graphy and History.=--The Chinese Empire occupies a position on the
eastern side of the Asiatic continent within about the same parallels of
latitude as the United States, extending from twenty degrees latitude on
the south to fifty-three degrees on the north. Its area is about four
and a quarter million square miles, being somewhat larger than that of
the United States. Its population is estimated at about six times that
of our country. It has an abundance of rivers, intersected by numerous
canals, which greatly facilitate internal commerce. Many parts of the
country are densely populated. The people are largely engaged in
agriculture. Tea and silk are the chief articles of export, while rice
and millet form the principal food.

The Chinese belong to the Mongolian or yellow race. They are an
industrious, frugal, and temperate people, though the opium habit is
very general and is disastrous in its effects. Doubtless the overcrowded
population, which has driven many to live in boats and in crowded
apartments, has had much to do in molding the Chinese character. Until
recently they have been slow to admit modern improvements and are
conservative in the maintenance of their customs, religion, education,
and social practices. Consequently they have for many centuries made but
little progress. Their authentic history covers, according to extant
records, a period of nearly four thousand years. The government is an
absolute monarchy; the emperor is regarded as the father of all his
people and has complete power over the lives of his subjects.

The Chinese language contains no alphabet; each symbol represents a
different word; the substantives are indeclinable, and the verbs are
without inflection. It thus becomes necessary in mastering the language
to learn by rote a vast number of signs and characters,--a prodigious
feat for the memory.

The religion most widespread among the Chinese is Buddhism (which was
imported from India), though ancestor worship is still universal. Women
are the principal worshipers, yet the Chinese believe that women have
no souls. The belief in transmigration of souls is implicit, and this is
used to keep woman in a most degraded condition. If a woman is obedient
to her husband and his relatives, and is the mother of sons, she may
hope to return to this world, in the future, as a man, and thus have a
chance ultimately to reach Buddha's heaven. The belief in the
transmigration of souls explains the v