Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1857-05-01
THE CHINESE EMPIRE.


account of the Chinese empire, which
gives considerable insight into the char
acter of this remarkable nation. Much
doubt, says Mr.. Bowring, has been
thrown upon the accuracy of the Chinese
official returns on the subject of popula-
ton, but greater knowledge of the coun-
try increases their probability, and the
population of the empire may be safely |
estimated as between 350,000,000 and
400,00O,000 of human beings. Accord
ing TO ancient usage, the population is
grouped under four heads, viz l, sehol-
ar 2, husbandmen; 3, mechanics 4,
merchants. To every decade of life the
Chinese attach some special designation :;
the age of 10 is called the opening de-
gree;" 20, "youth expired )" 80, strength
and marriage" 40, officially apt;" 80,
error-knowing = GO, cycle-closing ;"
20, "rare bird of age" so, "rusty-vis-
aged; = 80, " delayed;' > 100, ages ex-
tremity." Among the Chinese the a
mount of reverence grows with the num-
Der of years, and there are not only many
establishments for the reception of the
aged, but the penal code provides severe
punishment for those who refuse to re-
lieve the aged poor. Age may also be
pleaded in extenuation Of crime and in
mitigation of punishment. Imperial de-
crees sometimes order presents to be
given to all INDECENT old people in the
empire. Kienlung, in 1875, besides be-
slowing a large amount of rice and cloth
upon aged people-beginning with five
bushels of rice and a piece of linen for
each person 60 years old, and increasing
in amount as the age of the recipient in
creased, until those 100 years of age re-
ceived fifty bushels of rice und two pieces
of silk-summoned three thousand of the
oldest men of the empire to receive i'm
perial presents, which consisted chiefly
of embroidered purses badges.
Mr.. Bowring says there is abundan
evidence of redundant population press
ing more and more heavily upon, ant
suffering more and more severely from
an inadequate supply of food. Thougl
there are periods when extraordinar
harvests enable the Chinese to suppl
their own wants, yet Of late years tn
importations of rice from foreign cour
! tries have been enormous, and famin
IS has, Notwithstanding, committed fearfu
ravages. The constant flow of emigra
ton from China, contrasted with til
complete absence of immigration int
China, is a striking evidence Of the rec
undancy of the population. Althoug
the emigration is almost wholly confine
to two provinces, having together pr
pulation of thirty-four to thirty-five mi
lions, probably a number nearer thrt
than two millions from these province
alone are located in foreign Countries
In the kingdom of Siam there are
/! least million and half, and they crow
all the islands of the Indian Archipelago
while Cochin China teens with Chimes
e; and they are numerous in Java, Austr
liza, the PHILIPPINES, and parts of the Ne
World. The multitudes of persons w
live by the fisheries in China afford evi
ence not only that the land is cultivat
to the greatest possible extent, that it
e, insufficient to supply the wants of t
overlooking population. On this pc.
old Mr.. Bowring says:
"y g 1t has been supposed that nearly
tenth of the population derive their mea
tie. of support from fisheries. Hundreds a
thousands Of boats crowd the whole co
of China, sometimes acting in commu
Id, ties, sometimes independent and isolat
}! There is no species of craft by whicl
fish can be inveigled which is not pr
. -" tised with success in China; every Vi
has ETY. Of net, from vast seinet, embrac
uls miles, to the smallest handfilet in the C
y of a child-fshing by night and fish
# by day 4; fishing by moonlight, by tor
ork light, and in utter darkness; fishing
BOAT boats of all sizes fishing by those '
" are stationary on the rock by the seas
and by those who are absent for weeks
the widest of seas fishing by corn
ants; fishing by divers; fishing "
lines, with baskets, by every imagina
decoy and device. There is no ri
which is not staked to assist the fisl
man in his craft. There is no lake
pond which is not crowded with fish.
piece of water is nearly as valuable
field of fertile land. At daybreak ey
city is crowded with sellers of live
who carry their commodity in bucket
water, saving all they do not sell to
pine, returned to the pond or kept for ano
days service"