(• 71 6 3 
provinces to Peking. Here are likewife a curious 
manufacture of lieott ly or Chinefe glafs, rich mer- 
chants of women’s ornaments, of gold, of the plant 
gin cheng fo much efteemed and fo dear here, of 
varnifhed furniture, tea, (tuffs of value, &c. The 
bookfellers (hops are alfo in this city. It is to be 
remarked, that the walls of the Chinefe city and 
King tching do not run direCtly north and fouth and 
ea(t and weft, but decline towards the north- weft 
2° 30', and as much fouth-eaft. It is probable, 
that the architects employed in directing the build- 
ing of thefe walls made ufe of a compafs j and that 
the declinatiation of the needle was then what is 
mentioned above. 
What I have faid of the walls of the city is like-, 
wife to be faid of the walls of Hoang tching and of 
Tfe king. 
At the time of building the city King tching , and 
the Chinefe city, the Chinefe aftronomers very well 
underflood, that the north and fouth of the compafs 
was not the north and fouth of the heavens at Peking $ 
they knew, that the needle declined to the north- 
weft and fouth-eaft ; but that this declination was 
not confiderable. 
Without the gates of the Chinefe city, and of 
King tching , I mark the fuburbs ; which are very 
full of people and merchants, and like fo many cities. 
In molt of thefe fuburbs there are fine temples of 
idols. 
The Sien nong tan in the Chinefe city is almoft 
fix ly in circuit. Thefe three words fignify, The hill 
of the ancient hulbandmen. 
The emperor goes thither every year in the fpring 
to 
