CONCSCRIPTION. 67 Tiiwun. China has always been divided, and its census always been taken from a military point of view. Its census-unit is the able-bodied man capable of bearing arms in defence of the state. This unit is called a Ding, every ten of whom, in ordinary wars, are supposed to supply and support one of their own number as an active soldier. But in the end of the harvest of 340, Jao Wang summoned all the chow cities to send to an appointed rendezvous three out of five, and two out of four Ding, thus collecting half the able-bodied men of his kingdom, then in good health and able to carry arms. This enormous conscription brought together 500,000 men, for whom he provided eleven million Hoo* of grain, stowed away in ten thousand vessels, to start from Longan chung."f* He removed over ten thousand families from Yiiyang and Beiping, and other districts of Liaosi, which he had taken from Dwan, to replace the men taken from Yoong and other chows to the south. There, too, they would be out of the way of temptation from Whang. He then marched eastwards from Yowchow, by Tahing and Tuntien to Bailang river, appropriating, on his march, 40,000 horses from the people, for the use of his army. He hoped thus to sweep Yen oflf the jEsLce of the earth. But he knew he had to deal with a skilful foe. In consultation with his ministers. Whang said that the Stone Tiger was in great force at Longan, where he had set the most careful watch and kept the most strict discipline, but that both the south and the north of KichungJ were most likely left unguarded ; and as that city was therefore most vulnerable, and an attack thereon gave promise of the greatest success, he gave orders for an immediate attack. He marched by the western route past Loongchung, seized a good many of Jao Wang's men by the way, and got to Kichung, whose
- Thi8, at two pints, would give each man four dow, or Chinese pecks, for two
months; an ample allowance; which again goes to prove two pints the proper quantity of the Hoo. It gives over 8000 lbs. to each boat. f 80 li east of Linchi of Tsinan foo in Shantung. ^ There are three Kichow cities in Chihli; but this is, doubtless, the city east of Peking, which would be nearest Whang, for he marches west to it.
