ARTS AND MANUFACTURES. 



fixed a crucifix on an altar before the train of artillery, which 

 he baptized piece by piece, and gave to each the name of a 

 male or female faint, taken from the calendar of his own 

 church. 



Gunpowder was of very early invention in Cbhia and in 

 hidia, but till the time that I have juft mentioned, it was never 

 applied to any other iifes than fire-works on feftive occafions, in 

 which the Cbinefe ftill excel all the reft of the world. I refer the 

 reader to p. 362 of the preceding volume, for what I have faid on 

 thefubjea; of the powder and artillery of the Orientalifts. 



Voltaire afferts that the Cbinefe had a manufadlory of glafs Glass. 

 above two thoufand years ago. Bu Halde fays that lookino- 

 glafles are not among their articles of furniture. They have in- 

 deed at Ten-ching, in the province oi Sbang-tung, a manufactory, 

 but fo brittle is their Lezv-li, or glafs, as to break when expofed to 

 too cold an air. I am farther confirmed by my worthy friend 

 Tbojnas Fitzbugb, Efquire, (long refident in Cbina) that the art 

 of making glafs in Cbina was in a very imperfedl ftate, as he in- 

 forms me that about fixty or feventy years they were fupphed 

 with that article from England^ which would not have been the 

 cafe had they excelled at home. The glafs was carried over in 

 pieces in the fliape of bricks, from which trade it may be 

 fuppofed the Cbinefe either did not then make it, or that they 

 found it more expenfive in the procefs than purchafing the ar- 

 ticles from foreigners*. 



* The inaaufa£lure of glafs, if a mere repetition of the fufion of broken pieces, or of cakes 

 brought from Europe^ deferves the name, is confined to Canton^ and unknown in the refl of the 

 empire. E. Embaffy to Chlna^ Vol. ii. p, 288. 



10 



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Vol. III. 



The 



