The Chinese population may be divided into two classes, the Hoklo, who speak the Amoy dialect and who came originally from Fokien province, and the Hakka, who speak a Cantonese dialect snd immigrated chiefly from the Kuangtung province, where they were practically Sutcasts. The Hakka are a hardy and warlike race and predominate in the savage border districts, where land could be obtained for the taking and where a certain freedom from official oppression was ensured.
1 "Unlike their Hoklo brethren, they are generally fearless, and we thus find them, St all Chinese, most willing to undertake the making of camphor in dangerous districts. There are a few prosperous Hakka villages in the plain; but, as a rule, the Hakka prefers the hills. It is roughly estimated that there are in the islands nearly 500,000 of these people.
The Hoklo, who number over 2,000,000 are the predominant race throughout the island. They have brought with them the customs of their hotreland to such that a Chinese village in Formosa presents the same features as a village in their home province. The housesaroof like materials and are crowded together in the fame unsanitary way, the narrow ill-smelling streets present the sume filth and are as irregular, the street hawkers have the same call and exhibit the same wares, and the people are alike in their dress nnd habits. Like their brethren on the mainland they are industrious and economical, but, unfortunately, unclean and superstitious. If they possess any advantages over the great masses of the Chinese mainland, it is that the present generation are less anti-foreign and more liberal in many ways. The parents of the thousands of the Formosan Chinese arrived as strangers, practically, in s foreign land; they doubtless met with hardships and unfriendliness while obtaining @ foot~ hold, and it is perhaps this fact that hi made them look with more kindly spirit towards strangers in general. Without a doubt, the splendid work of the missionary bodies in the island, who lived down the disfavour with which they were at first regarded, accounts to a great degree for the absence of any strong anti-foreign spirit among the people at present.
The first arrivals were Japanese and Chinese pirates, and towards the close of the fifteenth century Chinese officials had frequent contests with them at sor he turbulent days following, which re~ corded the advance of the Turtars over China, drove to the island many daring its, including that remarkable warrior and leader, Koxinga.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.