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36483 results in Social and population history

Page 1795 of 1825

  • CHAP. VII - Government—Laws—Tenures of Land and Taxes—Revenues—Civil and Military Ranks, and Eftablifhments

  • John Barrow
  • Book:
    Travels in China
    Published online:
    29 August 2010
    Print publication:
    29 July 2010, pp 357-417
    First published in:
    1804

  • Summary

    THE late period at which the nations of Europe became firft acquainted with the exiftence even of that vaft extent of country comprehended under the name of China, the difficulties of accefs to any part of it when known, the peculiar nature of the language which, as I have endeavoured to prove, has no relation with any other either ancient or modern, the extreme jealoufy of the government towards foreigners, and the contempt in which they were held by the loweft of the people, may ferve, among other caufes, to account for the very limited and imperfect knowledge we have hitherto obtained of the real hiftory of this extraordinary empire: for their records, it feems, are by no means deficient, for two centuries at lead before the Chriftian era, down to the prefent time, the tranfactions of each reign are amply detailed without any interruption. They have even preferved collections of copper coins, forming a regular feries of the different Emperors that have filled the throne of China for the laft two thoufand years. Such a collection, though not quite complete, Sir George Staunton brought with him to England.

    Before this time, when China confifted of a number of petty ftates or principalities, the annals of the country are faid to abound with recitals of wars and battles and bloodfhed, like thofe of every other part of the world.

  • CHAP. II - Occurrences and Obfervations in the Navigation of the Yellow Sea, and the Paffage up the Pei-ho, or White River

  • John Barrow
  • Book:
    Travels in China
    Published online:
    29 August 2010
    Print publication:
    29 July 2010, pp 25-86
    First published in:
    1804

  • Summary

    “IF any man fhould make a collection of all the inventions, “and all the productions, that every nation, which now is, “or ever has been, upon the face of the globe, the whole “would fall far fhort, either as to number or quality, of what “is to be met with in China.” Thefe, or fomething fimilar, are the words of the learned Ifaac Voffius.

    The teftimony given by the celebrated authors of the Encyclopedie des Connoiffances humaines is almoft equally ftrong: “The Chinefe who, by common content, are fuperior to all “the Afiatic nations, in antiquity, in genius, in the profrefs “of the fciences, in wifdom, in government, and, in true phi-“lofophy; may, moreover, in the opinion of fome authors, “enter the lifts, on all thefe points, with the moft enlightened “nations of Europe.”

    How flattering, then, and gratifying muft it have been to the feelings of thofe few favoured perfons, who had the good fortune to be admitted into the fuite of the Britifh Embaffador, then preparing to proceed to the court of that Sovereign who held the government of fuch an extraordinary nation; how greatly muft they have enjoyed the profpect of experiencing, in their own perfons, all that was virtuous, and powerful, and grand, and magnificent, concentrated in one point—in the city of Pekin!

Page 1795 of 1825