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which they soak in water, and then reduce to a Masse or Dough, and so bake it. Not a word of the way of giving it the colour, which, it seems, they keep as a great secret. They have Gold and Silver Mines, but dig them not, pretending the danger and trouble in the work, and contenting themselves with the Filings and Dust of Gold, which they gather out of the Mud and Sand of Rivers and Fountains.
The Fifth Book contains an account of their Works of Architecture, and other ingenious Mechanick Arts. Where he speaks, 1. Of their stupendious Bridges, one of 360 Perches long, and 1½ Perch broad, without any Arch, standing upon 300 Pillars, with acute Angles on both opposite sides, all the stones being of an equal size and shape. Another, built from Mountain to Mountain by one only Arch, 400 cubits long, 500 cubits high (whence tis called Pons volans) from the surface of the Saffrany River, running under it. This is represented, for the satisfaction of the Curious, by Figure I. Fig. I.
2. Vast Towns, but whose Houses are generally but one Story high, and good reason therefore, the Towns should be very big. They are, for the most part, built of Timber.
3. Turrets very artificiall, whereof one is all of Porcellan.
4. The China Wall, 300 German Leagues long; 30 Cubits high, 12 (in some places 15) Cubits broad, so that 12 Horses can very conveniently go in front on it; built 215 years before Christ, by the Emperour Pius, a brave and most Warlike Prince, and dispatcht in the space of five years; commonly it is defended by a Million of men. A Pattern of this also was thought fit, to exhibit here, by Figure II. Fig. II.
5. The Channel, that passeth from one extream of China to the other, having some 24 Sluces, to retain water, when tis necessary; a work of incredible industry and extraordinary advantage.
6. Vast Bells, one whereof, at Pekin, weighs 120000 pounds; whereas that of Erfurd in Germany, hitherto esteemed to be one of the biggest in the World, weighs but 25400. pounds.
As for their ingenious Inventions, this Author mentions chiefly,
1. Their Vernice, of which he sets down some Receipts both for the Red and Black, together with the way of their Use and Application, as he received them both from an Augustinian Fryar; affirming, that it differs not at all from that of China.
2. Their way of Printing, invented long before that in Europe, giving a large description of the same.
