[ 25 8 ] 
being pull’d afunder with one’s fingers, in order to 
turn them infide-out, and take out the fragments of 
the chryfalis ; and as this kind of duff is work’d like 
other cloth, the weavers do the reft. 
' * 
The fruits of the tG7igyeou , and of the tallow-tree, 
which you ftiould have received laft year, were 
frefher than thofe I fent before. 
This year you will receive the cods of filk, which 
makes the filk called kien tcheou , with the butterflies, 
which come from them. The other things, which 
I fent, want no explanation. 
An Anfwer to the Qitejlions upon the Natural Hiftory 
of Foflils. 
T HE empire of China abounds in mines of all 
forts, as gold, filver, copper, tin, lead, iron, 
&c. The provinces, which produce the greateft 
quantity, are Tun nan , and See tchouen. The two 
greateft rivers of China, Kiang , and Hoang ho , fend 
down quantities of gold fand. The former takes its 
fource in the province of See tchouen , and the latter 
from Coconor : but they find mines of gold and filver 
in the provinces of Tun nan , See tchouen , Chen fi y 
Chan tong , Hou koitang, Fou kien , Kouei tcheou , 
Pe tche fi j but, for political reafons, they work but 
few of them. I believe the principal is, left the 
greedinefs of gain ftiould excite popular infurredtions. 
They open them fometimes in one place, fometimes 
in another : but, upon the leaft appearance of a rifing, 
they immediately fhut them up again. We cannot 
give any account of what is defired, concerning the 
manner of working the feveral mines. We are not 
