49 8 
more than has been jollified by Experience •, but in repeat- 
ing this, the Ancients have reprefented the Tongue of the 
Chinefe as if it had nothing in common with human Speech, 
which is a manifeft Exaggeration. That the ancient Seres 
had a great Averfion to Strangers, and an invincible R de- 
ration of continuing in their own Country, is another Fade 
true in itfelf, but ftrangely mifreprefented. All the Chinefe 
Hiftories agree, that this Nation had, as indeed they frill 
have, a great jealoufy of Foreigners, and by their Laws 
forbad their fettling amongft them *, yet the fame Hiftories 
fhew, that notwithilanding this Jealoufy and thefe Laws, 
they have always had a great many Foreigners in their 
Country ; and thefe not only Scythians or Tartars , Indians , 
Perfians and Turks , who were in fome fort their Neigh- 
bours, but Jews, Chrifiians , and Mohammedans *, and that 
for fuch a Length of Time, that it is almoft impoffible to 
account for their coming into and fettling in China , as is 
evident from the learned Dictations that have been wrote 
exprefsly upon thefe Subjefts. The Amount of all this, 
therefore, can be ftretched to nothing more than our not 
having very diftindt Relations of what paffed a long Time 
ago in a very diftant Country, which is not very wonderful. 
But, however oBfoure, however contradi&ory, thefe Ac- 
counts may be in other Refpetfts, yet in this they agree 
perfedlly well, that fuch a Jealoufy always fubidfted in this 
N ation, though for particular Reafons, and under parti- 
cular Circumftances, they were content to difpenfe with 
thefe Laws, which from this Spirit of Jealoufy they had 
enadfed. 
To make this Matter frill plainer, let us confider the 
Chinefe in their prefent Situation, and, in regard to the dif- 
ferent manner in which they carry on Commerce at home 
and abroad. Their Junks fail annually to almoft all the 
different Ports in the Indies ; but particularly to Batavia , 
where they trade as other People do, and comply with all 
the Regulations that are thought rieceffary in thofe Places 
for the Security and right Management of Commerce, from 
whence they have acquired very juftiy the Charadter of 
being as adtive, as induftrious, and as general Traders, as 
any in that Part of the World. This, one would think, 
might effedlually purge them from the Imputation of 
having a Diflike to Strangers, and an Unwillingnefs to cor- 
reipond with other Nations, and, in fhoit, of all Intracta- 
bility on the Plead of Commerce. Yet when we look into 
their Management at home, we fhall find many things that 
may very well juftify fuch a Charge even at this Day. For 
there are but one, or at moft but two, of their Ports open 
to Strangers, viz. Canton and Amoy •, they do not fuffer 
any European Nations to make Settlements in their Do- 
minions, if we except the P or t up ueze , and even they are 
not only Subjedfs, but in a manner Slaves to the Chi- 
nefe ; their Port Duties are not high only, but very extra- 
vagant •, the Precautions they take againft, and the Hard- 
fhips they put upon Foreigners, are fo many, and fo in- 
convenient, that it is plain they only tolerate Tiade inftead 
of encouraging it. It this therefore be, as mort certainly 
it is, the Cafe, why fhould we accufe the ancient Accounts 
; ; of Abfurdity and Contradiction ? 
It would be needlefs and unneceffary to enter into a Di- 
greffion about the Navigation of the ancient Seres, how 
far it extended, and what the Coniequences were that at- 
tended it. I fay, it would be needlefs and unneceffary ; 
becaufe, after all the Pains that could be taken, we fhould 
find it very difficult, if not impoffible, to give a tolerable 
Account of it •, but in general, however, we know that 
in very ancient times they traded to moft of the Indian 
Hands, fettled Colonies in many of them, and as there is 
-aood Grounds to believe, were the Anceftors of the Chin- 
galefe , which are the moft powerful Nation in the Hand 
of Ceylon. Thefe Circumftances feem abfolutely to contra- 
dict another Part of their general Charadter, which is, that 
they have no Inclination to leave their own Country on any 
Terms. In all probability, their Settlements abroad were 
created by domeftick Confufions, when Numbers chofe 
rather to leek new Habitations, than to be expofed to cer- 
tain Death or Deftru&ion from the Rage of their Adver- 
fanes, which, neverthelefs, implies no Alteration in the 
Nature of thefe People ; for it is one thing to be of a roving 
Pifpofition, arid another to prefer Banilhment to Death. 
3 
Book I. 
Upon the whole, if there be any thing certain in the 
Chinefe Hiftory, it is this i that both the People therm 
felves have the moft fincere Love for their Country, and 
defire to remain in it ; and that this is nourifhed in them 
by their Laws, and the Propagation of this Spirit made a 
capital Point of their Politicks. On Fanning therefore this 
Matter as ftriCily as it is poffible, we fee, that taking all 
Things together, the oldeft Accounts of the Chinefe are 
not liable to more Objections, or incumbered with greater 
Difficulties than the modern •, and therefore, if the Ancients 
have reprefented the Seres as a People of an odd Humour, 
and their Practice and Principles confidered fomewhat in- 
confiftent with themfelves, we have the more Reafon to be 
pofitive, that the Seres and the Chinefe are the very fame 
Nation, becaufe from the Knowledge we have of them at 
prefent, it is impoffible to conceive that any Charadter given ' 
of them in paft Ages, fhould come nearer the Truth than 
that which from a fuperficial View feems incompatible there- 
with. In cafes of this Nature, Nations are to be deferibed 
as they really are, and of fuch Temper and Difpofition as 
their Actions fpeak them ; other Accounts may be more 
plaufible, and to fuch as take up with the firft Appearance 
of things more credible •, but unqueftionably, the heft way 
is to write the Truth, becaufe in the end, and after the 
ftridleft Examination, it will be found, that Truth will 
always juftify itfelf. 
9. There ftill remains an Hand mentioned in ancienl 
Writers as lying in the Indian Ocean, though never dis- 
covered by any of the Moderns, of which we promifed, 
and of which it is neceffary that we fhould give a clear Ac- 
count, the rather, becaufe though furrounded with a Mift 
of Fables, there is at the Bottom fomething which deferves 
our Notice, and which may enable us to detebfc fuch kind 
of Relations when we meet with them elfewhere. The 
Name of this Bland is Panchaia, and it is fuppofed to lie 
between the Arabian Gulph and the oppofite Coaft of 
India. There was but one ample and diftindt Relation of 
this Country, which is ftill preferved almoft entire in the 
Works of the learned Diodorus Siculus , which therefore we 
fhall fairly tranferibe for feveral Reafons. Firft, that the 
Nature of fuch kind of Relations may plainly appear, and 
the Reader be able to judge for himfelf of the Difficulty in. 
diftinguifhing between Fadts faithfully related, and Fidlions 
fo elegantly dreffed out. Secondly, that he may the better 
underftand the Detedlion of this fabulous Hiftory. And, 
thirdly, that he may be fatisfied we do not impofe upon 
him our own Notions and Senfe of Things, but admit him 
freely and fairly to the Sight of our Authorities. 
There are, fays our Author, many things obfervable in 
Panchea , or Panchaia, that deferve to be taken notice of. 
The natural Inhabitants are thofe they call Panchai \ the 
St! angers that dwell among them are People of the Weftern 
Parts, together with Indians, Cretans, and Scythians. In 
this Bland there is a famous City called Panara, not inferior ■ 
to any for Wealth and Grandeur. The Citizens are called . 
the Suppliants of Jupiter Triphylius , and are the only People : 
of Panchaia that live under a Democracy without a Mo- -i 
narch. They chufe every Year the Prefidents or Governors i 
that have all Matters under their Cognizance j but what ii 
concerns Life dnd Death, and the moft weighty Matters, i 
they refer to the College of their Priefts. The Temple of 1 
Jupiter Triphylius is about fixty Furlongs diftant from the ; 
City in a fair, open Plain. It is in great Veneration for rli 
its Antiquity, and the Statelinefs of the Structure, and Fer- - 
tility of the Soil, The Fields round about the Temple are : 
planted with all forts of Trees, nor only for Fruit, but for 1 
Pleafure and Delight ; for they abound with tall Cypreffes, i 
Plane-Trees, Laurels and Mirtles. The Place well furniffied 1 
with running Water *, for near the Temple there’s fuch a i. 
mighty Spring of fweet Water rallies out of the Earth, lo c 
that it very foon becomes a navigable River. Thence it 1 
divides itfelf into feveral Currents, and waters all the Fields is; 
thereabouts. It produces thick Groves of tall and lhady ] 
Trees, amongft which, in Summer, abundance of Peopled' 
fpend their Time, and a Multitude of Birds or all forts til 
build their Nefts, which creates great Delight, both by 
affecting the Eye with the Variety of their Colours, and ( 
charming the Ear with the Sweetnefs of their Notes. Here; 
are many Gardens, fweet and pjeafant Meadows, decked.' 
' with.: 
The Difcovery, Settlement, and Commerce 
