9^4 Geogfaphica 
fon that Filli is here prodigious plenty ; as alfo the 
Flefh of all Sorts of tame and wild Beafts. Nor arc 
the Silk-worms backward in yielding great Quantities 
of Silk. But withal, this Country is more infefted with 
Robbers and Thieves than the other Provinces of China, 
and they herd together in fuch Numbers, that they can 
raife a fmall Army, Subordinate to this are fix great 
Cities, diftinguifiied by the additional Appellative of 
Fu^ the Signification of which is explained above. 
And fubjefl to thefe fix are fifteen leffer Towns, di- 
ftinguifhed under the Title of Cheu, under which are 
eighty nine yet lefler, called Hien. 
The principal City is Zinan Fu, which hath under its 
Jurifdiflion four Cheu, and fixteen Hien, which have 
again twenty under their Command. 
The fecond large City is called Junchu Fu \ it hath 
twenty {okxk Cheu, and three and twenty Hien. 
Fungchang Fu, the third large City, prefides over 
three Cheu, and fifteen Hien. 
Chinceu Fu, the fourth, hath fubordinate to it four- 
teen Cheu, and as many Hien. 
Fengcheu Fu, the fifth great City, com.mands one 
Cheu, and feven Hien. 
Laicheu Fu, the fixth, governs two Cheu, and five 
Hien : and thefe are the fix great Cities of Xantung. 
The moft excellent Chinefe Philofopher Ciungftifius, 
drew his firfi; Breath in this Kingdom or Province. * 
This Ciungfu/ms or Ccnfutim, left feveral Philofophi- 
cal Trads behind him, for which not only the Chinefe, 
but alfo the neighbouring polite and knowing People, 
exprefs the greateft Veneration, and carefully preferve 
them, as the moft facred and valuable Writings in the 
World ; he is faid to have flouriflied about five hun- 
dred Years before Chrift. The Chinefe fo highly re- 
verence him, that they bow down to the Ground at 
the very Sight of any Table or Plank, Cfc. dedicated 
to his Memory, and on which his Name is infcribed. 
Though indeed this Prablice doth not always obtain, 
but at certain Solemnities, at certain Times and Places, 
that the Memory of fuch a learned Man and great Be- 
nefaftor to Mankind may not die ; to preferve which 
they make an Idol of him. 
There are fome fmall Iflands which are alfo depen- 
dent on this Province, among which are the following 
three, Feum, Xamuen, and Tenneng, are the moft con- 
fiderable •, and the laft very remarkable for having 
five hundred Chinefe Philofophers murthered there, 
though it is not fo much rever’d on this Account Xan- 
tung is for having given Birth to the great Confutius. The 
Story of that fingular MalTacre is this : 
The Emperor Xius or Chi Hompti, who built the 
great Wall (mentioned in the Defcription of Peking) 
being very much addided to War, and an accomplifti- 
ed Soldier, but an utter Enemy to all Philofophers, 
whom he had peremptorily refolved to put to Death ; 
commanded them all to repair from all Parts of his 
Kingdom to a particular Place, on the fpecious Pretext 
of difcufting fome very important Point ; and they all 
being affembled together, he ihipped them off to the 
mentioned Ifland, and caufed them all to be murdered 
in a very inhuman Manner, though others fay they 
drowned themfelves. He was fuch an inveterate Ene- 
my to all Literature, that he ftriftly commanded all his 
Subjebls, on Pain of Death, to burn all the Books in 
the whole Empire, except only thofe which treated of 
Agriculture, Phyfick, and Necromancy or Magick. 
Through this Province runs the River of which 
the Inhabitants relate very ftrange Things, many of 
which are found to be true. ^ 
tc furprizing Things reports, 
ihat it nine Sticks are thrown into it, fix of them 
“ will infallibly drive Southwards, and three to the 
North ; and that himfdf tried the Experiment and 
found It fucceed. Sed credat qui vult. 
In this and other Provinces, is obferved a Sort of Fifh- 
ing Bird called Louwa, which is lomewhat lefs than a 
Goofe, and not unlike a Raven ; having alfo a very 
crooked Bill towards the End. The Manner of Fifh- 
ing with them is as follows: The Fifhers havino- rowed 
themfelves in their Boats to a proper Place, throw thefe 
Birds over-board, who immediately dive, and the very 
' Defcription of Book III 
Inftant tli^ey have caught their Game, dart, up to the 
outface of the Water, when their Mafters immediatelv 
leize them, and very expedicioufiy pull the Fifti out of 
their Crops, it not being poffible for it to defcend 
lower, bccaufe uis flopped there by aRingfix’d about the 
Bird s Neck, which is removed when the Sport is over 
and the Birds let loofe ; after which they go a Fiih- 
ftealing with open Throats, and having fatiated them- 
fdves, return to their Boats. 
“ John Gonfales de Mendofa fays, they are faftened 
under their Wings to a long Rope before they are 
‘‘ Arown into the Water, and that they fifo every third 
Day in the proper Seafon, after the Fifh have fpawn’d. 
Near the City of Chincheu, or Junchu Fu, a Stone 
called Nieuhoang, is obferved to grow in the Stomach 
of the Cows, which fome take for a Sort of Bexoar 
and is very highly efteemed by the Chinefe Phyficians’ 
bang an efficacious Remedy againft Catarrhs, and other 
phlegmatick Diforders. 
6. Xanfi lies Weftwards of Peking, extendincr 
Northwards to the Great Wall, and is divided into two 
Parts by a large rapid River which runs through it, 
though It nfes in the Weftern Part of Xien/t, from 
whence it turns Southwards, fliortJy after it winds to 
the North, and laftly inclining again Southwards, dif- 
embogues itfelf into the Sea. 
« Writers differ very ftrangely concerning she Names 
of this Province, City, River, Cfr. Our Author calls 
“ the Province Xanf, another calls it Chanfi ; the chief 
“ City he names Honang Fu, others Caifung ; he calls 
the River Huango, another makes it Hoamfo-, and 
“ there is alfo a Difference, though not a very wide 
“ one, concerning its Source. Le Comte tells ,us, that 
“ the Hoamfo rifes at the farther End of thofe Moun- 
“ tains which cover the Weft Part of the Province of 
“ Suchouen ; from whence it throws itfelf into Fartary, 
“ where having run its Courfe without the Great Wall* 
“ it repafles through it into China, betwixt the Pro- 
vinces of Chanfi and Chenfi (^or Xienfi,) after which 
“ it waters the Province of Honang, and running through 
“ the Province of Nanking, having compleated its 
“ Courfe of above 600 Miles, laftly empties itfelf, not 
“ far diftant from the large River Kiam, into the Ori- 
“ ental Sea. 
It runs through four Provinces, beginning with Weft 
Xienjt where it rifes, and paffes through that Side of that 
Province ; after which it runs through Xanfi, Honan and 
Nanking, where it falls into the Sea. The Breadth of 
this River in fome Places is a French Mile, or a Mile 
and half, and in others, two Miles over ; and by the 
Violence of its Tide, and Force of this great Mals of 
Waters, it very much damages the adjoining Lands, by 
fometimes overflowing not only particular Houfes, but 
whole Villages and Cities, twenty or thirty Miles diftant> 
fweeping before it Men, Cattle or whatever it finds. In 
the Chinefe Language it is called Huango, which fignifies 
the yellow River, by Reafon the Water looks yellow or 
reddiffi, which is occafioned by its Paflfage over, and 
carrying along with it a Sort of yellow Earth on the 
Fartarian Mountains, that imparts its Tindlure to it : 
For this River runs through Part of Fartary without 
the great Wall, and after taking a winding Courfe 
there, re-enters the Wall. It is in many Places very 
deep, but yet in moft Parts of it unnavigable. 
“ This River hath formerly made vaft Devaftations, 
“ and obliged the Chinefe to keep off its Water, by 
“ calling up high and ftrong Dikes or Banks ; which 
“ after all proved infufficient to the fecuring of the Ci- 
“ ties from the ill Effeifts of its overflowing. Befides 
“ which, the Cities in Honang, are all fenced round 
“ about a Quarter of a Mile from the Town, to pre- 
“ vent an Inundation, in Cafe of this rapid River’s 
“ breaking through all its Banks, as it did above fifty 
“ Years fince. For the Emperor, in order to rai.fo the 
“ clofe Siege laid to Caifung, the chief City of Honang, 
by the'Rebel Lihuang (who had perfeflly block’d it up 
‘‘ from all Relief,^ and to confound his Army, caufed 
“ the Banks to be cut through. But their Delivery 
“ proved more fatal to them, and did them more Mif- 
“ chief than the utmoft Rage of the Enemy could : 
“ For by that Means not only the City itfelf but al- 
“ moft 
I 
