after, the person who put the dead man into the
merchant's garden, had himself a disagreeable affair, though it
cost him less trouble and money to get rid of it. In the street
where he lived, and not far from his house, was an eating house
for the lower classes. A beggar, who had been half-starved,
receiving from some compassionate person enough to purchase
himself a very ample repast, repaired to this eating house, and
called for several things at the same moment, which he ate most
voraciously. The owner of the eating house requested him to
stop a while before he ate again, as he perceived it must have
been some time since he had satisfied his hunger. The beggar,
however, would not listen to reason; he demanded food for his
money till it was all expended, and then dropped down dead.
This happened towards evening; and when the host perceived that
it was dark, he and his servants took up the dead mendicant,
and placed him at the door of the person before mentioned. On
the following morning, the beggar-mandarin of the district came
to him, and was very troublesome, declaring the beggar had been
killed by some of his family, and that he should institute a
process against him immediately. The accused, however, had the
good fortune to find a witness, who had seen the keeper of the
eating house and his servants put the body at his door.
Although the beggar-mandarin could now do nothing against him
in law, he refused to take the corpse away; and he was obliged
to pay him two hundred dollars to have it removed before it
became offensive. No doubt he got a good fee likewise from the
master of the eating house."

The accounts we have of the population of China, greatly exaggerate it
in the opinion of Mr. Dobell. The persons by whom these statements are
given, have been generally ambassadors, missionaries and others, who
were, from political motives, as well as convenience of travelling,
conducted in boats on the canals and rivers which intersect the richest,
best cultivated and most populous parts of the empire. But it is
ridiculous to calculate the number of inhabitants, by assuming, as the
basis, the population of a square league so settled, and to imagine that
all the land is equally well cultivated. The truth is, that all the rice
grounds of the empire--and the whole population eats rice--would be