The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-04-01


ests FOR they exceed oil the other people Of China In
hardkood bodnsss and courage In another article We
sa oo1us our hn and sTamns into the
means Of extending the present circle OF trade beyend
the narrow limits into whtcb nov restricted py Cal
nese prejudice and fanAaosm.
CHINA AS SEEN BY SIR JOHN BOwRING.
POPULATION OF THE EMPIRB-srRIoT 0ENsUs REGIS.
FRATION-AORTALITY STAT1STICs-POOR Law
sYsTBM-FOOD sUPPLIeS-AMI0RATION RETURNS
-RIvER NAVIGATION AND INLAND rRADE-AsRI-
Uul,TURE AND TILLAGE sYsTEM-wHAT THE PEO-
PIE RAT AND THEIR TASTES AT TABLE-xFFEOrs
OF TIE CIVIL wARs-HOw THE PEOPLE DIE
MARRIAGE-THE ARMY AND NAVY.
The following letter, addressed 70 the Registrar Gene
raj London By Sir John Bowring he's been published In
the JON nal of the Stdtitical Sociay;-
GOVERNMENT Hous1, HoNG KoHd, Jtly Ii, 1866
sn-I wish were possible 70 give satisfactory reply
there has been no ooiai census taken sinos the time
Of Kia King forty three ago. Much doubt hes been
thrown upon the accuracy Of these etus vhioh gave
China i think our greater knowledge Of the country
tho evidence in faver Of The approximate cor
ioerabe safety estimate the present population Of the
CHR empire - between $50 900 and $500
Of s ,w: Of .n %,ss
Of The bamboo 70 DO inflicted those who neglso.
70 make the proper turns The mAchinery oondded
10 The elders OF The ttro and The required TO
be anpaay taken but have NO reason 70 believe that
ODey0Q IL
In the English translation Of Father Atvarcs semedos
History Of China published In London A. D. 1885, I"
THIS Singdon = % exceedingly populous that, having
ment 81 my coming away than in the beginning at the
eli hyperboles-nos only In the cities, towns and public
places, but also In thoshghways, toere - great oon
% 70 S
In only the common men are enrolled, leaving out wo
men, chi dren, professors Of letters and srms
there are Fcckoned Of them TO be fy eight millions nfy
five thousand hundred and four score. The minute
ness enumerston could seem TO show that the Ia
forward herewith two tabular statements which
have copied from DR. Willams's "Madle King tom ono
Of the best books on China The hrss gives n o. the
thorties quoted. The second IL Q re.arranged state
mont Of oensuses taken ct different periods
Al there few mon IN China moro dihgent or better
instructed than r. Williams, I thought desirable 70
communicate win him. order 70 ascertain his present
Views the credit which may properly DO attachsd
do not know that thsre IL any safer course than 10
reason from details 70 generals from sne known 70 inc
efoourse with the Chinese has afforded 10 obtain,
not correct q least approximate informaton o. to the
out Any hesitation that regards the five poru and the
adjacent districts 70 which have socess the popula
sUn ~ = inSsr.n Of the entire empire very muss
greater than represented By the official returns These
localities cannot be taken fair Averages; for, naturally
-,
Il flow Of sestlers and there cau Be no doubt the
some OF The ancient seats Of havs nj much
ne csuses Of decline In particular spo have
teYscted iecundity Of the Chinese sos eonsdered -
same ,ear sSo nsd N opportunity Of di,eus,ius sss
subject Of Chinese population with the mandarin o. Ming
po sho Was charged with making the returns for mat
pisos-nn Decidedly the ess, 20 Of ths ave sssssy
poria bu found generally speaking, shas the real re-
tuIn. wore oenadsrabiy In excess Of the 0fhc'A ss'
And would rsmark that In taking the Of the IL
provinces o. Chm. g SQUARE maes we ss
considerably less than me population the deusely peo
pied oounsries Of Europe.
grouped under four heads'-i, Scholar; nusbAndmen
8 mechs MICS; L. nerchan u. There 10 . numerous clan
s,sSs players professional ssmbles. bseears vcss
oulaws osners; and these probably form no par o.
the population reqras In the more remote ru,sl an
badly contents snsef with giving the average o. more
socessibls ssd better psopled LOCALITIES
show the p,oportions which different asos bsr 70 one
another in China, or the average mortality q Ginercsl
% u '
called "rhs Opening Degree" 30 Yonth EEpired' %,
s,so, s.o :as o. o,o. oS.ias
ara nI .; Ago 50. "Su,y yssssd y; 90 D.l.ysa'
leo, cages Extremity" Among the ouipsss the
,ssrs. made some years ago. me soqu.ataaos Of .
Buodhiss priest living In to couveo OF Ten runk near
vnS "" n S s' D.s o. 1 order
snow their respeo, and " obtain his Autograph BE had
ctvily give ir spec men OF his haed wrisns
ton Of hs aged but tns penal provides pu
sh p Who refcss 10 relieve The poor In sneis
o ssa ia
sometimes order presents 70 DO given 70 Oil nd
ge-t old people In the empire Am nos aware Of any
detailed STATISTICS giving tns number Of suca rccpleuss
sinoe : rs,urn publnhsd In shs time Of Ksughi Qos7)
Kienlung 7s5 directed that al those oaimsa1 whose
psos Of linen those above So 10 bushels o. rios and iva
peoes Of linen those above co. % busnss Of ND and wo
psoss Of common sllk and soose ssovs loo % ounes
nix. Hs ordered eli The elders 70 DO wno
ihe head OF i've gecerons Of whom there wers
The odss, psa Of me smprs 70 Inpis presents.
which consisted principally emsroersd pursee ssa
TSs KSssSi able chow The nunos o. shoss w, en-
joysd benefit OF the s bus tbe returns bear nc
pfoporuoe V she general population Of .ns counvy "
and local crcumsar oss mpss have caused the oov
Gus Ioougruitss For np'e In The sdJsssn, provs
o. popuison i n The properties Of two 70 enc, toe rec
psv 20 10 4; and - regards aee, .he sns pro
portion Of noss seove sol rsorssssed 70 y
these maissrs srsasr less % opaoo Of me ooa
auhosiuss IL enc q The important semssn 10 pro
ssS Sors.rsd on the .orsvss By sSs country o. IN
MsAou-by abovignes, The districts ADJOINING -hioh af.
s -. :'s ssn O.
Il
provinces But h rexplcsole hat the provooe OF re
chile, In which Pekin b situated shoud ernion oui
email proportional return especially as compared wiz
The ajja ,snt provinoe q .shsnsups Hookvans with
population Of - $50, 600 hp G.sss indges. persos
above TO szechuen the population Of which III,
zoo COO presents only lie persons In tnsi oaseeory
thipk there abundant evidence Of rciusdans pr ?u
laron pressips and more heavily upon ssd sunsr
Ing and severely from, IN inadequAe sup pu
Of food. though thsre ere psrods when extrsordius
enable The Chinese 70 Transport rce, the p'soci
pal sod OF the people, from ose province 70 anosnsr ao
| soreun % even 70 foresSu ooenpes y@ OF hs ue y.
pcysaa ous om foreign countries have been enormous
and Ohns hes dawn largely the exai,s the Pnilhp
pines, Sam, and sher pscss, 70 81 up vast a. noisno
in suppiy. Famine has, nct~ishs adding, Dom NIL .
dreadfni Nvssea ana the provisiots Of The i'm perta
ersnarses have been wholly made luae provide fcr IN
uuba sspts IA n true mat cult vHtico has bean greah
perered viA BY intestinal disorders and tha there ha
been much destruction BY inundanous incsndisrsm Ant
otbev accidental on Sansowy oAsses; but without rese
repcc 70 these, an disposed 70 believe thas there
sreater increase the numbers OF The popuss. snsn
he home PROD ucuoo Of food for ther uss. II must
rem mbered TOO that while The rsce thus sus
he oaus ee shioh Iced 70 tna dssructon Of
The overflow OF rivers nres Of lccusss, b sse