like their Chinese neighbours, cultivate the hills to the very top, 'and cut them into terraces. In the southern parts, besides abundance of every pecies of agricultural and horticultural produce, large breeds of great and small cattle are reared. Domestic fowls, wild fowl, and every species of game, abound,—as sables in the northern parts, martins, beavers, deer, wild boars and bears. Reptiles are also said to abound in the south; and in the rivers that dangerous amphibious reptile, the kaiman, is frequent,— some of them, according to Hamel, from 30 to 40 feet in length. The pheasant is a native of the peninsula of Korea; and the inhabitants have a species of small riding ponies, not above three feet high. The northern provinces of Korea produce that far but over-famed root, the jinseng. Silk, flax, cotton, and other commodities of that kind, are produced in the peninsula. As they are ignorant of silk-weaving, the wool is exported to China and Japan. According to one Chinese statistical account, tea is produced, but such a fact is not mentioned in other Chinese accounts. It may be produced in the southern part, but in the central and continental provinces the climate is certainly too cold to admit of its growth; and Hamel, who was so long there, is entirely silent upon this point, yet he could hardly have failed of knowing or hearing of it if such was the fact, and tea is not produced in China farther N. than 37° 48', in the province of Shantong. The oxen in Korea are used for ploughing, and the horses for carriage. Manufactures and Commerce.] Of these almost nothing is known. The natives are said to make a very white and strong paper from cotton. They also make fans, and painted paper for ornamenting rooms, and very fine linen. They carry on a small commerce with China and Japan. Miscellaneous Remarks.] The Koreans are represented as a stout, well-made people, of agreeable aspect and polished manners,—and in religion, manners, and customs, bearing a great similarity to the Chinese, with whom, from time immemorial, they have been politically connected. Like them, the Korean government is extremely jealous of all foreigners, and will not allow them to have any intercourse with the natives. Even the Chinese envoys, who are sent to Korea, are kept under strict surveillance. This extreme caution respecting foreigners was exercised towards our navigators, captains Hall and Maxwell. With every disposition to be kind and friendly to them, they were obviously under the influence of terror, lest, by permitting any communication with the people on shore, their heads should be endangered. Their towns are much like those of the Chinese; but the houses are principally built of mud, without art, and destitute of convenience, and in some places are raised on stakes. The houses of the nobility have more external show, and are surrounded with extensive gardens. It appears, from Hamel, that the nobles exercise in their respective districts a very oppressive feudal power, allowing no houses but their own to be roofed with tiles, the people being obliged to live under thatched roofs. The Korean government has always been monarchical and despotic, and the monarch is the sole hereditary landed proprietor, as all the lands hold of the crown, and there is no such thing as a landed aristocracy or hereditary nobility. At the demise of the possessor, they revert to the crown. The nobles are, of course, entirely dependent on the king for their landsand places. The royal revenue is one-tenth of the agricultural produce, and some duties levied on imports and exports. All the inhabitants are bound to work three months for the sovereign on the royal domains, which are very large; and once in seven years all the free men able to bear arms are sent from every province to do duty at the court for two months, ac

cording to Hamel. Though the Korean king is only one of the numerous vassals of the Chinese empire, yet in his own dominions he has a splendid and numerous court, and a well-furnished harem; and the Chinese court never intermeddles with his internal administration, provided he be punctual in paying his annual tribute by his ambassador, and doing homage, by performing the nine prostrations and knockings of the head before the celestial presence. Whenever the monarch dies, two grandees are sent from Peking to confer upon his successor the title of Qui-vang, or king, who receives the investiture kneeling, and makes the specified presents, besides 8000 taels in money. The Korean crown does not descend by right of primogeniture-for such a right is not known in Asiatic monarchies-but to such of his sons as the king may think fit to appoint as heir apparent; and the nomination is confirmed by the court of Peking. When the emperor sends an embassy to Korea, the king is obliged to go in person with all his guards to receive him, at a distance from his capital; whilst, on the other hand, those of the Korean prince to the celestial court are scarce received with any ceremony, and are even obliged to give precedence to a mandarin of the first rank.

There are two languages in Korea, the Chinese or foreign, and the Korean or vernacular. The former is confined to the literati, who, as in China, form a distinct order in the state, and are distinguished by two feathers stuck in their caps. They undergo many examinations, as in China, but their learning seems confined to the philosophy of Confucius. The vernacular language is wholly different, and, like that of the Mandshoors, has a peculiar alphabet, which was probably introduced at an early period by the priests of Buddha or Fo. They write with pencils made of wolf's hair, and print their books with wooden blocks. The Korean language is too little known to enable us to say any thing satisfactory about it. It contains some Chinese and Mandshoorian words, as might be expected; but the greater part of it belongs to neither, and is accordingly ranked by Klaproth, in his polyglot table of Asia, as a distinct language of itself, the cultivation and elucidation of which is left for some future traveller, who may have the good fortune to explore this all but unknown region. Whatever of learning exists in Korea is of Chinese origin, and is confined to the few who have embraced the system of Confucius. Buddhism is the prevailing idolatrous system of doctrine and worship in Korea; and the bonzes are numerous over all the country, and have many temples and monasteries, mostly upon the sides of hills, and some of them containing from 400 to 600 monks. Many of them, like the Tibetian lamas, have their heads shaved, abstain from animal food, and avoid the sight of women. The army is numerous, but would not be formidable to Europeans, and is furnished with bad muskets. Their ships of war are superior to those of China, and seemingly imitations of the Portuguese galleys; they are mounted with small cannons, and furnished with fire-pots.

Population.] The number of inhabitants is unknown, and whether the population is proportioned to the extent of the country, we have no means of determining. We are told by the Chinese historians, that in the reign of Kautsong, of the Tang dynasty, who conquered Korea in the middle of the 8th century, it then contained 170 principal cities, and 690,000 families. This, supposing five to a family, would make a total of more than 3,000,000, which is but a small number for a region whose surface is equal to one-half that of Asia Minor.

CHINESE TARTARY.

THIS vast region contains upwards of 4,000,000 of British square miles; and is composed of two distinct, but very unequal divisions: Central Asia, and Mandshooria, or Eastern Chinese Tartary. Having just finished our description of Korea, order requires that, in describing Chinese Tartary, we commence with Mandshooria, which lies to the N. and N.W. of Korea.

I. MANDSHOORIA, OR EASTERN TARTARY.

6

THE former of the above appellations is derived from the Mandshoors, its inhabitants, and the latter from its relative situation in respect of Mongolia. This extensive region is bounded by Mongolia on the W., and Russian Daouria on the N.W.; by the Eastern ocean on the E.; by Eastern Siberia on the N.; and by the sea of Japan, the kingdom of Korea, and the gulf of Lyau-tong, or the Yellow sea,' on the S. It extends from the 118 deg. to the 142d deg. of long.; and from the southern point of Lyau-tong, in 40° N. lat. to 55° N. lat. Its greatest extent from W. to E. therefore is about 1100 British miles; and its greatest breadth 900 geographical or 1045 British miles; but its general breadth is from 12 to 13 degrees, or from 800 to 870 British miles. The superficial area is above 800,000 British square miles.

Divisions.] Mandshooria, according to Du Halde, is divided into three governments: Shin-yang, or Mookden, Kirin-oola, and Tsitsicar. The first comprehends the S.W. part, or the ancient Lyau-tong,—the second the S.E.-and the third the N.W. part of Mandshooria Proper. Of these divisions, that of Shin-yang is the smallest but best peopled, and nighest China; the second is the most extensive and the most remote. By others it is divided into the two foos or sub-governments of Shin-yang, or Fongt-hyen, on the Yellow sea, and Mandshooria Proper on the Amoor and sea of Japan.

CHAP. L-PHYSICAL FEATURES-CLIMATE-PRODUCTIONS. THIS region being very imperfectly known, and never visited but by the Jesuits employed by Kaunghee to make a map of it, very little can be said respecting its external aspect. As far as can be judged from the map, its appearance is much diversified with mountains, hills, plains, and forests, and altogether different from Mongolia, being exceedingly well watered, and free from those sandy deserts which occupy so large a space in Central Asia. In the eastern part of Lyau-tong, and on the frontiers of

Korea, the country is represented as full of bogs and marshes; and towards the N.E. of the province of Kirin-oola, it is overrun with extensive and impenetrable forests, which increase in magnitude and density the nearer they approach the sea: so much so indeed, that, unless on the immediate banks of the Amoor, which is thickly planted with Tartar villages, the whole country seems one continuous and uninhabited forest. After passing through these immense forests, fine green valleys occur, which are watered by beautiful and transparent rivulets, whose banks are enamelled with the flowers common in Europe.1

Mountains.] Mandshooria Proper is bounded on the W., N., and S., by great mountain-ranges, which separate it from Mongolia, Lyau-tong, Russia, and Korea. The chain which bounds it on the W. is called the Siolki mountains. These may be denominated the eastern buttress of Central Asia. This range strikes off to the S. from the Yablonnoi, or Apple mountains,' and runs towards China, crossing the rivers Schilka and Argoon in its progress, and extending as far as the wall of China. This lateral chain is more than 1000 British miles in length, and of great elevation. The central ridge is generally called Mount Pecho by the Chinese, and Hamar Tabahan by the Mandshoors. It divides the waters of Mandshooria, Pechilee, and Lyau-tong, from those of Mongolia, which descend to the Argoon. The elevation of Mount Pecho is estimated by father Verbiest at 16,000 feet above the sea; and by another estimate, given by father Gerbillon, at 9 Chinese lys, or 17,820 feet above the level of Pechilee. The ascent cost Verbiest six days' journey, as he tells us; and its summit is covered with perpetual ice and snow. Gerbillon, who travelled alongst its foot in October, saw ice an inch thick in three small ponds, between two of the lowest eminences in its vicinity, and in the brooks that descended from the ridge. The descent is much greater on the side towards Mandshooria than on that towards Mongolia.

6

The southern range is a south eastern prolongation of the Siolki mountains, and runs E. along the frontiers of Lyau-tong, and Korea, and thence N.E. towards the sea of Tartary. In other words, it forms the southern border of the basin of the Amoor. To the N. of Shin-yang, or Mookden, it is called Kinshan by the Chinese, or the Golden mountain ;' and to the N. of Korea its principal summit is called Amba Shanggan Alin, or 'the ever white mountain;' Gooliman Shanggan Alin by the Mandshoors, or the great white mountain;' and Shan-pe-Shan by the Chinese, from the perpetual snow which invests its sides and summit. It is the highest mountain in all Mandshooria, and is visible to a vast distance. The lower part is covered with wood. The Chinese say that this

The emperor Kienlung, in his Eloge de Mooklin, a poem in praise of the country of his ancestors, describes it as a country of 10,000 ly, having a succession of hills and valleys, parched lands, and others well-watered, majestic rivers, impetuous torrents, graceful serpentine streams, smiling plains, and forests impenetrable to the solar rays. But these fine epithets give us very little real knowledge of the country.

In 1677, a person, named Oomoona, was despatched from Peking by the emperor Khanghee to visit it, and bring back an account of it, and also to offer an animal sacrifice to the protecting spirits of the mountain. After a laborious journey, he states, he at length arrived near its base, but found it covered with clouds and mist, so as to be invisible. He then invoked the genii of the mountain, and scarce was his prayer begun, when the mist disappeared, and the mountain appeared in all its glory, and he be held the path which led up to it. The ascent, at first easy, gradually became very difficult. They walked constantly upon snow covered with a crust of ice, which apparently had lain from year to year without melting. When they attained the summit, they discovered a platform surrounded by five very high pinnacles, between which was a lake of water about 40 ly in circumference. The summits of four of these pinnacles

mountain gives birth to four rivers: the Songora to the N., the Yaloo to the E., the Se-hoo-oola to the S., and the Toomen-oola to the W. But that this is a mistake, is visible on a bare inspection of the map, where, though it be true that the Soonggaree does originate on its northern side, the others merely issue from the range in which this mountain is situated, not from it itself.

The third range is the Yablonnoi, which is just a N.E. prolongation of the Great Altaian chain, from the S.W. of the Baikal-noor, and which separates the basin of the Amoor from that of the Lena. From this range, several lateral ranges are detached S.W. to the Amoor, as the Hinkan Alin, and others; but nothing is known of their nature, elevation, and extent. A lateral chain from the southern range separates Korea on the N.W. from Lyau-tong, called Fong-whan-Shang, or the mountains of Fong-whang.' It is of great elevation, as the Chinese authors, in their hyperbolical style, tell us, that in the expedition against the Japanese in Korea, their horses sweated blood in crossing that chain, which forms the N.W. boundary of the basin of the Toomen-oola, or ' green river.'-In the western part of Lyau-tong is a great mountain-ridge, called Eeaungpee, one end of which lies close to the commencement of the great wall, and which extends itself quite into Mongolia. It is of great elevation, and has a lake 80 ly in circuit, and of prodigious depth, upon it.

RIVERS.] A region so environed with mountains cannot fail to have many rivers. These do not flow on an elevated plain, and lose themselves in sands, or inland lakes, as those of Mongolia, but flow into the sea, or into the Amoor, which is the great tunnel which conveys them to the Eastern ocean. Besides the Amoor, the chief rivers are the Soonggaree, Nonnee, Oosooree, Sweefond, Toomen, Yaloo, Lyau, and others, too numerous even to mention, much less to describe.

The Amoor.] The Amoor rises in Mongolia in N. lat. 48° 52', and 8 deg. W. of the meridian of Peking; or in 108° 27′ E. of Greenwich observatory, in Mount Kentey or Kinhau, called Kinggan Aleen by Klaproth. It is there called the Onon. After a course of more than 200 British miles E. and N.E., it enters Russian Daouria, where, after running in the same direction, and receiving a multitude of mountain-streams from the N.W. side of the Kinhan, it receives the Ingoda, a stream nearly equal to itself, and originating 330 miles to the S. W., from the N.E. side of the snowy range of Soohonda, which gives birth on its N.W. side to the Shikoi, a tributary of the Selenga, and on its S.W. side to a number of torrents descending to the Onon. The confluent stream runs N.E. to Nerchinsky, the capital of Russian Daouria, in 51° 49′ N. lat., and 0° 45′ E. of the meridian of Peking. Here it equals the Rhine in size, being 660 yards wide, and very deep. Running still N.E., after a further course of 170 miles, it receives, in 52° 40′ N. lat., and 4° E. of Peking, from the S.W., the powerful stream of the Argoon, which forms the Russian boundary to the S. of the Amoor, as far up as the Kulon-noor. Strictly speaking, the Argoon may justly be denominated the twin-sister of the Amoor, being its great southern branch, rising under the name of the Kerlon, on the S. side of mount Kentey, 7° 30′ W. of Peking, and 48° 35'

declined so much, that they seemed in the act of falling; the fifth or southern pinnacle was straight and lower than the others, and its base assumed the appearance of a gate. From several parts of the mountain, springs and rivulets were seen gushing forth, flowing to the left to the Soonggaree-oold, and to the Great and Little Neien on the right.