable quantities of edible roots and
SET ds, which are largely consumed by the people
Among these the escultnt arum, the water chestnut
(scrpuS tu6eroSuS nelum6iuJ are the most remarAa.
BILE.
The enormous river population of China who live
only in boats. who were born and educated, who
ry, rear their families, and die-who, in word be-
gin and end their existence on tle water, and never
have or drea m OF any shelter other than the roof
and who seldom tread except on the deck or boards
OF their sanpans-shows to what extent the land
is crowded, and how inadequate it is 10 maintain the
cucumbes of the soil. In the city of Canton alone
it is estimated that 100000 persons dwell upon the
surface of the river; the boats, twenty or thirty
deep, cover some miles, and have their supplied
by ambulatory saesmen who wend their way tn Oh
every accessible passage. Of this vast populations
some dwell in decorated river boats used for every
purpose of license and esvity, for theatres for
cerls, for ieasts, for gambling, for lust, Tor solitary
and social recreatons; some crafts employed in
OF constant activity others moored, and their
owners engaged servants or laborers on shore
indeed their pursuits nearly as various as those
OF the land population The Immense variety of
boats " hich found in Chinese water has never
been adequately described. Some ale of enormous
sIze and are used magazines for salt rice-olh
els have all domestic accom- nOdatons, and are EN-.
ployed for the transit of whole families, witt all
their domestic attendants and accommodations, from
one place to another. Not only are land and water
crowded with Chinese, but many dwell upon artif-
claI islands which float upon the lakes.
In all parts OF China TO which We have access we
find not only that every foot of ground is cult, ated
which is capable of producing anything, but tiat
from the value of land and the surplus of labor cul
tyation is rather that of gardeners than of husband
men, The sides OF hills, in their natural declvity
often unavailable, are by succession of artificial
terraces, turned 10 profitable account Every little
bit Of soil, though ii be only few feet in length and
breadth, is turned to account; and not only is the
surface OF the land thus cared for but every device
is employed for the gathering together of every ar
Gle that can serve for manure. Scavengers are con
SANITY clearing the streets of the lcoraceous filth
the coae@ ire farmed by the spectators in human
ordures the most populous places often made
offensive by the means taken to prevent the precious
deposits from being lost. The fields in China have
almost always large earhenware vessels for the re-
ception of the contributions of the peasant or the
trayeler. You cannot enter any of their great cities
without meeting mpltitudes of men, women, and
children conveying liquid manure into the fields and
gardens around The slimulants to production are
applied with most unring industry. Ia this colony
OF HtDg Kong scarcely ride out without finding
some little bit of ground either newly cultivated OF
clearing for cultivation
The Chinese, again. have no prejudice whatever as
regards food; they eat anything and everything from
which hey can derive nutrition. Dogs, especially
puppies, are habltuay so for food and have seen
in the butchers shops large dogs skinned and hang