Chap. III. 
the Empire of C h i ]Sr A. 
“ peror’s exprefs Command : It is indeed a large City, 
“ but not to be compared to Nanking. 
The Second, Junging Fu, hath fix Cities under her 
Command. 
The Third, Chindmg Fu, hath twenty fix Cities. 
The Fourth, ^camping Fu, prefides over fix Cities. 
The Fifth, Fhkmming Fu., is chief of eleven Cities. 
. The Sixth, Funming Fu., governs fix. 
The Seventh, Hokien Fu, governs feven. 
The Eighth, Paoding Fu, ten Cities. 
The Ninth, Xunte Fu, hath nine inferior Cities. 
From this Rule, Superiority, and Power, which the 
great Cities as well in this, as in all the following Pro- 
vinces, have over the lelfer, though large and populous 
Cities, plainly difcover the Ability of each Province, 
and taken together difplay the vaft extended Power of 
this moft glorious Monarchy. 
The Soil of this Province is not very fertile in any 
Thing but Corn, jet even of this it doth not yield fuffi- 
cient to fupply its own Neceffities ; but is obliged to 
be furnifhed with what falls fhort in their own Growth, 
from other Countries. 
Formerly Nanking was the Metropolis and Imperial 
Seat : But the Incurlions and Outrages of the neigh- 
bouring Tartars, occafioned the Removal of the Impe- 
rial Court to Peking, in order to be nearer the Great 
Wall and the Enemy. 
“ The Emperors of the laft Race before the Tarta- 
“ rian Mancheou fthe Family or Nation which now 
“ reigns in China, and of which the prefent Emperor 
Canghy is the third ) tranflated the Seat of the Em- 
“ pire to Peking, for the Reafon hinted by our Author, 
that the Troops of the Houfhold being feveral thou- 
“ fand ftrong, might be immediately ready and near 
“ the Enemy : But neither this Precaution, nor the 
“ Great Wall, of which we fhall fpeak prefently, 
“ could prevent their being forced, or rather hinder 
“ Prince Tfon te (who was invited Into China to op- 
“ pofe a Tyrant and Ufurper) from eflablifhing him- 
“ felf on one of the moll auguft Thrones in the 
‘‘ World. 
4. This Wall, which is of a prodigious Length and 
Thicknefs, was built above 260 Years paft, by 
the Chine fe Emperor Chien Chuvoang, by Way of 
Provifion againfl: the Incurlions of the neighbouring 
Tartars *, and accordingly it covers the three Provinces 
of Peking, Xanfi and Xienft. This Wall, exadlly meafu- 
fed with a Line, in Length is above fix hundred and 
fifty French Miles, or Hours travelling ; (and by the 
Way the Reader is defired to take all Miles mentioned 
in this Traft for French Miles of an Hour’s March 
each.) But if all its crooked Windings were meafured 
it Would appear to be above one thoufand Miles long ; 
it being carried over very deep Mountains and Rocks. 
Upon the higheft of thefe it is provided with Fortreifes 
and Towers, four of which are placed within the Space 
of every Mile throughout the whole. Befides all which 
it is full broad enough for eight Horfes to gallop abreafl 
without any Danger. 
“ This Wall is reported to be built by the Emperor 
“ Chius, about 250 Years before the Birth of Chrift ; 
to the Performance of which fuch a vaft Number of 
“ Men were alotted, that the whole was finifhed within 
“ the Space of five Years, and was fo extraordinary 
“ firm, that no Nail could be driven into it* To raife 
“ Men for this great Work, that Monarch abfolutely 
commanded throughout his Dominions, that three 
“ out of every ten Men fhould work at it, and after- 
wards two out of every five were compelled to la- 
bour at this Undertaking ; It is alfo faid, that though 
“ the Inhabitants of each Province wrought as near 
their own Abode as they could, yet either by the 
Length of their Journey, or the Difference of the 
“ Climates, almoft all thofe employed in this Building 
died fuddenly which raifed a Tumult in the Em- 
‘‘ pire, that proceeded fo far as to murther the Em- 
peror arai Son Agutzi, in the Fortieth Year of 
“ his R ign. 
“ r Ac J Tints, who enjoy the Ear and Favour of the 
“ are vcy expert in the Art of Menfuration, 
: . li, N 3.34. 
“ as their printed Books difcover j amongft thefe a.re 
“ the above-mentioned Le Comte, Bohet, and GoUen, 
“ and they fells us that the moft formidable Enemies the 
“ Chinefe ever feared were the Wefiern Tartars ’, where- 
“ fore an ancient Chinefe Emperor built this Great W£|ll 
“ to keep them off 
‘‘ I have (faith Le Co'mte) four times traced and ob- 
ferved it very near Hand, and \vithout any Hyper- 
“ bole dare aver, that the feven Wonders of the World 
“ are not to be compared to it, and that Fame repre- 
“ fents it lefs in Europe than 1 found it to be. 
“ Two Particulars, continues he, furprized m® very 
“ much, 
“ i. That this Wall, in its long Extent from Eaft to 
Weft, is in feveral Places carried not only'direclly thro® 
“ vaft and defolate Plains, but alfo over very high 
“ Mountains ; over which it feemiS to advance by flow 
‘‘ Degrees, the intermediate Vacancies betwixt being 
“ ftrengthened with great Towers, which ftand about 
“ two Bow Shot diftant from each other. I meafured 
“ the Height of one of thefe, and found it one thou- 
“ fand feven and thirty Geometrical Feet above the Ho- 
“ rizontal Line 5 and it is not eafy to conceive how 
“ fuch a prodigious Bulwark could be raifed to fuch a 
“ Height, in dry mountainous Places, to which Water, 
“ Stone, Lime, and all other Materials, muft of Ne- 
“ ceflity be brought from Places far diftant. 
“ II, That this Wall is not carried on in adiredf 
“ Line, but in feveral Places winds, and turns, ac- 
“ cording as the Shape_ of the Hills required, fo that 
“ one would be apt fo fay, that three Walls inftead of 
“ one, cover a great Part of China. 
He farther faith, “ That the Chinefe have exceeded 
“ the Antients in Fortification *, that they call this Wall 
“ Vauli TchamTchin, that is, of ten thoufand Furlongs : 
“ That its Extent is from the Oriental Sea to the Pro- 
“ vince of Xanfi or Chanfi : That though it is certain 
“ that it is not fo long as Report makes it, yet all the 
“ Turnings and Windings confidered, it cannot be 
“ much lefs than five hundred Miles long *. That where- 
ever it feemed moft eafy to be forced, two or three 
“ Ramparts are clapped up one behind the other, fo that 
“ the hindmoft can eafily contribute to the Defence of 
“ the foremoft : That it is carried over the higheft 
“ Hills, or raifed or funk in Proportion to the uneven 
Ground it ftands on ; for (faith hej it is not to be 
“ imagined that it is every where level, but that vyhen- 
“ ever it takes its Courfe over lofty Mountains, it is 
“ extraordinary high, but otherwife it doth not exceed 
“ the Height of common City Walls 5 and notwith- 
“ ftanding Writers fo widely difagree about its Breadth,! 
“ it is not above five or fix Foot. 
He adds, “ That it is built with Brick, but the Work 
“ fo good, that though it hath flood fo many Ages, 
“ it is yet found and almoft intire^ That as this Un- 
“ der taking was the greateft in the World, it was alfo 
“ the moft ridiculous Attempt that ever was made ; for 
“ admitting, that Prudence obliged the moft feafible 
“ Inlets to be Ihut up, and fortified, it is neverthelefs 
“ abfurd, to raife a VVall to thofe Mountain Tops which 
“ are fo high, that a Bird can fcarce fly over them^ 
“ much lefs could the Tartarian Troops climb them^ 
“ and to leave fome Places fo low and defencelefs as 
“ they are. It is indeed to be wondered at, how they 
“ found fuch excellent Artifts and proper Inftruments, 
“ to convey the Materials fo^high ; and more Work- 
mens Lives were facrificed in this Building, than 
“ the utmoft Outrages of the Tartarian Armies would 
“ ever have killed them. 
5. The Kingdom or Province of Xantung lies South- 
wards of Peking, and extends Eaftward towards the 
Sea and through this Province, or that of Leaotung, 
the Inhabitants of Corea bring their annual Tribute to 
China. The Soil is fertile, producing all Sorts of 
Corn and Fruits in fuch Plenty, that one Year’s Crop 
is fufficient to provide the Inhabitants of this Country 
for ten Years. All Sorts of Edibles, tending to the 
Support of Luxury, as well as lupplying Neceffity, bear 
but a very low Price here ; and this Province abound- 
ing with Rivers, Canals, and Lakes, fhis is the Rea- 
1 1 M fon 
I 
