I have been thus particular, in order to fet in its true light
a fubjeit that has been much agitated and generally dilbejieyed.
The fum total o f three hundred and thirty-three millions is fo
enormous, that in its aggregate form it aftonilhes the mind and
flaggers credibility; yet we find no difficulty in conceiving
that a fingle fquare mile in China may contain two hundred
and fifty-fix perfons, efpecially when we call to our recollection
the United Provinces o f Holland, which have been calculated
to contain two hundred and feventy inhabitants on a fquare
mile. And the United Provinces have enjoyed few o f the
advantages favourable to population, o f which China, for ages
paft, has been in the uninterrupted poffeffion.
The materials for the flatement given by. Father Amiot o f
the population o f China appear to have been collefhed with
care. The number o f fouls in 1760, according to this ftate-
ment was - - - 196,837,977
In 1761 - - - 198,214,553
Annual increafe — r ,376,5 76
This flatement muft however he incorrect, from the circum-
ftance o f fome millions o f people being excluded who have no
fixed habitation, but are conftantly changing their pofition on
the inland navigations o f the empire, as well as all the iflanders
o f the Archipelago o f Cbu-fan and o f Formofa. Without,
however, taking thefe into confideration, and by fuppofing the
number o f fouls in 176 1 , to amount to 198,214,553, there
ought to have been, in the year 1793, by allowing a progreffive
five increaie, according to a moderate calculation in political
arithmetic, at leaft 280,000,000 fouls.
Whether this great empire, the firft in rank both in extent
and population, may or may not a&ually contain 333 millions
o f fouls, is a point that Europeans are not likely ever to afcer-
, tain. That k is capable o f fubfifting this and a much greater
population has, I think, been fufficiently proved. I know it is
a common argument with thofe who are not willing to admit
the fad , that although cities and towns and ihipping may
be crowded together in an aftoniihing manner, on and
near the grand route between the capital and Canton, yet that
the interior parts o f die country are almoft deferted. B y fome
o f our party going to Cbu-fan, we had occafion to fee parts- o f
the country remote from the common, road, and. fuch parts
happened to be by far the moll: populous in the whole journey.
But independent o f the finall portion o f country feen by us,,
the weftern provinces, which are moft diftant from the grand
navigation, are confidered as the granaries o f the empire; and
the cultivation o f much grain, where few cattle and. lefs machinery
are ufed, neceflarily implies.a correfponding population.
Thu6 we fee from the above table, that the furplus produce o f
the land remitted to Pekin from, the provinces o f
Oz. iilver.-
Honan
Shan-fee V
Shen-fee- j-
Whilft thofe o f
Pe-tche-lee. 1 , . . \ 3,030,000.
Shan-tung £ on thegr and navigation,V a j g g g
Tche-kiang \ '' -were | 3,810,000
chiefly
remote from the grand
navigation,, were
213.000
722.000
040^000
mL
2,'
igation, y J ^ o;(
L 3,810,'