Pddn. branch of the family,' sleeping ^ different beds, divided
------- 1 only by mats hanging from the .ceiling. One common
XQom is üsed for eating. v ^
The prevalencer of this custom of retaining the several
branchés of; a family Under the same roofvis attended
•with important effects. It renders the younger temperate
andioiderly in their conduct, u n d erih e authority and
example of the older and it enables the whdle.tofsuhsist,
like soldiers in a mess, with more economy and advantage.
Notwithstanding this arrangement, the labouring
poor are reduced to the use of vegetable food, with-a very
rare and scanty relish of ariy animal substance /--the priée
of labour being generally found to bear as small 3 ; proportion
every where to thé raté demanded for provisions ;
as the common people will consent to suffer-. ; v.
The crowds of people at Pekin do riot prevent it from
being healthy. The Chinese live, indeed, much in the
open air, increasing or diminishing the^quantitj^of their
apparel according to the weather. The atmosphère/rs
dry, and does not engender putrid disorders ; and excesses
productive of them seldom are committed..
Great.order is preserved among such .multitudes ; arid
the commission of crimes is rare. Every tenth housekeeper,
somewhat in the mariner of the ancient tithing*-
men in England^ is answerable for the conduct of the
nine neighbouring families, as far as hè may be supposed
capable of controlling it. The police is observed with
The cjjy partakes
of - che vregu-latilyr an^interioati safetyio^fa' camp,# but is
subjeetdtls3E»Lt©:Sfesrconstraint&? In thgi.suburbs only, pub-
li-olv^smen aarei r&giistefed' .an d t^ c^ sed ., They-vare not
indeed mery numerous, being proportion e^tpvfhe small
number ofsingleuien, andlofthnsbands absent from their
families tbiib&tfpund in the*1 metropolis'.
The eddfymarriagesbf men in^^ymrcumstarices;liaYd
haem already mentioned*,* with ^b'g$pbojf,I .mar^iftgejis•<i
measure? of, prudenee, because the cbijligenspartictriaEly
tfhesons, are bound ,to maintain theirr parents§i Whatever
"is;.*strongly recommended andcgenerallyipraGiised,: & at
length considered asfa;kind of religious. ;dutyt; ^amd^ this
union,-as s,uch, takes* place.whenever,;thefe,i^kt h e,-1 east
prospeetof subs.istence for* a future familytiThat prospect,
ho|vtV;ierl isiriot®ls?a^s realized; arid children,'born with-*
Qut.imearis, keinghad o f providing, far thern^^atpfeom^dmes
abandoned by the wretched authors of their/b^ng. ) It
mpsljhaye been the.mostildi^Mjiarid absolute* necessity,
wMfdided’tQ this unnatural and shockin feaset».- when first
it was committed» It was reconciled,,afterwards, in some
mriftstoie, to theimirid, by sripe®stitionfcQi»ing'insaid.tQ
tender it a holyoffering to the spirit of .the adjoining? riyer
in which the infant was thrown, with a^purdisusperidid
from its neGk, to keep it from.immediatepdrownirig>,mh
The .philosophers of . China, :who haye^with'; p(|pal
ability and effect inculcated the maxims» of filial piety*