Hamilton’s account of the east indies.

5°9

had abufed them as long as they pleafed, fent them back to their friends. Many com-plaints had been made, but no redrefs could be obtained. At length, when a parcelof virgin-hunters had gone into the country upon an expedition of that nature, thepeafants fell on them, and killed them every man.

This daughter made the Portugueze very loud in their complaints, and demandedjuftice to be done on the peafants. The peafants made folid replications to the com-plaints of the Portugueze, and defired their cafe might be laid before the Emperor ,which was accordingly done, and the Portugueze were ordered to clear themfelves ofthe crimes laid to their charge, and they not being able to do it, were banifhed Limpoa,but had liberty to carry off their effedts : and thus ended the moft opulent colony, atthat time, in the world.

Nanking is the next province to Chequiam, and the city of Nanking is ffcill reckonedone of the largeft cities in China , or perhaps in the world. I have heard many fay,that faw both Peking and Nanking, that it occupies a larger fpot of ground than Pe-king , and that the triumphal arches, palaces, and other public edifices, are nobler thanthofe at Peking .

The province begins at Souchew, a large city, and one of the greateH trading citiesin China, in gold, wrought filks, porcelain or China ware. It Hands near the lakeof Hamchew, which is about 20 leagues long, and 16 broad, of fine clear frefh water,and it produces many excellent forts of fifhes, fome whereof are daily fent in boats toPeking for the Emperor ’s table. *

Nanking city Hands on the banks of the river Kiam, the greateH but not the longeHriver in China . It is fituated about 100 miles from its mouth, in a fine, pleafant,fertile plain. It was formerly the metropolis of all China, till the Tartars grew trouble-forne and formidable, which drew the court to Peking , to be nearer the frontiers, in^rder to check their infolence.

The diHance between Nanking and Peking is about 500 Englifh miles. They havea communication by water in two royal canals, one from Nanking to the Yellow River ,fo called from the colour of its water, and the other from that river to the city ofPeking , or very near it. They are the work of art, done by the hard labour of manythoufands of poor workmen, in obedience to their Emperor ’s order, to facilitate thecarriage of merchandize between thofe great cities.

The Yellow River , or Corcei River, is much longer than any river in Afia, or per-haps, in Europe , for there are 50 degrees diHance between its fource and its mouth :and I heard one Mr. Fountanay, a miffionary, who went to France on the Emperor ofChina ’s account, about the year 1694, fay, that, he believed there were as many peoplethat lived in boats and veffels on the rivers of Kiam and Corcei as in the three greateHprovinces of France , for in their veffels they keep fairs on, thefe rivers, one feafon atone place, and in other leafons at other places; and though there may be 10,000 veffelsaffembled at a fair, yet there is as good order and decorum kept, as in a well governedcity. All fhips and boats who have the fame fpecies of goods are moored together,along a certain place on the river’s fide allotted for them, by proper magiHrates, andat night, watches are fet to prevent thieving and diforder, and offenders are feverelypunifhed, without refpect of perfons.

There are alfo fairs kept on the royal canal, between the Yellow River and Peking ,in which all the forts of commodities that China produceth are to be fold.

The magnitude, beauty, and opulency of Peking , are fo fully defcribed by fomewho have been there, that my hear-fay account can be of no ufe, and for that caufe I1 omit