io6 

 Japakning, 



Silk. 



Mulberry 

 Trees. 



CHINA. 



The works in- japan or varnifli, are very confiderable in this- 

 empire, but do not equal thofe made in 'Japaji itfelf. The beft is 

 that of Tanking and Nanking ; the varnilh is produced from the- 

 Rbus-vcrnix, which the Chinefe call TJi. It is the fame with that 

 I have defcribed at p. 72 of this volume. The procefs in colleaing 

 it is the fame, and the workmen are afFe6led with the fame difeafes 

 in the operation ; 1 therefore will not repeat what I have before 

 mentioned. 



The very important article of filk fliall next be fpoken of. In 

 my account of Spain will be given the hiftory of the origin of 

 this manufadure, and the various countries it palTed through in 

 its way from China, its native feat. The care of the filk- worm 

 was of the moft early date ; it was begun by Si-ling, one of the 

 qneens of Whang-ti, third emperor from Fo-hi, at the period in 

 which his fubjeds ftill clothed themfelves in the undreffed fkins 

 of wild beafts ; how furprifing was the change for the luxurious 

 habit of filk. Succeeding empreffes followed her example ; they 

 went attended by their fair fuite to the orchard of mulberry 

 trees, gathered the leaves of three trees, either with their own: 

 hands, or by the hands of the ladies under their infpedlion. A 

 piece of the fineft filk was woven and devoted to the ceremony of 

 the facrifice to the SJjang-Ti, or the Supreme Being. More policy 

 than religion is intermixed with this facrifice ; the' wife Chinefe 

 knew that they could not inforce too ftrongly the cultivation of 

 a tree which feeds the great fi:aple of the empire. 



The Chinefe have two trees which contribute to this purpofe ; 

 the one is the Sang or Te-fang, the Morus Alba or white mul- 

 berry tree, fo well known in the fouth of Europe ; this is culti- 

 vated 



