208 



CHINA. 



Toj>rr. t ion to its latitude ; n.d the rivers ire uid to he to much 

 v_*~*' 1 _. frono during four months of the year, that horses, and 

 ""V"" ' waggon* can pasi upon the ice. The ice dissolves very 

 slowly ; the air, at the same time, is not so pinching to che 

 feriingi during thrse severe frosts as in Europe ; and pro- 

 visions of every kind may bo kept for a long time with- 

 out bring subject to putn faction. These circumstances 

 have been ascribed tu the quantity of nitre in the pro- 

 vince, and to the serenity of the sky, which, even in win- 

 ter, is seldom obscured by a cloud. There are very few 

 mountains in the province ; and the general face of the 

 country is extremely level. At high water, it is not 

 much more than two feet above the surface of the rivers ; 

 nd the tide, which rise* only nine or ten feet in the gulf 

 of Pe-tche-lce, flows 1 10 miles ii.to the bosom of the coun- 

 try, up the river Pei-ho, which frequently submerges the 

 whole district through which it passes. Along the banks 

 of this river a light sandy soil chiefly prevails, with a 

 mixture of argillaceous earth, and slimy matter, intersper- 

 sed with shining particles of mica ; but not a stone of 

 any magnitude, nor pebble, nor even gravel, is to be seen 

 in the whole course of the river, as far as it is navigable. 

 On the southern coast of the gulf of Pe-tche-lee, there 

 are several hills all of the same sizi 1 , and form regular 

 co:u s with smooth sides, entirely detached from one ano- 

 ther, and each standing upon its own base, so as to have all 

 the appearance of having been artificially formed. The 

 water i:i this province, especially near Pekin, when taken 

 from the springs or rivers, leaves a kind of tartar of a 

 yellowish colour in the vessels, in which it has been boil- 

 ed, or has stood for some time. The plague never makes 

 its appearance in this province, and the people are remark- 

 ably free from epidemic distempers. It has been remark- 

 ed, that the inhabitants of this part of the empire have 

 not the same aptitude in acquiring the sciences, as those 

 of the more southern provinces ; but they are much more 

 warlike, hardy, and robust. 



II. SHAN-SEE, Sliaiig tte, Chan-see, or Xan-tec, is one 

 of the smallest provinces of the empire, but is considered 

 as the spot where the first inhabitants of China, or at least 

 the first founders of the nation, had their residence. It 

 contains five cities of the first class, 16 of the second, 

 and 70 of the third. Tai-yuen-foo, the capital of the 

 province, is an ancient city, about three leagues in cir- 

 cumference, formerly the residence of the imperial fami- 

 ly, but now much decayed in its splendour. The pala- 

 ces of its royal inhabitants are reduced to ruins ; and 

 their tombs, on a neighbouring mountain, are the only 

 memorials of their existence. These monuments are all 

 of marble or cut stone, spread over a considerable space; 

 mingled with triumphal arches, statues of heroes, figures 

 of horses, lions, and other animals ; and the whole sur- 

 rounded by groves of cypress trees, planted in chequer, 

 The territory around this city is fruitful and pleasant ; 

 and its principal articles of trade are hardware, stuffs of 

 different kinds, but particularly carpets in imitation of 

 those of Turkey. 1'm-hiang-foo, nearly equal to the 

 capital in the fertility of it soil, and the extent of its 

 district. Lou-ngan-foo, pleasantly situated at the source 

 f a river. Fuen-tcheoo-foo, an ancient and commercial 

 city on the banks of the . a-ho, famc-d for its 



hot baths and springs, which attract numbers of stran- 

 gers, atid jtid greatly to its opulence. Tai-tong.foo, 

 built near to the great wall, and well garrisoned. 

 place of great strength, and has an extensive jurisdiction. 

 Its vicinity abounds in medicinal herbs lapL laiuli, mar- 

 ble, porphyry, and a beautiful kind of jasper. The cli- 



mate of this province is pleasant and healthful ; and Topog 

 the atmosphere generally pure throughout the year. 

 The thermometer of Fahrenheit is often, for many days *"""> ~ 

 in winter, below the free 7. ing point, and sometimes de- 

 scends to zero. The soil is very fertile, and the vines 

 produce the best grapes in China. It is full of moun- 

 tains ; some of which are entirely uninhabited, and have 

 a very frightful appearance But tin- greater part of 

 them are carefully cultivated, and cut iniu terraces from 

 top to bottom. On the summits of some of them, are 

 f.iund extensive plains, which are said tu be as fruitful as 

 the richest low lands. They abound in jasper, lapis la- 

 zuli, marble, porphyry, iron ore, crystal, salt pits, and 

 inexhaustible coal mines. The inhabitants are strong- 

 limbed ; and the women accounted handsome. 



III. SIIKX SK.E, Chen see, or Xen see, is divided into 

 two parts, Eastern and Western, and is one of the most 

 extensive provinces of the empire. It contains 8 cities 

 of the first class, 22 of the second, and 84 of the third ; 

 of which the capital, Sin-gan foo, is said to be inferior 

 only to Pekin in beauty and extent. Its walls are >; : 

 and lofty, four miles in circumference, flanked with nu- 

 merous towers, and surrounded by a deep ditch. It cor.-, 

 tains a palace, in which the sovereigns of China once re- 

 sided ; but the rest of its buildings are not much supe- 

 rior to those of other cities in the country. The pi '. 

 cipal Tartar troops, destined for the defence of the i, 

 ern parts of the empire, are stationed in this city, in a 

 separate quarter, inclosed by a wall of its own. In the 

 neighbourhood of the city, is found a singular specics.of 

 bats, as large, it is said, as domestic fowis, and the flesh 

 of which is preferred by the Chinese to that ot chicken. 

 It was near this city, that the famous marble table, men- 

 tioned by Father Le Compte, was dug up, in the year 1 64-5, 

 which was considered as a monument of the Christian re- 

 ligion, and which was understood as demonstrating the 

 existence of Christianity in China, as early as the period, 

 between 636 to 782. Han-tchong-foo, a large and po- 

 pulous city on the river Han, and remarkable for the. 

 high road io its vicinity, which i carried over very lofty 

 mountains and deep vallies. Ping-lcang-foo, a consider- 

 able city in the western part of the province, on the river 

 Km-ho, is surrounded with picturesque mountains, and. 

 numerous streams of water. In its vicinity is a valley so 

 deep as to b? almost impervious to the rays of the sun, 

 and through the middle of which passes a high-way, pa- 

 ved with large square stones. Kong-tchan-foo, surround- 

 ed by inaccessible mountains, on one of which is to be 

 seen an old sepulchral monument, which the Chinese con- 

 sider as the tomb of Fo-heeor Fo-shee.* Lan-tcheoo, . 

 though only of the second order of cities, is one of the 

 important in the province, is the capital of the 

 wostein portion, and the seat of the viceroy. It is situa- 

 ted near the great wall, and not very distant from the 

 principal ports of the western coast. Its territories are 

 watered by the great Yellow-river ; and its trade consists 

 in tkins brought from Tartary, different kinds of wool- 

 len manufacture, and a coarse stuff made of cow's hair, 

 u-e.l tor great-coats as ;i protection from snow. 



This province is celebrated for its wealth and com- 

 mc-rce. Its snil is in general extremely fertile, and pro- 

 duces abundance of wheat and millet, but little rice. It 

 is subject to excessive droughts, and destructive visits 

 from locusts. It abounds in drugs cinnabar, wax, ho- 

 ney, and inexhaustible veins of coil. It contains also 

 gold mines, which the government does not permit to be 

 opened ; but gold-dust is washed down by the rivers ia 



* The k in the Chinese language bai always c sibilant found before the vowel toimd of i, ft, or v. 



