Overview

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1816 edition. Excerpt: ... thousand; Du Halde at one million; and M; Sonnerat says he has ascertained them to be no more than seventy-five thousand; but as this gentleman has not favoured us with the grounds on which his calculation was founded, and, besides, appears as desirous 'of depreciating every thing that relates to the Chinese, as the Jesuits may be of magnifying, his opinion certainly admits of some doubt. The following circumstances may perhaps lead the reader to form a judgment with tolerable accuracy on this subject. A Chinese house, undoubtedly, occupies more space than is usually taken up by houses in Europe; but the proportion, suggested by M. Sonnerat, of four or five to one, certainly goes much beyond the truth. To this should be added, that a great many houses, in ttie suburbs of Canton, are occupied for commercial purposes only, by merchants and rich tradesmen, whose families live entirety within tne city. On the other hand, a Chinese family appears to consist, on an average, of more persons than an European A Mauda Vol. xvii. Pakt xxxiv. K..-rint J'ai verifii moi-mgme, avee plusieurs Chinois, la population de Canton, de la ville de Tartare, et de celle de Battaux, &c--Voyage oux Indes, fc par M. Sonnerat, torn. ii. p. 14. rin, according to his rank and substance, has from five to twenty wives. A merchant, from three to five. One of this class at Canton, had, indeed, twenty-five wives, and thirtysix children; but this was mentioned to me as a very extraordinary instance. An opulent tradesman has usually two; and the lower class of people very rarely more than one. Their servants are at least double in number to those employed by persons of the same condition in Europe. If, then, we suppose a Chinese family one-third larger, and an...

Full Product Details

9780217423168

Table of Contents

Reviews

Author Information

Tab Content 6

Countries Available