CHIN A. 1751. 227 



excavated on the inner fides, but like our 

 hatchets on the outward fide, and in the reft 

 of their fliape. They do not make ufe of 

 hammers, but content themfelves with thefe 

 hatchets. Their pincers are not at all like ours, 

 for they confift of an iron a foot long, fcarce 

 as thick as a finger, and an inch broad ; how- 

 ever one end of it is fomewhat broader and 

 thinner, in which are two or three holes ; 011 

 the other end it has a quadrangular foot, which 

 is an inch fquare, and fharp on the corners $ 

 on it a loofe quadrangular ring is hung, juft 

 fitting to the foot, fo that the extraction of a 

 nail is eafiiy effected. [See tab. xiu f. 3. J 

 Their whet-ftones are of a fine fand-ftone, and 

 were much admired by our carpenters* Their 

 laws are like ours, but lefs ; the whole frame 

 is wooden. The handle of their piercers, and 

 the piercers themfelves, are like thofe which we 

 employ to pierce iron, and other hard bodies. 

 They work in many forts of wood, both hard 

 and foft, which are no further known to us, 

 than that the bureaux, draught, and chefs- 

 boards, &c. which we bring to Europe, are 

 made of them. The black ebony, which is 

 ghdme, is not plentiful here, becaufe it is 

 brought hither from other places in the Eajl 

 I Indies, parkularly the French IJJe cf Maurice. 

 9^2 R 0SE 



