Directory_and_Chronicle_1889 — Page 396

866

CHINA.

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 fellow in each of the sixteen years from 1872 to 1887:-

I F.

YEAR.

RAVIXT1.

|| Haikwan Tls.

1872

1873

1874

1875

1876

1877

1878.

1879.

RIVENUB.

Haikwan Tls.

11,678,636

1880

10,977,082

1881

11,497,272 1882.

11,968,109

1883.

12.152,921

1884

12,067,078

1885

12,483.9×8

1886

13,531,670

1887.

14,258.583

14,685,162

14.085,672

13.266.757

13,510,712

14.472,766

15,144.678

20,541,399

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 the in 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.

Kiangs

Anhwei

Kiangsi Fohkien

PROVINCE.

PROVINCIAL CAPITAL.

AMBA ENGLISH SQUARE MILES.

ESTIMATI POPULATION.

Peking. Tsinan

Taiyuen

Kaifung

Nanking

Nganking

Nanchang

58,949

28,114,023

65,104

28.958.764

55,268

27,260,281

65,104

23,037,171

37,843,501

92,661

₫ 34,168,059

72,176

30,426,999

53,480

38,888,432

Hangchow

39,150

26,256,784

Wuchang

37,370,098

381,724

Changchau

18,652,507

Sigan

10,207,256

154,008

Lanchow

15,193,135

Chingtau..

166,800

21,435.678

Canton..

79,456

19,147,030

Kwelin

78,250

7,313,895

Yunnan Kweiyang

107,869

5,561,320

64,554

5,288,219

1,534,953 405,213,152

Chekiang Hapel Juman

Z: usi Konsuh Sechuan Ewingtung kongsi Yunan Kwerchau

Foochow

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.

In addition to China proper there are its dependencies. The principal of these are Mongolia, with an area of 1,288,035 square miles, and some 2,000,000 people; and Manchuria, with an area of 362,313 square miles, and an estimated population of