Page 204

d general VDecription of 
Vales tierrible Rocks, and dreadful Precipices, which the Natives knowi 
do avoid and fhun with great dexterity. Being pal the City of KJncheu, it
gins by degrees to run more gently, and falls toward the North into the M
or Lake call'd Tungting, from whence it takes its courfe before the Chief
C 
in the Province of Kingfi, and from thence to the Sea Foum, which is aboV
hundred Dutch Miles ; and all this way it runs fo gently, that Veffels may
W 
cafe Sail againft the Stream; and the ebbing and flowing of this River is
ferv'd fofar up in the Country, that it is in a manner wonderful to rela
¢fpecially at the New or Full-Moon : In this place it is at leaft two
M 
over, watering and making fruitful the whole Province of of Nanking. A 
laftly, beingpaf'd the Cities of Nanking and Cbinkiaisg, it falls into the
OcI 
it felf, through a great Mouth, in which lies an Ifland and City well Guarded,
and provided with Soldiers and Ships. 
The 2'e0lloio  ver, by Strangers fo call'd from the colour of the Water,
occa. 
fion'd by the yellownefs of the Ground, is nam'd Moang in the Chinefe Lao.
guageand feems at firil to be very Morifhb; but the fwiftnefs and great force
of its running makes it appear quite contrary ; for with fo incredible a
fwift- 
nefs doth this River run, that'no Ships are able to Sail up againfi its Stream,
but are Tow'dalong by the main flrength of a great number of Track.men: 
which may proceed from its being contrated within fo narrow Bounds; for 
in fome places it is but half a Mile broad, and in others little more ; but
in 
length it extends above eight hundred Miles. By this it appears, that this
Ri- 
ver, next to that of Kjang, is the biggeft and mofi famous of all China;
and 
though it is naturally no other than a Foreiner that has invaded the Country,
yet doth it not fhand in fearof their Laws (which will not permit a Foreiner
to live among them) but as their Revenger infults over them, by often laying
their Country under Water in a moft lamentable manner. The Hills 9uenlu,
from whence it has its fource, are in my opinion the Amagion Hills, being
47rnar.,- n fra ,                                      i wir iq no _ rh..
R~i~er.-lr, m  f" '. n,   .. 'T'   -J  rhi-  ,-h nr 
jjIUAIV  LA6£&IAA  WlL I~I  A~r LL UJ ~ .L   U  IVVk & AI hUAII
AA~IIV51 
the very Situation of thofe Places and Countries do demonffrate, that from
the fame Hills theRivers Ganges in Cengala, Mefor in Laor, and feveral other
fa- 
mous Streams, which water the Parts of Sion and !Pegu, have their rife: for
the Cinefes believe, and fo report, That there are very many great Rivers
Southward, which take their rife from thefe Hills. 
But to return whence we have digrefs'd ; After this Yellow rijver is pafs'd
beyond the vafl Territories of Sifan and Tanij', which doth not in the leafi
be- 
long to the Empire of China, it runs before the City Lingao, not far from
ano- 
ther call'd Kjng, in the Province of Xenfi, in the Empire of Cbina, to the
place 
where the Great Wall (made to prevent the Invafions of te Tartars) reaches
to. 
ward the Eafl, which it likewife wafhes ; Then it runs with great fury, as
well toward the North as the Eafl, by one fide of the vafi Wildernefs call'd
Samt, at leaft two thoufand Furlongs, and then turns toward the South, where
it paffes through the Gate Se, which is in the Wall, and fo divides the two
Provinces of Xcnfi and Xanfi : Thence it runs into feveral other Provinces,
whereof I have formerly made mention in the Defcription of our Journey to
Peking. The Water of this Yellow ijver is very thick and muddy, the Pople
re- 
port it will not grow clear in a thoufand years ;and thereforewhen they fpeak
of any difficult U ndertaking, they ufe as a proverbial Speech among them
to 
fay, When the Yellov, Ver i4 clear. But notwithilanding this Report of theirs,
it is well known, that the Sea-,men which frequent this River have an Art
to 
...make