A Geogfaphical Defcription of 
cinQ: Account of thofe Kingdoms, that either 
merly depended upon it. 
depend. 
or tor- 
By Dionysius Kao, a Native of China. 
I. An Account of the vafi Numbers oj 'People in this Empire, together with Proofs of, and Reafons for, 
its being fo populous, 2. An Account of the Progrefs of Chriftianity, and of the Number of the Chrif- 
tians in China towards the Clofe of the la ft Century. 3. Pbe 'Situation and Extent of the famous Chinefe 
Wall ; the famous Rivers, and prodigious ^lantity of Shipping in this Empire. 4. Of the mofi famous 
Lakes, the mofi remarkable Bridges, and the mofi celebrated Ports in China. 5. Phe Religious and 
Philofophical Opinions of the Chinefe, -more ejpecially thofe of Confucius and his Followers. 6 . Of the 
breaking out of a deteftable Herejy that fill prevails in this Empire, and of the Entrance and Progrefs 
of Idolatry amongji the Chinefe.’ 7. Of the Prevalence of Atheifm in this Country, the Nature of it, 
pi7d the pernicious Effedls of their fuperfiitious Regard for Antiquity. 8. Of Deifm, or Natural Re- 
ligion, as profeffed and praflijed by the wifefi and beji Sort of People in China. 9, Of the Efiablifed 
Religion among the Tartars, their Lamas or Pr lefts, and of the Dalai Lama, or Living God with 
the furprizing Progrefs of this ab fur d Super ftition. 10. OJ the Ceremonious Civilities and Compliments 
eftablifted by Law z>/ China ; and of the Rules prefcribed^ to all Ranks of People in Reference to Things 
of this Nature. 1 1 . 0 / the Marriages amongji the Chinefe j of their Manner of Living m thfr Fa- 
milies, and other Things of that Nature. 12. Of their Funeral Solemnities, their long Mourning, and 
the fuperftitious Honours paid to Perfons deceafed. 13. Of the Lanthorn Feafi, and of other publick and 
private Feftivals obferved by this Nation. 14. Of the^ Trees, Fruits, Flowers, Herbs, Drugs, &c. in 
China. 15. Of the Animals, Mines, Metals and Minerals in this Empire. 16. The Authors Ac- 
count 'of Qqx^2., Formofa, Tunkin, Laos. 17. Of other Countries formerly dependent on, 
or that have been lately fubje fled to the Emperor ^ China. 
N the Villages and Towns, as well as Cities in 
China, the People are reckoned not by ten or 
hundred thoufands, but by Millions: Their 
Numbers are fo vail, and China fo prodigious 
populous, that it really feems incredible ; and thofe who 
have taken a View of this Country from an exalted 
Place, have always compared the Number of Men to 
that of Ants creeping in Crouds amongft one another. 
They are indeed fo numerous, that common and very 
indifferent Houfes are charged with five or fix Families : 
And the Roads, Streets and Lanes, are fo crouded, that 
it is fcarce poffible to pafs without juftling one another. 
All this will appear yet more furprizing, if k be confi- 
der’d, that no Woman appears in Publick in any Part 
of China, except at Peking j they never going on Foot, 
but are carried in covered Seats or Chairs, wherever 
they pleafe. 
The mofi populous Cities are Nanking, Hangcheu, 
Siicheii, Peking, Jungcbeu, Canton, Fochen, Viichang Fu, 
Chengcheu, and Zuencheu, befides leveral others. Not 
to mention the fabulous Relations concerning the firft 
planting and peopling of Countries, I am of Opinion 
that the firft Inhabitants of this Empire were the De- 
fcendan-ts of Shem, Noah’s eldeft Son j for in the Divi- 
fion of the World they feem to be all diftributed in 
Afia, of which China is Part: And at the Confufion of 
Babel, traverfing that Quarter of the World, probably 
fetttled here, becaufe they found no Part of it better 
than this, which is bleffed with a healthful Air, tempe- 
rate with Regard both m Heat and Cold : The Ferti- 
lity of the Pafture Grounds, which richly feed all Sorts 
of Cattle, invited their Choice, and in a Manner for- 
ced them to take up their Abode here. After which. 
Experience confirm’d the Happinefs of their Choice, by 
their being amply provided not only with allNecdfaries 
to human Life, but even with whatever Luxury could 
wifh. Induftry, Art, and Prudence, improv’d the na- 
tural Liberality of the Soil, and engaged the Neigh- 
bours to think China the Garden of the Univerfe, and 
its Inhabitants the wifeft and moft polite People in the 
World •, and that thofe of their Neighbours, who fuc- 
ceeded beft in the Imitation of them, were next them 
efteemed the moft intelligent People of Nlia. Buoyed 
up by, this vaft Reputation, they extended the Limits of 
their Empire far beyond the Bounds of China : And 
not only Tunkin, Cochin-China, and Laos, befides feve- 
ral neighbouring Iflands •, but the Kingdoms of Siam, 
Pegu, Part of Tartary, Camhoja, and Japan, have been 
fubordinate to them, as may be fufficlently proved by 
their complying with and continuing to make Ufe.of 
the fame common Cuftoms ; which is alfo confirm’d by 
the Chinefe Empire, being known to be above one 
thoufand Years old, and to have always retained the 
fame Language, Doctrine, Government, and Habit, 
down to this Time. Though indeed one Exception lies 
to that General Rule, which happen’d about fifty Years 
paft i and that was the changing their Fafhion of 
wearing their Hair, when the Tartars overpower’d their 
Monarchy *, but that Alteration was a coercive Acknow- 
ledgment of their wretched Slavery. 
The Chinefe formerly wore long Hair, of which they 
were not a little proud, adorning it with Gold Wire, 
and firmly believing that they fhould be drawn up to 
Heaven by it ; which doubled the Severity of the Com- 
mand that obliged them to part with it, and comply 
with the Tartarian Fafliion •, and engaged them rather 
to fuftain the Fatigues of a cruel War, at the Expence 
of a great many Lives, than buffer their Hair to be cut 
off: But the Tartar had proceeded too far to be oppo- 
fed. However, the Prudence of the Emperor, and the 
Mildnefs of his Government, permitting the Chinefe 
Men of Quality, called Mandaryns, quietly to enjoy 
their important Pofts, fomewhat alleviated the melan- 
choly Reflexions, occafioned by this Lofs, and their 
Slavery •, for the Tartars having fubjeXed China, did 
not fhew themfelves foficitous to make any Alteration 
in its ancient Form of Government j and, as I juft now 
hinted, the Chinefe Mandaryns remained in the fame 
State and Characder as before, only having an equal 
Number of Tartars added to them : And by thefe lub- 
tle Meafures the foreign Power, which they were always 
jealous of, ftole in upon them. And this Maxim was 
fo well obferv’d, that all the Courts of Juftice, from the 
higheft to the loweft, were equally fupply’d with a Tarta- 
rian and Chinefe Judge ; and indeed the whole Govern- 
ment is jointly entrufted in the Hands of Tartarians and 
Chinefe, and to this prefent Time, peaceably admini- 
ftred in Subordination to the Commands of the Em- 
peror of China and Tartary. 
In the Reign of the prefent Emperor, the Chriftian 
Relio^ion is more freely indulged than ever fo that 
we (Tuc^ht not to defpair, but that the whole Empire of 
China^mny in Time embrace that Fajth which only leads 
to Salvation. And from the firft Entrance of the Mif- 
fionaries into that Empire, they have continually ufed 
their lumoft Induftry, to engage this fubtle Nation to 
embrace 
I 
