CANALS. 133 



boats, nailing on each fide from one end to the other, a plank 



two feet broad. This plank is japanned with white fliining 



varnifli, and Hants gently till it almoft touches the top of the 



water ; in the night time, when it is ufed, they turn it towards 



the moon, that the reflection may increafe its fplendor, fo that 



the fifli which are fporting, eafily miftaking the color of the 



japanned plank for that of the water, leap often on that fide, 



and fall either on the plank or into the boat. 



In refpe6t to quadrupeds, this empire retains many of thofe Quadrupeds. 



of hidia, but lofes alfo feveral towards the northern and weflern 



parts : others appear fuited to the climate ; thefe are pointed out 



in the Faunula^ which I refer ve as a fort of appendix, unwilling 



to interrupt the narrative part of this work. 



At Canton begins the celebrated pafTage by water from hence Water Pas- 

 7-, 7 • 11 • ,- 1 . ^ , SAGE TO Peking. 



to Peking^ and the extremity ot the great empire of China ; an 



extent, fays Bu Halde*, of fix hundred leagues, or about eigh- 

 teen hundred Englijh miles. The emperor Shi-tfu finding the 

 defedl of tribute he annually fuftained, or the vaft lofs of his 

 fubje61;s in the articles of commerce w^hich periflied at fea in the 

 conveyance from the maritime parts of his dominions, deter- 

 mined on creating an internal navigation. He began the work Imperial Ca- 

 in 1289; it is probable that he did not complete fo ftupendous 

 an undertaking ; and it is imagined it was not finiflied till the 

 time of Tong-Jo, who began his reign about thirty-five years 

 after. We may well admit this, as the length of the imperial 

 canal is nine hundred miles, the depth a fathom and a half, and 

 it conveys annually near ten thoufand large barks belonging to 



* Vol. ii. 326. 



the 



NAL. 



