( * 4 ! ) 
cites the Chinefe to lurk about privately in thefe De- 
ferts > fometimes to the number of two or three Thou- 
fand, at the hazard of lofing their Liberty and all the 
fruit of their Labour, if they are taken either as they 
go out of or come into the Province. 
The Emperor having a mind that the Tartars (hould 
have the Advantage that is to be made of this Plant ra- 
ther than the Chinefe , gave Orders this prefent Year 1709. 
to Ten Theta land Tartars to go and gather all that they 
could of the Gin feng, upon condition that each Perfon 
fhould give his Maj.fty two Ounces of the bsft, and 
that the reft (hould be paid for according to its weight 
in fine Silver. It was computed, that by this means the 
Emperor would get this Year about Twenty Thoufand 
Chinefe Pounds ol it, which would not coft him above 
one fourth part of its value. We met by chance with 
fome of thefe Tartars in the midft of thofe frightful 
Deferts : And their Mandarins , who were not far di- 
ftant out of our way, came one after another, and of- 
fer’d us Oxen for our fubfiftence, according to the Com- 
mands they had received from the Emperor. 
This Army of Herbarifts ohferved the following Or- 
der. After they had divided a certain Tratft of Land 
among their feveral Companies, each Company, to the 
number of an hundred, fpreads itfeif out in a ftraight 
Line to a certain fixt place, every Ten of them keeping 
at a diftance from the reft. Then they fearched care- 
fully for the Plant, going on leifurely in the fame Or- 
der j and in this manner in a certain number of Days 
they run over the whole fpace of Ground appointed 
them. When the time is expired, the Mandarins, who 
are encamp’d with their Tents in fuch Places as are pro- 
per for the fubfiftence of their Horfes, (end to view 
each Troop, to give them frelli Orders, and to inform 
themfelves if their Number is compleat. If any one of 
them is wanting, as it often happens, either by wander- 
I i ing 
