chiefly in rice, wheat, and millet. There are no grounds there»
fore for fuppofing that the interior parts o f China are deferts.
There are others again who are perfuaded o f the population
being fo enormous, that the country is wholly inadequate to
fupply the means o f fubfiftence ; and that famines are abfo-
lutely necefiary to keep down the former to the level o f the
latter. The loofe and general way in which the accounts o f
the miffionaries afe drawn up certainly leave fuch ata impref-
fion ; but as I have endeavoured to ihew that fuch is far from
being the cafe, it may be expected I ihould alfo attempt to
explain the frequency o f thofe difaftrous famines which occa-
fionally commit fuch terrible havock in this country. I am o f
opinion then, that three principal reafons may be aifigned for
them. Firft, the equal diviiion o f the land : Secondly, the
mode o f cultivation: and Thirdly, the nature o f the pro*
du£ts.
If, in the firft place, every man has it in his option to
rent as much land as will fupport his family with food and
clothing, he will have no occafion to go to market for the firft
fteceflities; and fuch being generally the cafe in China, thofe
firft neceifities find no market, except in the large cities. When
the peafant has brought under tillage o f grain as much land as
may be fufficient for the confumption o f his own family, and
the necefiary furplus for the landlord, he looks no further; and
all his neighbours having done the fame, the firft neceifities are,
in fa£t, unfaleable articles, except in fo far as regards the demands
o f large cities, which are by no means fo clofe upon
one
one another as has been imagined. A furplus o f grain is like—
wife lefs calculated to exchange for fuperfluities or luxuries
than many other articles of produce. This being the cafe, if,
by any accident, a failure o f the crops ihould be general in
a province, it has no relief to exped from the neighbouring provinces,
nor any fupplies from foreign countries. In China there
are no great farmers who ftore their grain to throw into the
market in feafons o f fcarcity. In fuch feafons the only refource
is that o f the government opening its magazines, and reftoring
to the people that portion o f their crop which it had demanded
from them as. the price o f its proteftion. And this being
originally only a tenth part, out o f which the monthly fubfiftence
o f every officer and foldier had already been dedu&ed,
the remainder is feldom adequate to the wants o f the people.
Infurredion and rebellion enfue, and thofe who may efcape
the devouring fcourge o f famine, in all probability, fall by the
fword. In fuch feafons a whole province is fometimes half
depopulated; wretched parents are reduced, by imperious want,
to fell or deftroy their offspring, and children to put an end,
by violence, to the fuiferings o f their aged and infirm parents.
Thus, the equal divifion o f land, fo favourable to population in
feafons o f plenty, is juft the reverfe when the calamity o f a
famine falls upon the people.
In the fecond place, a icarcity may be owing to the mode
o f cultivation. When I mention that two-thirds o f the fmall
quantity o f land under tillage is cultivated with the fpade or the
hoe, or otherwife by manual labour, without the aid o f draught-.
4 F cattle