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. XIII.

Of Hills and Mountains.

VEry curious, and indeed nice, even to Superstition, are the Chineses in the choice of Hills; for they say and believe all their Fortune depends upon it, being places inhabited, as they imagine, by Dragons, unto whom they attribute the cause of all their good Fortune: And for this cause, when any of them intend to erect a Tomb (which is generally done among the Mountains by rich People) they diligently examine the shape and nature of the Hill for its situation, and are very sollicitous to discover a happy piece of Earth; and such they esteem so which has the resemblance of the Head, Tail, or Heart of a Dragon; which once found, they imagine that according to wish, all things shall go well with their Posterity. And this Fancy is so gene∣rally prevalent with them, that there are many who profess the Art of telling Fortunes by the form of Hills.

In the Description of Hills and Mountains, I shall not only mention their largeness, heighth, &c. but likewise their Nature, Shape, Form, and the Beasts that live upon them.

The Mountain Lungciven, near to Kungyang, is about two Miles and half big.

Suming, near to Xaohing, fills a place of seven Miles and a half.

Lofeu, near to Polo, is in its circumference eighteen Miles and a half.

Tiengo, near to Pinkiang, is thirty one Miles in extent; so also is the Moun∣tain Quanghia near to Nanking.

The Heng, near to Hoenyuen, is fifty Miles large.

The Yen begins at Iotyen, and teaches sixty three Miles in length.

At Kinhoa, near to Yu, lies the Mountain Kiming, which is the largest in ex∣tent of all the Mountains of China.

The Ximus, near to Taigan, is three Miles and a half high: It is said, that upon the top thereof, at the first Crowing of the Cock, the Sun may be seen to rise.

The Tientai is five Miles high.

The Vempi, in the Province of Queicheu, reaches with its top above the Clouds.

At Sintien lies the Mountain Pie, which is the highest of all Hills, and rea∣ches far above the Clouds.

Near to the City Xefan lies the Mountain Tafung, which seems to touch the very Skies.

Near to Cangki is a very high Mountain call'd Iuntai, which they entitle The Throne of Heaven.

The Hocang is so high, that it ascends ten thousand Foot above the Earth, and never any Rain or Snow was seen to fall upon it.

The Kiming, near to the City Yn, requires nine days Travel to the top of it.

In Quangsi, near the City Ieyang, lies the Mountain Paofung, whose top rea∣ches to the very Clouds, and yet hath a Stone House built upon it.

There are very many other wonderful Hills and Mountains in the Provin∣ces of China, which we shall omit to mention for brevity sake, and shall pro∣ceed to speak of their Shapes and Nature.

The Hills of Umuen show as if they hung in the Air.

In the Province of Quangsi is a Hill which bears the shape of an Elephant.

The Mountain Utung resembles the shape of a Man standing upright, with his Head bowing downward.

Near to Paoki is a Hill call'd Chincang, whose concave parts are such, that before stormy Weather or Thunder it will rore in so fearful a manner, that the noise may be heard two Miles.

Near to Sinyang is a very high and pleasant Hill, whose top against Rain is always cover'd with a Cloud.

Near to Pingchai lies the Mountain Pequi, of which it has been observ'd, that the melting of the Winter Snow upon its top is a sign of a plentiful Year; but if it continues all Summer unmelted, it is a bad sign.

Upon the Mountain Kesin, near to the Garrison-Cities, it is extraordinary cold.

Near to Nanking is a great Hill nam'd Quanglin, which in the fairest Weather is always so very much cover'd with Clouds, that it is hardly to be seen at any little distance.

Near to Xaicheu lies the Mountain Lingfung, upon which if any Rain do fall in the day-time, a great flame of Fire appears in the Night, but in dry Wea∣ther there is seen no such appearance.

The Mountain Hoo is call'd The Fiery Mountain, because in the night-time cer∣tain Lights appear upon the same, as so many burning Candles: Country People speak them to be a sort of Glow-worms, which creep out of the River by Night, and shine after this manner.

Near to Munghoa lies the Mount Tienul, call'd The Ear of Heaven, famous for a notable Echo.

The Mountain Quan is stor'd with brave Hawks and Kites, which the Great Ones use for their Recreations.

The Chinese Historians relate, That near to Sinfung lies a very great Hill, upon which such wild Beasts and Men live, whose likes are not to be found in any other Place.

Upon the top of the Hill Fungcao (as is said) the incomparable and seldom seen Phenix hath her Nest, under which is found an extraordinary Precious Stone.

In the Province of Xensi, upon the Mountain Holan, is a great Race of wild Horses; and upon that of Liniao breed several wild Oxen, Tygers, and other Creatures.

In the Province of Chekiang, upon the Mountain Cutien, an incredible thing to be told, are Tygers who have left off their fierceness, the nature of the Soil being of that Quality, that if any are brought thither wild from other Places, they become tame in a short time: the same thing happens to Snakes.

Near to Cinyven, in the Province of Iunnan, is the Mountain Nilo, where is great abundance of Tygers and Leopards.

In the Province of Suchue, near to Cungkiang, upon a Mountain call'd To∣yung, are Monkies which very much resemble a Man.

Near to the City Changcheu lies the Hill Cio, upon which is said to lie a Stone of five Rod high, end eighteen Inches thick, which of its self rolls and moves up and down against foul Weather.

Near to Lioyang, upon the Mountain Yoinea, which signifies The Mountain of the Rich Woman, is to be seen a Statue of a very beautiful Woman, not made by Art, but grown there naturally.

Near to the City Iengan, in a certain hollow place of the Mountain Ching∣leang, is to be seen a whole Herd of strange Idols, to the number of above a thousand, being Images cut out of one hard Stone, and made by the Command of a King, who liv'd all his Life here in solitariness.

Near to Vucheu, upon the Hill Vangkiu, stands a strange Image, in shape and proportion resembling a Man, but attended with this peculiarity, that according to the several tempers of the Air, it receives several colours; by the change whereof the Inhabitants know whether they shall have fair or foul Weather.

The Emperor Xius employ'd five thousand Men to dig a Passage quite through the Mountain Fang; for he had heard of the before-mention'd de∣ceitful Mountain-gazers, who promise to foretel every Persons Destiny by the shape of the Hills; some of whom had given out, That they foresaw by this Hills shape, that another Emperor should reign; wherefore Xius, to fru∣strate his approaching Fate, caus'd this Hill to be cut through to alter its shape.

Near to the City Cing, upon the Mountain Loyo, stands the Statue of a great Lion, out of whose Mouth gushes Water continually.

Near to the City Xeu, in the Province of Nanking, upon the Hill Cuking, was

found a great lump of Gold, which they say had the Vertue of curing several Diseases.

The Hill Kieuquan is call'd The Hill of seven Palaces, because the Sons of King Cyugan caus'd seven Palaces to be built upon it, in which they resided, and stu∣died several Sciences.

The Hill Lin, near to the City Tauleu, is very famous for the expert Archery of one Hevyus, who in this place shot seven Birds flying, one after another.

Near to the City Ceu is the Mountain Changping, very much noted for the Birth of the great and admir'd Philosopher Confutius. Here also may be seen the Ruins of some City or Town that formerly stood upon it.

Near to the City Kioheu lies the Hill Fang, not a little frequented, by rea∣son of the Tomb of the Ancestors of Confutius.

The Hill Kieuchin, near to Hanyang, has its Name from nine Virgins that were Sisters, and liv'd thereon, studying Chymistry.

Near to the City Cu lies the Mountain Cu, where Report says King Ci bu∣ried much Gold; and afterwards, because he would not have it discover'd, put to death all those that were employ'd in hiding it; but by chance a young Son of one of the Workmen taking notice of what his Father was doing, and bearing the same in mind, when he came to years of discretion went and took it away, with the cause of his Father's Death felicitating his own Life.

Upon certain high Hills of the Province of Suchue, where it borders upon the Province Honan, lies a Kingdom call'd Kiug, absolute of it self, and no ways subject to the Emperor's of China; only upon the account of Honor, and the maintaining of a good Correspondence, the King thereof receives from the Chinese Monarch his Crown and Scepter. These High-land People will in no wise suffer the Chineses to come amongst them, and very hardly to speak to them. The People of this Kingdom are the Issue of them who fled out of the Pro∣vince of Huquang, to avoid the Outrages of the Enemy of the Race of Cheva, and betook themselves to these high Mountains for safety, where ever since their Posterity hath continu'd, possessing innumerable brave Vales, and in∣comparable good Lands, which are secur'd against the Invasion or Inroads of any Enemy.

Upon some of the Mountains in China are great store of wild People, who by reason of the narrow and difficult Passages to them, are not to be brought under Subjection to the Emperor, notwithstanding great Endeavors have been us'd to effect the same.