OCR Text |
Show The Population of China. Tho census of IS75 gave the population popu-lation cf the empire at -CtOJU.UOO. . Since that time Tonquln has been lost v ith several million people, and Kashgaria Las been reconquered. Among no people with any degree of civilization is the birth rate so high as In China, and although tho death rate in the densely crowded districts Is very great, there is every reason to presume there are now 4i0,0,-OOd 4i0,0,-OOd i3pje in China. These figures represent more than one-third of the population of tlie globe. It Is a greater imputation than that of all Kurope, and three times the number of people on the western continent. I-.veu at these enormous figures the average number num-ber of people to tbo square mile for the whole empire eighty-five Is not so high as In some parts of the United States. In tho great mountain ranges, on tits arid plains of Kashgaria and the snowy regions of Mongolia and Manchuria, tho population is pare, but In tho eight central province of China proper in tlie fertile, alluvl. ai soils tlio population is denser and more crowded thin In any ether region of equal extent on eaitli. The villages there orn almost beyond be-yond enumeration, anJ the numbers of tlie walled cities Incredible to those who have not seen them, lu the two Kiang provinces, at the mcuth of tlie Yaogtz IUver, with au area of 00,000 square miles, tho population lu 157a was 7i00),00t), and there were 125 walled cities. The census ot 1373 was taken wheu the richest portions of these two provinces had been devastated and depopulated by the Talplng rebellion. re-bellion. Since that time there has been a great Inpouring of people from other regions of the empire, especial) v from those districts where the famine of 1S7S prevailed. The natural Increase of population has abo been very great, and It would be safe to say that these W,fcX square miles have more than 80,-0X0,003 80,-0X0,003 people. Mechanical A'eirs. |