ThereisnocountrywherepopulationiscarriedtoagreaterheightthaninChina。Thecommonpeoplearesupportedbyriceandricewater；theyworkalmostnakedandinthesouthernprovincestheyhavethreeplentifulharvestsofriceyearly，thankstotheirgreatattentiontoagriculture。Thelandisneverfallowandyieldsahundredfoldeveryyear。Thosewhoareclothedhavegenerallyclothingofcotton，whichneedssolittlelandforitsproductionthatanacreofland，itseems，iscapableofproducingaquantityfullsufficientfortheclothingoffivehundredgrownuppersons。TheChinesebytheprinciplesoftheirreligionareobligedtomarry，andbringupasmanychildrenastheirmeansofsubsistencewillafford。Theylookuponitasacrimetolaylandoutinpleasuregardensorparks，defraudingthepublicofmaintenance。Theycarrytravellersinsedanchairs，andsavetheworkofhorsesuponalltaskswhichcanbeperformedbymen。Theirnumberisincredibleiftherelationofvoyagesistobedependedupon，yettheyareforcedtodestroymanyoftheirchildreninthecradlewhentheyapprehendthemselvesnottobeabletobringthemup，keepingonlythenumbertheyareabletosupport。Byhardandindefatigablelabourtheydrawfromtheriversanextraordinaryquantityoffishandfromthelandallthatispossible。
Neverthelesswhenbadyearscometheystarveinthousandsinspiteofthecareoftheemperorwhostoresriceforsuchcontingencies。NumerousthenasthepeopleofChinaare，theyarenecessarilyproportionedtotheirmeansoflivinganddonotexceedthenumberthecountrycansupportaccordingtotheirstandardoflife；andonthisfootingasingleacreoflandwillsupportmanyofthem。
OntheotherhandthereisnocountrywheretheincreaseofpopulationismorelimitedthanamongthesavagesintheinteriorpartsofAmerica。Theyneglectagriculture，liveinwoods，andonthewildbeaststheyfindthere。Astheirforestsdestroythesweetnessandsubstanceoftheearththereislittlepastureforanimals，andsinceanIndianeatsseveralanimalsinayear，50
or100acressupplyonlyenoughfoodforasingleIndian。
AsmalltribeoftheseIndianswillhave40squareleaguesforitshuntingground。Thewageregularandbitterwarsovertheseboundaries，andalwaysproportiontheirnumberstotheirmeansofsupportfromthechase。