I.

CHAP. run fo many hazards in ten years, as he did in ten days upon these torrents: but all this danger it feems proceeds from want of hands to manage their barks, for if inftead of eight men they carried fifteen, all the violence of the ftreams would not be able to carry them away, fo dexterous are the Chinese at ftemming the force of the current. But it is common in China, as well as other parts of the world, to hazard men's lives, and venture lofing all their effects, rather than be at a trifling charge more than they apprehend to be abfolutely neceffary.

CHAP. II.

Great

Father GEMELLI CARERI obferves, that there is hardly a city or village through the whole empire, especially in the fouthern provinces, but enjoys the conveniency of fome navigable river, lake, canal, or arm of the fea; and that there are almost as many people live upon the water as upon the land wherever there is a town upon the fhore there is another of boats upon the water; and fome ports are fo blocked up with veffels, that it will take up feveral hours to get cross them to land. Thefe veffels are made as commodious as houses: and there are many born, and live, and die in them; and they keep hogs, poultry, dogs, and other domestick animals on board, as if they were on fhore.

Befides thefe veffels, there are a prodigious number of floats of timber perpetually going up and down the rivers and canals, which carry whole villages of people upon them. This timber is cut chiefly in the provence of Suchuen, which adjoins to India on the weft; and these floats are fome of them a mile in length; they rife two or three foot above the water, upon which the people build little wooden huts, or cabins, at equal diftances, where they live till they have difpofed of the timber on which they are built: thus great quantities of it are conveyed as far as Pekin, being above three hundred leagues from the place where

it is cut.

CHA P. II.

Containing a defcription of their towns, fortifications, palaces, publick buildings, boufes, and furniture.

II.

that was fent from Muscovy to China, and others CHAP who have lately feen it, we learn that it is but four fathoms, or about thirty foot high; and broad enough for eight people to ride a-breast, LE COMPTE makes it but five foot thick, and not fo high as the walls of their towns; but he has either miftaken the thickness of the wall, or it is falfe printed, viz. five feet for five yards; for it is generally agreed to be about five yards thick, and ten in height.

There are no breaches in this wall, except in the province of Pekin, north of the city Suven, where inftead of the wall are very high and inacceffible mountains; and in that part where the Hoambo, or Yellow River, paffes through it: as for leffer rivers which fall into China through this wall, they run under arches made in the wall. It is generally of equal height upon the highest hills, and in the loweft valleys; fo that Le COMPTE obferves, when people talk of the wonderful height of it in fome places, it must be understood of the height of the mountain on which fuch part of the wall ftands.

It is fortified all along by fquare towers at a mile diftance, fay fome; and others at the diftance of two bow-fhots from one another. It was formerly guarded by a million of foldiers; but now guards are placed only at fuch parts of it as are eafieft of access.

The cities and towns of China are all built in Cities and one form, as near as the ground will permit; buildings. that is, fquare. Two great ftreets which cross one another in the middle of the town, divide it into four quarters; and from the center, the four principal gates may be feen at once. The gates ftand due caft, weft, north, and fouth; the streets lie in a trait line, are large and well paved, but very troublesome to walk in, all men of any fashion being carried in chairs, or riding on horfeback through them with their attendants and great equipages, and no pofts to keep off the horfes and carriages. The defcription of two or three of them will give us a tolerable notion of the reft.

AVING given fome account of their rivers and canals, and the veffels ufed upon them, I fhall proceed to describe their cities, fortifications, and buildings on fhore.

And firft, of the great wall which feparates wall, &c. China from Tartary: (except towards the east part of it, where it divides the province of Pekin from that of Leaotum, which our later accounts inform us lies without the wall.) This work begins in the province of Xenfi, which lies on the north-west of China, in about 38 degrees of latitude, and is carried on over mountains and valleys; first towards the north-eaft, to the latitude of 42, and then fouth-eafterly, to the latitude of 39, and terminates at the Kang-fea between the provinces of Pekin and Leaotum. The whole courfe of it, with all the windings, LE COMPTE tells us, is about fifteen hundred miles; though in a direct line from weft to eaft it may not be half fo many miles: it is almost all built with brick, and fuch well tempered mortar, that it has now stood above eighteen hundred years, being built by the Emperor CHIHOHAMTI, to prevent the incurfions of the Tartars, and is very little decayed. Some relations tell us it is many yards thick, and exceeding high; but by the embassy VOL. I. NUMB. II.

The imperial city of Pekin, is fituated about Pekin. the fortieth degree of northern latitude, and was antiently exactly fquare, being four leagues about; but when the Tartars expelled the Chinese out of this city, they permitted them to build a new one adjoining to it; which, with the old one, now makes an irregular figure, confiderably longer than it is broad: fo that Pekin is indeed two cities joined in one, as London and Weftminster are with us; one is called the Tartar, and the other the Chinese city, the latter of which is much the most populous. They are both together fix leagues in circumference, reckoning 3600 paces to a league, according to father LE COMPTE, who measured them by the Emperor's order, and he thinks it to be four times as big as Paris: but as the houfes in Pekin are but one story high, and thofe at Paris four, Pekin may not have more people lodged in it than Paris; efpecially if we confider that the streets are much wider, and that the Emperor's palace is of a vast extent, containing parks, gardens, canals, &c. Yet he feems to be of opinion, that the inhabitants of Pekin are more numerous than those of Paris, because they do not take up half the room in their lodgings that the Europeans do.

The crowds in the streets alfo he obferves are fo great, that people of quality are forced to have a horfeman ride before them to make way; and

E

yet

is alfo walled round, and has feven gates, and a CHAP large fuburb at every gate.

CHAP. yet scarce a woman is to be feen amongst them: II. but there may be several other reafons given for the crowd being fo great in this city, befides the populoufnefs of the place. Firft, multitudes of country people daily resort to Pekin to market, and no river coming up close to the city, all manner of goods are brought thither by land carriage, which occafions the streets to be filled with waggons, camels, and other beafts of burthen, with their drivers; infomuch that morning and evening the gates are fo thronged a man muft wait fome hours before he can get by. Befides, Artificers few artificers or handicrafts work in their own houses, but in the houses of their customers; fmiths, taylors, &c. are all day about the streets looking out for employment; then all perfons of fashion have numerous trains of fervants; and when a mandarin goes abroad, all his officers attend him in their formalities; the lords of the court and princes of the blood, who go almoft every day to court, are attended with strong guards of horse, all which contribute to fill the ftreets, and make Pekin, as well as other cities of China, appear much more populous than they really are. However, LE COMPTE Computes there are not less than two millions of inhabitants in the city of Pekin, which is certainly a bove double the number that is to be found either in Paris or London.

never work in their shops.

Streets.

The principal ftreets in Pekin are one hundred and twenty foot broad, and a league in length; and the fhops in which they fell their filks and China-ware, generally take up the whole ftreet, and make a very agreeable profpect: and that which renders it more fo, is the custom the tradefmen have of setting up a long board before their shops, above twenty foot high, painted and gilt, on which are written the names of the goods they fell. These being placed on each fide the ftreet, almost at equal distances, in moft of the cities in China, and having pendants and ftreamers on the top, make a very agreeable fhow. They have no figns, but the name of every tradefman is written in large letters over his door, as fome of our tradefmens are upon their figns in England.

The walls of this city are fifty cubits high, as fome write; but all agree, that they hide the whole town by their height, and are fo thick, that several may ride a-breaft upon them. They are defended by square towers about a bow fhot distance from one another. The ditch before them is dry, but very broad and deep. The gates are of a prodigious height, and at at a diftance make a noble fhow: every gate, of the town has a fortrefs, or redoubt, built before it of equal height with the gate, which being joined together by high walls, forms a handfome fquare, large enough for 500 men to draw up in battalia. The way into it is by the fide wall between the gate and the fort, and not directly forward; then turning to the right, you enter the gate of the city, where a strong guard is always kept. The arches or gateways, are built with marble; but the rest of the walls with brick. The Chinese are not arrived at any perfection in fortification yet; for they have no other works befides a wall ftrengthened with fquare towers, a deep ditch, fometimes dry, but commonly of running water, with fome bulwarks or bastions, and a few pitiful iron guns upon their walls. There are nine gates in the Tartar city; three towards the fouth, and two on each of the other fides. The Chinese city

The Emperor's palace ftands in the middle of the Tartar city, and is an oblong square, about two miles in length, and one in breadth, defended by a good wall. This palace includes not only the Emperor's house and gardens, but the apartments of his officers, and a great number of artificers, who are conftantly employed by the Emperor. None are permitted to lie within the innermoft palace but the eunuchs: the inner palace confifts of nine vaft courts: the arches through which one enters these courts are of marble, and over each there is large fquare Gothick building; but the offices on each fide these courts are but mean. The Emperor's apartment, which is in the furtheft court, is fupported by large marble pillars, and roofed with glazed yellow tiles, which glitter like the fun; the white marble steps by which you afcend the rooms of ftate, the carved work, varnish, painting, and gilding, with which they are adorned, make them look very magnificent, and fuitable to the grandeur of the Monarch to which they belong: but ftill there is not that contrivance and uniformity, LE COMPTE obferves, in which the beauty of our buildings confift; and the irregularity of the whole must offend any one who has fkill architecture.

The guards of the palace have no other arms but their fcymatars, and are not fo numerous as fome relate; but there are three or four thousand mandarins and great officers always attending at the time of audience. The power and infolence of the eunuchs in the palace was an infupportable grievance in the former reigns of the Chinese Emperors; but the Emperors of the Tartar race have fo humbled them, that they are not much confidered now; fome ferve as pages, and others in the meanest offices.

But to return to the city; it is divided into four quarters or diftricts, and every one of these into leffer divifions; every ten houses has an officer like our conftable, who prefides over the other nine, and informs the magiftrate if any thing extraordinary happens. If any robbery be committed in the night, the neighbourhood are obliged to make it good; and in every family the mafter is answerable for his children and fervants. In the night the guards patrol in the principal streets, and the horse go their rounds upon the walls; and if any are taken up who have not a licensed lanthorn, they feldom escape punishment; for no masquerades or nightly meetings are encouraged by the Chinese.

The city of Pekin stands upon a plain; there are no hills in it but two, which were thrown up by hand, in the Emperor's palace. In all parts of the city there are men and chairs to be hired, as in London, and horfes; but no coaches are ufed in this part of the world.

II.

Palace.

Their houfes, and even the palaces of the prin- Houses. cipal mandarins, are built upon the furface of the ground, and fupported by wooden pillars, without any foundation. Indeed they build but one ftory high, and fo need a foundation the lefs; but they take up a great extent of ground, having feveral open fquare courts within their walls: they have fuch a regard to their privacy, that no windows are made towards the ftreet, or to look towards their neighbours; and just within their great gate, or portal, there ftands a wall or skreen to prevent ftrangers looking in upon the opening

Pa

Friumphal Arch

1Plann of a Chinese House

Toner of Nanking

Page 8

II.

CHAP. of the gate: when you are paffed this fkreen, there are little alleys to the right and left, from whence you pafs into the feveral courts, which are built on all fides. Their entertainments are made in a fort of hall, or banqueting house, at the entrance of their houses; which have no other ornament befides a fingle order of columns, painted and varnished, which fupport the building; and the roofs are often open to the tiles, without a ceiling. They have no looking-glaffes, hangings, or fine chairs; and their beds, which are one of the principal ornaments, are hardly ever seen by ftrangers, who are not permitted to go Furniture. farther than the first great hall. The furniture of the best houses confifts only of cabinets, tables, varnished skreens, china-ware, pictures, and pieces of white taffety, upon which are written in large characters fome fentences of morality: nor do you fee any chimneys in their rooms, but they have ftoves of charcoal to warm them in cold weather.

Nankin.

Towers,

lick build

ings.

Their beds are indeed very fine; in the fummer they have taffety curtains wrought with flowers, trees, and birds, in gold and filk embroidery; or they have curtains of the fineft gaufe, which ferve to keep off the flies and gnats, but let in the air. In cold weather they have curtains made of coarse fattin, with the figures of dragons, and other animals, and plants wrought in them; with counterpanes of the fame. They have no feather-beds; but ufe thick quilts, or matreffes, to lie on; and their bedsteads are adorned with a variety of carving and figures.

Nankin, or the fouth court, (which the Tartars call Kiammin) was the feat of the empire, till the Emperor thought fit to remove to Pekin, or the north court, to oppofe the incurfions of the

Tartars.

It is ftill the capital of the province of Nankin, and lies in the latitude of 32, longitude 137. It was antiently enclofed by three walls, the outermost of which was fixteen leagues in circumference. The ruins of them look more like the boundaries of a province, than the walls of a city but though it has loft much of it's former grandeur, and is leffened, as well in it's buildings as the number of inhabitants, fince the removal of the court to Pekin, it is ftill thought to be more populous than Pekin. The streets are well paved, but not very broad; the houfes low, but neat; the fhops are filled with the richest filks, and all other manufactures which are to be found in the empire. Hither the doctors and mandarins retire when they are out of employment, here being the moft confiderable libraries, and printing and all other arts practifed in the greatest perfec. tion; the language is alfo more pure than in any other part of the kingdom. of the kingdom. This city ftands on This city ftands on the river Kiam, the largest and deepest river in China: it is about half a league broad at this town. Here are alfo a multitude of navigable canals, with ftately bridges over them, conftantly thronged with veffels going in or out the port, and the city has a garrifon of forty thousand men in it.

Without the gates of every town there are and pub ufually two magnificent towers erected, and near each tower is a temple of idols, and another dedicated to the genius, or guardian angel, of the place. There are alfo in almost every city triumphal arches, built to the honour of fome great men, who have been benefactors to their country; and colleges or temples founded in memory

II.

of their great philofopher CONFUCIUS, where CHAP. his precepts are taught.

Procelane

There are two towers without the gates of Nankin, one of them called the Porcelane Tower, Tower at of an octangular figure, contains nine ftories, and Nankin. is two hundred feet high: it is raised on a maffive bafis built of brick, and furrounded with a rail of unpolished marble. There are alfo ten or twelve steps all round it, by which you afcend to the first room: there are no windows in this room, but three large doors open into it; and from thence you may afcend to the ninth story, by very ftrait inconvenient ftairs; each step being ten inches deep. Thefe towers are all built alike, in the form of a cone, or fugar-loaf; between every story there is a penthoufe, or fhed, all round, which grows lefs and lefs, like the tower itself, decreafing in breadth as it increafes in height. The wall is at leaft twelve feet thick at bottom, and eight and a half at the top, and faced with china, or porcelane, on the outfide. Each story is made by thick pieces of timber laid a-crofs, and on them a floor; and the ceiling of every room is adorned with paintings. The walls of the upper rooms have windows; and there are niches alfo round them, filled with the images of their gods. Above the eighth ftory there is a cupola, which rifes thirty feet higher than the tower; and on the top is a very large golden ball. This tower has ftood above three hundred years, and ftill appears wondrous beautiful. LE COMPTE looks upon it to be the best contrived, and nobleft ftructure in the east.

The Chinese have in every city very large bells, B-lls and by which they diftinguish the five watches of the watches. night; they are hung in towers built for that purpofe, and begin to found at feven or eight in the evening. In the firft watch they ftrike once, which they repeat a little afterwards, and, fo on till the fecond watch begins; then they ftrike two, which they continue to repeat till the third watch begins, and fo on. They make ufe alfo of a drum in. their towers, in the fame man

ner.

、

There are feven great bells at Pekin, LE COMPTE informs us, which weigh one hundred and twenty thousand pounds a piece. They are eleven feet wide, forty round, and twelve feet high, befides the ear, which is three feet more. But though they exceed our bells much in bignefs, ours exceed them as much in found neither their metal nor their way of cafting is comparable to ours; and having wooden clappers, they make a very dull noife. Thefe bells are almoft in form of a cylinder, near as wide at the top as they are at bottom; but the thickness leffens gradually from the bottom to the top. The metal is brittle, very ill caft, and full of knots.

China abounds in great cities; a traveller is Number hardly got out of one but he enters another of cities and towns. They are divided into three claffes, of the first there are about 160, many of which are three or four leagues round.

In the Provinces of Xenfi and Xanfi, their vil lages are furrounded with walls and ditches; and have iron gates, which are shut every night, and guarded in the day time by the country people,

to defend them as well from the infults of the foldiers, as from robbers.

ches.

The triumphal arches above-mentioned, confift Triumof three great arches made of marble, the middle phal ararch higher than the other two; they are fupported by four columns, fometimes round, but oftner

fquare,