464 MEMOIR ON TH^ 



PORCELAm. 



WE are not informed who was the in-» 

 ▼etitor of porcelain^ nor to what chance of 

 experiments we are indebted for that difco- 

 very. It is» however, probahle, according 

 to fome of the Chinefe annals, that porcelain 

 was ufed in China before the year 424 of 

 the Chrlfiian sera* Since that period k has 

 been gradually] brought to a degree of per- 

 fection, which induces the moft opulent 

 people in Europe to ufe it. 



Formerly the manufacturers of porcelain 

 refided in the cities Feon-icmg, KinU-chtng^ 

 and jao-icBeou^ in the province of Kiang/i. 

 The works which were made there, and 

 tranfported to foreign kingdom^!* had no 

 other name than valuable jewels of jao* 

 tcheou and Kinie-ching, Porcelain was after- 

 wards manufadured in other places ; but it 

 is very different both in colour and finenefs. 



Strangers 



