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XXXVII. A Letter from Father cTIncarville, 
of the Society of Jefus, at Peking in China, 
to the late Cromwell Mortimer, M. D. 
R. S> Seer. 
SIR, Pekin » Nov - x 5> *75 x *' 
Read June 7, T SHOULD be glad to have it in my 
1 7Si- power to do more for your illuftrious 
Society, both as to my fituation and condition. We 
are very much confin’d at Peking ; we have not even 
the liberty of going where we pleafe by ourfelves to 
fee things ; nor can we, with prudence, believe the 
reports of the Chinefe, who make nothing of de- 
ceiving us, if they can defraud us of our money. 
When we can do no otherwife, we endeavour to pre- 
vent our becoming their dupes, as well as we can : 
and yet, notwithstanding all our precautions, we can- 
not anfwer for what intelligence we have this way, 
fo well as for what we affirm to have feen ourfelves. 
Every year I fend to our gentlemen of the Academy 
at Paris what I can difeover upon fuch matters, as 
I know concern them ; which has given me the op- 
portunities of fending you feveral curious things in 
natural hiftory. 
You ought to have received laft year fome leaves 
and flowers of different trees, befides a good number 
of feeds. The leaves and flowers of the varnifh- 
tree, which I fent, come from the province of Nan 
King. This tree is different from that I faw in the 
king’s garden at Paris. The latter is the fame with 
what 
