CHINA.
363
half that amount. Official returns of the Chinese Government, published in 1844, stated the annual revenue at that time at Tls. 191,803,139, or £63,934,713. Accord- ing to the memorials from officials published in the Peking Gazette, it would appear that there are almost constant deficits, which the governors and high officials of pro- vinces must cover by extraordinary taxation. The public revenue is mainly derived from three sources, namely, customs duties, licences, and a tax upon land, but the receipts from the foreign customs are alone made known. According to the returns published by the Government, the total receipts from foreign customs were as follow in each of the sixteen years from 1871 to 1886:--
YEAR.
УЛАХ,
1871......
1872.
1873..
1874...
1875...
1876..
RKVENUB.
Haikwan Tls.
11,216,146
1879.....
11,678,636
1880...
10,977,082 1881..
11,497,272 1882.
11,968,109
1883.
12,152,921
1884...
12,067,078
1885.
12,483,988
1886.
REVENUE.
Haikwan Tls.
13,531,670
14,258,583
14,685.162
14,085,672
13,286,757
13,510,712
14,472,766
15,144,6.
1877....
1878.
China had no foreign debt till the end of 1874, when a loan of £627,675, bearing 8 per cent. interest, was contracted through the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank, under Imperial authority and secured by the customs' revenue. Since then a number of loans have been raised, most of them through the agency of the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank, several of which have been paid off. The total Foreign debt of China is, however, still inconsiderable.
AREA AND Population.
China proper, extending over 73,093 geographical, or 1,534,953 English square miles, is divided into eighteen provinces, the area and population of which are given, as follow in the most recent estimates, partly based on official returns:—
Chihli Shantung
Shansi
Honan...
Kiangsu
PROVINCE.
PROVINCIAL CAPITAL.
ARNA ENGLISH SQUARE MILES.
ESTIMATED POPULATION.
Peking.. Tsinan
Taiyuen
58,949
28,114,023
65,104 28,958.764
55,268 27,260,281
Kaifung
Nanking.
Nganking
Nanchang
65,104
23,037,171
92,661 {
37,843,501
34,168,059
72,176
30,426,999
Foochow
Hangchow
53,480 38,888,432
39,150 26,256,784
Wuchang
?
(37,370,098
381,724
Changchau
18,652,507
10,207,256
154,008
15,193,135
166,800
21,185,678
79,456
19,147,030
78,250
7,313,895
Yunnan Kweiyang
107,869
5,561,320
64,554
5,288,219
1,534,953 405,213,152
Anhwei
Kiangsi Fohkien Chekiang Hupeh Hunan
Shensi
Kansuh
Szechuan
Kuangtung Kuangsi.
Sigan Lanchow Chingtau.. Canton... Kwelin
Yunnan
Kweichau
The above population, giving 263 souls per square mile throughout China proper, appears to be excessive, considering that some of the outlying portions of the immense territory are by no means densely inhabited.
According to a Consular return the total number of foreigners in China was 8,995 at the end of 1884. Among them were 2.070 natives of Great Britain and Ireland, 469 of the United States, 364 of Germany, and 228 of France, all other nationalities being represented by very few members.