Canton, greatly the establishment there o f the patriarchal system,
~ already mentioned in this, work on a; different occasion ;
and which system is certainly repressive o f vice and excesses
o f every kind. Even the exposition o f infants, implies
the excessof population beyond the means ofsubsist-
ence. Population in China, is not subject to be diminished
materially b y war. No private soldiers, and a few officers
only,'.natives o f thelancient provinces o f China, wereLeh-
gaged in the conquest of WesternTartary, or in theThibet
war.' Celibacy ds rare even in the military -profession
among the Chinese. Accidents sometimes«bfextraordk
nary drought, and sometimes o f excessive inundations,' occasionally
produce famine in particular provinces; and fa-
mine, disease: but there are few drains from moral>Gauses,-
either :of emi gration or foreign navigation. T h e Inumber
o f manufactures, whose occupations are métrai ways; far
vourable to health ; whose constant confinetneritib.|p#r«
ticular spots, and sometimes in ; a- close or tainted atmosphere,
must bé injurious, and whose residence dm towns
exposes them to irregularities, bears but a yeryjsmall
proportion to that o f husbandmen in China. In general,’
there seeius - to be no; other /bounds- to Ghinesè popu*-
lousness, than those wh ich thë'néeessity îèf subsistaliap
may put; to it. These bounds are certainly more enlarged
than in other countries. T h e whoiè surface o f fthe empire;
is, with trifling exceptions, dedicated to the prodùc-
tion o f food for man alone. There is no meadow, and
veflllitt'le pasture, nor areffields cultivated in <oa|,§,:beans,
or turnips, for the’support of cattle of ati$ kirid.^Few
parks^di pleasure-grounds are <sden,>exseeptin>g{ t-hose
belonging -to:the Emperor».'*Littleulandfeis;taken up for
roads, which are few and narrow, ^hoi'chi of .communication
beirig b y water. There are no, icommons, ;for^lands
suffered to lie waste b y theneglect, .or tfehe' fc^priaei’ or, for
the,Sport; ofigreafepropfiefcors. Nq arabj^and lies fallow,
T h e 1 soil, underia hot and fertilizing .sufo, yields; annually,
inmost instances, .doublererAps,'; incbnsequemcejdf
ad a p ting nth e culture jto- the soih'^ajkdcof >supp|yiiljg its
defects .by mikturei with othervea&ths., b y f manure, b y
irrigatidh,' b y eareful and judicioHS rindwd^,®f {every
kindi The labour tof man is little diverted from that
industry*,’itominis't^l^dthe luxuriejsjpf thei&p&kPttand
powerfifilT-or in employments of no real use. the
soldiers <of th e . Chinese armyaexcepjj during th e xh ort
intervals of the guards which they are .paHed.itoimo.unt,
or ’the exercises, or. othertoeeasienafservices which they
performg are mbstlyeraployfed in agriculture. T he Quantity
o f subsistence is increased also, by.co,averting map
species df animals and vogetablesifa that purpose than is
usual in other(countries. And even in the*preparation of
their food, the Chinese haye)ecQndmytand management-
From a consideration'of thevinflui|^ekakfeh^%^?Ps^^
it will not perhapseappear surprising, that it.shouldj.b.e
asserted, that every square mile in China. po,iitains, upon