404 GEOGRAPHY. 
The elephanffi of Siam are diftinguifhed for fagacity 
and beauty. Tl'.e trees on tlie banks of tlu' Meinam are 
finely illuminated with Iwarms of fire-flies, which emit 
and conceal their light as uniformly and alternately as 
it it firoceeded from a machine of the inoll exadt con¬ 
trivance. 
Cambodia is celebrated for the camboge gum. The 
chief river in Tonquin-China is Holi-Kian, which pafTes 
by Keflio, the capital. 
The Birman empire, lately cftabliflied by the chief 
Alombra, confii'ls of Acliein, Aracan, Ava, part of 
Pegu, Martaban and Siam. The pojcalation of it is 
fnppofed to be about fixteen millions. .The Capital 
town is Ummerapoora. 
The countries bordering on China are faid to pay tri¬ 
bute to the Chinefe. The others are independent. 
They are all of them in a very barbarous Hate. 
Chinese Jimpire.— Tlie Chinefe empire extends 
from thofo parts of the Chinefe and Japannic feas to 
the rivers Sarafon and Sihon in tire wefl, a fpace of 
nearly five thoufand Britifh miles ; and from the Ura- 
lian nrountains in the north to the nroH fouthern parts, 
it extends more than two thoufand miles. This vail 
empire ronfilts of lliree principal divilions : i. That of 
China Proper. 2. Chinefe Tartary, or the territory of 
the Mongtils or Manfiiurs. 3. The region of Thibet. 
China Proper. —This is bounded on the eafi and 
fouth by the fea ; on the north by the great wall, and 
the defert of Sliamo; and on the welt by 'I hibet. It 
lies between twenty and forty-one degrees north lati¬ 
tude, and between ninety-nine and one hundred and 
tweiity-one degrees call longitude from London. The 
poptilation is eftimated at three hundred and tliirty-three 
millions ; and the fquare miles of furface at more than 
one million and a quarter. 
Chinese Tartary.— This portion of the Chinefe 
empire extends from the feventy-fecond degree of call 
longitude to the one hundred and forty-fifth ; and tlie 
breadth, from the northern frontier of Thibet to the 
KuHian confines, is fomething more than twelve hun¬ 
dred Britifh miles. It is bounded on the fouth by the 
great wall of China, and the northern limits of Thibet ; 
on the eafi: by the fea ; on the north it is feparated from 
Rullia, and the weftern boundary is fupplied by the 
mountains of Belur Tagg or the Cloudy Mountains, 
which divide the Chinefe empire from Balk and the 
Greater Backaria; while the range on the weft of the 
lake Palkati feparates the Calmucs fubjeift to China 
from the Kirgules of Independent Tartary. 
Thibet. —The boundaries of this part of the Chi- 
jiele empire are not by any means diliin^fly marked ; 
they feem to be, Xartary on the north, China Proper 
cn the eaft, the Birman and the Mogul empire^ on the 
fouth and weft. According to the moft recent maps, 
T hibet extends from the I'eventy-fifih to the one hun¬ 
dred and firft degrees of eaft longitude, and from tlie 
twenty.feventh to the thirty.fifth degrees of north lati¬ 
tude. Its population is not eftimated at more than half 
a million. 
China is celebrated for its immenfe and induftrious 
population ; for tlie variety of its manufadtures and pe¬ 
culiar produdtions j for the excellence of its inland 
navigation ; and for the jealous policy of its govern¬ 
ment towards other nations. 
The Chinefe wall, though built thefe two thoufand 
years, is in a high ftate of prefervation ; it is fifteen 
hundred miles long,-and broad enough for five horfe- 
msn to travel abreaft. 
The chief cities of China Proper are Pekin, Nankin, 
and Canton, Pekin contains two miHions of inhabi¬ 
tants, and the others not lefs than one million each.— 
The imperial canal iaterfefts China Proper from north 
to fouth, and employed thirty thoufand men forty-three 
years for its conftrudfion.—Corea is fubjecl to China, 
and is confidered as a part of it. 
The largeft of the Chinefe iflands, wliich are very 
numerous, and fcattered along the fouthern and eaftern 
coafts, are I'ormofa and Hainan, The ifles of Leoo- 
ktoo, which confift of thirty-fix in number, between 
Formola and Japan, conftitute a fiiiall civilized king¬ 
dom, fubjedf to China. 
The Chinefe empire poftefles rich mines of all the 
precious metals. It produces abundance of corn, rice, 
and fruit. 
Chinefe Tartary is inhabited chiefly by the Eaftern 
and Weftern Moguls ; the former conquered China in 
1644, under whole government the empire ftill conti¬ 
nues. It produces corn, rice, and valuable fkins. 
The ifland of Segalien, or Tehoka, belongs to Chinefe 
Tartary. 
Tliibet is included between China and Hindooftan. 
The chief town is Lall'a.—The iflands contiguous to 
the Chinefe empire, befide thofe already noticed, are as 
follow : Japan, forming an extenflve, rich, and remark¬ 
able, empire, the population of which is calculated at 
thirty millions. The largeft ifland is Niphon; and the 
chief towns are, Jeddo, Miaco, the fpiritual capital, 
and Nagafaki. Thefe iflands trade only,with the Dutch 
and Chinefe. The Jeffo iflands, to which the Danes 
trade for furs ; and the ifland of Macao, wliich lies in 
the Bay of Canton, and belongs to the Portuguefe.—• 
Befides thefe, there are many finald iflands dependent 
oajapan; among which is Fatfifio, tlie place of exile 
for the difgraced grandees. 
The principal rivers of the Chinefe empire are, Ya- 
mour, Argun, Hoan-ho, Kian-ku, othenvife called 
Whambo or the Yellow River, and Kiam or Blue Ri¬ 
ver. Thefe rivers, in their fources, their feparation, 
and their junCfion, refemble the Ganges and Burram- 
pooter, but much exceed them in length of courle. 
Tliey receive many tributary ftreams. 
The revenue of China is calculated at fixty-fix mil¬ 
lions.—The population of Pekin is calculated at three 
millions ; that of Nankin is faid to be greater. Canton 
is thouglit to contain a million and a half. This em- 
pire in the whole is laid to contain four thoufand four 
hundred walled cities.—See the article China, with 
correl'ponding map, vol. iv. p.435. 
Eastern Archipei.ago. —This contains, i. The 
iflands of Sunda, or the Sumatran chain, which com- 
prife Sumatra, Java, Balli, Loinbock, Florez, and Ti¬ 
mor, with feveral others of lefs importance. 2. Bor¬ 
neo, and fome Imaller furrounding iflands. Borneo is, 
excepting New Holland, the largeft ifland in the world. 
3. The Manillas, or Philippine iflands, including Luz¬ 
on, Mindanoo, Palawa, Mindora, Pany, Negros, Zebu, 
Leyta, Samar, and feveral hundred linaller iflands. 
4. The Zelebeziaii ifles, viz. Celebes, Boutan, and the 
I'urrounding fmall iflands. Boutan is governed by a 
Mahometan fultan. 5. The Spice iflands, including 
tlie Moluccas : thefe are Gilola, Ceram, Bouro, Oby, 
.Amboyna, Banda, Tidore, Ternate, &c. Thefe fa¬ 
mous iflands produce nutmegs, cloves, and all the va¬ 
luable Ipices. 
AFRICA. 
This diviflon of the world is the third in fize ; but 
in political and ethical eftimation it is the nieanell and 
moft uncivilized of what are called the four quarters of 
the earth. From the fouthern extremity to the Medi¬ 
terranean are about feventy degrees of latitude, or four 
thoufand two hundred geographical miles. The breadth, 
from eighteen degrees w'eft to fifty-one degrees eaft, may 
be afTumed on the equator at four thoufand one hundred 
and forty geographical miles. The name is fnppofed 
to have fpread by degrees from a fmall province, in the 
north, over file reft of the continent. In the central 
parts on the fouth the population appears to be indige« 
nous 
