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chorographical map of the country, into which this 
our monarch makes an excurfion generally every 
third year, in order to take the diverfion of hunting, 
and keep his court and army in exercife ; purfuant 
to a cuftom edablifhed by his grandfather, to pre- 
vent the Tartars from growing enervated by idlenefs. 
And yet they daily grow fo more and more ; and as 
they are now more effeminate than the very Chinefe, 
it is not without reafon that they are under great ap- 
prehenfions. 
I would fend you, gentlemen, a copy of this map, 
if we had been allowed time enough to make it more 
accurate. The work was indeed pleafing to the em- 
peror, and upon our return he gave us a molt gra- 
cious reception, and asked us many queflions con- 
cerning that country. It is one degree in length, 
and one in breadth, fituated between 41 0 30' and 
42° 30'. Its wedern limit is in the fame meridian 
with the city of Pekin, which the Chinefe take for 
the fird meridian both in adronomy and geography. 
The whole country is one continued chain of moun- 
tains and valleys, without inhabitants, but full of 
wild beads, as deer, boars, bears, tygers. The paf- 
lages of the valleys are guarded by troops all around, 
and no body is allowed to pafs thro’ them. 
Chinefe vocabularies, which interpret the Chinefe 
words in Latin, or any other European language, 
are very fcarce, and for the mod part very defective. 
Nor is there any one as yet brought to a fufficient 
degree of perfe&ion, to delerve printing, or the ex- 
pences attending it. Thofe which we ufe the fird 
years after our arrival, were either left by our pre- 
decedbrs, or written with our own hands with infinite 
labour. 
