I 
988 ^ Geographical Defcrtpiion of Book III. 
and Elegancies; fo that Induftry is rewarded by Abun- 
dance. But as there is no eating either Gold or Silver ; 
as wearing it is of very little Confequence ; and, as there is 
already enough for all Sorts of Plate and Manufactures ; 
to open Mines therefore would be a Means of divert- 
ing the People from their more neceffary Labours, 
would raife the Price of all Commodities, and indead 
of being a Source of real Riches, would adually be- 
come the Caufe of Want and of Didrefs. Befides, in 
no Country upon the Face of the Earth the true Value, 
or rather the true Ufe, of Gold and Silver is better un- 
derftood than in China ; and therefore they hold it to 
be, as it certainly is, much better Policy to draw thefe 
Metals into the Empire by Commerce, than to dig them 
out of Mines ; and from thefe Principles they aim 
chiefly at two Things, one is to export their Commo- 
dities and Manufadtures into other Countries, by which 
they obtain a Balance of Gold and Silver ; and the 
other is, to keep it when they have got it : In both 
•which Schemes, as indeed in almoft every Scheme they 
form, they have been very fuccefsful. 
Add to ail this, that as Indigence creates Induftry, fo 
Indigence and Induftry, taken together, are the ftrongeft 
Motives to Obedience. A rich and idle People may be 
and generally are prone to rebel ; but a poor and 
aftive People are commonly dutiful and fubmiffive. 
This is the Cafe of the Bulk of the Chinefe Nation, who 
get wherewithal to live, and live pretty well ; yet 
with all their Sharpnefs and Dexterity, this is as much 
as they can get ; and to fay the Truth, this is what 
makes them fo fharp. But if War, Famine, Inunda- 
tions, or any other publick Calamity happens, they are 
prefently fet a Starving ; and in this Situation the Wif- 
dom and Equity of their Government appears, for to 
the Emperor they apply as to their common Parent, 
and they never apply in vain. He takes all they feel 
upon himfelf ; he aferibes their Diftreffes to his Errors, 
their Misfortunes to the Judgments of Heaven upon 
his Sins ; and therefore, befides imploring the Mercy 
of the Supreme Being, and giving large Alms to the 
Poor and Needy in his Capital ; he relieves thofe who 
are thus diftrelTed in the Provinces, not only by a 
temporary Supply of Food and Raiment, but by re- 
mitting their Taxes for a certain Number of Tears, 
and creating a Demand for their particular Manufac- 
tures by Dint of that abfolute Power, fo terrible in 
other Countries, and ufeful and beneficial in this alone. 
But to proceed. 
The Mountains of China furnifli prodigious Quantities 
of Coals, infomuch, that no Country in the World is betr 
ter ferved with them, and the Hand of Great-Britain 
excepted, perhaps none fo well. They have alio Iron 
and Tin in Abundance, and ftill greater Plenty of 2ino- 
ther Metal, called, which is highly valuable, and 
of which one Mine produces them Hundreds of Quin- 
tals in a Day. They have alfo great Quantities of Cop- 
per, of the ordinary Sort, and befides this they have 
two very fingular Kinds of Copper, which are fcarce 
found, more efpecially the firft of them, in any other 
Part of the Univerfe. The Chinefe call this wonderful 
Metal Pe tong^ which is as much as to fay, white Cop- 
per, and it is very properly fo called, for it is as white 
as Silver, and they make all kind of Veffels of it ; the 
only Fault it has, is its Brittlenefs, fo that in the Hands 
of carelefs People, it is apt to break. To remedy this 
Defedf, they employ one fixth Part of Tutenague, which 
makes it tougher, but if they were to ufe twice that Quan- 
tity of Tutenague^ the Metal would be much better, and 
the Reafon that they do not ufe it, is becaufe it fpoils 
its Luftre, and not its Colour, as the Jefuits commonly 
write ; for it remains as white as ever, but it is a dead, 
lifelefs, tinny white. Four Parts of this Metal, and 
one of Silver, makes a Metal equal in Luftre to Silver 
itfelf, and is fit for any thing but Money ; for 
upon the Application of a Stamp it cracks. The 
other Kind of Copper, the Chinefe very properly call 
fe fe lai tong^ that is Self-made Copper^ becaufe it is 
found like Gold in Grains, or in large Pieces, wafhed out of 
the Mines by Torrents ; properly fpeaking it is red Cop- 
per and very rich. The Chinefe have Chemifts amongft 
them, or rather Alchemifts, but their Skill in Metals 
does not reach ours ; for it is certain, that their red 
and white Copper, mixed v/ith Lapis Calaminaris, in a 
proper Quantity, will produce a Metal as high coloured 
as Brafs, and almoft as malleable as Silver. 
Their Mountains alfo afford them moft; excellent 
Quarries of various Sorts of Scone, and amongft: others 
a Kind of yellow Stone, fo foft, that they work it 
into any Kind of Veffels, paint it with Vermillion, and 
fell it very dear. They have alfo Lapis Lazuli^ but 
not in any great Quantities, and Rubies, but they arc 
very fmall, though very fine, and feveral Kinds of 
Agate and Jafper. Rock Chryftal they have in vaft 
Abundance, and they make various Kinds of Utenfils 
of it, which are extremely beautiful, as well as all Sorts 
of Toys. Marble of feveral Kinds is common, but 
they know not how to polifh it, at leaft to fuch a De- 
gree as is common in Europe. As for Stones proper for 
Building, and Earth fit for Bricks, they have as much 
.as they want, and indeed every thing in this Empire is 
at a low Price, which is owing to the Wifdom of the 
Government, and to the Facility of Water Carriage, 
by which the Commodities and Manufadlures of all the 
Provinces are to be found in every Province, and at rea- 
fonable Rates. 
So that it may very truly be faid, that China plenti- 
fully yields not only whatever is requifite to the Reftau- 
ration of Health, fupplying the Necefiities and fuftain- 
ing of Mankind *, but likewife all Things which can 
contribute to gratify the luxurious Wifhes even of an 
Epicure : Nor do any of the European or A/ian Coun- 
tries produce any one Commodity, which is not here 
to be found ; or at leaft the Deficiency is doubly fup- 
plied with equal or much better Subftitutes : But to 
particularize and deferibe all the Roots, Herbs, Fruits, 
Shrubs, Trees, Plants, or whatever elfe of the Botanical 
Kind, which is either neceffary or agreeable to the 
Tongue or Eye, would be to tranfgrefs the Limits of 
our fhort Account of this Country ; wherefore we have 
contented ourfclves with barely pointing them out, 
and fliall proceed to difeourfe of what we next pro- 
mi fed. 
1 6. Japan is juftly preferred to all the Eaftern Hands : 
and (though its Natives unwillingly hear it) v/as for- 
merly fubjedl to China : Their Manner of Living is like 
the Chinefe, they learn and r-ead their Books ; and alfo 
eat with two Ivory Sticks or Scures ; but fit upon the 
Ground, wear a different Habit, Leathern Boots, and 
long Hair. 
J.D. de Mendoza, alfo affures us, that the Chinefe 
“ were formerly poffeffed of the whole Continent from 
“ China to the moft remote Part of India : That of this 
“ there are yet feveral confiderable Remembrances on 
‘‘ the Coaft of Cormandel, particularly a Caftle called 
“ the Chinefe Caftle, by Reafon it is fuppofed to be 
“ built by them : That at prefent in the Kingdom of. 
“ Calicut,, there are feveral Fruit-trees which the Inha- 
“ bitants own to be planted by the Chinefe when they 
“ governed there, and were alfo Matters of Malacca^ 
“ Siam, &c. He adds, that at the fame Time they were 
“ Mafters of Japan, as appears by feveral Monuments, 
“ as well as the common Uniformity betwixt the Man- 
“ ners and fome of the Laws of both Nations.” 
This Hand is an independant Sovereignty, governed 
by a Prince who affumes the Title of Emperor. It is 
a hundred and fifty or fixty Miles broad, and three 
hundred or three hundred and fifty in Length. It 
very plentifully produces Gold, Silver and Copper, as 
well as whatever can be wifhed to fupply both Necef- 
fity and Luxury ; it lies amongft and is parted from 
feveral leffer Hands, in 34 or 35 Degrees of Latitude. 
The Natives are very fubtle and fraudulent in their Deal- 
ing, and thoroughly verfed in the Art of Politicks: They 
are very jealous of their Liberty, and treat all other 
Nations with the utmoft Sufpicion ; purfuant to which, 
they are fo very cautious of any Thing that barely 
feems to contribute to their Strength, that they unrig 
and take away the Rudders of all foreign Ships in their 
Havens. They are very neat in all Particulars, and 
rally the Chinefe on that Head, believing themfelves 
very 
