CHINA. 



'295 



Naviga- 



tioa. 



This author is decidedly of opinion, that the popula- 

 tion of Cliina cannot reasonably be estimated higher than 

 150,000,000 ; and that even this number is considerably 

 above the truth, as it makes that country in proportion 

 to its extent rather more populous than France, while 

 this latter kingdom contains a greater proportion of cul- 

 tivated soil.* 



The inland navigation of China is inconceivably ex- 

 tensive ; and in the construction and management of 

 vessels for this purpose the Chinese have reached a very 

 high degrc-e of skill. The whole country is intersected 

 by an infinite number of rivrrs and canals ; which last 

 have been multiplied to the utmost possible degree, not 

 only with a view to water the fields, but also to open 

 communications between different places, and to facili- 

 tate the conveyance of goods. The whole of the home 

 trade is carried on by wa'er ; "and even individuals, tra- 

 relling from one town or province to another, uniform- 

 ly, if possible, prefer the conveyance by boats to land 

 carriages. In that way they can travel from Canton 

 to Pekin without interruption, except one day's jour- 

 ney across the tract of land which separates Nan hiong- 

 foo from Nan-ngan-foo. After leaving this last men- 

 tioned city, the course leads down the river to the lake 

 Po-yang, thence along the river Yang-tse-kiang to 

 Kooa-tcheoo, beyond Nan-kin, where the imperial ca- 

 nal commences, and conducts the traveller all the way to 

 Pekin. ) 



To the construction of proper vessels for this ii.land 

 conveyance of passengers and articles of traffic, the Chi- 

 nese have directed their chief attention ; and they are 

 gent-rally allowed to have succeeded beyond all other 

 people, in the great variety and skilful adaptation of 

 th ir boat* to the diff-rent purposes for which they are 

 employed, and the different courses of water through 

 which tli' y must pass. Many of them are remarkable 

 for the stateless and elegance of their form ; and espe- 

 cially for the excellent accommodation, which they con- 

 tain for the passengers who are on board. 



The most beautiful of these boats are those, which 

 are intended f.r parties of pleasure- upon the wat; r, and 

 which are generally of a considerable size, containing a 

 small <uiti chamber, a Urge apartment in the middle, and 

 a small cabin behind, nil M-atly furnished and provided 

 with windows adorned with shell- work or lattices. These, 

 and most of the other larger barks, have a projecting 

 gang way of broad planks on each side, by which the 

 ere* can pa*s fr^m one end to the other ifl working the 

 vessel, without incommoding those who are on board. 

 In calm weather, and when the wind or current is con- 

 trary, the vessels are dragged by a rope, or impelled by 

 means of two large bambo > oars, turning upon pivots 

 pl.i--ed upon projecting pieces of wood, sometimes at 

 th. u-rn, as is u-ual with mo-,t other nations, hut often 

 al near to the bow of the vessel. From six to ten 

 nv n arc required to work one of these oars, which they 

 move backwards and f rwards in the water under the 

 surface, similar to the English mode of sailing, and which 

 they keep very near to the sides of the boat, so as not 

 to interfere with other vessels, as they pass each other in 

 the canals and rivers. 



The boats, which are employed for transporting mer- N-.VIJM- 

 chandize, are almost as much rounded above as below, _ r t '" n ^>' 

 and are covered partly with planks, partly with mats, 

 which can be drawn aside at pleasure in loading and un- Boats for 

 loading. These barks are heavy and slow, and carry ^^ 

 a very large sail ; but do not sustain the wind well, un- 

 less when they are loaded. One of these vessels be- 

 longing to the revenue department, as measured by Mr 

 Barrow, was 115 feet in length, 15 in breadth, and six 

 deep ; the sides straight, the width nearly the same 

 fore and aft, and the whole shaped like a narrow 

 trough. 



Next to these, the most numerous kind of vessels up- Passage 

 on the rivers and canals are the yachts or passage boats, ' 

 which are very lightly and neatly built, and are some- 

 times of a very considerable size, with high upper 

 works, so as to resemble floating houses. Those of the 

 larger class generally contain three apartments for the 

 accommodation of passengers, an anti chamber for the 

 servants and baggage, a commodious sitting or dining- 

 room, about 15 feet square, and a space containing 

 three or four sleeping-rooms. Behind these are the kit- 

 chen, and a set of small holes for the seamen. Some- 

 times there is a kind of second story, divided into little 

 cells like coffins, in which a Chinese sailor, whose whole 

 property is* commonly upon his back, accommodates 

 himself with great ease ; while on each side is a project- 

 ing gang-way, as above described. These vessels are 

 long, narrow, flat- bottomed, sometimes a little curved, 

 and seldom draw above 15 inches water. In one place, 

 the British embassy were conveyed in boats of this dt % - 

 scription, which were from 50 to 70 feet in length, 

 moderately loaded ; and which, nevertheless, did not 

 draw above six inches water. In this way they sailed 

 along a mere trout-stream ; in the more shallow places 

 of which a channel was made for the boats by removing 

 the gravel with iron rakes. 



The boats for the mandarins are not unlike the plea- Boat* for 

 sure-b-iats, generally painted red, ornamented with fi- mandarin*, 

 guren of dragons and little flags. 



The Chinese make use also of large rafts' of bamboo 

 for conveying wood and rice, and generally keep them 

 on a level with the surface of the water. 



In the navigation of the open sea, and in the construe- Shipping, 

 tion of vessels tor distant voyages, the Chinese are as 

 awkward and unskilful, as they are ingenious and expert 

 in the direction of the fresh water shipping. 



It has been asserted, that their maritime knowledge Maritime 

 was more extensive in ancient than it is in modern intercourse, 

 times ; that, in the seventh century, they carried on a 

 trade with the western coast of. North America ; and 

 that at one period, they maintained a commercial inter- 

 course with Bussora, Straff, and other ports in the Per* 

 sian Gulf. -It is certain, that about the seventh cen- 

 tury, they were acquainted with the promontory of 

 Kjnv>kat ka by th- name of Ta-shan ; and it is consider- 

 ed as unquestionable, that the island of Tchoka in the 

 Tartarian sea, opposite to the mouth of the Amour, has 

 been peopled from China. They are supposed also to 

 have colonized Sumatra, as there is a striking resem- 

 blance, in person and manners, between the inhabitants 

 of that island and the natives of China ; and the Cinga- 



In the newspaper of the Pilot, for August 11, 1818, it is affirmed, that, according to a statistical survey, officially published and 

 recorded in the Gazette of Pekin, (but where or !>y whom this document has bcun se-jn, we have not been able to discover,) the popu- 

 lation of the Chine.se uinpir- i.-, only about 55,000,000 of souls, which is far blow the most moderate of the more recent computa- 

 tions. Perhaps, however, as is generally the case in the Chinese surveys, this number include*, only those who are taxable ; and mul- 

 tiplying 't by 3, which M. De Guignes consider* u-, the fair average of the number in each fan.ily in China, the result would be 

 16.5,000,000, wliirh i- n 1 1 ry different from the highest estimate, which this tiuveller allows to be at oil founded on probable grounds. 



fr See this Canal described under the head of Architecture ant Public Works. 



