Volume 1

A description of the empire of China and Chinese-Tartary, together with the kingdoms of Korea, and Tibet. Containing the geography and history (natural as well as civil) of those countries ... / from the French of P.J.B. DuHalde, Jesuit, with notes geographical, historical and critical and other improvements, particularly in the maps by the translator.

Jean-Baptiste Du Halde

Date:: 1738-1741

Credit: A description of the empire of China and Chinese-Tartary, together with the kingdoms of Korea, and Tibet. Containing the geography and history (natural as well as civil) of those countries ... / from the French of P.J.B. DuHalde, Jesuit, with notes geographical, historical and critical and other improvements, particularly in the maps by the translator. Source: Wellcome Collection.

29/794

$P. Du Hal d e’s P R E FA C E T O H 'jtnmvt onw p* j ghütfiiv/ cLr,n ; :.<ïhpJÏ Vf' {bail:f Ai S't f . r Defcription of CHINA, CHINESE-TARTARY, &e. V ' ’■■•*. S.ld J ! 2 *11 * ■ ■ TT * * ■'***■ j .*•» ' HINÀ hâs ibr a long Time pafl: excited the Curioiitÿ of Europeans' : altho’ Firft Rela- the firft Accounts they had of it gain’d very little Credit among therh Thotionsofc^ Narrative publifh’d by the Venetian: (A) who travelled over lbme Provin- fafpeaed* ces of that Empire, in the Retinue of the TaftAfsJ |àlsVd for a Romance All he recounts concerning the Antiquity of this Monarchy, the Wifdom of its Laws and Government, the Fertility of its Lands, and Richnefs of its Trade, as well as the prodigious Multitude of its Inhabitants, the Polite! nels of their Manners,, their, InduiLy to promote Arts and Husbandry their Tafie and Zeal for the Sciences; all this,' I fay, was look’d on as mere Fiddon which had not fo much as the Air of Probability. We cou’d not believe that beyond fo many half-barbarous Nations, and at the very Extremity of all 4fia, a powerful Nation was to be found fcarcé inferior to any of the beft-goverri’d States ; of. Europe. But by degrees thefe Prejudices diminiihed, and that Author's Veracity began to be ac Verifyd by knowledged Specially when it appeared tirât what Ire had advanced agreed with the Accounts**» MaJ* of the firft, Mijffortarte's, who towards the End of the 15th Century found Admittance intories’ Clnna, which till then, out of a Principle of Policy, had been deny'd to Strangers One can not avoid giving Credit to ‘the Teftimony of Peribns whole Condition, Integrity Canard and Difintereftednefs take away all Grounds of Sufpicion. ° ’ P X This awaken’d the Curiofity of People, and changed the Indifference which they Ihewed be-Curiofev fore for China into an earneft Defire to be acquainted with it. But this Curiofitv «ve nr-***«>&» to a great many trilhng and falfe Relations. lc trifling and As foonas an European arrived in a Port of China, it was ufual for feme of the Ship’s Crew during the few Months flay they madd there, to gather all the Information they cou d both from the Report of the Natives and their own Obfervation; this they committed to Writing and at their Return gave out they had made great Difcoveries : and it is from fuch inaccurate Materials as thefe, piclTd up in the Outskirts of fo vaft a Country, that their Rela- Others again, with left fincerity, have, in order to entertain their Readers, fupply’d by In- ■ Uan TravelW«lf R?,mafS * 7* . Thjs aPP?*rs t0 be the Method taken by a certain It a- Relation,. vlJ S {£> uEP-* \Book Pnnted at NaF*s in 1720, entitled Giro del Monde, \a Voyage round' the ÆWJhas given a particular Defcription of the Emperor of China’s S Credittn wfiltT V “° f hisFancy felted: aqd the more eafily to f? r, f f ï he, advanceb he makes no Scruple to affirm that Pete Grimaldi 1 An% J fhC Tr,bual the Mathematics, introduced him into the Palace, ’ All that s true in this Matter is: That he was ar LV hUia cmrl avMî.m , , that great City, follow’d by a Chmefi, who ftrved both as his Footman and Vafet“tfhc fre¬ quently vifited the Jffiuts,_ who did him all the good Offices they were able: that he defiled them to get him a Sight of the Emperor, or at leaf! his Palace, but it was not in their ]£ That coming to a Bridge, which it was néçèffary to pafs In going to the Palace He J\ ’ ftram d to turn back, becaufe his Valet wou’d not venture anv farther • anH rh d ^ ' j ,C°^7 .0,™ -e,4i,S feeing ™, nf ,he ... • .. B The uJkEnEvl,^ Who inr eTal; S:!i ad are io be fo“nii in the Fo“rth the 13th Century tÛWard Che End of y>Wof Churchill s Englijb Collection. This Cenfure of Pete . (B) The Author here aimed at is Dr T Fr 'À E doubtlels taken from the Extract of a Letter from a 7r‘> well known by his Travels round the World whTchW ^7;,in.the Preface t0 15th Volume of the hrit puWiflfd about the Beginning of this Unt^y akd havl been ***** ® P’$

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