66 A Geographical Defer iption of Book III. 
Southwards lie the Kingdoms of ‘Tmking and Siam •, 
Eaftwards Japan., and fome other inlands j Weftwafds 
Pegu i and the Country as far as Bengal and Tartary j 
Northwards are the Barbarian which formerly 
paid Toll and'Tribute as Subjefls. Whilft China\Jm^ 
in the Middle of all thefe, is juftly called in Chinefe^ 
Chung Ivoi, that is, the Middle Kingdom. 
This Province confifts of flat Land, without Hills, 
•which is very fruitful, yielding a vaft Plenty of Rice and 
other Cornwall which are to be bought here very cheap ; 
a hundred Pound of Rice being frequently fold for no 
more than twelve Pence. In this Country was born 
the famous Tchcon Tfong^ who, according to the Chi- 
ne [e Annals, invented the Mariners Compafs a thoufand 
Years before the coming of Chrifl. 
It contains eight large Cities, which have fubordinate 
to them an hundred and eight Towns or leffer Cities. 
The principal City is called Schaifung Fu. 
This formerly was the Royal Court, but was over- 
flowed and covered with Sand by a great Inundation j 
and at prefent a City is built oppofite to it. ^inte Fu^ 
HinSle Fu^ Vecfe Fu^ Faking Fu, Honan Fu, Nining Fu, 
and Hojang Fu, are the Names of the remaining Cities, 
making all together eight, having Jurifdidlion over the 
above-mentioned hundred and eight. 
By this Inundation is to be underflood the cutting 
“ of the Banks already mentioned in the Defeription of 
‘‘ Xamci, of the River Uoanga, which was done by the 
“• Emperor to deliver the City from the Siege which the 
“ Rebel JJhuang\i2A laid to it, and to drown him and 
his Army : But alas ! it proved the Drowning and 
“ Deftruction of this chief City, and fo many hundred 
“ thoufand Men. I fhall only add, that the Cham- 
pion Ground of this Province hath continued ever 
“ fince like a Pond or Morafs ; Projedls have indeed 
“ been thought on to drain it, and reduce it to its 
priftine State ; but the Undertaking is almofl above 
“ human Ability, the Expence is unmeafurably great, 
nor is it pofTible to accomplifh it •, wherefore the 
“ Court hath given over all Thoughts of it j yet Time 
“ has done much towards it, and Things are now much 
“ altered for the better.” 
9. Leaotung lies Northward of Xantung, Eaft- 
wards of Corea •, but Southwards of Tartary. Through 
this Province the prefent Tartar Conqueror came into 
China. In the Reign of the Emperor Vanli, about the 
Year of Chrift 1590, the Tartars alfo broke into Leao- 
tung, but were repulfed by that Monarch. This was 
about the Time that Father Matthew Ricci the Jefuit 
came into China. This Emperor Vanli governed, and 
peaceably poflefled Leaotung for forty nine Years : But 
after his Death the Tartars, by the Afflftance of fome 
exil’d traiterous Chinefe, that lived in this Province, the 
utmoft Boundary which divided China from Tartary the 
Tartar, I fay, alTifted by thefe Traitors who had before 
behaved themfelves ill at Home, again entred this Coun- 
try. This happened w'hen the Emperor was but young, 
and all the publick Affairs were directed by his Viceroys 
and Eunuchs. So they grew more Potent in this Pro- 
vince. And about the Year 1630, one Lichuang, a 
perfidious Rebel, rofe up againft him in the Province of 
Xienfi, of which he not only made himfelf Mafter, but 
alfo over feveral others before the Emperor fo much 
as knew of it j his Eunuch Commanders induftrioufly 
concealing it, fo that the ill News never reached his 
Ears till it was too late to remedy it, that is, till this 
Rebel was advanced with his Forces fo near Peking, that 
he entred it the next Morning. 
“ He was the laft of the Race of Taiminga, whofe 
“ Name was Zungchi : Of which Family Chu was the 
“ Founder. He drove out the T irtars who then lorded 
it over the Chinefe *, and his Defeendants enjoyed the 
“ Empire for feveral hundred Years. 
Upon tne News of which the Emperor clapt his 
Hand to his Sword, not out of manly Refolution, but 
hurried thereto by Defpair only, in order to kill his 
Imperial Confort, Concubines and Daughter, who ex- 
preffed their Grief in Tears and Lamentations fuffici- 
ently pathetick to have moved the moft obdurate Heart. 
Having thus prevented their future Mifery bv prefent 
Death, himfelf climbed to the Top of a Mountain, 
within the Walls of the Imperial Palace, and to pro- 
vide againft falling into the Hands of this bafe Rebel, 
chofe rather to die by his own, and accordingly hanged 
himfelf on a Tree. ° 
After which Lichuang afeended the Throne, and efta- 
blilhed himfelf in the PoflefTion of the Monarchy, as 
Sovereign Ruler of the People, but deported himfelf like 
a Tyrant and Ufurper 1 For he began his Reign with 
Cruelty : He commanded the Father to the Prince and 
General at the great Wall, and feveral other NoblemeOj 
to be put to an ignominious and painful Death, for no 
other Reafon than becaufe he could not bring over his 
Son to the Rebels Side : Who afterwards not only at- 
tempted the Revenge of his Father’s Death, but alfo to 
deliver the Empire from this Ufurper, 
For he then went to Leaotung, and invited the Tartars 
to his Afflftance : But they very much diftrufted him at 
firft, to remove which he promifed them on the Word 
of a General to be faithful to them, confirming his 
Promifes with an Oath on the naked Sabre. After which 
he led them as their General, and they boldly followed 
him. The prevailing Ufurper was come without the 
Wall, and alfo requefted Aid of Leaotungers h\ii in 
vain. 
“ From this and what follows, as that Lichuang went 
“ without the great Wall to requeft the Afflftance of 
“ the Leaotungers,, it clearly appears that Leaotung lies 
“ without the mentioned great Wall, fince this Princely 
General, by fome called Ufangeii, and by our Author 
“ Vii Sangquei, who then commanded, went from the 
“ great Wall and applied himfelf to the Leaotungers as 
“ well as the Ufurper, and on the fame Account. But 
“ in the Beginning of this Tracft, to which we refer the 
“ Reader, this is fo clearly proved, that no farther Evi- 
“ dence is in the leaft neceflary. 
This Heroick General bravely faced his Enemy, and 
in the firft Place revenging the Murther of his Father, 
after an obftinate Refiftance, he routed, put him to flight, 
and purfued him and his flying Army as far as Peking^ 
where his Enemy made no Stop, but after he had taken 
out his hundred and ninety Concubines, and the richeft 
Furniture and Jewels, fet Fire to the Imperial Palace. 
The General purfu’d him accompanied with his own For- 
ces, and fome Tartars, leaving the reft at Peking. 
10. The Tartarian Chan or Prince, though but invi- 
ted, in order to affift the Chinefe, having with him about 
feven or eight thoufand Tartars, befides the Leaotungers, 
made Ufe of this fair Opportunity to mount the Throne 
of this mighty Empire. This happened about _ten 
Years before the worthy Father John Adam Schalt fet- 
tled in China. 
The General returning from the Purfuit of his Ene- 
my, found the Tartar, whofe Afflftance he had implored, 
feated on the Throne, and himfelf obliged to obey him : 
And complying with Neceffity, he confented to become 
his Relation by Inter- marriage. And the new Em- 
peror created this Prince King of Junan. 
The Bond of Affinity was yet too feeble, and the 
Crown of Junan too mean, to fatisfy and reftrain within 
Bounds this afpiring Prince, who aimed at the Empire 
itfelf. And accordingly after the Expiration of a few 
Years, he rofe againft the Chan ; and ftiled himfelf Em- 
peror, by the Name of Vii Sangqueii', reduced feveral 
Southern Provinces to acknowledge his Sovereignty : 
And after having carried on a vigorous War againft the 
Chan, and conquered near half the Empire, he at laft 
died, being arrived to a very great Age. 
His youngeft Son who fucceeded him in his Pretenfions, 
was, at the Time of his Death, a Minor, and as it ge- 
nerally happens in Revolutions, an irreconcileable Dif- 
fention arofe amongft the Princes, which prevented his 
maintaining his Claim to the Empire : The eldeft Son 
kept his Court at Peking, was by Marriage allied to the 
Emperor, and had three Sons ; but though he was thirty 
five Years of Age, yet he and his three Sons were put 
to Death. And ever fince the whole Empire of China 
hath been fubjedf to one Sovereign, who^ is the Chan 
of the Mantcheou Tartars. 
There 
