, 1879-06-08
The Population Of China-Is It E1aKger-
rated$

To the Editor Of The IFfbune
CHICAGO, June THE plant credu1ity with
which re Continually hear the populations OF
China and India stated at from 400, 600. 600 to
$50, 600, 900, and that Of India At 264 ooo 600. the
Two Amounting to more Khan half the entire popu-
lston Of the globe, is amazing It seems natural
to onr own mind TO assume that the figures fur
nished By these two barbarian empires, in the
former OF which the quality OF uth~telling Ii al
most entirely unknown, should be tinged with the
doaole motive To aatter themselves and to overawe
ado deceive foreigners by an oyetesItmate OF tnefr
Strength that We simply wonder 10 see such impos~
hpie statements entertained al enter into all onr
tsxt-booss and hand-books concerning these facts.
Not being acquainted with the Chinese system Of
notat1on, We c1nnot assert that the same difficult
tiea attend the handling in it OF totals exceeding
1ew hundreds as attended the Hebrew, Greek, and
homan system Of notation by letters. but all
some Resemblance TO- decimal system it
te9y onnRl1ng and obscure compared with
W. w alaoe system OF computation, without which
unttea s.st:. ee9a never tAke tne census Of the
GsAAesea magnitude Of The armies OF Darius and
csne css #olch were fifty times greater than modern
s.sas ers,+sr =. are able to handle, and ten times
6et toan the resources for transportation Of the
cons Aosenced and wealthy OF modern nations
thst mose and feed, Tas strictly fabulous, and
uar, e nst te1aggerstion grew partly out Of bombast
cy+n :, lending the attempt to compute with. or
im.I ~ @ Auu together large numbers without 4 dec
nth, ssssni IL which figures placed under each
~ Gan pe made the means Of adding thousands
~ Ioaui together as easily al units.
caes vAns into the Chinese, or pretended Chi
1hern e1satces, OF these alleged statistics we ind
rtalck .as@ Mckng in authority, and either accepted
c1;a el1slcssm. ct. where criticised At all the
er.i ~ seems enectnally TO puncture shem- Sew
sh- % u tae writers are missionaries travellers,
nm, 11e msapolted with certain totals BY proui-
neas tna Officers Of the Chinese Government,
mo ere Were too much gratided at hav-
oesens'oly overcome tho policy OF
ssscfecy and mystery which surrounds the Imperial
h.a pry into The raue of the materials they
u eoI Thus IN one work 1e find the staten ents to
+h oeen Obtained by three Catholic priests during
aast century and at about the same period, the
~ aud ths hlgdesr at $50 Zoo, Ooo,-a hare dis
tsoaacy lso GOO, 600. OF course as the three in
seiioAuta had equal means OF information, the re-
proves that neither Of them obtained any in
si1nas iHSaon Whatever. The Chinese Government had
enoatltnted MISREPRESENTATION for their more
mystery. -
ne1ore sc1uttnfzfug the details Of any Chinese
1.h IN particular, We extract from the work of
con,r,sa raaneis DAVIS, ESQ.,: late Il. B. H. Chief
1Saa q description Of China apd It's Inhabttants''
10y. tae autnots experience and prudent esti-
H. VI toe value attaching 10 any Chinese census.
sass, p $50: '1t seems clear that the native
ing With au their defects the only sources OF IL
ME- 1po on which mach dependence can be
5stssa The estimate Of 333 600, 600 OBJ
reras neu from one OF The conductors Of Lord Ma
h.rs huef u confesaedly document IN round num-
oat being declared 10 be founded on official
n-nut. mlRht At least be considered as IN ap-
be to the truth, II the accounts derived
- a"eet4y from their Own statistical WORKS dio !