8 
EARLY EUROPEAN RESEARCHES 
work. After this lie proceeded to China again and died at 
Hang chou fn (Che kiang) in 1661. 
The first edition of Martini's Novus Atlas Sinensis, published 
in Latin, bears no date but the concession for printing is dated 
Vienna January 7. 1655. This work is a short geographical 
description of the provinces of China, translated it seems from 
a Chinese work, but the author has added also many of his 
personal observations. I shall extract those passages relating 
to the vegetable productions of the different provinces. 
1. Territorium urbis Peking producit optima Poma, Pyra, 
Pruna , Frumenti ac Milii non parum, Leguminum omnia fere 
genera. Nuces adhaec habet et Castaneas, nec non Ficus et TJvas, 
ex quibus tamen vinum non coficiunt. (p. 32.) 
2. Provineia Xantung, (Shan tung) producit optima Yarii 
generis Pyra, Castaneas, nueesque alias, Prunorum verum vim 
tantam, ut siccata ea sicuti et pyra recentia, cum reliquis com- 
municet provinciis : ad haec pomi ibi genus est, su cu vocant 
incolae, quod licet in aliis reperiatur provinciis, illic tamen 
abundat magis. (I omit the detailed description of the fruit.) 
(p. 53.) 
By Martini’s Plums we have probably to understand Jujubes for which 
the province of Shantung is famed as well as for the shi jsz (su tsu, 
comp, above Sernedo 4.). The description Martini gives of the Diospyrot 
TT aTri is in accordance with Semedo’s acoount of the same fruit. 
3. Urbs Tung chuen (Sz’ch'uan prov.). Magnus Castanea - 
rum ac Prunorum ubique proventus, sed et Saccari cannas fert. 
(p 70.) 
4. TJrbs Quei te (Honan prov.). Granata hie sunt praestan- 
tissima a quorum copia ac praestantia ultima civitas Xe ching 
nomen habet, quasi dicas pomorum granatorum moenia. (p. 60.) 
The Chinese name of the Pomegranate is U® shi liu , but the name 
of the city to which M. evidently alludes is ® M che cbtetyg Hen and 
this name has nothing to do with the pomegranate. 
5. Urbs Tali (prov. lunnan). In hoc tractu .Ficus nascuntur 
Europeae, quas Sinae va hoa quo dicunt, ex eo indito no¬ 
mine, quod nullo praevio flore ut reliqui fructus solent crescat. 
Vu hoa enim “ sine flore ” significat, “ quo ” vere fructum. 
(p. 158.) 
The common Pig, Ficus Carica L., sin. wu hua Tcuo (fruit 
without previous flower) is cultivated throughout China, but is not indigen. 
ous there. 
6. Martini speaks of the superior quality of the Grapes. in 
the prov. of Shansi. The natives do not use them for making 
wine, as the missionaries do, but only dry them in order to sell 
these raisins all over China, (p. 37.) 
