'iTH the present number of China's Millions our readers will receive a copy of a new outline
map of the eighteen provinces of China Proper. This map contains useful information
concerning China, and will help to make plain some impressive facts connected with the brief
history of the China Inland Mission.
If each of our readers will spend a few minutes in comparing the area and population of
each province, as shown by the blue and red figures, with the area and population of England and Wales,
which are shown on the map in a similar manner, they will in most cases rise from the study with a deepened
sense of the importance of each province as a field for missionary labour, and probably realising as never
before what is meant when they read of " the millions of China."
A diagram published in the " Missionary Herald " of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign
Missions, and subsequently in this country, shows in a striking manner the magnitude of the population of
China, and how much it exceeds the united population of the five great nations of the world. For the benefit
of our readers this diagram is now reproduced.
CHINA AND THE GREAT NATIONS,
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STATtS
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Each square in the above diagram represents four millions of souls. One hundred of these, therefore, or the
whole number embraced in the diagram, may stand for China. Allowing to each country named, as many squares
as will represent its population, it is at once seen that the aggregate population of these five nations only equals sixtythree one hundredths of the number of souls in the Chinese Empire.
Our co-temporary may truly say : —" There are few, even among intelligent people, who will not be amazed at the
number of nations required to furnish people enough to equal in number the inhabitants of China."
Protestant effort on behalf of this vast population may be said to have begun in 1807, when the
devoted Dr. Morrison first went out ; the distinguished honour of having sent him to China belongs to the