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THE FIRST PART
Of the Temporall State of
CHINA.
Chap. 1.
Of the Kingdom in Generall.
CHina in its extent is one great continued Continent, without having any thing which devides it: and taking it from the latitude of Haynam (which is not farre diſtant from the continent, and lyeth in nineteen degrees) it extends it ſelf twenty fowre degrees, inclinding towards the Eaſt; and ending in fourty three degrees, it comes to make a circuite ſo much the more ſpacious, by how much the coaſts thereof run along in various and unequall windings; and ſo comes to be the cheifeſt kingdome of the word in greatneſſe and almoſt equall to all Europe. On the weſt ſide thereof are many ſmall Iſlands, but ſoe neere together, that they ſeem all to Compoſe but, as it were, one body.
All this Monarchy is divided into fifteen Provinces; each of which is a ſpacious Kingdome, and ſo they were all anciently; each having a King of its own. Of thoſe nine, which they call the Southern Provinces, the greateſt part of them are watered with large rivers, and ſome of thoſe, having ſo great plenty of water, that in many places the oppoſite banks are out of ſight, one of the other; and elſwhere, that which appeareth, is hardly to be diſtinguiſhed what it is. They are all navigable, and are frequented with ſo great concourſe of divers ſorts of veſſels, that what might be ſaid upon this occaſion, will hardly ſeem credible; I ſhall onely
