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Show e- 23 - < There are {everal other famous Bridges in many Ports and Cities of this Fy, pire, which to particularize, would take up,too much time, and make this Boo {wellintoa larger Volumne then was at firft intended > therefore to pafs them b we will proceed to give an account of the fafhion of their Ships The Royal Ships, and thofe of the Governours of Provinces, exceed the ref and are buile after {uch a manner, ; that few.or. none will fcarce give credit t the accountI fhall giv being inno wile t Houfes or Caltles is a place like a Hall ¢&c.. The Window of them, unlefs they had feen them s our Veflels in Europ be compared to thofe, for.they lye upon the water Jike hig and are divided on both fides with Partitions. 1Inthe midd] furnifhed with all manner of houfhold ftuff, as Tables, Chair and Doors are made in the fafhion of our Grates, wherein in {tead of Glafs, they ufe the thinneft Oyfler,-fhells'they an get, or elfe fin Linnen or Silk, which they {pread with clear Wax, and adorn wit feveral fort of Flowers; and this keeps out the Wind and all Air, better then an Clafs Round abotit the Ships, are made Galleries, ‘very commodious for the Seam to do whatever bufinefs they have, without prejudice to the Rigging : t out-{ide of the Ship is Painted with a certain fort of Gum,called Cie, which ake it glifter, and appear very glorious ata diftance, ‘but within it is moft cur oufl Painted with feveral Colours, very pleafant and delightful to the eye. The Plank and Timber-work are fo curioufly rifted together, and jointed, that there is littl or no fign of any Iron work ; in length they differ not much from thofe in Enrope onlytheyare lower and narrower, and the paflage up into them is by aLadde twelvefoot long 5 the Stern of the Ship where the Trumpeters ftand to found and the Drummers to beat, is like a Caftle 'When any of thefe Ships of the Covernours meet one another at Sea, they {alute and give place according to thei qualities, which are writ in great Letters behind their Ships, {o that there neve happens any difpute about precedency. - When it is a Calm at Sea, and Jittle o no Wind ftirring to fill their Sails (which are made of Mats) there are certain me appointed to Towe thefame: At fuch time alfo, and asa farther help, they ar very dexterous in the ufe of their Qars, wherewith they can Row without pullin them out of the water The Ships which carry the Fifh called Saull, and the Silks to the Imperial Court arefo extraordinarily curious and rich, that they have no fellows ; for they are gil within and without, and Painted Red ; and f{uch is their efteem, that all othe Ships ftrike Sail, and give place to thefe, whenfoever or wherefoever they mee them In the Province of Nanking, near to the chief City of Suches, may be feen feveral Pleafure-boats, or little Ships, which the Inhabitants keep only for their Pleafure; they are veryrichly Giltand Painted, and may more properly be compare to Houfes then Ships : Some of the Chinefes are fo profulely in loye with them that they will {pend their Eftates aboard thefe Ve(Tels in Eating and Drinking --4‘;; There are a vaft and incredibl numbe of Ships an Boats that pafs dail B -asipp from one place to another, by which means there is fo great accommodatio by water, that men may pals from the City of Maccao, to the City of Peking within a days journey by Land : - Alfo men may Travel by Boat from the Provinc S of Chekiang, through the whole Province of Suchue, from Eaft to Weft ; andt fay the truth, there is hardly any confiderable City but what has accefs to it b . mention in our General Defcription of China of all whic we have already mad g I - - I A meet with ina paffage or journey by Land s of the Provinces, and let in the Rivers, on purpofe to carry their Goods a themlelves by water, by reafon of the extraordinary Hills and Defarts whichthe water 5 for the Natives have with Art and Induftry digged Channels threugh mof |