was of the Compafsof aMans hat about the brims. Ithencaufed 
a Bucker.full of Water to be poured on the fire, by which it was 
prefently quenched^ as well as my companions laughter was flop- 
ped, who then began to think, the Water did not burn. 
1 did not perceive the Flame to be difcolour'd^like that of ful- 
phureousBodies,nor to have any raanifefl [cent with it. The Fumes, 
when they brake out of the Earth, and preft again ft my hand^ 
were not^ to my befl remembranccj at all hot. 
Account of Athanafii Kircheri CHINA ILLVSTRATA^ 
The Author by pubhfliing this Volume, difcharges the Promife, 
he had made fome years ago , that he would do fo. He acknow- 
ledges himfelf much obliged to Martinim, and his Atlas Sinicus \ 
as alfo to Michael Boim^ a Folonia?i ; Fhilippo Marino, a Jefuit of Ge- 
noa j and two other of the fame Society, vi'^. Henry Roth of j^af- 
burg, auii John Gruier ^ an Afiflrian-, whereof the latter went A. 
1656. over Land from Rome , through Anatolia, Armenia, Verfia^ 
Ormus, Cambaja, and India, to Macao.iho. famous Port of c^;/«a,and 
ih^nzc to P^ekin, the Court of that Empire; whence two year5 
after, he came back to I{ome, accompanied for a part of the way, 
by the Jefuit Albert Dorvitie > traverfing by Land in a manner the 
whole breadth of China^-And ?i great part of the confining Tartary, 
and fo further, through the Mogols Dominions^to y/j^r^jwhere the 
laid Dorville dying, the above-mentioned Henry Roth fupplyed his 
place in accomplifiiing this Voyage. 
The Book it fclf^ a large Folio, \s divided into Parts. 
The three firft^ and the lafi , being bcfides the dcfign of thefe 
Tracts, we fllall but glance at,taking only notice ; Firfi^Thzt they 
pretend to perfwade the Reader, that Chriftianity was fpread over 
aHy^y/j by St. Thomas the Apoftle, and his SucceiTors ; and hath 
been there continued, though not without great Eclipfes^ to thefe 
very tiraes» And here the ChimXhaldcean Monument , faid to have 
been erected feveral hundred years fince in China , and found out 
A* 2"^. IS with great labour afferted and interpreted. TSlext^ 
Thatthe Rife of the Idolatry, in thofe remote parts, and their 
different Ceremonies in Worfliip, is confronted with thofe An- 
cient on^s of Egypt. Laftly^thsit a large Account is given of the 
Chine fe Letters, their Figure, Power^ C^r. 
But we haften to the Fourth Book 5 as belon j^ing to our Sphere* 
^ ~ " Thai: 
