The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-28

year, Ii Hung Chang became interested
in the proposed census of the world; and.
IL is asserted, promised his cooperation
and assistance In the work His coun-
try-China--forms the greatest factor Of
uncertainty In estimating the population
of the globe. Different estimates of the
number of inhabitants In China vary
sometimes by one or two hundred millions,
and even the population of the chief cities
OF that country can only be guessed at
West of China and north Of the Hima-
lava mountains there are immense tracts
of country lying in that part of the world
which many regard as the original seat
of mankind and the great hive from
which the swarming nations have
emerged, whose population is also a mere
matter Of guesswork. A large part of
the country inhabited by the Tartar tribes
has not even been explored by white men.
So, too, Africa presents an enormous
field of mysteries and difficulties. Esti-
mates of the total population are con-
stantly varying, because explorers fire.
quently come upon knots and centers of
population, the real extent of which is
unknown. The most careful statisticians
admit that their estimates of the popula-
lion of Africa may be as much as 5OOO0O0O
out of the way.
India. in the valley of its great rivers.
especially the Ganges. Is black with popn-
lation, like a crowded an nest, and not
withstandng the fact that the British are
nominally in control they have thus far
failed to give US entirely trustworthy IN
formation concerning the precise number
Of its inhabitants.
But uncertainty is far greater with
respect TO the countries surrounding In
dla Take the strange Malay peninsula,
with Burmah and Siam, where life breeds
under the troplc sun with magic fertility
nobody can do more at present than haz-
ard a conjecture as to its population.
West OF India are the vast lands that
Alexandria overran in bis conquests-Af-
ghanistan, Persia and Turkey In Asia.
How many scores of millions, or even hum
dreds Of millions. may they not contain?
Many of the uplands OF Persia are practl-
cally unknown TO the civilized world, but
they can support a great population. NO
one knows how many people Arabia con-
tains. The plains OF the Tigris and the
Euphrates no longer posses mighty cities
like Ninevah and Babylon, yet they nave
not been depopulated
Even the islands OF the sea and the
polar regions have many human inhabi-
tants Nobody knows how many Esqui-
maux there are dwelling In the lands of
eternal Ice that encircle the north pole;
many of the Islands of the vast Pacific
swarm with Inhabitants, living on the
open bounty Of nature, whose free ana
careless life has captivated the imagtna'
ton OF highly cultivated men Ike Robert
Louis Stevenson. Perhaps this new CEN
sus will include these naked children OF
the breezy south in It's all-embracing
enumeration.
1t would be purely an excursion of tho
Imagination 70 suggest that census-takers
should be dispatched across the Icy bar
riers OF the Antarctic continent In search
OF Inhabitants there, whose list would
swell the great roll OF the planets popu-
lation. Yet such inhabitants, II we can
suppose them to exist, would hardly be
more completely separated from us than
the Northern Esquimaux we're before
Americans and Europeans had begun TO
penetrate freley Into the border-lands OF
the Arctic.
And when the census is completed, II
II proves a practicable undertaking, what
will Il probably show the total population
OF the globe 10 be. For many years past
the common estimate Of the number Of the
worlds inhabitants has been 1900, 900 600
that Is, about thirty inhabitants 70 every
square mile Of land on the globe. II all
OF these inhabitants could be arranged IN
a row, standing shoulder touching shout
der, there are enough o. them 20 COM
pletey encircle the earth at the equator
where Il Is about 900 miles around, no
less than twenty-five and three-quarter
timesl Twenty-Five complete circles OF
human beings, shoulder 10 shoulder ana
three-quarters OF another such circle
standing around the globe where Its girth
would be presented n some higher power
should choose 10 arrange mankind In that
way for a grand review OF Its numbersi
But Il Is probable that the Inhabitants
OF the earth are much more numerous than
the estimate given above shows. One OF
the largest estimates made W Germany as
signs no less than l.7O0000Co as the popu-
lation OF the earth. That would add three
complete circles 10 our imaginary rows OF
human beings ringing the globe. Taking
40.0OO0OO as the population OF China land
that estimate may be much too smalD,
there would be six globe encircling rings
OF Cinnamon alone
As far as numbers 80. Asia more than
counterbalances all the remainder OF the
earth combined. Assigning 900. 100000 in
habitanis 10 Asia, f000OO,00O 20 Europe,
go. 10000 20 Africa. 1400OOO00 10 North ana
South America. and 100000 20 the oceanic
islands the polar regions, etc. we see that
Asia alone would still have i00.00000O In
excess OF all the others counted 10
gether But Europe and America. with
only one-third OF the total population OF
the globe hold the mastery OF a. through
intellectual superiority. There are unques-
tionably more Mongolans on the planet
than there are members OF any other race
OF mankind.
But they do not occupy all OF ASIA since
that vast continent contains also a very
large number Of Aryans, q race from which |
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