UH) 
was of the Compafs of a Mans hat about the brims, I then can fed 
a Bucket-full of Water to be poured on the fire, by which it was 
picfently cjuencncdj as well as my companions laughter was ftoo- 
ped, who then began to think, the Water did not burn. 1 
I did not perceive the Flame to be difeolouddjike that of fub 
phureous Bodies, nor to have any minifeft [cent with it. The Fumes, 
when they broke out of the Earth, and preft againft my hand > 
were hop, to my heft remembrance, at all hot. 
Account of Athanafii Kircheri CHINA ILLVSTRATA* 
The Author by publishing this Volume , difcharg.es the Promife, 
he had made forne years ago , that he would do fo. He acknow- 
ledges himfelf much obliged to Martinins , , and his Atlas Simcus 3 
as alfo to Michael Bohn , a Polonian ; Philippa Marino, a Jefuit of Ge- 
noa i and two other of the fame Society, vi%. Plenty Roth of Au[- 
burg, and John Gruber , an Auflrian-, whereof the latter went A* 
1656. over Land from Rome , through Anatolia, Armenia , Perjia y 
Ormus, Camhaja , and India , to Macao , \ he famous Port of China , and 
thence to Pekin, the Court of that Empire; whence two years 
after, he came back to Rome, accompanied for a part of the way. 
by the Jefuit Albert Dorviffe ; traverfmg by Land in, a manner the 
whole breadth of China^vA a great part of the confining Tartary, 
and fo further, through the Mogols Domiuionspo where the 
laid Dormile dying, the above-mentioned Henry Roth fupplyed his 
place in aceomphfhing this Voyage. 
The Book k felf 5 a large Folio, is divided into 6 \ Parts. 
The three fir ft, and the lafi , Being befides the defign of thefe 
Tradb,we (hall but glance agtaking only notice ; Fi/J^That they 
pretend to perfwade the Reader, that Cbriftianity* was fpread over 
all Ada by St. Thomas the Apcdtle, and his SuccefFors ; and hafh 
been there continued:, though not without great Ecltpjes^ to thefe 
very times, And here the Chino- Chaldean Monument , faid to have 
been eredfed feverai hundred years lince in China , and found out 
A* 1625. is with great labour afferted and interpreted. Next ^ 
That the Rife of the 'Idolatry-, in thofe remote parts, and their 
different Ceremonies in Worfhip, is confronted with- thofe An-. 
cient ones of Egypt. Laftly > that a large Account is given of the 
Chine fe Letters, their Figure, Power 5 &'c. 
Sut we haften to the fourth Book 3 as belonging to oar Spheres 
