of land owners was reduced to four hundred, and that fifty of these held one half of the whole; since which time the number of landed proprietors has declined with the population, though not in the same proportion.  As the soil is remarkably fertile, the climate healthy, and the people temperate and industrious, they multiplied very rapidly until they reached their present numbers, which have been long stationary, and amount to 150,000, that is, about four hundred to a square mile; of these, more than one half live in towns and villages, containing from one hundred to a thousand houses.

They have little or no commerce with any other people, the valley producing every vegetable production, and the mountains every mineral, which they require; and in fact, they have no foreign intercourse whatever, except when they visit, or are visited from curiosity.  Though they have been occasionally bullied and threatened by lawless and overbearing neighbours; yet, as they can be approached by only a single gorge in the mountain, which is always well garrisoned, (and they present no sufficient object to ambition, to compensate for the scandal of invading so inoffensive and virtuous a people,) they have never yet been engaged in war.

I felt very anxious to know how it was that their numbers did not increase, as they were exempt from all pestilential diseases, and live in such abundance, that a beggar by trade has never been known among them, and are remarkable for their moral habits.

“Let us inquire at the fountain-head,” said the Brahmin; and we went to see the chief magistrate, who received us in a style of unaffected frankness, which in a moment put us at our ease.  After we had explained to him who we were, and answered such inquiries as he chose to make: 

“Sir,” said I, through the Brahmin, who acted as interpreter, “I have heard much of your country, and I find, on seeing it, that it exceeds report, in the order, comfort, contentment, and abundance of the people.  But I am puzzled to find out how it is that your numbers do not increase.  I presume you marry late in life?”

“On the contrary,” said he; “every young man marries as soon as he receives his education, and is capable of managing the concerns of a family.  Some are thus qualified sooner, and some later.”

“Some occasionally migrate, then?”

“Never.  A number of our young men, indeed, visit foreign countries, but not one in a hundred settles abroad.”

“How, then, do your associates continue stationary?”

“Nothing is more easy.  No man has a larger family than his land or labour can support, in comfort; and as long as that is the case with every individual, it must continue to be the case with the whole community.  We leave the matter to individual discretion.  The prudential caution which is thus indicated, has been taught us by our own experience.  We had gone on increasing, under the encouraging influence