April 27, 1857.] AND THE EAST COAST OF CHINA. 337 



the Poyang Lake, and with that and the compass constructed a 

 chart which, if it is not already, ought to be, in the archives of the 

 Society. From Nanking downwards an excellent survey has been 

 made by Captain CoUinson, r.n. 



The President returned the thanks of the Society to Sir John Davis for his 

 most instructive communication. They could not make a better comparison 

 between the Chinese and ourselves, than by comparing the map of that country 

 drawn by Mr. Arrowsmith, with the remarkable Chinese map presented to the 

 Society by Consul Parkes. The subject of China could only be well discussed 

 by those who were acquainted with the country ; and he was glad to see pre- 

 sent Mr. J. Crawfurd, and also that distinguished General, Sir Colin Campbell, 

 who could illustrate how the Canton forts might easily be taken. 



Mr. J. Crawfurd, f.r.g.s. — It was not very easy to speak with any eifect 

 after the best-informed man in Europe, and one, he believed, better informed 

 than the Chinese themselves, respecting the empire of China. He had himself 

 never gone farther than Cochin-China ; but he had had a great deal of inter- 

 course with the Chinese. He had lived among them, and had some authority 

 over them, for twelve or fourteen years ; and, on the whole, he was pretty well 

 acquainted with them. He knew the emigrants tolerably well. It was well 

 known that China was a populous country, and a country of vast extent ; but 

 mistakes prevailed respecting its population. It was said to be the most 

 populous country in the world. This was not the case, as it was not even so 

 densely peopled as Great Britain and Ireland. The whole area of China was 

 1,300,000 miles — about twelve times the extent of Great Britain. Its popula- 

 tion was supposed to be 360,000,000, according to the census taken forty-five 

 years ago. In Great Britain we had 300 inhabitants to the square mile, the 

 Chinese 277. The population was most unequally distributed. In some pro- 

 vinces — the province of Yun-nan, for example — there were not above 50 inha- 

 bitants to the square mile, and that province is about the extent of Great 

 Britain and Ireland put together. Then, there were some provinces which 

 contained 600 or 700 inhabitants to the square mile, as in Che-kiang, a great 

 silk country. The first subject he would bring under notice was the emigra* 

 tion from China. When Europeans were first acquainted with China 350 

 years ago, there were no emigrants ; but the protection afforded by European 

 governments, especially by our own, had encouraged the Chinese to emigrate 

 and to settle in the neighbouring islands. The emigrants were all of the 

 working classes, and they were all adult males. The women never emigrated, 

 and the consequence was that the men were a little turbulent and ill-conducted. 

 He estimated the number of Chinese emigrants in the eastern islands, including 

 the Philippines, at about 350,000 : there was, besides, a considerable number 

 in Cochin-China, and a far greater number in Siam, which contained, he 

 believed, not less than 1,000,000. All that was most valuable in Siam 

 depended, indeed, upon the industry of the Chinese. The Chinese settlers 

 generally were an exceedingly industrious, well-doing people, and he had never 

 himself experienced the least inconvenience from misconduct on their part. 

 When he was at Singapore, at the head of the civil administration, fears were 

 at one time entertained of the Malays, and the chiefs of the Chinese came, and, 

 in the handsomest manner possible, offered their assistance to put down the 

 expected disturbance. He mentioned this, because it was said the Chinese 

 were conspiring against us throughout the whole of our insular possessions. 

 He believed there was no foundation whatever for that allegation, for he had 

 never known them to be turbulent or disorderly. In our settlements they were 

 upon the same footing as British subjects. They sat on petty juries, on grand 

 juries, and some two or three of them were justices of the peace in otir prin- 



