In many parts of China the farmer comes much nearer to independence, as regards producing what he weeds, than any clies of persons in was torn lands, 'This is especially the case where cotton ie raised, where each family tries ty make its' own clothing from its own crops, But even with the minute and indefatigable dustry of the Chinese, this ideal can be only imperfectly reached. No poor family has law enough to that it requires, and every family not poor ims a multitude of wants which must of necessity be supplied from without. Besides this, in any district most families have very little reserve capitx!, and must @epend upon meeting their wants as they urine, by the use of such means as can be secured from day t" day. Tne same omnparative poverty makes it necessary for a considerable part of the population to Gispose of sume portion of its surplus nducta at frequent intervals, s0 as to t it into the means of subsistence, The combined effect of these various causes is to make the Chinese dependent upon Tocal markets to an extent which is not true of iulibitan tries.
Ph establishment of any market, and even the mere existence of the cla-s of) nubrle-s involves a certain amount of ce-vperstion, But Chinese markets while not differing ma-ferially from thos to be found in other lurids, exhibit. a higher degree tion than any nthers of which we know, This ce-operation is exhibited in the selection beth of the plies and of the times ut which the markets shall be held. The density of population varies greatly different provinces, hut there xre east tracts in which villages are to be met at intervals of n quarter of mile to two or three miles, and many of there villages contain hundreds, and some of them thousands of families. At intervals of varying frequency, we hear of towns of still Larger size than these called chen-tien, or market towns, and in them there is sure te be x regular fair, But fairs are not confined tothe chen-tie wor the needs the people would by no means be met. Many of the inferior villages also have veguiar market, wuted by the neigh-during population, in" circle of greater or miualler radius according to circumstance rule n village seems to be proud of its fair, nnd the natives of such " price are we doubt saved 4 vast amount of travel, for the number of people who do not attend fair in small, We have met with one ense of a village which ance bad a warker, nnd gave it up in favour of another village, for the alleged reason that the collection of such " m cellaneous nesemblage was not for the advantage of the children and youth, 'The market is under the supervision of headmen of the town, and some markets are called uflicinl,' hecnuae the headmen have communicated with the lood magistrate, have secured the issuing of a pro clan fixing the regulations under which business shall be transacted, This makes it easier to yet redress for wrongs which may be committed by bad characters who abound at village markets in the direct ratio of the number of people assembled, Many of the larger markets bring together several thousand people, sometimes exceeding ten thousand i number, and among 80 many there are certain to! be numerous gamblers, sharpers, thieves, and pickpockets, against whens it behoves every one to be upon his guard. It occasionally happens that " feud arises) between two sets of villages, as for example over an embankment which one of them cit makes to restrain the summer floods, which would thus be turned toward the ferrite of the other villages not encommon for the parties to the It appears to be a general trath that by quarrel to refuse to attend each other's far the larger part of these large fairs owe
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.