( M* ) 
ing out of the way, or being devoured by wild Beafts, 
they look for him a Day or two, and then return again 
to their Labour as before. 
Thefe poor People fuffer a great deal in this Expe- 
dition. They carry with them neither Tents nor Beds, 
every one being fufficiently loaded with his Provision, 
which is only Millet parched in an Oven, upon- wh ch 
he muft fubfift all the time of his Journey. So that they; 
are conftrained to deep under Trees, having only their 
Branches and Barks, if they can find them, for their 
Covering. Their Mandarins (end them from time to 
time fome pieces of Beef, or fuch Game as they happen 
to take, which they eat very greedily and almoft raw. 
In this manner thefe Ten Thoufand Men palled fix 
Months of the Year $ yet, notwitbftanding their fatigues, 
continued lufty, and feemed to be good Soldiers. The 
Tartars , which were our Guard, did not fare better,: 
having only what remained of an Qx, that was killed, 
every Day, and had firft ferved fifty Perfons, for their 
fubfiftence. 
To give you next an Idea of this Plant, which the 
Tartars and Chinefe put fo great a value upon, I (hall 
explain the Figure here fent you, which I drew with 
the greateft Exa&nefs that was poffible. 
Tab. V. A. Shows the Root of the Plant *, which, when wafh’d, 
was white and a little rugged and uneven, as the Roots 
of other Plants generally are. 
B. C. D. reprefent the Length and Thicknefs of the 
Stalk 5 which is fmooth and pretty round, of a deepifh 
red colour, except near its beginning at B. where it is 
whiter, by reafon of its nearnefs to the Ground. 
D. is a fort of Knot or Jaynt, made by the (hooting 
out of four Branches, which all rife from the fame 
Center, and divide from another at equal diftances and 
at the fame height from the Ground. The undejfide 
of, the Branch is green, mixt with white 5 the upper 
1 . part. 
