97 
in the Weftern Qiiartcr of Tart ary ^ and runs through 
the Provinces of Xanfi^ XieHfi^ Henan and Nanking^ 
where at laft it falls into the Sea. This River is fcarce 
navigable by Reafon of its prodigious Rapidity, and 
the vaft Floods which frequently defeend into it 
from Tartary and the Northern Parts, (through which 
it runs and fometimes prove very mifehievous to both 
Men and Cattle, by carrying away Houfes, Hutts, Fields 
and whatever is upon them, and at ocher Times fweep- 
ing away whole Villages and Cities. 
Befides thefe two Principal there are other Rivers, as 
Zhientangkiang which is very broad, but not compara- 
ble to the two former in Length or Depth •, running 
only through the Province of Chekiang^ and then fal- 
ling into the Sea. The remaining Rivers, though home 
of them^ are large, are much lefs confiderable than 
thefe which have been deferibed. 
Beiides the natural Streams or Rivers, here are feveral 
artificial large navigable Channels 5 moft of the Pro- 
vinces are provided with one of thefe broad Channels 
of long Eixtent, for a Conveyance from one Province 
or River to another : They are commonly cut in a diredl 
Line, paved with fiat Stones, and adorned with beautiful 
lofty Stone Bridges, the Arches of which afford a very fine 
and regular Profpedl. Some are of Opinion that the 
Yellow River was cut by human Induftry, above three 
thoufand Years part, by Order of the Z.m'ptrov Juvoang : 
And to ftrengthen their Affertion, they add, that the 
Land whereabouts it rifes was overflowed by a vaft In- 
undation of Water, and that the Emperor, in order to 
draw It off, caufed a very wide and very long Channel 
to be dug, which making Way for this Deluge, it 
broke through, and difeharged itfelf with fuch Force 
into thefe artificial Channels, that it compofed the Yel- 
low River. But this meets with a very cool or rather 
no Credit •, it not being poffible for the Flux of Wa- 
ters occafioned by fuch an Inundation perpetually to fup- 
ply a River, whofe Length is above fix hundred Miles, 
and the Current of which is fo ftrong, befides its vaft 
Depth and Breadth. 
There are navigable large and convenient Canals to 
all Places of the Empire, except only in the Provinces 
of Suchuen, ^eicheu^ Xanfi and Xienfi. 
In China the Quantity of Ships is innumerable as the 
Sand of the Sea ; Thole which carry Corn only to Pe^ 
king amounting to 9999 large Ships, fufficient to carry 
above thirty or forty thouland Weight : And their Paf- 
fage from Nanking to Peking^ being feven or eight hun- 
dred Italian Miles, moftly through artificial Channels, 
take up full fix Months time. Befides thefe, there is an 
equal Number of Ships made ufe of to carry Silk, 
Scuffs and other Goods thither j fo that they are prodi- 
gioufly numerous, befides the Ships which belong to 
particular Merchants : So that it is not only feafible to 
ftep from Ship to Ship as on a Water-Key, from Nan- 
king to Peking^ but as the Jefuits expreffing their incre- 
dible Number fay, if it were but pracfticable in other 
Refpedls, here are Ships enough to make a Bridge from 
China to Europe. ' 
“ The fame Number of Nine thoufand nine hundred 
“ ninety nine being before-mentioned, we will explain 
“ both Paffages here : Le Comte faith that the Barges 
“ from eighty to an hundred Tuns burthen, make this 
“ Voyage once in a Year ; but in another Place he tells 
“ us. That 9999 are always kept in a Readinefs *, to 
“ which he adds, fo runs the common Report of the 
“ People, by Reafon that fuch a Sort of Expreffion in 
“ their Language imports a much larger and indefinite 
Number, which may fairly be conftrued ten thou- 
fand. 
“ The fame Ee Comte calls it a watry Road, deftined 
“ for the Tranfportation of Grain and Stuffs from the 
« Southern Provinces to Peking. The Number of Ships 
(faith he) is fo large, that whenever one fees that nu- 
“ merous Fleet pals by, one would be apt to fay, they 
« were laden with all the Tribute and Treafures of 
“ the Eaft, and of all their Monarchs, and that one of 
their Returns would furnifh fufficient Stores of Pro- 
vifion to lupply all Tartary for many Years.’* 
Befides thefe fmallerVeffels, there are zx Nanking, and 
A Geographical Defeription of 
iO 
■ok 
alfo feveral other Havens of the Empire, Ships which 
are twice as large as thefe, being of feventy or eighty 
thoufand Weight Burthen ; and thefe ferve to carry Sak 
to every Port in the whole Country. There are alfo 
Abundance of magnificent Barks or Ships which belong 
to the Mandaryns, Governors, and others of the Nob' 
hty, which are provided with fpadous Halls and Aparf 
meats, very richly furniffied, as alfo with Galleries” 
Rails, Windows and Doors, for Convenience and Plea 
fure •, they are befides finely gilt, lacquered, and beau’ 
tifully painted with the fineft Colours. There are like 
wile feveral Pleafure-Boats, made Ufe of by the ChineJe 
only for Diverfion and Merry-making; thefe are alfo 
provided with Chambers and Apartments which are 
finely painted, lacquered and gilt both within and with 
out ; fo that indeed they deferve rather to be efteemed 
Floating-Houfes than Ships : Befides all which, all Parts 
are abundantly provided with all Sorts of keceffarv 
Barks or Boats for Travellers ; For there is fcarce a City 
whether large or fmall, to which there is not a PalLae 
by Water. And what is yet more, here are a Sortof 
driving Floats, on which whole Famijes live, by keep- 
ing Ducks, or following fome other Trade : So that in- 
deed, when one fees fuch various Sorts of Craft in one 
Vehicle, they feem ftrongly to refemble a floacino- 
City, in which the Veffels run together like Ants. 
4. There am in China feven or eight famous Lakes 
or fmall ftanding Seas ; three of which are the larcreft 
and moft celebrated. 
The firft called Tungtinghu is in the Province of Hu- 
qiiang, and is four hundred Miles in Circuit. 
The fecond is in the Province of Nanking, not far 
from Sticheu, and is alfo about four hundred Miles in Cir- 
cuit : This Sea is befides very deep, and hath in the Mid- 
dle of it an Ifland called Thaihu, which is about feven 
or eight IVIiles in Compafs and very mountainous. 
The third is in the Province of Kiangfi, its Circumfe- 
rence is about three hundred Miles. Thefe Lakes, by 
Reafon of their towering hollow Waves and Rouoh- 
nefs, appear to the Sight like the boifterous Ocean. 
The other IVleers are in Nanking, and are about 
two or three hundred Miles in Circuit. We are told 
prodigious Stories concerning fome Lakes in China, viz. 
That the Waters of that in the Province of Canton, 
annually exchange their Colour •, that there is a Lake 
of green Water in Fokien, which tranfmutes Iron to 
Copper ; that there is alfo a Palace on the Shore of 
another and not very diftant Lake, where a Ringing 
of Bells is always heard againft ill Weather ; and feve- 
ral other like Reports are fpread, the Truth of which we 
entirely leave to the experimental Examination of others, 
having had none ourfelves. ’ 
There are great Numbers of fine built Stone Bridges 
in China, which are fupported by Stone Arches : Two 
of thefe Bridges are the moft confiderable and extraor- 
dinary, being built over an Arm of the Sea : One of 
them is called Loiang, and the other Fungiang ; and 
each of them is above an Hour’s Journey, or a Fretich 
Mile long. The firft contains nineteen Arches, of fuch 
an extraordinary Height, that large Ships may fail under 
them with their Mafts up. Each of thefe Arches is ffiut 
by two Stones, each twenty Ells long, above two broad, 
and three thick. The Jefuits, and other Europeans, who 
have feen and been upon them, are aftoniffied at the 
Sight of them ; nor can they comprehend what Inftru- 
ments could be ufed to raife fuch great, heavy and long 
Pieces, all which are of folid white Marble, to fuch an 
extraordinary Height. The fecond Bridge, though not 
fo high, is as broad and as long. 
There is alfo a third extraordinary Bridge in the Pro- 
vince of ^anton, not far from the City of Chaoceu ; 
but this is carried over Land -from one Mountain to 
another, and is as long as the former. And throughout 
the whole Empire there are feveral of thefe Stone 
Bridges, which though not fo furprizing as thofe already 
mentioned, are yet very elegantly and artificially built ; 
and are every where carried a-crofs the Channels for 
the Travellers Convenience, that he may come to 
all Villages and Towns by a ftreight Road and without 
going a great Way about. 
In 
