A Geogfaphtcal DeJcTiptiou of 
fible for Ships to come thither, and go from thence, 
the whole Year round. 
When the above-mentioned Chinefe Prince ^oefmg or 
Coxinga landed, there were feveral large as well as fmall 
Ships ^in the Plaven ; and upon the Ifland there were fettled 
nine or ten thoufand Hollanders^ who were as rich, and 
lived as well as any where befides. But notwithftanding 
the Hutch Eqft-lndia Company was fo ftrong there, the 
Chinefe left their native Country, and blocked up the 
Haven with their Fleet j they bravely attacked the Ne- 
therlanders^^nd their FortrefTes, and conquered, burnt or 
deftroy’d them ; So that at laft they took the City, 
Forts, and the whole Ifland : They alfo exercifed feve~ 
rai Cruelties on their conquered Enemies, of whom they 
killed feveral, and cut off the Hands and Feet of 
fome, and the Ears and Nofes of others ; after which, 
they fent thefe miferable Wretches on board three Ships 
to Batavia. This we muft underftand as taken from 
the Chinefe Accounts. 
After this Succefs, they difpatched away an Envoy to 
the Spaniards at the Manilhas., in order to demand a 
Recognition and Tribute of them ; threatening withal, 
if they refufed, to treat them as they had done the 
Hutch. But the Spaniards flighting their Menaces, per- 
emptorily refufed to comply with their Demands. Be- 
fore we take our Leave of this Subject, we fliall relate 
another Circumftance that happened to this Prince. 
He had difpatched three Ships freighted with Silver, 
under the Condudl of fome of his Officers, with Or- 
ders to unlade it at Eaioan. Thefe Officers, inftead of 
carrying it where it was bound, bring it to the Em- 
peror China, who appoints th^m fafe Condud, and 
praifes the Enterprize. But this Prince being very 
much enraged at the Treachery, raifes an Army of above 
an hundred thoufand Men, and equips an innumerable 
Fleet, on board of which, with the utmofl Difpatch, 
he fhipped his Forces, and unexpedtedly failed up the 
great Nankingjian River, beat both Army and Fleet, f by 
Water and by, Land, reducing the Flaces round about the 
City of Nanking. To which he alfo laid fuch clofe 
Siege, that he plainly faw that it was feafible, and there- 
fore he abfolutely intended to maffer it in a very few 
Days : Which he had certainly done, had he not de- 
clared to his Army, that it was his Pleafure, that a cer- 
tain Day fhoLild be celebrated with all Manner of Mirth 
and Jollity, in Remembrance of his Birth-Day, which 
accordingly began with all imaginable Expreffions of 
exceffive Joy, but ended with a bitter Farewel ; for the 
Nankingers having Notice of it, and being informed of 
the Negligence of their Guards, ( thofe upon Duty, as well 
as thofe who were not, being all drunk) took that Op- 
portunityto make feveral vigorous Sallies on the Befiegers 
from all Parts, fell upon them in the Midft of their 
Debauch, beat them out of their Trenches, and killed 
the greateft Part or the Army, a few only efcaping, who 
ferved to carry the News. 
The Prince with his fmall Remainder returns to his 
Hand, and is reported to be fo much affedted with 
this fcandalous, Lofs, that running diftradled he bit off 
a Piece of his Tongue, which Wound occafioned fuch 
a Flux of Blood, as could not timely be ftaunched, fo 
that he died of it. 
His Son, who fucceeded him, being young, and very 
little experienced in Military Affairs, his Father’s Lofs 
remained unrevenged ; and thus the faireft Opportunity 
imaginable of taking Nanking was irretrievably loft by 
an unfeafonable Rejoicing, and a fcandalous Debauch. 
[Our Author fpeaks here in the true Language of a 
native Chinefe. ~\ 
On the other Side, the Emperor could not reft, till, 
in order to revenge the atrocious Affront offere'd to 
him and the late Imperial Metropolis, by this unex- 
pedfed Incurfion, and to prevent any fuch Attempt for 
the Future, had mann’d out a Fleet of four hundred 
and fifty Sail, and embark’d on board them Forces 
enough to take Taioan, which was entirely encompaffed 
and blocked up by the Fleet. But contrary to all Ex- 
pedfation, the young Prince taking the Advantage of 
a favourable Wind, though he had but forty Ships in 
ail, yet by the Affiftance of his excellent Sea-Officers, 
he heroically attacked, beat, utterly ruined moil and dc- 
ftroyed the Emperor*s great Fleet. That Monarch, who 
thus by dire Experience was inftrudfed not to have too 
mean Thoughts of his Enemy, foon refoived to take 
jufter Meafures : Accordingly he renews his Attempt 
the next Year, and not only fends more Ships and 
Forces, but took Care tkat they fhould more cautioufly 
encompafs and clofely fhut up all the Avenues to the 
whole Ifland, and kept it in this blocked Condition. 
Mean while the Prince flipping no Opportunity to gali 
his Enemy, imagining the Coaft clear, though pro- 
vided with a very fmall Number of Ships, boldly flew 
at his too powerful Enemy ; but was beaten out of the 
Sea, and forced to fly back to his Ifland, where he 
bravely defended himfelf the Remainder of that Year 
But the Coafts being encompaffed, and confequently a 
Stop put to all Commerce ; befides which, it was alfo 
afflided with a very great Draught, there having been 
no Rain for five Years ; and no Relief appearing, he 
at length _ being driven to the laft Extremity by War 
and Famine, found himfelf forced to furrender his 
Country, and fubmit himfelf to the Emperor’s Mercy, 
who ordered him to be brought to Peking. At Sight 
of him the Emperor (touched by the tender Years, 
the heroick Deportment of the Princely YouthJ not 
only fpared his Life, but afterwards made him a Pre- 
fent of the before- mentioned Ifland, and the Tide of 
King of Formofa, which he accordingly at prefent 
governs. 
Thus the whole Empire of China, in the Year 1682, 
was again fubjeded to one Sovereign, an,d the Ifland 
Taioan or Formofa fubmitted to the Jurifdidion of the 
Province of Fokien, with the additional Appellative Fu, 
and is accordingly number’d amongft the great Cities 
of that Province. 
Its Compafs takes in a Circuit of five hundred Miles : 
Sugar and Buck-skins are the prime Commodities there, 
and this Ifland is reckoned about forty Miles diftant from 
the firm Land, or Continent of China. 
22. Focken Fu, that beautiful and large City, is the 
chief of this Province, and is very famous for its Com- 
merce with the Japonefe, Indians, and Europeans, tho* 
this of late has declined. 
This Province contains nine large Cities, amongft 
which, as is already hinted, the above-mentioned Ifland 
of Formafa is reckoned as one. Three of thefe nine are 
very confiderable and large, to which is added another 
Hand, viz. Haimui, which is about eleven or twelve 
Miles in Circuit, is' bleflfed with the fineft Haven in the 
whole Province, and formerly was pofTefTed by the 
above-mentioned Prince of Formofa, and for a long 
Time bravely held out againft the Emperor ; but fome- 
time afterwards it was conquered by one of the two 
Kings, which, as is before related, governed, the one 
Canton, the other Fokien. Both of them were rewarded 
for their great Aftions with Donatives 5 but the King 
of Fokien rebelled againft the Emperor. 
This King of Fokien at the fame Time profecuted a 
vigorous War againft the Prince of Haimai by Sea, and 
the Emperor by Land ; who being too feeble to refift 
them both, fubmitted himfelf to the Emperor, on 
whofe Command being come to Peking, he and his Son 
were put to Death. 
In thefe Civil DilTentions in this Empire, there fell, 
by the above-mentioned Wars, above Forty Millions of 
Men. The Names of the remaining large Cities are, 
Zhivencheu Fu, Hinghoa Fu, Chahoen Fu, Jenping Fu, 
Fluien Fu, Fingcheu Fu, Changefu, and Faioan Fu, or 
Formofa. Thefe nine Capital Cities prefide over fixty 
others. 
The Number of Cities in the whole Empire amounts 
to feventeen hundred ; to particularize the Names of 
all which would take up too much Time, and tire the 
Reader, wherefore we have only mentioned the Chief 
of them. I have barely touched on fome Events, the 
Story of which is very well known, happening moftly 
within the Compafs of our Remembrance, and during 
the Reigns of the laft Chinefe and the prefent Tartarian 
Families ; for it would have taken up too much of the 
Reader’s Patience, to have defcended to Particulars : 
Wherefore 
