Houses they may spend the more time in the dispatch of Business The Halls are for the Pronotaries and Clerks and other inferiour Officers The two other Divisions of Rooms and Courts one within another belong to the inferiour Tribunals which are subordinate to the Supream Tribunal for which the Palace was design'd These petty Tribunals are more or less numerous according to the business that comes under their cognisance as we shall shew in due time The manner of proceeding in these six Tribunals is this When a man has any business he sets it down in a paper of such a form and largeness as the custome allows Then he goes to the Palace of the Tribunal and beats upon a Drum which he finds at the second Gate and then falling upon his knees he raises his Petition with both his hands as high as his head at what time the Officer appointed for that employment takes his Paper from him He carries it to the Mandarins of the great Hall who gives it to the first President or in his absence to his Assessors who having read it either admit or reject it If they do not ad mit it they send the Petitioner his Paper again and many times order him to be soundly whipt for troubling the Court with a causeless Suit or for any other sufficient reasons of their dislike If the Paper be admitted the first President sends it to the inferiour Tribunal to whom this sort of Business belongs to examine the cause and give their opinions After this Tribunal has examined the matter and given their judgment they send it back to the Chief President who then gives Sentence either adding moderating or confirming without any alteration the sentence of the lower Court. If the business be of great concernment he orders the same Tribunal to draw up the case in writing which having read together with his Assessors he sends it to the Mandarin Controler and he to the Supream Tribunal of the Counsellors of State that are lodg'd in the King's Palace This Tribunal examines the cause and informs his Majesty who most commonly orders the Tribunal to re-examine it Then the Counsellors of State send back the Case to the Controller who after he has seen the King's Order sends it to the chief President who causes it once more to be examined and then sends it back to the Controller the Controller to the Counsellors of State and they to the Emperour who then gives his definitive Sentence That Sentence returns the same way to the first President who gives notice of it to both parties and so the Suit is ended If it be a business which the Provincial Tribunals send to the Court the Case is seal'd up and directed to the King's Controller the Controller opens and reads it and then sends it to the Chief President who proceeds as before is recited Would but the Mandarins in their judicial proceedings act conformable to the Laws and the intention of their Prince China would be the most happy and best govern'd Countrey in the world But as exact as they are in the outward observance of their Formalities as hypocritical as wicked and cruel are they in their hearts Their tricks and cheats are so numerous that a large volume would not suffice to contain them I shall therefore say no more than onely this that it is a rare thing to meet with a Mandarin that is free from avarice and corruption They never consider the justice or injustice of a cause but those that give most money or send most presents So that whether Life Estate or Honourly at stake those insatiable and sanguinary Judges have no regard to either but onely like so many ravenous Wolves to gorge their Sacrilegious Avarice And what we have hitherto said is common to all the six Tribunals But now to speak of every one in particular The first of these six Tribunals is call'd Li Pu whose business it is to furnish the Empire with superiour and inferiour Mandarins to examine their merits and miscarriages and to inform the King to the end he may either prefer or disgrace them reward or punish them In the Palace belonging to this Tribunal are four other inferiour Tribunals The first of which is call'd Ven Sinen Su or the Tribunal which makes choice of such persons as are quallified with knowledge and other endowments requisite to fit them for the Honour of being Mandarins The second Cao cum su which examines the good or bad behaviour and conduct of the said Mandarins The third Nien fum su whose business it is to seal Judicial Acts to give the Seals to every Mandarin and to examine whether the Seals which are brought to Court or sent away are true or counterfeit The fourth Ki hium su or the Tribunal whose business it is to examine the merits of the great Lords as the Petty Kings of the Bloud Royal the Dukes Marquesses and the like which the Chineses call Hiun chin or ancient Vassals who have performed great services in the Wars when the Reigning Family conquer'd the Empire The second superior Tribunal is call'd Hu pu which signifies the King's Lord High Treasurer This Tribunal oversees the Treasures the Receipts and Expences the Revenues and Tributes of the King distributes the Pensions and the quantity of Rice the pieces of Silk and the Money which the King gives to all the Petty Princes and other Grandees and to all the Mandarins of the Empire This Tribunal keeps the Roll or Catalogue which is made every Year with great exactness of all the Families of all the Men the Measures of Land and Duties which they are obliged to pay and of the publick Magazines Here for the better understanding of that which follows we are to understand that although there are fifteen Provinces in China yet in the publick Registers and according to the usual manner of speaking they say fourteen Provinces and a Court. For say the Chineses the Province where the Court resides is not in subjection but commands and therefore they never reckon it in the number of the other Provinces And therefore it is that in the six Superior Tribunals there is not any Inferiour Tribunal appointed for the Affairs of Pekim But the chief President sends them to one or two of the inferior Tribunals appointed for other Provinces as he thinks â—…it This being thus promis'd the Superiour Tribunal of the Exchequer has on both sides of the Palace belonging to it fourteen inferiour Tribunals which bear the name of the Province to which it belongs As for example The Tribunal of the Province of Ho nan the Tribunal of the Province of Can ton and so of the rest During the Reign of the preceding Family they reckon'd but thirteen Provinces and two Courts for that the City of Nan kâ—… was a Royal Court as well as Pe kim and had also six superiour Tribunals and all the rest subordinate to them as now at Pe kim But the Tartars depriv'd it of the
able to grant these blessings to them that he cannot bestow them upon himself Which being really so we reply that seeing the Pagod derives all the Power he has from the King and that the King cannot give him that Power which he has not himself as you your selves confess it follows evidently that the Pagod has no Power at all They understand the force of reason well enough and some of them abandon their Errours to embrace the Truth but for the most part they answer with a great deal of Civility Tsai lai lim Kiao we will return another time to hear your Doctrine Which is the very same answer which the Arâ—…opagites made St. Paul. We now come to the Revenues of this puissant Monarch which are pay'd into his Treasures and Magazines every year There are pav'd into the Treasury every year eighteen Millions and six hundr'd thousand Crowns in Silver not including his Tolls and Customs upon what are bought and sold over the whole Empire nor the profit of some Millions which the King lends at excessive Interest nor the Revenues of his Crown Lands his Woods and Gardens which are very great Nor the Money which comes by Conâ—…scations which happen every day in that Court and the Sales of Goods immoveable consiscated for High Treason and leavy'd upon the Estates of Rebels Robbers of the King's Money or that robb the People of a thousand Crowns and upward or that are convicted of hainous Crimes or commit great Miscarriages in the Exercise of their Trusts or in several other Cases where the Avarice of the Chief Ministers resolve to have a pretence to despoyle their Inferiours There are pay'd into the Treasury under the Name of the Queens Revenues eighteen hunder'd twenty three thousand nine hunder'd sixty two Crowns Into the Magazines of the Court are carry'd every year forty three Millions three hunder'd twenty eight thousand eight hunder'd thirty four Sacks of Rice and Wheat 2. Thirteen hunder'd and fifteen thousand nine hunder'd thirty seven Loaves of Salt each Loaf weighing fifty Pound 3. Two hunder'd fifty eight Pound of very â—…ine Vermillion 4. Fourscore and fourteen thousand seven hunder'd thirty seven Pound of Varnish 5. Thirty eight thousand five hunder'd and fifty Pound of dry'd Fruits as Raisons Figgs Wallnuts Chestnuts c. Into the King's Wardrobes are brought sixteen hunder'd fifty five thousand four hunder'd thirty two Pounds of Pieces of Silk of several Colours as Velvets Sattins Damasks and other sorts not including the Royal habits which are brought in the Barks of which we have already spoken 2. Four hunder'd seventy six thousand two hunder'd and seventy Pieces of slight Silks such as the Chineses wear in Summer 3. Two hunder'd seventy two thousand nine hunder'd and three Pounds of Raw Silk 4. Three hunder'd fourscore and sixteen thousand four hunder'd and fourscore Pieces of Cotton Cloath 5. Four hunder'd sixty four thousand two hunder'd and seventeen Pounds of Cotton 6. Fifty sixty thousand two hunder'd and fourscore Pieces of â—…axen Cloath Lastly Twenty one thousand four hunder'd and seventy Sacks of Beans for the King's Horses instead of Oats And two Millions five hunder'd fourscore and eighteen thousand five hunder'd fourscore and three Bottles of Straw every Bottle weighing fifteen Pound These two last Proportions were so order'd under the Chinese Kings but at present they are advanc'd to treble nay quadruple the Quantity by reason of the great Number of Horses which the Tartars keep Besides these things which I took out of the Chinese Authour already quoted there are several other sorts of Provision brought to Court as the Particular duty 's of Tenants and Proprietours of Lands as Oxen Sheep Pigs Geese Ducks Hens and other Domestick Fowl Also Venison oâ—… wild Flesh as Bears Deer Hares Rabbets Pheasants Partridges with other land and water Fowl Fish as Barbels Trouts very large and several other sorts all excellent in their Kinds of which I cannot give the Names in Portuguese All sorts of Garden herbs as green and fresh in the middle of Winter which is very sharp in that Court as in the midst of Spring Wherein we must acknowledge the wonderfull Industry of that Nation For they preserve all those sorts of Plants in places prepar'd on purpose or else by the means of subterraneal Ovens which they warm to what degree of heat they please So that you cannot believe it to be an Artificial heat unless you see it They also bring Oyl Butter Vinegar and all sorts of Spice precious Wines from all parts and various Compositions of Waters Meal Bread March-panes and Biskets of several sorts Together with all manner of Fruit which we have in Europe Melons Cucumbers Grapes Cherries Peaches Pears Apples and many other sorts which we have not I cannot tell the precise quantity of these things which are daily brought to the Court however I can safely say there is such an abundance of every thing that it is almost incredible and would be more surprizing were I able to give you a just Account And therefore to give the Reader an Idea of the Plenty I have seen I shall onely add this short Relation Upon the eighth of December 1669. the King order'd three Mandarins to come and burn Incense before the Tomb of Father Iohn Adam on purpose to do him a particular Honour and farther order'd three hunder'd twenty five Crowns to be given to the three Fathers then at Court of which I was one to defray the Charges of his Funeral Several Mandarins that were our friends and the greatest part of the Christians of Pekim invited themselves to the Ceremony which was very neat and exactly perform'd but that is not to my purpose The next day we went according to Custom to return our humble Thanks to the Emperour for so extraordinary a favour Which when we had done his Majesty sent a Messenger to us to bid us stay for that he had something more to say to us We waited above an hour and about three a Clock in the Afternoon we were carry'd into the Royal Hall where the Emperour was seated in his Throne and commanded us to seat our selves at the first Table of the third Rank on the Right side We obey'd and then most of the Principal Officers that reside in the Court among which many were of the Blood Royal took their places according to their degrees There were two hunder'd and fifty Tables and upon every one four and twenty Silver Plates about a hands breadth and a half in Diameter set one above another after the manner of the Tartars that is to say one upon the Table the rest at a distance one from another in the Air their Edges being supported by the Edges of the first all full of Viands and several sorts of Fruits and Comfitures but without any Potages At the beginning of the Feast the Emperour sent us from his own Table two Plates of Gold as big as the Silver ones full of Preserves and excellently
Cambalu and many other Cities and Countries CHAP. II. Of the Extent and Division of China Of the Number of the Cities and other wall'd Towns And some other particulars observed by the Chinese Authors IT is now eighteen years since Father Francis Fierrado Vice-Provincial of China and afterwards Visitor of Iapan and China order'd me to write the History of this Empire and the Progress of the Gospel there first begun to be preach'd now fourscore and thirteen years ago But the Employments of the Mission and the Persecutions we have undergone have hindr'd me from going on with it The Fathers Nicholas Trigaut a Flemming Alvaro Semedo a Portuguese Martini Native of Trent Antony Govea and Ignatius de Costa in their yearly Relations have treated very largely upon this Subject But the Beauty the Grandeur and the Antiquity of this Empire are such copious Subjects that though there has been much already written concerning them yet there remains much more to be said Wherefore I thought it my duty to set down in this place the chiefest Observations which I have collected together China is seated almost at the utmost Extremities of Asia towards the East It lies under twenty three degrees from North to South from the Fortress of Cai Pim placed upon the Frontiers of the Province of Pekim in forty one degrees of Latitude to the Meridional point of the Island of Hai Nan in eighteen degrees of Elevation and A to the South of the Province of Quamtum So that the length of China from North to South according to the Chinese Books is five thousand seven hundred and fifty Li or Furlongs Which makes 402½ Spanish or Portugal Leagues at 17½ to a degree 575 French Leagues at 25. to a degree â—…45 German at 15. to a degree 1380 Italian Miles at 60. to a degree 5750 Li or Chinese Furlongs at 250. to a degree From the Point of Nîm Pô a Sea-port Town in the Province of Che-kiam where the Portugals were formerly wont to trade and which Ferdinand Mendez calls Leam Po to the extremity of the Province of Suchuen in a streight Line from East to West it is accounted 297 Spanish and Portugal Leagues 426 French Leagues 255 German Miles 1020 Italian Miles 4080 Chinese Furlongs at 240 to a degree But if you would have the length of China where it is longest you must take it from the last place to the North-west of the Province of Leaotum call'd Caiyven to the last City of the Province of Yunnan call'd Cin tien Kiun min Fu. Take it thus and then the longest length of this Empire will bâ—… 525 Spanish Leagues 750 French Leagues 1800 Italian Miles 8400 Chinese Furlongs at four and a half to a Mile of Italy The truest breadth of China to take it from Tam Chan the most Easterly place of the Country of Leao tum and which joins to the Kingdom of Corea to the Place call'd Tum tim to the West of the Province of Xensi is 350 Spanish Leagues 500 French Leagues 300 German Miles 1200 Italian Miles 5400 Chinese Furlongs There are fifteen Provinces in this Empire which for their largeness their Riches and Fertility may well be call'd Kingdoms Which the Chineses rank in this Order according to their Antiquity and Precedency Pe kim Nan kim now call'd KiaÌ„m Nân Xansi Xantum Hô nân Xénsi Che Kiam Kiam si Hù quam Su chuen Fo Kien Quám tuÌ„m Quam si Yunnan Quei cheum The Country of Leao tum might also well deserve the Name of a Province by reason of its extent but the Chineses include it within the Province of Xan tum The Provinces that lie upon the Sea are Pe kim Xan tum Nan kim Che Kiam Fo Kien and Quam tum Those that border upon Foreign Kingdoms are Pekim Xansi Xensi Su chuen Yunnan Quamsi The Midland Provinces are Honan Hu quam Kiamsi Quci cheu By which it appears that Cluverius trusted too unwarily to false Relations when he reckons up Eighteen Provinces in China and among the rest the Kingdom of Cochinchina For tho' that Kingdom and that of Tum Kim were formerly subject to China 't was but for a very few Years and it is a long time ago since they threw off that subjection There are several Islands also belonging to China as the Great and Little Lieu Kieu Tai Van which the Portugueses call Formosa where the Hollanders had a Fortress which was wrested out of their hands by a Chinese Pirate some Years since and where they lost a great number of Men and great Guns and a great quantity of Goods Hai Nan and Hiam Xan where stands the City of Amagao or Macao upon the Southern Promontory of that Island and a great number of others some Inhabited others quite Desart The Kingdom of Corea is not an Island adjoining to China as Cluverius believes but a great Promontory of the Firm Land extending it self from the North to the South Neither is Xam Haì an Island as Martini writes in his Atlas and marks it in his Map but a Fortress so vast and so well fortisi'd by Art and Nature that it may compare with the best in Europe It stands upon the firm Land near the Sea between the Province of Pe Kim and the Country of Leao tum The Places Wall'd in through the whole extent of this Empire amount to the number of Four Thousand Four Hundred and Two and are divided into Two Orders the Civil and Military The Civil Order comprehends Two Thousand Forty Five Wall'd Towns that is to say One Hundred Seventy Five Cities of the first Rank which the Chineses call Fu Two Hundred Seventy Four of the Second Order which they call CheuÌ„ One Thousand Two Hundred Eighty and Eight Cities which they call Hièn Two Hundred and Five Royal Hosteries or Places of Entertainment call'd Ye and an Hundred and Three Courts of Guard or Royal Hosteries of the Second Rank which they call Cham Chin. Among the Cities and Towns of this Empire I reckon several seated in the Provinces of Yun Nan Quei cheum Quam Si and Su chuen which however pay no Tribute to the Emperour nor yeild him any Obedience but are govern'd by particular and absolute Princes These Towns are for the most part so environ'd with high Mountains and steep Rocks as if Nature had taken a particular Care of their Fortification Within which Mountains lie Fields and Plains for several Days Journeys where are to be seen Cities both of the first and second Rank together with many Towns and Villages The Chineses call these Lords Tù Sù or Tù Quon that is to say Mandarins of the Country For that as they believe there is no Emperour of the World but the Emperour of China so they are conceited that there are no other Princes or Lords but such as they to whom the Emperour gives that Title Nor do they give the Title of Mandarins of the Land or Country to those but to distinguish
is dispatch'd away before with a little kind of a Trencher which the Chineses call Pai upon which is written the Name and Employment of the Officer with his Name and Seal at the bottom So soon as that is seen they cleanse and make ready the Palace where he is to Lodge Which preparations are more or less sumptuous according to the dignity of the Mandarin of Dyet Porters Horses Chairs Litters or Barges if he be to go by Water and in a word of whatever it be that is needfull In these Hosteries likewise are entertain'd proportionably all sorts of other Persons whether Chineses or Foreigners to whom the King is pleased to grant that favour the convenience of which I found my self when I was sent some years ago to Macao In these places the King's Couriers take what they have occasion for either for speedy hast or refreshment There they find Horses ready saddled but for fear they should not be always ready a furlong or two before the Courier arrives at the Hostery or Inn the Courier gives several loud Bangs upon a Basin call'd Lô which he carries behind his back and then they saddle a Horse for him with all the speed imaginable So that he presently Mounts and leaves his other Horse behind him without any farther trouble The Kingdom of China contains Eleven Millions Five Hundred and Two Thousand Eight Hundred Seventy Two Families not including the Women Children Poor People Mandarins employ'd Souldiers Batchelers of Art Licentiates Doctors Mandarins dispenc'd with from Service such as live upon the Rivers the Bonzes Funuchs nor any that are of the Royal Blood for they only reckon those that cultivate the Land and pay the King's Rents and Tributes So that there is in the whole Empire of China Fifty Nine Millions Seven Hundred Fourscore and Eight Thousand Three Hundred Sixty Four Males Thus much for the Civil Order of China The Military Order contains Six Hundred Twenty Nine large Fortresses of the first degree and of great Importance either upon the Frontiers as the Keys of the Empire to keep out the Tartars or upon the Consines of the Provinces against Rebels and Robbers The Chineses call them Quan and that of Xam hái of which we have spoken already is one of the Number There are Five Hundred Sixty Seven Fortresses of the Second Rank which are call'd Guéi in the Chinese Language And that same place call'd Tien â—…ìm gâ—…êi or Fortress of the Well of Heaven of which Father Martini speaks in his Atlas p. 36. is of the same number By which you may guess at the rest of the Fortresses of the second Rank They reckon Three Hundred and Eleven Fortresses of the Third Rank call'd Sò Three Hundred of the Fourth Rank call'd Chin which retain the same Name and the same signification with those of the fifth Civil Order and a Hundred and Fifty of the Fifth Rank call'd Paò. There are a Hundred Fortresses of the Sixth Rank call'd Pù and lastly Three Hundred of the Seventh Order call'd Chái These latter are of several sorts for some of them stand in the fields and serve for places of Refuge for the Country-men who retire thither with their Cattel and Goods when any Tartars Robbers or Rebels harrass the Country as also when the Emperour's Armies are upon their March. Others are seated upon the Precipices of steep Mountains to which there is no other ascent but by steps cut out of the Rock or by the help of Laâ—…ders made of Ropes or Wood which they remove as they please themselves And these Fortresses generally have no Walls because they need none Others are seated upon Mountains which are nevertheless approachable and therefore on that side where they lie open they are guarded with a double or treble Wall And both of these and of the other before recited I have seen several in the Provinces of Su-chuen and Xensi By this account it appears that the fortifi'd Places amount to the number of Two Thousand Three Hundred Fifty Seven which being added to those of the Civil Order make up Four Thousand Four Hundred and Two. Besides which there are within and without the great Walls that environ China above Three Thousand Towers or Castles call'd Tai of which every one has its proper Name In those Towers are kept Guards and Watches all the Year long which give the Alarm so soon as the Enemy appears in the Day time by Erecting a Banner upon one of the highest Towers and in the Night by setting up a Lighted Flambeau Should we reckon these Towers or Castles among the Fortifi'd Places of which these latter would make an Eighth Order there would be then in all Five Thousand Three Hundred Fifty Seven About a hundred and Fifty Years ago a certain Mandarin of the Superior Tribunal of Arms compil'd two Volumes which he Dedicated to the Emperor and which he Entitul'd Kiu pien tu uxe the Practice of the Mapps of the Nine Frontiers He meant by that the Nine Quarters into which he had divided the Great Walls that Environ a part of China for four hundred and five Portuguese Leagues together which make 23 Degrees and ten Minutes from East to West from the City of CaiÌ„ yêun seated at the Extremity of the Country call'd Leâo tuÌ„m to that of Cân so or CaÌ„n cheu seated upon the Borders of the Province of Xensi And this too must be understood of the Fortification running in a streight Line for should we take in all the Turnings and Windings of the Mountains and Walls the whole without question would amount to above five hundred Portugal Leagues In those Books he represents in three Maps all the Passages of the Mountains that are accessible and in a hundred and twenty Nine other great Maps Thirteen Hundred twenty seven Fortresses great and small which he says are all necessary to prevent the inroads of Tartars So that if the Chineses were not so Negligent so Cowardly so Covetous and persidious to their Prince as they are the Tartars could never have surmounted those Walls nor got footing within those Castles so well dispos'd in all Places requisite and so strongly Fortify'd as well by Nature as by Art. And indeed it is apparent as well by their own Histories as by what we have seen in our time that the Tartars could never enter into China but when either the Cowardice or the Treacherous Avarice of the Commanders open'd them a Passage This the Tartars knew and therefore offer'd them a Moiety of their Plunder and Booty and were no less punctual in their performances then they had been liberal in their promises upon their Return into Tartary For the continuance of which Trade they always left a Passage open for these Inroads which the Tartars fail'd not to make twice a Year nor could all the Rigorous punishments which the King inflicted upon several of those Traitors deterr the rest from their disloyal Traffick with his Enemies Or if he at any time did
Cities in other places along by the Walls It crosses one part of the Province of Pe-Kim afterwards all the Province of Xan tum and after it has enter'd into the Province of Nan kim discharges it self into that great and rapid River which the Chineses call the Yellow River Upon this River you Sail for about two days and then you come into another where you Sail about the length of two Musquet Shot at what time you meet with a Canal which the Chineses open'd upon the South-side of this last River and which runs toward the City of Hoai ngan afterwards this Canal runs through many Cities and Towns till it come to the City of Yam cheu the most famous Sea-port Town of all in the Empire Soon after it discharges it self into the River Kiam a good days Journey from the City of Nan Kim Certainly this was an Undertaking and Performance very great and Magnificent nor is the Building of Eleven hundred forty five Royal Inns much inferiour to it Only the raising of several Thousands Fortresses and the Walls Five hundred Leagues in length which environ China is more to be wondred at Notes upon the Seventh Chapter A. P. 114. It is now above Four hundred years ago since the Western Tartars conquer'd c. CHingis Can the Founder of the Monarchy of the Tartars the largest that ever was in the World or at least his Son Octay Can about the year 1220. began the Conquest of North China setting upon the Eastern Tartars in whose Possession it had been about a Hundred and seventeen years according to the Chronology of F. Couplet But the entire Conquest of China was not Compleated till the year 1220. by the Fifth Emperor after Ching is Can call'd by our Historians in imitation of the Eastern Tartars Cublay Can or Cobila The Chineses who give him great Encomiums call him Xi Su and affirm that formerly he was call'd Ho pie lie which I believe to be no other than the Name of Cublay or Cobila corrupted in regard the Chineses Pronounce very ill and corrupt almost all the Names and Words of other Nations as our Author has observ'd in his first Chapter that M. Polo had Corrupted the â—…artar Name of the Ancient Pe Kim calling it Can bâ—…lu instead of Han palu The Chineses commit the same Mistakes in the Pronunciation of Foreign Languages changing Letters and adding Vowels to facilitate Pronunciation in regard that all the Words of their Language are Monosyllables Thus I have seen in a Manuscript Discourse of the Necessity of performing Divine Service in the Chinese Language which highly deserves to be Printed that the Chineses instead of Crux Pronounce Cu lu câ—… Instead of Pronouncing Beatus they say Pe jâ—… su sâ—… For Baptizo they cry Pa pe ti so and in stead of Bartholmeus Pa ulh to lo meusu And in the same manner 't is very probable that they might have said Ho pie lie instead of Cublay or Cobila changing the C into H and the b into p so reading Hopili instead of Cobili and adding e to facilitate the Pronunciation This Prince Xi Su or Cubluy Can it was that caus'd the Grand Canal to be made which the Author describes with his usual Exactness and which is without question one of the most Magnificent and Admirable undertakings in the Universe Only there is one thing we would fain know whether these Sluces are made like those in France and the Low-Countries that is to say whether they are made of two Gates at a distance one from the other between which the water rises For by the Relation of Father Magaillans and that of F. Trigant the Chinese Sluces seem to be no more than only a bâ—…re Gate made fast with pieces of Wood let fall perpendicularly till the Overture be wholly stopt up The water being swell'd in this manner they draw up these pieces of Wood one after another and then cause the Vessels to ascend or fall which sometimes would not be able to Sail for want of Water in the Canal if iâ—… were not retain'd and stopp'd by this Invention But this is not so convenient as a Sluce with two Gates and a Hutch between both Thus the Author of the Relation of the Dutch Embassy reports that the Sluces in China are not open'd but with great difficulty and that they are a great hindrance to the Voyage However this is a Thing very Remarkable that a man may at any time go from one end of China to the other for the space of above Six hundred Leagues unless it be one Iourney only by Land between the Provinces of Quam Tum and Kiamsi or between the Cities of Nan hium and Nan gan where you Embark again upon the River of Can. Upon which it will not be amiss to observe that the Author of the Dutch Embassy made a considerable Mistake in confounding the River Can with the great River Kiam which comes from the Province of Iunnan and touches only the Northern Extremity of the Province of Kiamsi whereas the River Can divides it in two running through it from South to North. CHAP. VIII Of the great Industry of this Nation THe Magnificence and great Number of Publick Works in China is not only the Effect of vast Charges and Expences but of the extraordinary Industry of the Nation They do all manner of Mechanick Works with a far less number of Tools and with more Ease than we do For as in this Country here is not a foot of Land that lyes wast so there is not any Man or Woman young or old lame deaf or blind that has not a way to get a Livelyhood or that has not some Trade or Employment The Chineses have a common Proverb ChuÌ„m quÌ„e vù y vo In China there is nothing thrown away How vile and useless a thing may appear to be it has its Use and may turn to Profit For example in the City of Pekim only there are above a Thousand Families who have no other Trade to subsist on but only by Selling of matches for Tinderboxes and weeks for Candles There are also as many that have nothing else to live upon but by picking up in the Streets and among the Sweepings of Houses Rags of Silk Cotton and Linnen-Cloth pieces of Paper and other things which they wash make clean and then Sell to others that make use of them in several Trades Their Invention also for the carrying of Burthens is very curious for they do not carry their Burthens by main Strength as we do but by Policy in this manner They fasten the things which they are to carry either with Cords or Hooks or put them in Baskets or Hampers and hang them afterwards at both ends of a flat piece of Wood made on purpose which they take up upon their Shoulders equally pois'd so that the Burthen weighs as much on the one side as on the other Which Invention is a very great Convenience it being most
shall rarely see a City Palace or House of any great Person which does not face that Point of the Compass It is surrounded with a double enclosure of walls one within the other in form of a long Square The outward Enclosure is a Wall of an extraordinary height and thickness plaister'd both within and without with red Morter and cover'd with a small Roof of varnished Bricks of a yellow Gold Colour lay'd with great Art and Agreement The length of it from the South to the North Gate is eight Chinese Furlongs or two Italian Miles This Enclosure has four Gates one in the middle of each Side and every Gate compos'd of three Portals of which the middlemost is always kept shut and never open'd but onely for the King. The rest are always open to those that go in and out of the Palace from break of day till the Bell rings for cleaâ—…ing the Palace except the South Gates which are never but half open unless the King goes out or in In the time of the Chinese Kings there was a guard of thirty Souldiers with their Captain and ten Eunuchs at each Portal but at present not above twenty Tartars with their Officer By which it is apparent that Alvaro Semedo and Martini who affirm the Guard of every Gate to consist of three thousand Men and five Elephants was a great Piece of Misinformation while they took the whole for a part For there is indeed a Guard of three thousand Men in all which being distributed into Companys and Squadrons in their turns and so many days in a Month guard the Gates of the City and of the Palace where there are several others besides those we have mention'd and several Towers that environ the inner Wall. As for the Elephants they never stand at the Gates but in their Stables or rather in their Palace For they are lodg'd in a spacious Court in the middle of which there is a large and fair Room where they are kept in the Summer but in the Winter they put them into little Stalls by themselves the Pavements of which are heated with Stoves with which those Creatures could never endure the Rigour of the Winter in that Climate where many times they die through the Negligence of those that look after them Nor are there above five or six which were brought from the Province of Tun nan They never bring them out of their Stables but when the King goes forth in State in order to some publick Solemnity as to his Sacrifices or the like All manner of Entrance within these Gates is forbid to the Bonzes of Pagods to the Blind the Lame the Maim'd to Beggars such as have Scars and Wens upon their Faces or have their Ears or Moses cut and in a word to all those that have any considerable Deformity The inner Wall which immediately encompasses the Palace is extremely high and thick built of large Brick all equal and embollish'd with Battlements well contriv'd It extends from the North to the South six Furlongs or an Italian Mile and a half a Furlong and a half in breadth and fifteen Furlongs or five Miles wanting a Quarter in Circumference It has four Gates with large Vaults and Arches those to the South and North being threefold like the Gates of the first Enclosure those upon the Sides single Upon these Gates and upon the four Angles of the Wall eight Towers or rather eight Halls of an extraordinary Bigness and very good Workmanship advance themsemselves varnish'd within with a very beautifull red adorn'd with Flowers of Gold and cover'd with Tiles varnish'd with yellow During the Reign of the Chinese Kings twenty Eunuchs kept guard at each of these Gates But at present the Tartars have plac'd in their Rooms forty Souldiers with two Officers All the Mandarins of the Tribunals within the Palace and all the Officers of the King's Houshold are allow'd Entrance within this Wall. But all others are severely prohibited unless they shew a little Table of Wood or Ivory wherein their Names and the Place where they serve be set down with the Seal of the Mandarin to whom they belong This second Wall is environ'd with a deep and large Mote lin'd with free Stone and full of large and excellent Fish. Every Gate has a Draw-Bridge to lay over the Mote the South Gate excepted where the Draw bridge lies onely over one Arch. In the wide Space that separates the two Walls there are several separate Palaces some round others square which are all call'd by their proper Names conformable to the uses and divertisements for which they were design'd withall so spacious so rich and so magnificently adorn'd as might well beseem not onely many Princes but some Kings of Europe In the same Space upon the Eastern side and closely by the Wall runs a River over which are built several Bridges very fair Structures and all of Marble except the Arch in the middle where there lies a Draw-bridge and all the other Bridges of which there are a great Number in the Palace are no less beautifull and built of the same Materials On the West side where the Space is much more large there is a Lake very full of Fish five Furlongs or an Italian Mile and a quarter and made in the form of a Base-viol Where it is narrowest it is to be cross'd over a very beautifull Bridge which answers to the Gates of the Walls at the Ends of which stand two Triumphal Arches of three Arches a Piece high rais'd majestick and most excellent Workmanship This Lake of which M. Polo makes mention l. 2. c. 6. is environ'd with little Palaces or Houses of Pleasure built partly in the Water and part up the Land. The middle of the Lake being full of very beautifull Barges for the King's Use when he has a mind to fish or to be row'd about the Lake The remainder of the two East and West Spaces which is not taken up by the Lake or the separate Palaces is divided into large and well proportion'd Streets inhabited by the Officers and Artificers that belong to the King's Palace In the times of the preceding Kings those Streets cantain'd besides ten thousand Eunuchs but they who reign at present have put in their Rooms Tartars and Chineses of the Province of Leao who are lookâ—… upon as Tartars by a peculiar favour Thus much as to the outside of the Palace we are now to speak of the inside Therefore for the better understanding of that which follows there are two things to be observ'd The first that all the Cities and all the Palaces of the King the Great Lords the Mandarins and wealthy Persons are so built that the Gates and Principal Apartments look toward the South The second that whereas we build our Lodgings one Story above another the Chineses build upon the same Level one within another so that we possess the Air and they the Earth For example the great Gate that fronts the South stands