A Voyage of the Emperour of China into the Eastern Tartary, Anno. 1682.
The Emperour of China made a Voyage into Eastern Tartary, in the beginning of this Year 1682, after having appeased (by the Death of three Rebellious Kings) a Revolt, formed in some Provinces of the Empire: One of those revolted Princes, was Strangled in the Province, of which he had made himself Master: The second being brought to Pekin with the Principal Heads of his Faction, was cut in Pieces in the sight of the whole Court: The most Considerable among the Mandarines, acting with their own hands in this sad Execution, to Revenge upon this Rebel the Death of their Parents, which he had caused to be Cruelly Murdered.
The third which was the most Considerable, (and indeed the Chief of all the Revolt) had by a voluntary Death prevented his deserved Punishment, and so put an end to a War, which had lasted for Seven Years.
The Peace having been settled, by the Re-establishing in the Empire and all the Provinces, the Peaceable Enjoyment of their Ancient Liberties: The Emperour departed the 23d. of March to go into the Province of Leao-tum, the Country of his Ancestors, with a Design of visiting their Sepulchers, and (after having honoured them with the usual Ceremonies) of prosecuting his Journey into the Eastern Tartary: This Journey was was about 1100 miles, from Pekin to the end of it.
The Emperour took with him his eldest Son, a young Prince of ten years old, which had already been declared Heir of the Empire: The three principal Queens went also in this Journy, each in their gilded Chariot; the principal Kings also which compose this Empire, were accompanying with all the Grandees of the Court: And the most considerable Mandarines of all the Orders, who having all a very great Train of Attendants, and very numerous Equipage, made a Court about the Emperour of more then 70000 Persons.
It was his Will that I should accompany him in this Journey, and that I should be always near him, to the end I might make in his Presence, the Observations, necessary for knowing the disposition of the Heavens, the elevation of the Pole, the Magnetical Declinations of every Place, and for Measuring with Mathematical Instruments the height of the Mountains, and the distances of Places: He was well pleased also to be informed of what concerned Meteors, and many other Physical and Mathematical Matters.
In so much, that he gave Order to an Officer to carry upon Horses such Instruments as I should have occasion to make use of, and recommended me to the Prince his Unkle, who is also his Father in Law, and the second Person of the State, he is called by a Chinese Name, which signifies an Associate of the Empire: He gave charge to him to cause all things to be provided for me which were necessary for this Journey, which this Prince performed with a very particular goodness, causing me to Lodge always in his own Tent, and to eat at his Table.
The Emperour ordered that they should give me Horses of his own Stables, to the End I might the more easily Change in Riding, and some of those were of them He Himself had Rid, which is a Mark of very extraordinary distinction. In this Journey we always went toward the North-east: From Pekin to the Province of Leao-tum, the Way being about 300 Miles is pretty equal: In the Province it self of Leao-tum, it is about 400 Miles, but much more unequal by Reason of the Mountains; from the Frontier of this Province to the City of La, or the River which the Tartars call Songoro, and the Chinoise Sumhoa, the way (which is about 400 Miles) is very difficult, being crossed sometimes by Mountains extreamly Steep, sometimes by Valleys of extraordinary Depth, and through Desert Plains, wherein for two or three Days March we met with nothing. The Mountains of this Country are Covered on the East side with great Oaks and old Forrests, which have not been cut for some Ages.
All the Country which is beyond the Province of Leao-tum is exceeding Desert where nothing is to be seen on all sides but Mountains and Valleys, and Dens of Bears, Tigers and other Devouring Beasts, you can scarce find a House, but only some poor Reed Huts, upon the sides of some Brooks and Streams. All the Cities and Burrow-towns which I have seen in the Province of Leao-tum, and which are in very great Numbers are intirely ruined: One can see nothing thro' the whole Country, but old ruined Walls with Rubble, Bricks and Stones. In the out-skirts of these Cities there have been of late some few Houses built, but without any order. Some of them made of Earth, others of the Rubbish of the old Buildings, the most part of them covered with Straw or Thatch, and but few with Tiles. There is now not the least Footsteps remaining of a great number of Towns and Villages which were here before the War. Because the petty King of the Tartars, who began to kindle this War having but a very small Army, caused the Inhabitants of those Places to take Arms, which Places he forthwith destroyed, that he might take from his Soldiers the hopes of ever returning again to their own Homes.
The Capital City of Leao-tum, which is called Xyn-Yam, is a City very fair and pretty intire, it has as yet the Remains of an Antient Palace. It is (for as much as I was able to remark by divers Observations) of the Latitude of 41 degrees 56 minutes; that is to say, two degrees above Pekin, tho' hitherto both the Europeans and the Chinese have given that City the Latitude of 41 degrees. There is in that City no declination of the Magnetick Needle, as I have found by many reiterated Observations. The City of Ula which was almost the very Extream of our Journey, lies in 44 degrees and 20 minutes. The compass there declines from the South to the West one degree 40 minutes.