THE EMPIRE OF CHINA, 



THIS empire includes China Proper, Chinese Tartary, and Tibet; 

 'die Chinese emperors of the Tartarian race having, within the last cen» 

 tury, greatly extended their authority and influence over the wander- 

 ing hordes inhabiting the countries to the west of China. We shaH 

 treat of each of these divisions of the Chinese empire separately. 



CHINA PROPER. 



SITUATION AND EXTENT. 



Miles. 



Length 1450 

 Breadth 1260 



between 



Degrees. 



20 and 42 north latitude. 

 98 and 123 east longitude. 



Sq. Mites. 



1,298,000 



Name. ...The Chinese call their country Tchong Qua, which signi- 

 fies the kingdom of the centre, as their vanity leads them to consider 

 China as the most distinguished region of the world, and situate in 

 the middle of it. The name of China (in the east Chin, or Tsin) is 

 derived, by some, from one of their ancient monarchs of that name, 

 who reigned, it is said, about two centuries before the Christian sera; 

 and by others, from the Chinese word chin, signifying silk. 



Boundaries, ..China is bounded by Chinese Tartary and an amazing 

 stone wall of five hundred leagues in length, on the north ; by the Pa- 

 cific Ocean, which divides it from North America, on the east ; by 

 the Chinesian Sea, south ; and by Tonquin, and the Tartarian coun- 

 tries and mountains of Tibet and Asiatic Russia, on the west. 



Division and population- ...The empire of China is divided into 

 fifteen provinces, each of which might, for its extent, fertility, popu- 

 lation, and opulence, rank as a distinct kingdom. The following 

 statement of the division, population, and extent of China Proper, was 

 delivered to lord Macartney, at his request, by Chow-ta-Zhin, a Chi- 

 nese mandarin, and is founded on authentic documents, taken from 

 one of the public offices in Pekin. 



PROVINCES. 



Population. 



Sq. KiJes. 



Acres. 



> Pe-che-lee ..... 



38,000,000 



58.949 



37,727,360 jj 



| Kiang-nan 7 



J 2 provinces 5 .... 



32,000,000 



92,961 



59.495.040 



i Riang-see ..... 



19.000.000 



72,176 



46.192,640 



| Tchekiang ..... 



21.000,000 



39.150 



25,056,000 



| Fo-chen ..... 



15,000,000 



5', 480 



34,227,200 



Kan}Hou-quang{ . . . 



14,000,000 ? 



13.000.0003 



144,770 



92,652,800 



Ho nan ..... 



25.000,000 



65,104 



41 666 500 



Shangtung ..... 



24.000.000 



65,104 



41 666,560 jj 



Shan-see ..... 



27,000.000 



55,268 



35,371,520 



Shen-see ..... 

 Ransore ..... 



18,000.000") 

 12.000,000j 



154,008 



98.565.120 



Se-chueen ..... 



27,000,000 



166.800 



106.752,000 



j Canton ..... 



21,000.000 



79,456 



50.851 840 



Quangsee , 



10,000.000 



78,250 



50.080.000 



Yu-nan ..... 



8,000.000 



107.969 



69.100,160 



Roei-cheou ..... 



[ Total 



9,000,000 



64 554 



41,314,560 



333,000,000 



1,297,999 



830,719360 



