Chap. nr. the iLmpire ^ChinA. ^§0 
very much to exceed them. Before the cruel and out- 
rageous Perfecution which fell upon the Faithful, almoft 
half the Natives were converted to Chriftianity, but at 
prefent no one Perfon who is but fufpecled to be a 
Chriftian, is fuffered to enter any Part of that Empire, 
before he hath trampled upon a Crucifix, as a Tefti- 
mony that he is not of that Religion. Notwithftanding 
which, we are told that there are fome who privately 
retain that Belief in their Hearts, and confefs it to God 
alone. But the very Name of Chriftian is here fo de- 
teftable, that, even thofe of that Religion which do but 
trade here are obliged to conceal it ; and the Hollanders^ 
which drive a great Trade here, being afked by them 
whether they are Chriftians, never fail to reply that they are 
Hollanders^ by which indired Anfwer they fhun the dan- 
gerous Rock, that would fhipwreck their Hopes of Gain. 
The fecond Ifland or Peninfula, (for it is doubted 
whether it be feparated from the firm Land ) is called 
Corea, but the Chinefe Name it Caoli ; it annually pays 
a Tribute to the Emperor j and lies Eaft wards of Pe- 
king and Xantung. When the Coreans carry the above- 
mentioned Tribute to the Imperial City, they moft com- 
monly go by Way of Leaotung, but very rarely through 
Xantung. In their Habit, Writing, (Sc. the Natives 
follow the old Cuftoms of the Chinee but they differ 
from them in their common Converfation with Refpe6t 
to Women, who are here allowed to come freely into the 
Company of Men ; on which Account the Chinefe ridi- 
cule them as a barbarous and impolite People : And 
this Difference alfo occafions another in their Marriages, 
which are here the Effects of Choice. This Country is 
larger, but not fo rich as Japan : It plentifully produces 
all Sorts of Corn, and according to the Report of the 
Chinefe, is four hundred and fixty Miles long, and one 
hundred and fixty broad. Though this Country is very 
commodioufly fituated, and richly provided with ail 
Things, yet its Inhabitants at prefent drive no confidera- 
ble Trade with any other Nations than the Chinefe and 
JapcneJe. Here are very rich Gold Mines, and the 
Root Ginfeng, of the Virtue of which I have already 
fpoken, grows here ; as alfo the red Colour which the 
Chinefe call Cil, or Sandaracha, the beft Sort of which is 
prepared here by Exprefiion out of the Bark of a cer- 
tain Tree, and is of a Confiftence like Pitch or Glue ; 
whatever it is laid on with a Brufh is tinftured red, and 
Ihines as bright as a Looking- glafs i fine Pencils and 
Paper are likewife made of it. 
Befides this there are two Iftands fituate near Japan, 
one of which is called Chaofien, and the other Linkin : 
The Princes of both which Kingdoms pay Tribute to 
the Empire of China, though in Habit and Manners 
they approach much nearer to the Japonefe than Chinefe : 
Thefe Hands are large, but not to be compared with 
Japan. 
The Eland Taion, otherwife called Formofa, is alfo 
fubje<ff as has been faid to China, and is accounted one 
of the nine great Cities of the Province or Kingdom of 
Fokien. The Eland Hainan lies South of the Province 
of Canton, and as is already faid, is numbered amongft 
the Cities of that Province : It is two hundred and fifty 
Miles in Circuit. 
There are alfo feveral other Iflands, which are De- 
pendants on or Members of the Province of Canton, 
as that of Sanciam, where Francis Xavier died and was 
buried : Macao, where the Portuguefe have a Fortifica- 
tion and Port ; together with the three Iflands under 
Xantung, one of which was famous or rather infamous 
for the lamented Deftrudlion of the Chinefe Philofophers, 
as has been mentioned. Thefe, befides feveral others, 
are fubjedl to this vaft Empire, all which united under 
one Dominion, would by themfelves amount to a very 
potent Monarchy, and furnifh Matter for a particular 
Defcription. But we ftiall content ourfelves with barely 
naming them as they lie in our Way, and conclude 
this Chapter with an Account of fome fubordinate and 
adjacent Kingdoms. 
The Kingdom of Funking lies Weftward of China •, 
and formerly was fubjed to and a Province of that 
Empire : But is at prefent only tributary to it •, and is 
divided into the two Kingdoms of Funking and Cochin- 
china ; fubjeff to their refpedlive Kings,' who are twd 
Brothers, that continually make War againft each other. 
And though this Kingdomj or more properly thefe King» 
doms, are very diftant from Japan, they yet follow 
the Fafhions and Manners of the Japonefe: They are 
inftrudled by and read Chinefe Books, which they, like 
the Japonefe and Coreans, are very well verfed in. Se- 
veral Chriftians live amongft them ; and the EnglKh^ 
French, Hutch and others, trade very confidera'bly with 
the Inhabitants of both Kingdoms. 
The Kingdom of Laos borders oh the Province of 
Junan-, and is alfo tributary to : Its Metropolis 
is Lanchang : It borders Southwards on Siam, and Weft- 
wards on Pegu: But is a Country of no Manner of 
Commerce. 
Siam is a very large Kingdom, which has been fre- 
quently infefted with Foreign Wars and Domeftick 
Contufions ; It was formerly fubjedl and tributary to 
this Empire, but taking Advantage of its diftant Situ- 
ation, and the various Revolutions of the Chinefe . Mo- 
narchy, that Kingdom hath, like PegU, ftiook off the 
Yoke. This is a Kingdom of very wide Extent, but 
the Land is wafte, untilled aud uninhabited ; and its 
People living moftly in Woods and Wilderneffes, be- 
have themfelves rather like wild Beafts than reafonabie 
Creatures. They build or erecft Huts made of Hides, 
and the whole Country abounds with Woods, which 
harbour Elephants, Rhinoceros’s, Buffloes, wild Oxen, 
Tygers, Bears, and feveral other wild Beafts. Here are 
great Herds of Apes as big as Children. The Woods 
are very clofcly crouded with lofty Trees, of the Height 
of forty or filty Ells ; fome of which are alfo fo thick, 
that feven or eight Men holding Hands can hardly begirt 
them, and one Trunk is large enough to hew out a 
Boat, Here are innumerable Crocodiles, which devour 
Men alive, and are four or five Ells long ; which ren- 
ders Travelling, either by Water or Land, very dan- 
gerous in all Parts of this Country •, as it is alfo in Pegu, 
Laos, Camboja, i^c. The Inhabitants of all which Coun- 
tries wear the fame Sort of Habits, and very nearly 
agree in their Cuftoms and Manner of Living ; but dif- 
fer in their Language and Way of Writing. They are 
all Heathens, and extravagantly reverence or rather ido- 
lize their Priefts. Their Pagods or Temples are all of 
Brick, but very numerous and ornamental ; their idola- 
trous Images are large, beautiful, and finely gilt, fome 
of them being about ten Ells high. The Streets and 
feveral fpacious Places are adorned with large Turrets 
about fifty or fixty Ells high, gilded all over on the 
Outfide. Thefe Idols were brought by the Bramins 
(fo their Priefts are called) out of India. 
The King keeps his Court at Jutia, which is alfo 
called Siam this is a large, and upon an exterior View, 
feems a very fine City, but is very far from being fo 
within. The Dutch have a Houfeor Fadfory at the City 
of Ligor, and iht -Englifh, Portuguefe, Mogols, Per- 
fians, and Chinefe, trade very confiderably here i nay, 
feveral Portuguefe live in the City. Formerly the Euro- 
peans enjoyed great Immunities here, but are now abridged 
of fome of them, and this on the following Occafion. 
One Conjiance, a Greek, that had long refided amongft 
the Englifh, came to Siam, and became fuch a Fa- 
vourite of the King’s, that, in a fhort Time, he got into 
the beft and moft honourable Pofts, and climb’d to the 
higheft Step in the Adminiftration ; the King left the 
whole Government of his Realm to him, and he con- 
fequently became the Spring of Aftion. During this 
Time the News happen’d to teach the King’s Ear, that 
France, then at War with the Dutch^ had obtain’d a 
great Vidlory over the States ; upon which that Prince^ 
who look’d on the Hollanders with jealous Eyes, as a 
People that might one Day do him an Injury, refolved 
to fend an Ambaffador to the King of France. And he 
accordingly difpatched one of his Mandaryns on that 
Errand in 1677, on' board a French Ship 5 but it is to 
this Day unknown what became of either the Ambaf- 
fador or the Ship, nor was the leaft News of them ever 
heard. The King, however, purfuing his firft Defign, 
fent other Ambaffadors, in a French Ship, to the Court 
of France, where they fafely arrived, and were very 
well 
