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. ...

The famous Chinese Wall.

COncerning which, thus saith Martinius in his Atlas: This mighty Wall forti∣fies the Borders of four Kingdoms, the Longitude being three hundred German Miles, of which fifteen make a Degree, i.e. twelve hundred English Miles. This long Se∣ries continues without any Gap, only on the North part of the City Siuen, in the Province of Peking, which is supply'd with the inaccessible part of a Mountain, and where the Mouth of the Saffron River receiveth the Disembogues of lesser Rivers: The Avenues and Passes for Strangers and Travellers repairing from Forein Countires, are contriv'd Arch∣wise like Bridges, or through Vaults under Ground; all the rest uniform, though carried on for the most part through rough and uneven Countries, forcing a Way not only over the Skirts, but the Mountains themselves. At commutual Distances, where one may assist

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the other, are planted high Towers, and strong Gates or Sally-Ports, from whence they issue forth, or retire to, when any Invasion or Assault requires; and convenient Fortresses also ad∣join'd, not only Defensive, but accommodated for the Reception of the Soldiers, which to make good and maintain, takes up no less than a Million. The Wall is thirty Chinesian Cubits high, twelve broad, and in some places fifteen.

Xius Emperor of China, and Founder of that Imperial Family, began this Wall, who excell'd all the Chinesian Princes in the Magnitude of his Works, and the Glory of his Martial Atchievements: Having conquer'd all China by subjugating the Family of Cheva, from the Governor of a Province, he arose to be absolute and sole Monarch, reducing the Tartars by many signal Victories; and to prevent their future Incursions, he began this Work the twenty second Year of his Reign, which was two hundred and ten Years before Christ, and in five Years space compleated the whole Fabrick, impressing three Men out of ten throughout the whole Empire, which amounted to many Millions. And such was the Composure of this miraculous Work, being so strongly compacted and closely joyn'd, that if in any place of the Cementations a Nail might be driven between the Stones, those that committed that Error, were to be put to Death without mercy; by reason whereof the Work became so won∣drous strong, that it is the greatest part of admiration to this day; for not∣withstanding the many Vicissitudes of the Empire, Changes of Government, Batteries and Assaults, not only of the Enemy, but of violent Tempests, De∣luges of Rain, shaking Winds, and wearing Weather, yet it discovers not the least sign of Demolishment, nor crack'd or craz'd with Age, but appears al∣mostas in its first strength, greatness, and beauty; and well may it be, for whose solidity whole Mountains, by ripping up their rocky Bowels for Quar∣ries, were levell'd, and vast Desarts, drown'd with deep and swallowing Sands, swept clean to the firm bottom.

There is also a Channel made by the Chineses, at a vast Expence both of Cost and Labor, for commodious Navigation unto the Royal City of Pe∣king: And although many admire the Dutch for their Trenches or Cataracts cut through the Land for Passage from Place to Place, yet the Channel Iun in China is admirable, beyond all their Works; concerning which Martinius in his Atlas gives the following Account:

The Province of Xantung deservedly boasts of the River Iun, the most famous Chan∣nel throughout the whole Empire of China, digg'd with incredible Labor and Industry, by which from most Parts of the Empire Ships bring Merchandize to the Royal City of Pe∣king. This Trench beginneth on the North of the City Socien, from the Bank of the Saf∣fron River, thence stretching it self unto Cining and Lincing; from whence in that Channel it passeth into the River Quei, being some hundred Miles. I have counted upon it above twenty Cataracts or Waterfalls made of hewn Stone, with a Passage for Ships, where they dam up the Waters with a Sluce, which is easily heav'd up by the benefit of an Engine with a Wheel, affording an Outlet to the Waters; and if they want Water for great Vessels, then in the middle Passage, before you come to Cining, they let it in from the Lake Cang, through the greatest Cataract, as much as they please, timely closing the Passage, to prevent an Inundation. These Cataracts are commonly call'd Tung-pa, because they sustain the force of the Water flowing from the Lake: Now when Ships arrive, that they may not be forc'd to Sail through the Lake, they have cut a Trench or Channel on the Bank, fortifi'd with Rampiers, by which all Ships do easily pass. At each Cataract are Persons maintain'd at the Publick Charge, to attend the Ships until they are pass'd the Cataracts.

The Province of Chekiang is rough and mountainous, not able to compare with other Provinces for great Cities, multitude of Inhabitants; and richness of Soil, yet affords two Commodities of great Profit, which none of the rest have, and those of so great use, that they are an Ornament to the whole Em∣pire. The first is many thousand Bails of the best Paper, which plentifully furnisheth the fifteen Provinces. The other is that Gum which they call Cie, distilling from Trees, not unlike that which drops from our Fir-Trees; and of this they make that Varnish wherewith they so dress their Houses, that al∣though the out-sides be but low and mean, yet within they far exceed all Eu∣rope for Splendor, every thing therein being so transparent, that you can look no where, but as in a Mirror each opposite Object is represented; and being temper'd with divers Colours, and beautifi'd with Birds, Flowers, and Dra∣gons, the several Effigies of Gods and Goddesses, and other Figures drawn to the Life, which at once abundantly delight, and cause admiration in the Be∣holders. When the Gum is gather'd, they make it of what Colour they please, but the Gold Colour is in most esteem, and next that the Black. Before it is dry'd, it sendeth forth venomous Exhalations, which cause Swellings, the Pthysick, and Consumption; but they who use this Preparation, have an Antidote ready, which defends them from Infection. Things Painted with this Gum or Varnish, dry soonest in a damp place; but once dry'd, never yields nor melteth.

The Chineses also boast of other excellent Inventions; as first, that ingenious Art of PRINTING, us'd by them long before it was known in Europe: But yet they understand not the right use of it, being ignorant of the Art of Founding Letters, or Composing with them, but Cutting or Engraving upon Wood what they have to Print, like our Sculp'd Plates fitted for the Rowling-Press; so that not being able to Distribute their Character, they are forc'd to have a standing From for every Page, by which means the Printing of one Vo∣lume oft-times filleth a whole House with their Typographical Tables; as for Example, if the whole have but 100 Sheets, they must have 400 Tables.

Secondly, Though we acknowledge they had the Invention of Gun-powder before us, (because the Fathers of our Society have seen great Ordnance, as big as Bazaliscoes, Cast for a Siege in divers Provinces, especially in Nanking, which are very ancient) yet they never arriv'd to our Perfection, being unskill'd in

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Fire-works; but their Art in Casting excells, as appears by the mighty Sta∣tues, great Guns, and ponderous Bells every where frequent, and as the Bells mention'd in a Letter from Father Ferdinando Verbist to Father Iohn Gruberus in Peking (in respect of which the greatest in Europe may be call'd Saunce-Bells) shall demonstrate; his words are these: Anno 1403. there Reign'd an Emperor in China nam'd Yum lo, he that first remov'd the Court from Nanking to Peking, who the better to perpetuate his Name, Cast many Bells of a prodigious Magnitude, whereof one of Iron, and eight of Brass, are now at Peking, the least of which are 120000 weight: I saw seven lying in one place near unto Chum leu, all fair and like ours, but the Margents are not so spreading, nor the top so Conick: And because Father Athanasius Kircher, in his Musurgia, fol. 522. hath set down the Measure of the Bell of Erford in Germany, which for the bigness he termeth prodigious, I will here give the Dimensions of one of those which I saw at Peking, and compare it with that of Erford, reducing Measures to the Cubits of China.

The Bell of Peking. 1. The Altitude included in the Cur∣vature is 12 Cubits. 2. The Diameter of the Orifice or Ba∣sis 10 Cubits and 8 Digits. 3. The thickness of the Bell 9 Digits. 4. The exterior circumference mea∣sur'd by the Diameter only three times taken, that is omitting one Se∣venth of the Diameter, is 39 Cu∣bits and 6 Digits. 5. The weight 120000 Pounds.

The Bell of Erford. 1. The Altitude included in the Cur∣vature is 8 Cubits 5 Digits and a half. 2. The Diameter 7 Cubits 1 Digit. 3. The thickness 6 Digits & 3 quarters. 4. The Circumference, or Periphery, according to the Measure alledg'd by Father Kircher, is 26 Cubits and 1 Digit. 5. The weight 25400 Pounds.

The Diameter of the Bell of Peking, next the Canon, where it beginneth to close at the top, is 8 Cubits 5 Digits, the Circumference of the Handle bended is 3 Cubits, and there the Dameter is about 1 Cubit; the Altitude of the Per∣pendicular Canon above the top is three Cubits: now the Chinesian Cubit is di∣vided into 10 Digits, where of 9 are equivalent to our Geometrical Foot.