An embassy from the East-India Company of the United Provinces, to the Grand Tartar Cham, Emperor of China deliver'd by their excellencies, Peter de Goyer and Jacob de Keyzer, at his imperial city of Peking : wherein the cities, towns, villages, ports, rivers, &c. in their passages from Canton to Peking are ingeniously describ'd / by Mr. John Nieuhoff ... ; also an epistle of Father John Adams their antagonist, concerning the whole negotiation ; with an appendix of several remarks taken out of Father Athanasius Kircher ; English'd, and set forth with their several sculptures, by John Ogilby Esq. ...

CHAP. IV.

Of the Mountains of China, and the stupendious Prodigies of Nature which are observ'd in them.

ALthough in this Empire Mountains are so numerous, yet the greatest are the continual Theme and Argument of their Studies; for what our Astrologers perform by the Celestial Houses, they make out by the Terrestrial Hills. But amongst their many Enquiries by Terrene Calculations after their good and bad Fortunes, there is nothing they more labor in, than the Business of their Sepulture, about which they spare no Cost or Pains, not only observing with no small scrutiny the Summits, Tops and Superficies, but also making subtle Inspections into the very Bowels of the Mountains, to

find a fortunate Spot of Ground, which they fancy to resemble the Head, Tail, or Heart of the Dragon; which done, they joyfully conclude they have found a Place in which the Person Interr'd shall be happy, and his Posterity successful: which Opinion I believe to have been inculcated by some grave Philosopher, to advance a filial Piety to the deceased Parents, and more special care of the honor of Funerals.

Now the Mountains of China are for the most part encompass'd with great Villages, pleasant for most beautiful Sepulchral Monuments, Chases, and Groves, and a waving Sea of Rice makes them like a Plain, which when Groves and Woods do smile with their Summer Attire, renders a most plea∣sant Prospect, the Chappels plac'd on them excelling for Magnitude and Splendor: there are also the Monasteries of the Priests; but yet in the thick and overgrown Woods liveth a barbarous Nation not yet subjected to the Chineses.

Many things are observ'd in these Mountains, which (if true) may be de∣servedly accounted amongst the Miracles of Nature: Some by reason of their immense heighth have a perpetual Serenity on their Tops; others are cover'd with a continual dark Mantle of ambient thick Mists: there are some which triumph only with wholsom Plants, exiling all venomous Weeds.

In the Mountain Queyu both small and great Stones are found, in a cubical or four-square Figure, which are also in one of the Mountains of Calabria, of which we have treated in our Book of the Subterranean World.

The Mountain Paoki, in the Province of Xensi, hath the Figure of a Cock, who on the approach of a Storm sendeth forth such Murmurs and Rorings, as may be heard at a great distance; and Olaus Magnus, in his History of the Northern Reigons, saith, That such monstrous Sounds happen in the Moun∣tains of the Botnick Sea.

That is also worthy of admiration which the Chinesian Oreoscopists relate concerning the Mountain Cio, That on the top of it there is a Stone five Per∣ches high; and another also in the Kingdom of Fokien, which as often 〈◊〉〈◊〉 a Storm is near, tottereth, and is moved hither and thither, as Cypress 〈◊〉〈◊〉 shaken by the Winds.

There is another Mountain continually cover'd with Frost, the cause of which may be conjectur'd to be the Nitrous Spirits which the Mountain, to∣gether with the Vapors of the Watry Receptacles therein laid up, perspireth.

There is a Mountain in the Province of Kiangsi which hath two Tops, the uppermost of which resembles a Dragon, seeming to stoop fiercely at the lower Spire, which appeareth like a Rampant Tyger; from whose various Aspects the Priests make many Rules of Divination for their Disciples.

Another Mountain by its seven tops configureth the seven Stars in the Constellation of the Greater Bear.

But the Mountain fashion'd in the shape of an Idol, near the City of Tun∣chue in the Province of Fokien, exceedeth all admiration; concerning which thus writeth Father Martinius in his Atlas, Page 69. The first Mountain of this Province (saith he) is worthy of admiration, being situate on the Banks of the River Feu; for from this Mountain they have, as I may say, not form'd a monstrous, but a mounta•••••• Idol, which they call Fe; it sitteth with cross Legs, or decassated Feet, folding the Hands in his Bosom: You may judge of the Magnitude, the Eyes, Ears, Nostrils, and Mouth being perspicuous to the Beholders at least two Miles. This they suppose not to have been cut out by the Labor of Art, (as Dinostratus offer'd to Carve the Mountain

Athos into an Alexander, holding a City in one Hand, and a River in the other) but the meer work of Nature much assisted by Fancy.

They report of the Mountain Taipe in the Province of Xensi, much celebra∣ted by the Oreoscopists or Mountain-Diviners, that a Drum being beaten on it raiseth suddenly Thunder, Lightning, and great Tempests; therefore is there a strict Law and severe Punishments provided, for whoever is found to offend in this kind.

The Oreologists relate, that there is a Mountain in the Province Uquang, which is so tenacious of its own Right, that if any one hath feloniously taken any of its Wood, Fruit, or the like, he shall never be able to depart thence, being perpetually included as in a Labyrinth, but he that religiously abstain∣eth, may go thence without trouble. But we reckon this amongst the Fables of the Bonzii.

There also are Aeolian, or windy Mountains, such as in Europe; for in the Province of Huquang is a Mountuin call'd Fang, from which (as Martinius re∣lates, in the Spring and Autumn not the least Breath appears; but from the hollow Caverns in Summer assiduous Blasts and continual Blowings issue.