666 INQXHRY INTO THE POPULATION OF CHINA. 



Failure to support one's parents enduring ])OYerty is only second to 

 it, for by failing to have posterity one olt'ends against the whole line 

 of one's ancestors by putting an end to the sacrifices due them. To 

 this belief is due the universal practice of early marriages which has 

 always prevailed in China. 



The exceptional checks Ave find to a large increase of the pojuda- 

 tion are, however, quite as potent as the encouragements to its 

 increase just mentioned. Among these, famine, fioods, and pesti- 

 lence have been the most constantly operating, and have arrested 

 rapid increase more even than the losses incurred through the fearful 

 butcheries which have throughout China's history invariably accom- 

 panied the suppression of every rebellion, the . establishment of 

 every nev/ dynasty. 



Alexander Hosie in his paper on " Droughts in China from A. D. 

 G20 to 1643,"" or during a period of one thousand and twenty-three 

 years, found that drought had occured in five hundred and eighty- 

 three years in some one of the eighteen provinces, frequently in four 

 or five of them at the same time, and in many cases they were accom- 



a Hosie's inquiries, drawu from tlie great Chinese worlv called the T'u-shu chi 

 chVug (see .Jouni. C"h. Br. Roy. Asiat. Soc. n. s., XII. 51 ot stMi.), may be sum- 

 marized as follows : 



Between A. D. <;20 and TOO inclusive, there were 41 years witli droughts, of 

 which 2 were the results of great floods. 



From 701 to SOU, inclusive, there were 4»; y(>ars with drought. In TOO typhus 

 ranged. 



From 801 to itoo. inclusive, there were 4:! years witli drougiit, S of wliicii were 

 of great severity. 



From 1)01 to 10(10. inchisive. tluTc were CO years witli dronglit, K! lieiiig "great 

 droughts." 



From 1001 to llutt, inclusive, there were dS years with drought, d being of 

 long duration, 8 "great droughts" and one (108fi-8T) universal and of long 

 duration. 



From 1101 to 1200, inclusive, there are GO recorded droughts, of which 

 were " great droughts," 4 of long duration and .5 " very severe." 



From 1201 to 1800, inclusive, there were TC> droughts, of wbicli 12 were "great 

 di-ongbts" and 4 " vei-y severe." 



From i:'.ol to 14(10. inclusive, there were .10 years witli drought, (»f which 2.~» 

 were "great droughts." 4 accompanied with Hoods in otlier sections of the coun- 

 try, 4 with locusts, and during (! of the droughts the people resoi-ted to 

 cannibalism. 



From 1401 to moo, inclusive, there were .")T years with drought, of which 'M> 

 were "great droughts;" during 8 cannibalism is recorded, and during several 

 typhus raged. 



From 1501 to 1000 there were 84 years with drought, of which 09 were "great 

 droughts" (in A. D. 1508 it e.xtended ovt r S i)rovinces) ; during several can- 

 nibalism is I'ecorded. 



From 1001 to 1048, there were 15 years with drought. In 15 years it occurred 

 in Shan-hsi and in 11 in Che-kiaug. 



