1210 Hiuan Thsany's Itinerary. [Dec, 



Persian and Arabic works, whence much of this information may have 

 been obtained. These books may have been read by Molas of Kashgar 

 or any other Moslem province of China. 



But above all, we must not forget the information which may have 

 been imported to the learned of the celestial empire by the Jesuit 

 Missions of the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. Nay, much earlier ; 

 for, from the travels of Marco Polo, and from the Persian histories of 

 Monka Khan, we know that Europeans had great influence in China, 

 at a much earlier age ; we all understand that the Jesuit Missions always 

 considered instruction as one of their most powerful means. The 

 followers of Loyola improved the Chinese Almanacs, and hence it may 

 be inferred were not entirely neglectful of the sister science of Geogra- 

 phy. Nor should we forget the connection even now existing with 

 Russia. With these sources of information open we need not be so 

 much astonished at the identifications which are here discovered. I 

 am inclined to give a very recent date to the whole compilation.* 



I would remark, that particulars appear more minute round Kabul, 

 as a centre ; that the distances and directions are utterly worthless, 

 being the combined results of misreadings, misunderstandings and 

 guess work. Meridians of Latitude and Longitude have been followed 

 in some instances, routes of marches and caravans in others, that the 

 places are less distinctly delineated as more distant from Kabul ; that 

 the points of the compass have been strangely perverted, often reversed. 

 The Chinese measure of Li may be taken in gross measurements as \ 

 of a mile. 



The Geographical work of Edrisi was compiled II. 548, A. D. 1154, 

 for Roger king o/ Naples and Sicily. — By Abou Abdallah, Mohummud- 

 bin Mohummud el Edrisi ; from numerous older books, chiefly Arabic. 



The Sadek Esfuhanee, is a Geographical table of Latitudes and Lon- 

 gitudes translated for the Oriental Translation ; Fund but the errors are 

 endless, the Latitudes and Longitudes being copied with no attention to 

 their correctness ; in other respects the work is useful. Of the author 

 few particulars are known, except that he lived about A. D. 1635. 



The Ayeen Akbaree is the great work of the celebrated Abul Fuzl, 



one of the Ministers of Akbar, emperor of Hindoostan. The work 



* The great geographical compilation entitled Pian i tian, is quite a modern work we 

 believe. We are happy to learn by a letter from Col. Sykes, that the whole is about to 

 be translated from the Chinese by a young French savant. — Eds. 



