Vol. in. MifcelUnea Ctiriofa. 205 



the Retinue ot the Queen Mother: 'Tis yet 

 alfo a Novelty that (he has accompanyed the 

 King this Year, it having not been practi- 

 ced above once, when he took with him the 

 three Queens as far as the Capital City of the 

 Province of Leao-tum^ to vifit the Sepulchers 

 of their Anceftors. 



The Emperor and the Queen Mother pre* 

 tend moreover by this Journey, to avoid the 

 exceffive Heats which are in Pekin^ in the 

 Summer during the Dog-days. For in this 

 part of Tartary , there reigns during the 

 Months of July and Auguft fb cold a Wind^ 

 efpecially in the Night, that'tisnecefTary to put 

 on thick Cloths and Furs. The Reafon that 

 may be affigned for this fo extraordinary Cold, 

 is thatjthis Region is very much elevated and 

 full of Mountains : There is one among the 

 reft, upon which we continually afcended, 

 for the fpace of s or 6 Days March. The 

 Emperor being defirous to know how much 

 it furmounted the Plains of Pekin^ diftant a- 

 bont 300 Miles at our return (after having ^ 

 meafured the height of above a hundred 

 Mountains that lay in our Road) we found 

 that it had 3000 Geometrical Pace of Eleva- 

 tion, above the Sea that neareftapproached 



The Salt Peter alfo wth which thefe Coun- 

 treys abound, may contribute to this great 

 Cold, which is fo violent, that in digging 

 the Earth to three or four Foot deep, there 

 are fetched out Clods frozen, and peices of 

 Ice. 



Divers of the Petty Kings of the Weftern 

 Tartary^ came from all fides for 300 Miles, 



and 



