Chap. III. 
/foa? Muscovy u 
Chi n a. 
S E C T I O N II. 
Travels through the Countries of the Mongol 'Tartafs, lying between 
thtRuffian and Chtneje Empires, the Paflage through the famousWall, 
and from thence through feveral confiderable Places to the City of Pe- 
king, the Capital of all China j with Obfervations Hiftorical, Phy- 
fical. Topographical, Critical, and Political, on the feveral Nations 
converfed with by our Author, and the Countries by them inhabited j 
with fome Conjectures alfo as to their former Inhabitants. 
Taken from the Original fournal of his Excellency Everard Ysbrants IdeSs 
I. T'he Author's Reception at the firfl Chinefe Guards an Account of the Targalinian Tartafs, their Cuf- 
toms and Manner of Living, with a brief View of the beautiful and pleafant Country they inhabit . 
2. He is met by a Chinele Mandaryn, at the Village of Xixigar j the great Civility and PoUtenefs of 
his Reception, and of the fnutual Courtefes that pajfed between the two Minifers. 3. A De/cription of 
the Country of the Mongals, and of the Inhabitants, their Hofpitality, refpeBful Behaviour, and the 
Manner in which they live under the Chinefe Emperors, 4. fhe Author, in Company with the 
Chinefe Mandaryn, pajfes through a Country in which there are feveral decayed and abandoned Cities^ 
of which he gives a very curious and copious Account, 5. Lhey arrive at a Chinefe Village inhabited 
entirely by Lama’s or Tartarian Priefts j a De/cription of it, and of the Country round it, 6. fhe 
Manner in which the Emperor of China hunts annually in this Neighbourhood for fome Weeks, with an 
Account of the Game, and other Particulars, 7. fhe Author's Arrival at the famous Chinefe Wall 5 
a very curious and circumjlantial Defcription of it, and of the Materials of which it is compofed„ 
S, fhe Author's Arrival at G^k^iVi, his magnificent Entertainment there ^ Chinefe Mandaryn, the 
Cujioms of the Chinefe People of ^ality on fuch Occafions, and an Account of a Play he faw a^ed, 
9. fhe City of Xantunnung defcribed, the Idol femple of Jugangu, and a City which is inhabited entirely by 
the Emperor's Concubines, 10. He proceeds to the Cities of Kixu and Tunxo j a Defcription of the lat- 
ter, and of the famous Market for Porcelain or China Ware that is held there, 1 1. ADigreJfion in re- 
ference to the Excellency, Origin, and Hijiory of that Manufa^ure interfperfed with feveral new and, 
curious Obfervations, by way of Supplement to the Author, 
1. HE Piainnefs and Simplicity of our Au- ed ; and when we fit down to learn what pajfes, of 
I thor’s Relation gives us the greateft Reafon what has paffed in Countries with which we have been 
JIL to believe, that he pays a ftrid Regard to hitherto unacquainted, it is irrational to expeft, that all 
Truth •, for it is worth obferving, that he never mag- we meet with Ihould be fmooth, clear, and intelligible, 
nifies his own Courage or Condud, or talks loudly of When we are Children, we read with Aftonilhrnent of 
the Dangers he has run through*, but very modeftly the great Adions of ike Greeks md Romans, and thefe 
fets down what occurred to him in his Journey, and are imprelfed upon our Minds fo, that as we grow up,^ 
very carefully diftinguifhes between what fell immedi- they pafs for inconteflable Proofs j yet read thefe Hif- 
ately under his own Infpedion, and what he received tories to illiterate People, and they will make more Dif- 
from the Report of others. What is contained in this ficulty of believing them, than we do at receiving what 
Sedion, relating to that vaft Trad of Country border- is delivered concerning the Natives of thefe Eafterri 
ing upon China, appears to me extremely curious, be- Countries,where Empires have rifen without our Notice 5 
caufe out of this Country originally proceeded that fa- and, after flourifhing for many Ages, hate funk agairi 
mous Race of Mongol Lariars, which affumed the Em- before they came to our Cognizance. But let us dwell 
pire of Afta, and, after conquering India, Perfia, Af- no longer on Refledions, it will be better to attend our 
fyria, and a confiderable Part of Europe, threaten’d an Author on his Journey, who, in fpeaking of the Pro-’ 
Irruption into Germany *, and had very probably con- fecution of it towards China, proceeds thus, 
quered all Mufcovy and Poland, if they had not been di- On the ifl: of Sept, I came to the Jalifchian Mourn 
verted partly by their Civil Wars, and partly by the tains, lodged there, and found my Poft-Meffenger, who‘ 
Invafion of China, One cannot help therefore being was a Gentleman that I had difpatched to 
pleafed with our Author’s Defcription of the original was returned, and arrived here before me, and had aU 
Seat of thefe mighty Conquerors, at the fame Time ready waited fome Days for me. He was accompanied 
that it very much confirms what we meet with in the with a Chinefe Captain and ten Men, which were fent td 
Writings of Marco Polo and other ancient Travellers, meet me. When I ordered him to be brought to me,= 
whole Relations we have inferted in our former Vo- he complimented me from his Lords, Who had ex^ 
lume. We may from hence be taught not to be too prefly fent him to meet me 5 and in their Name pre- 
rafh in cenfuring what we cannot immediately recon- fented me with fome neceffary Refrefhments, as fifteeii* 
cile either to our Reafon or our Experience ; One of the Sheep, feme Tea, Loaf-Sugar, and twenty Horfes for 
beft Leffons that the former reaches us is, its ownWeak- my Ufe, which I thankfully accepted, and in Return 
nefs ; and there is nothing that we learn with fo much made the Captain feveral Prefen ts. 
Certainty from the latter, as that without due Care we Thefe Hills are called ihejalijchian Mountains^ frorrf 
may be eafily deceived. All that has a plaufible Ap- the River Jaloh rifing affiongft them 5 its Source bein«. 
pearance is not therefore to be accounted Reafon ; united to feveral Rivulets which fall from the Hillsl^' 
nor is every Thing that we hear or read to be looked and the Head of this River being not above two Fa-^ 
upon as Experience, If there is nothing abfurd or im-^ thorn broad. As we climbed up thefe high Moun- 
poffible in what a Man of a fair Charabler relates as tains, on the North Side we found them not one third 
an Eye-Witnefs, his Teftimony ought not to be flight- Part fo fteep as at our Defcent on the Souths Befideg 
■Vol.il N® 133.. If £• . _ which 
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