vol.. XVI.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRAKSACTIONS. ^JQ 



train of attendants, and splendid equipage, made a court about the emperor of 

 more than 70,000 persons. 



It was his will that I should accompany him in this journey, and that I should 

 be always near his person, that I might make in his presence, the observations 

 necessary for knowing the disposition of the heavens, the elevation of the pole, 

 the magnetical declinations of every place, and for measuring with mathemati- 

 cal instruments the height of the mountains, and the distances of places : he 

 was well pleased also to be informed of what concerned meteors, and many 

 other physical and mathematical matters. Insomuch that he gave orders to an 

 officer to carry upon horses such instruments as I should have occasion to make 

 use of, and recommended me to the prince his uncle, who is also his father-in- 

 law, and the second person of the state, being called by a Chinese name, which 

 signifies an associate in the empire. In this journey we always proceeded to- 

 wards the north-east. From Pekin to the province of Leao-tum, the road, being 

 about 300 miles, is pretty equal : in the province of Leao-tum itself it is about 

 400 miles, but much more unequal by reason of the mountains : from the fron- 

 tiers of this province to the city of Ula, or the river which the Tartars call 

 Songoro, and the Chinese Sumhoa, the way, which is about 400 miles, is very 

 difficult, being sometimes crossed by mountains extremely steep, sometimes by 

 valleys of extraordinary depth, and through desert plains, for two or three days. 

 The mountains of this country are covered on the east side with large oaks and 

 old forests, which have not been cut for ages. 



All the country beyond the province of Leao-tum is exceedingly desert, where 

 nothing is to be seen on all sides but mountains and valleys, and dens of bears, 

 tigers, and other beasts of prey ; there is scarcely a house to be seen, but 

 only some poor reed-huts, on the sides of some brooks and streams. All the 

 cities and towns in the province of Leao-tum, and which are in very great 

 numbers, are entirely ruinous ; for the petty king of the Tartars, who kindled 

 this war, having but a very small army, caused the inhabitants of those places 

 to take arms, and destroyed the towns, that b<: might deprive his soldiers of 

 the hopes of ever returning again to their own homes. 



The capital of Leao-tum, called Xin-Yam, is a fair city and pretty entire, 

 and has still the remains of an ancient palace. Its latitude is about 4 1° 56' ; 

 and there is no declination of the magnetic needle. The city of Ula, which 

 was almost the extremity of our journey, lies in 44° 20' ; and there the needle 

 declines from the south to the west 1° 40'. 



From Pekin to this place towards the east there is made a new road, by which 

 the Emperor can commodiously pass with his horse, and the queens in their 

 chariots. This road is about 10 feet broad, and as smooth and straight as could 



