Chap. Ilf. from Muse 
extraordinary large, and the Teeth of fome of them 
were a full Fathom long. The* Mandaryns told me, 
that they came from the King of Siam^ who annually 
fends feveral, by Way of Tribute, to the Emperor of 
China. Their Food was only Rice Straw bound up in 
fmall TrulTes, which they take up one after another 
with their Trunk, and convey to their Mouths. 
After a fatisfadlory Sight of what I defired, I rode 
with the Mandaryns to my Apartment •, and as we were 
on our Way, I obferved at the Door of a confiderable 
Mandaryn, and a great Officer, lome Perfons fieaing of 
a fat Dog j upon which I ask’d the Mandaryn, where- 
fore that was done ? Who anfwered, That it was a 
healthful Sort of Food, efpecially in Summer, it being 
very cooling. After I had handfomely treated thele 
Mandaryns.^ they went away. 
Next Day the Viceroy fenta Tyger, or Panther, in a 
Cage, to the Ambaffador’s Court, to be fliewn to me ; 
as alfo feveral Juglers with Monkeys and Mice, which 
had been taught feveral Tricks. Thefe Apes, at their 
Mailer’s Command, did really fome very ftrange 
Things ; they fill’d a Basket with Stuff Coats of all 
Colours, each of vdiich an Ape took out fingly at his 
Mailer’s Command, never miffing the Colour which 
he was ordered to take out and put on, always vary- 
ing his Grimace with his Habit ; after which, he not 
only danced upon the Ground, but on a tight Rope, in 
a very diverting Manner. There were alfo two Mice 
faftened to their Chains, who, at their Mailer’s Com- 
mand fo entangled themfelves in them, and immedi- 
ately got loofe, that it dderved Admiration : But what 
was moft ftrange to me, was the odd Motions of 
thefe Vermine. 
The Jefuits once told me, that about three Years 
paft were fent to the Emperor as a Prefent, from an 
Ifland in the Eaflern Sea, four Animals as big as ordi- 
nary Horfes, each of which had two fharp Horns pro- 
minent before ; and that thefe Fathers were fent by the 
Emperor’s Order to his Park, about ten Miles from 
Peking, to fee thefe Beafls, in order to inform his Ma- 
jefty, whether they had ever feen any ol them in Eu- 
rope but returning, they affirmed, that they had never 
before feen any of that Species. I was indeed very defi- 
rous to have feen them, yet it being too far out of 
Town, and the Time of my Departure approaching, it 
was impradlicable. 
After I had fent my Compliment to the Viceroy, I 
defired that 1 might be advertiz’d of my Departure 
eight or ten Days before the Time when it ffiould pleafe 
the Emperor that I ffiould leave the Court and Royal 
City, which, purfuant to my Requefl, was according- 
ly done fome Days after. 
7. Upon which, having made all neceffary Prepa- 
rations for fuch a long Journey, and latterly, accord- 
ing to former Cuflom, having one Morning in a 
Week eat at the Emperor’s Table, I left Peking, ac- 
company’d out of the City Gate with a numerous 
Train of Great Officers of State, and Mandaryns, on 
the 19th of Felruary, 1694, and on the 25th reached 
the City of Galgan, clofe to the Paaurian Wall. From 
thence we went on to Naun, and paffed through feveral 
Xmgarfehean Villages, to the Tartarian Frontiers, and 
the great Deferts, where we encamped and lay Hill fe- 
veral Days, and provided Saddles for our Camels, and 
all other travelling Neceffaries, by reafon that to Argum, 
on the Frontiers of their Czariffi Majefty’s Dominions, 
I was obliged to provide me with all Neceffaries on my 
proper Coft, which I confider’d when in Peking ; and 
Camels and Mules being very cheap there, I carried a 
good Number of the lafl loofe along with me, they, 
as well as the whole Caravan, travelling free, at the Ex- 
pence of the Chinefe, hitherto, as well as my felf and 
whole Retinue, who eat at the Emperor’s Charge 
thus far. 
If I had not made this Provifion before-hand, but 
had depended on the Camels and Horfes which I left at 
Nuna, we ffiould have fared but indifferently, for of all 
that 1 left there, fcarce ei^ht hundred remained, all the 
ovY /o Chin A. 949 
reff, which were a very confiderable Mumber, being kil- 
led by the ill Forage arid unwholfome Grafs. 
On the 2d of February, being ready to fet forwards 
on my Journey, I treated the Mandaryn and his Reti- 
nue, who, by the Emperor*s Command, had accom- 
panied me thus far j after which, taking very civillj 
Leave of each other, we parted. 
On the 26th Inftlnt, in God’s Name, We entfed the 
great Defert, about the River Sadun and Kaliar, being 
obliged to be on our Guard, by Reafon that four 
gejjian Talifchi, or Lords, with about three thoufand 
Men, who waited for me, were ready and willing to try 
their Fortunes with us : Upon which I gave all neceff 
fary Orders, and in the Night caufed a llrong Watch 
ol fixty well armed Horfemen to be kept ; but nOE 
encountring any thing from that Quarter, we next Day 
fet forwards on our Journey. Reaching the JalifehiaU 
Mountains, w-e found our Forage grew woffe the farther 
we went, and our Saddle as well as Carriage Beads be- 
gan to look thin. Having travelled a whole Day over 
thefe Mountains, the Night proved very cold and 
fnowy, and the Grafs grew yet worfe, being that of, 
laft Year, which was dried up in the Field ; fo that the 
Camels, but more efpecially the Horfes, though they 
eat their Fill, were not much llrengthened by it. I 
here deliberated whether I ffiould take the old Way, or 
a By-way, which was the fafeil Method that could be 
taken to efcape the Tartars v/ho lay in Wait for us, 
and again proceed on Eaftwards ; preferring Certainty 
to an Uncerraimy, I pitch’d upon the laft, which pro- 
ved very incommodious, efpecially for the Cattle. 
We travelled but flowly through thele deep, moun- 
tainous and deep moraffy Ways, and that Day twelve 
Camels and fifteen Horfes funk under Foot, and for 
fixteen Days after we were obliged to wreftle with thefe 
difficult Ways, which daily occafioned feveral Camels 
and Horfes to fink under their Loads and die j which 
happened from the heavy Burdens they were obliged to 
carry, as well as from the faplefs and dry Grafs, which 
afforded them no Nourifliment. But our Difficulties in- 
creafed with refpea: to Forage, for our Cattle had Grafs 
hitherto, which, though dry and not fufficient to fatisfy, 
yet ferved to keep them alive ; but now we came to 
Fields that were intirely burnt up by the Tartars, which 
forced us, how feeble and uncapable foever our Beafts 
were to perform it, to difpatch two Days Journey this 
Day, in order to come to a Place where there was fome 
Grafs left. 
Several of our Merchants, who loft their Saddle- 
Horfes, their others being fufficiently laden with Mer- 
chandizes, were obliged to go on Foot •, and if many 
of them had not been provided with fpare Horfes and 
Camels, we ffiould have been obliged to have left a 
great Quantity of their Goods behind in the Wil- 
dernefs. 
8, After various Fatigues arid Miferies, with the 
greateft Difficulty in the World, we at laft reached the 
River Sadun, where our Quarters began to mend, in 
fome Meafure, and the tender Grafs to fprout up a lit- 
tle. We lay dill two Days by this River, in order to 
refreffi our Camels and Horfes, which were unable to 
have held out any longer. During this Repofe, a Chi- 
nefe Envoy with an hundred armed Men, came up to 
me, who, by the Command of the Emperor of China, 
was, by the Viceroy of Tartary, diipached from the 
City of Mergeen, with Orders to accompany me to 
Nerzinjkoy, there to treat, concerning fome Affairs 
with the Governor, The Arrival of this Company was 
very welcome to us, for now we could make out full 
fix hundred Men, and confequently had no Reafon to 
fear any drolling Parties of Robbers. On the 15th of 
March we arrived at the River Kailaan, which we ford- 
ed, the Water being low j and paffing about a Mile 
farther in a Dale, we pitched our Tents there, thouo-h 
theres^was but little Forage to be found : Yet we pafted 
the Night here, and in the Morning difeovered a terri- 
ble Smoak to arife out of the North- weft, which gave 
me fome Apprehenfion&, that the Tartars having burnt 
