Europeans) have though ( of britigiug iheir tunning aecom- 

 piishnientH to scheme after rewarda. Latterly, liowever^ the 

 readineaa of the impeml aatronotneig, to Mtimate the acquire- 

 menH of our country men, in order to promote and employ them, 

 is tJaiiy more manifest, and people from all parts of thecmprs 

 come pressing forwardSjeoIicitiog a thorough'esajiwnnlbn, by 

 which a ™t nmount of native talent je obtained^ without de- 

 ppnding on forei'^n aid, Thna it ia, lhat thoae diatanl coun- 

 tries have now but few persona to visit and ingptet ihem, 

 and there is not so mneh as a fairy seated on the leaf of a red 

 lofns, to bring its a einwle pection of a book from theoce.^ 



According to tiie " 0f |^ Record of the weatero re. 

 giong," the junlcB of Gcnlon and Fokien frequently (?o and 

 anchor on the aoutli of Hindoatanf ^ ^ Wan- 

 foo-g^e-tan) ^herft the waters all flow tnfo ifio sm. The 

 Tibe of Chiin^,yucn, from ^§ Thansf-pth (m 



Mancbow Tartary) the 40th year or ^ V.^m^Aun^t 

 ^A. 1775) first di?«rnv*^r(»d the seaa of lhat country. 



The work callpd ^ ^ ^Lan-ta-urh ntjgerta, lhat aever- 

 al ihonsand mil(?s to the south-west of our country, in the 

 mrdfft of the great ocean, there are tribes of blaek and white 

 people ; the one aa white as snow, and the other as black as 

 lackered -Ware j arc not thes£ perhaps the SAme wiih what! 

 the " Desnliory Accoimt" calls the powdered Dutcbraen, and 

 tlic varnished Papuaa ? 



Thu3 it appear*? thai the hook writen by 5 tfclS Ong. 

 tae-hae ig calculated to make np the deficienciee of our 

 former accounts, being et|ua[Jy clear and perspic'ioua with 

 the "Record of the western regions" : and this one little work 

 serTCS ffliteomvely to testify that the instructions of oor 

 aiiffufit dynastv are lEffacefully wafled orer (he sea, like the 

 infliienc*^ of Draco amon* the stars, Dslightcd, therefore, I 

 cnntributa this preface to ilie work. 



• Atlnding to the fablee of the Buddhitt prieBtH. who pretand that 

 ♦heir smrired Hooks were brought by spiritual beingis sealed on the 

 w»ter-h]f. 



