KIRIN, ke-ren', the central province of Manchuria and its capital of the same name. The name, which means is in Chinese Ki-lin. Kirin province lies between the Sungari River on the north, the Usuri River and Russia on the east, Korea and Sheng king province on the south, and the Sungari River on the west. A part of the country is very mountainous, the elevation rising, in places, to the regions of perpetual snow, hut that section of the province which lies within the bend of the river Sungari is level and in clined to be low in places. The highest range of mountains in Kirin is the Shan-a-lin, the upper ranges of which are known as C'hang Peh-Shan, or Ever-white Mountains. These rise, in places, to an elevation of over 10,000 feet, are covered, in their highest peaks, throughout the year with snow, hence their name. In addition to the two important rivers already mentioned Kirin has a third great river, the Hurka, which is inferior only to the Sungari, which, after a long and tortuous course, ulti mately reaches the Amur. The Usuri, which is over 500 miles in length, is also a tributary of the Amur. A large part of the province is level and well adapted to agriculture and cattle raising, but it is not so largely cultivated as the provinces of China. The mountainous regions are still in a state of sylvan wildness and there tigers, mountain cats and various species of wild animals and birds abound, and the rivers and 'streams in the upland course are abun dantly filled with fish. Among the products of
the agricultural section of the country are barley; corn, millet, pulse and other grains, pota toes and other root crops, and in the low sec tions rice, while poppies are grown everywhere. Among the important cities of the province are Kirin, 100,000; Ashiho. 60,000; Petuna, 40,000; San Sing, 30,000; Lalin, 26,000, and Ninguta, 25,000. The capital, Kirin, which lies among the foothills on the shore of the Sungari River, is the most handsome and favorably situated town of the province. It is surrounded by tobacco plantations and upland forests, which furnish tt with a very considerable portion of its export trade. The tobacco goes to China, the timber to the regions farther down in the flat country where timber is not so plentiful. Owing to the abundance and excellent quality of the wood in the market the city does an ex tensive business in the building of boats for river trade; for this reason the Chinese call the city the "Navy Yard° Change) The neighboring mountains are rich in ore, some of which has been exploited, especially silver, but most of it awaits future develop ment. Kirin is well paved and is one of the cleanest cities in the province. Its many well attended squares and small parks give it a decided home-like appearance. Pop. of prov ince 2,000,000.