228 Of the Checks to Population in Bk. i. 



ral description of China this error has been copied, 

 and the cause above mentioned has been consi- 

 dered as one of the grand sources of the evil.* 

 But, in reality, the whole tendency of this cause 

 is in a contrary direction. The consumption of 

 corn in any other way but that of necessary food, 

 checks the population before it arrives at the ut- 

 most limits of subsistence ; and as the grain may 

 be withdrawn from this particular use in the time 

 of a scarcity, a public granary is thus opened, 

 richer probably than could have been formed by 

 any other means. When such a consumption has 

 been once established, and has become perma- 

 nent, its effect is exactly as if a piece of land, 

 with all the people upon it, were removed from 

 the country. The rest of the people would cer- 

 tainly be precisely in the same state as they were 

 before, neither better nor worse, in years of 

 average plenty ; but in the time of dearth the 

 produce of this land would be returned to them, 

 without the mouths to help them to eat it. China, 

 without her distilleries, would certainly be more 

 populous ; but on a failure of the seasons, would 

 have still less resource than she has at present ; 

 and, as far as the magnitude of the cause would 

 operate, would in consequence be more subject 

 to famines, and those famines would be more 

 severe. 



The state of Japan resembles in so many re- 



* Vol. i. b. iv. c. iii. p. 396. 8vo. Eng. tran. 



