CHINA. 



SOS? 



T?ogru. t great abundance, that lumbers 6F the inhabitants gain 

 P^Y- their subsistence by collecting it. One of the most re- 

 * "V"-' rnarkable objects in the province, is the high-way cut 

 across the mountains, and leading towards the capital; a 

 work which was done -at immense labour by the military 

 during an expedition, and in the course of which are to be 

 seen lofty bridges thrown over vallies, so high that it is 

 fearful to look down, but at the same time so wide that 

 four horsemen can ride along, abreast. The inhabitants 

 of this province are said to excel the other Chinese in 

 stature and strength, and likewise in genius and affability 

 to strangers. 



Se fchuen. IV. SE-TCHUEN, Se-thuen, or Soii-cJiou, contains ten 

 cities of the first class, 16 of the second, and 78 of the 

 third, besides a number of forts and strongholds. Tching- 

 too-foo, its capital, was formerly an imperial residence, 

 ar.d one of the finest cities of China ; but it was almost 

 entirely destroyed in Id'+G, during the civil wars which 

 preceded the last Tartar invasion. It still contains many 

 magnificent ruins of pahces, bridges, and tffnples ; and 

 as it is situated in a plain, surrounded by canals and na 

 vigable rivers, it carries on a very considerable trade. 

 Tchong.king-foo is one of the most trading towns in the 

 province, in consequence of its favourable situation at the 

 confluence of two large rivers, the Hin tcha kiang arid 

 the Ta-kiang. It is built upon a mountain, in the form 

 of an amphitheatre ; and the surrounding air is healthful 

 and temperate. It is celebrated for the excellent fish 

 caught in its vicinity, and for the manufacture of a pe- 

 culiar kind of trunk made of canes, interwoven in the 

 manner of basket-work. Tong-tchuen-foo is a fortified 

 place, of which all the inhabitants are soldiers, and whose 

 forefathers have followed the same profession for many 

 generations. 



This province is rich in mines of tin, iron, and lead ; 

 produce's loadstone and lapis lazuli; abounds in silk, and 

 19 famous for its breed of horses. Its amber, sugar-cane, 

 ir.usk, and rhubarb, are highly esteemed ; and it has nu- 

 merous salt-pits in the mountains, from which the inha- 

 bitants draw all the salt which they use. 



Ytm-nan. V. YI/N NAN, Jun-nan, or Yu nan, contains 21 cities 

 of the first class. 'J.5 ot the second, and SO of the third. 

 Yun-nan foo, its capital, is celebrated for its magnificent 

 edifices, triumphal arches, squares, gardens, and sepul- 

 chral monuments ; but the Tartars, in their various incur- 

 sions, have reduced the greater part of them to ruins. Its 

 trade consists chiefly in metal ; and its principal manu- 

 facture is a particular kind of satin, made of twisted silk, 

 without flower or gloss. The other cities are not deser- 

 ving of particular notice ; but the province is one of the 

 most opulent and fertile in China. Its commerce is very 

 extensive, and consists chiefly in its own productions, 

 gold, copper, tin, amber, and precious stones, marble, 

 silk, linen, gums musk, and medicinal herbs, elephants, 

 and horse?. Jts inhabitant* are brave, active, and robust, 

 addicted to the cultivatian of the sciences, and skilled 

 both in agriculture and arm. 



uan-ce. VI. OTAN-^EE, Quoting-sec, or Koan-sec, contains 12 

 cities of tutf tirot order, 25 of the second, and 73 of the 

 third. Quei-ling-foo, situated on the banks of a narrow 

 and rapid river, is a large city, built in the form of an 

 ancient fortress ; and is chiefly noted for the variety of 

 birds in its district, whose plumage is so brilliant, that 

 their feathers are frequently interwoven with silk stuffs 

 to add to their li/stre. The most remarkable of these 

 birds is called King kee, or golden fowl, and is described 

 in another part of this article. The other cities contain 

 nothing remarkable. This province is inferior to most 

 f the reel in wealth and extent ; but it is peculiarly fer- 

 TOL. VI. PART I. 



tile in the growth of rice, with which it supplies the T Pe- 

 neighbouring provinces ; and it contains mines of copper, ^J^L^, 

 tin, silver, and gold. It is celebrated for containing a 

 singular species of tree, which, instead of pith, has a very 

 soft pulp, from which a farinaceous substance is prepa- 

 red, and converted into bread. It abounds also in a va- 

 riety of curious birds, and uncommon insects, one of 

 which produces great quantities of wax. Its wild animals 

 are numerous, among which are found the rhinoceros, 

 and the porcupine. The inhabitants of the western and 

 northern districts are savage and independent mountain- 

 eers ; but in the east they are more civilized, and much 

 entra^ed in traffic of different kinds. 



VII. QUANG-TON, Koang-ton, or Canton, contains Q U ang-tu. 

 10 cities of the first class, and a multitude of the other 

 inferior orders. Quang tcheoo, Quang ton, or Canton CantOB . 

 the capital of the province, is situated upon a beautiful 

 river, which communicates by means of canals with all 

 the neighbouring provinces ; and is full of merchants 

 from all quarters of the empire, whose warehouses con- 

 tain the most valuable productions of China. It is di- 

 vided into three distinct cities, which, when all united, 

 form together a regular square. The streets are long 

 and straight, paved chiefly with cut stones, adorned at 

 intervals with triumphal arches, and continually crowded, 

 especially with porters, transporting the goods from place 

 to place. They are in general very narrow ; and the 

 porcelain street, which is only from 1 5 to 20 feet broad, 

 is considered as one of the largest in the city. Some of 

 them are completely covered above, and in these the rich- 

 est shops are to be found. The houses are remarkable 

 for their neatness, consisting only of one story, and have 

 no windows towards the street. The shops of the more 

 wealthy merchants consist of a number of apartments in 

 a line, opening into each other. The first, or outward 

 apartment, is generally filled with coarse porcelain, toys, 

 and such articles as the common Chinese are daily pur- 

 chasing, and is entirely open towards the street, that 

 passengers may easily observe what it contains. In the 

 middle of this apartment is an opening or passage to the 

 second, which is stored with finer porcelain, such as i 

 purchased by European traders. Next to this, is a 

 third vault or warehouse, filled with silks, velvets, and 

 similar commodities. And perhaps a fourth is to be seen, 

 in which tea, and other articles of a like nature, are 

 arranged. On great festival days, these long narrow 

 houses are thrown open, illuminated, ornamented with 

 artificial flowers and trees, and provided with musicians, 

 who occupy the most remote apartment. The river it 

 bordered on each side with fields of rice, which appear 

 like extensive meadows, and which are intersected by nu- 

 merous canals. These are covered with boats ; and up- 

 on the river, particularly, a kind of floating city may be 

 seen, composed of barks of all descriptions, arranged in 

 rows like streets, touching each other ; and inhabited by 

 families, who employ themsJves in fishing in the waters, 

 or in cultivating rice upon the banks. Four league* 

 from Canton, is the famous village of Fo-han, which is 

 considered as the largest and most populous in the world. 

 It is about a league in circumference, contains about a 

 million of inhabitants, and carries on an extensive trade ; 

 but is called a village, because it is not surrounded with 

 walls, or honoured with a particular governor. Its size 

 and population, however, appear to b>- greatly exaggera- 

 ted. It is described by a recent traveller, as, indeed, a- 

 bout a league in circumference, and as containing large 

 well built houses; but there is only one line of buildings 

 along the side of the river, with a very few cross street! 

 in one or two places, which extend so short a space, 



