Ii» nirratwe, the id«a of pitying iht limts a ad blaming 

 the mantien oiihemgeis a]i[mrent tEiraugliout. Moreover, 

 the cliiiiaie, soil, itiLabiiatus and jiroduciiohB of all the 

 hnd^ are minutely and coin]»reheii3ivcly exhiliited. How 

 tould a tncr^ trader itave entered jiuo the paniciilari of 

 Ihtie, and ie k uot a reril retord of the it landa of the sea ? 



In I he hei'iuning of the rei^n of !^ K^.'etuh'lnff (a, 

 1750) ^ Clifinf-tun-gnb, • of (he city of ?oo (in 

 Fukbii), before he roae in ihe luerary ?cale, imveHed to 

 Bain via, and drew up an account of itie iilace, reaeniblhig m 

 Bome reijitcta tlie present work, t?iough thi* ia more full and 

 compleic ; q( ihatworli, I he former prime miiiieU'r )3l ^ IS^ 

 Triiie-waii-kung used losay, that it served to supply u drgct- 

 ency iti uur fliadiiicat worki, and mi^ht coiiiribute lo general 

 informaLlofi. If now, the present work had come under the 

 glance of the prime minister Ttae, we cannot leil fiow much he 

 would Iiatre adtnired n. li lo he regretted, hot»e/ei, that 

 he never ^ot a sight of it 



Oiir amiior having somt hmineE^ that required a second 

 rWiC 10 Soo-cftow, urged me to write a preface for Jiis work ; 

 thus, wilhotit adveriing to my jwor abilify, I have htisiily 

 put together a few words, that ihose who are iu lije habit, 

 of delecting extraordinary thin^t may have something 

 wherewith to make up the deficiencies of their cabinets. 



