Page View
Nieuhof, Johannes, 1618-1672 / An embassy from the East-India Company of the United Provinces, to the Grand Tartar Cham, emperor of China: delivered 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 described by 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; Englished and set forth with their several sculptures by John Ogilby
(1673)
[Kircher appendix] Chap. III. Of the various habits, manners, and customs of the men of those kingdoms, which were observ'd and drawn by the aforesaid Fathers, Albert Dorville, and Gruberus, as they pass'd through them., pp. 356-363
Page 356
S k§&CHE R.'S 356 A Defcripti. Walls of dius. A.fcentunto them : now the Longitude unto the broadefi part of the Wall, even unto the other Port or Gate, through which they pafs: from the Defart untothe City Sucien,. is fo great, that iV can hardly be pafs'd in the fpace of eighteen Days ; which many do undertake, having firft obtain'd leave of th* G overnor of Siningfu, not fo much out of any neceftity of Trafficking or Mer. chandife; as led by a certain Curiofity, and withal being fufficiently furniffi'd with Provifion; for they fay, that the innumerable Habitations which are within' the Wall, appear from thence as from an high Mountain; butwithout in the adjacent Defairt as the Inhabitants related unto them by word of Mouth, they may recreate themfelves with the wonderful and unwonted light (as it were from an high Tower) of-all kinds of wild Beafis, fuch as are Tygers, Lions, Elephants, Rhinocerofes, wild Bulls, Monocerofes, (that is, a certain kind of Horn'd Afles) and all the while being free, and outcof alldan- ger, more efpecially from that part of the Wall, which leading toward the South, draweth near unto the more inhabited Regions, as f.uanfi, Junnam, and Tibet ;for from hence unto the Sadfron!Rier, and the Places adjoyning, which abound with Bufhes and Thickets, they are wont to betake themfelves in Herdsand Droves at certain times of the Year, both in refpe& of Paflurage, and for Hunting of their Prey. Therefore P. III,' and Cufloms of the Men of thofe md dra'n bj the aforefaid Fathers, L)as they pafs'd through them. 3re-mention'd FatI'ers pafs'd through by npted by any European, Were unknown they obfetve iliany things, very worthy abits, Mannerg, aInd Culloms of thofe ver'd to me, what by Pilures, atid what into their Voyage perform'd ; which I :.,and convenient tifne, to accomplifh b. ekin, the Metropolis and Imperial Seat of two Months to thofe moft famous is fituate, as it were a certain and moft the Incurfions of the Tartars, where in Strudture of as nuch of thefe Walls as tmit of, as they Weremiofi diligently ob- added, that the Walls were of fo great ierly abreafi, might conveniently run a one another; whence they report, that itize-ns of Sininu,'both for the enjoying nd which breatheth from the adjacent e very oppqrt Iune for the performing of recreating of the Mind for they are of he Inhabitants unto them by their Prof- 'and open, and withal exceeding plea- onveniencv of the Stairs. which uive an
Top of Page
Based on the date of publication, this material is presumed to be in the public domain.| For information on re-use see: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/Copyright