Chap. III. 
A Geographical Defcription. 
SECTION V. 
A Geographical Defcription of the extenfive Empire of China^ and of 
the Sixteen Provinces into which it is divided. In which is contain- 
ed a fuccin6I View of the Situation, Bounds, Produce, remarkable 
Curiofities, and whatever elle is worthy of Notice in each Province, 
taken entirely from the Writings of the Chinefe themfelves, and 
more efpecially from their authentick Records and natural Hifto- 
ries penned by Direction of the State j with fuch incidental Ac- 
counts of their Antiquities and of the perfonal Hiftory of the moft 
famous Emperors, Heroes, Stateftnen, and Philofophers, as have 
been born or flouriftied in any of thole Provinces through the 
Courle of many Ages. 
By D lONYSius Kao, a Native of China. 
fervatipns and Remarks drawn from the beft 
of this Empire^ both encient and modern. 
llluftrated with many curioUs Ob-, 
hors who have treated of the Affairs 
, An Introdudiory Account oj the Author of this W ork, and of the Nature^ Accuracy^ and Ufefulnefs 
of the Work itfelf 2. A general Defcription of the vaf Empire of China, and of the Sixteen Pro- 
noinces into which it is divided. 3 . fhe Province of Peking, and the Pmperial City of the fame Name 
particularly defcribed. 4. A large Account of the Great Wall, with Remarks thereupon from fever al 
Authors, 5. A Defcription of the Province of Xantung, a?id of the famous Philofopher . Confucius 
who was a Native of this Province. 6. fhe Province of Xanzi, with an Account f the great River 
Huango, and other Curiofties in that Dif riSl. y. Of the Kingdom of Xienxi, with Jome Account of 
the Progrefs made both by the Chriftian and Mahometan Religions in that Empire, 8. Phe Province of 
Honan defcribed^ with an Account of the Manner in which the chief Cify^ and mof other Places of Note, 
were defiroyed, and remain fill in a ruined Condition. 9. Of the Province of Leatung, and of the 
original Inhabitants before it made a Part of Chinefe Dominions. 10. An Account f the Conqueft 
of China by the Tartars for the lafi fime. 11. A copious Defcription of the Province of Nanking, and 
of the famous City of that Name, formerly the Capital of the Empire. 12. The Province of Chekiang, 
and the Cities therein defcribed. 1 3 . Of the Province of Kiangfi, including the Hiftory of Porcelain or 
China-ware, as formerly given by the Miffionaries. 14. A copious Defcription of the Province ofHn- 
quang, including fever al other remarkable Particulars. 1 5. An Account of the Province of Suchuen 
which is the fmallef in the Empire. 16. Of the Province of and of the Number of CitiL 
therein, and the Commodities for which the Country about them is famous, ly. The Kingdom of Junan 
defcribed., with Remarks upon the Accidefits that have befallen it. 1 8. An Account of the Province of 
Q^angli, the Manner in which id became annexed to the Empire, ig. A copious Defcription of the 
Province of Quoangtung, or Canton, with fame very curious Particulars relating both to Civil and 
Natural Hiftory. 20. The noble Kingdom of Fokien defcribed, and the Manner in which it was redu^. 
ced under the Power of the Chinefe. 2\. A Digrejfton, containing the Hiftory of the Ifland of For- 
mofa, the Conqueft of it by the Chinefe Fugitives from the Dutch. 22. The prejent State and Condi- 
tion of the Province of Fokien. 23. Of the Boundaries and Difiances of the fever al Kingdoms and Pro- 
vinces of China ; the Divifton of them into Inland and Maritime, larger and lefs j the whole intended as 
a Supplement to the Author s Defcription. 24, The political Anatomy of the Chinefe Empire, from an 
Italian Manufcript. 25. Remarks and Obfervations Hiftorical, Phyfi^al, and Philofophical, upon the 
principal Events in the foregoing SeSlion. 
H ER E is fcarce a Country in the World, 
that laying all Things together, deferves 
to be fo perfectly known, as this which 
our Author has defcribed ; and for this 
Reafon, without all Doubt, fo many Pens have been 
exercifed in making Defcriptions ; there are, however, 
three Particulars that feem to recommend this of our 
Author in an extraordinary Degree ; the firft is, that 
being a native Chinefe, and bred up to Letters, he muPc 
have had greater Opportunities both with refpeft to Books 
and Converfation, of knowing his own Country than 
any Stranger, much lefs any Traveller could pretend to, 
and at the fame Time muft be lefs liable to commit 
Miftakes, even fuppofing he fet Things down as they 
occurred to him, than they could be with all the 
Circumfpeflion and Care in the World. In the next 
Place, as he had ftudied Phyfick, pradifed as a Sur- 
geon, and had tr^vell’d from Province to Province for ma- 
ny Years amongft the Chriftians, he muft have had great 
Opportunities of feeing Things ; that is, muft have im- 
proved his Knowledge and Judgment very much. Laftly^ 
his Defcription, after being often reviewed by his 
Excellency Mr. Tshrants Ides, was judged to be the beft 
he had feen, and feems to have appeared fuch in the Eyes 
ot others, fince it was t/anflated into Latin and High 
Dutch, before it was printed in Low Dutch, with the 
Remarks that are now added to it, by the Care, and 
under the Diredion of the famous Mr. Witzen. It may 
not be amilS to inform the Reader, that it was penned 
about the Year 1694, and that the Author, who alfo 
wrote feverai other Pieces, was efteemed a very worthy, 
honeft, and pious Man, and appears to have written 
very impartially without any overweaning Fondnefs for 
liis Countrymen, or fiavifh Dependance uppn the Jefuits, 
What 
