OCR Text |
Show -m--a- R Upon the 25. of April ;we came toa Village famousfor Shipping, called Uci"enjen, where lay great fore of Veffelsof feveral forts and fizes, which were com thither from all partsof China, to lade with China Earthen ware, whereof grea {tore is fold in this Village, which lies near to the Pool called Poyang, upon th left {ide of the River Can, and is above a mile long 5 itis a place full of Trade and very handfomly buile. Upon the right fide of a Mountain ftands ("as isto b {een int the annexed Print) a great and well built Idol Temple, behung wit great and {mall Images : Ifoundin this Templea great many Black Lamps hanging, which the Chinefes {uffered to burn day and night. The Chinefesand Tartars, who at any time are to pafs over this Pool Poyang, offer up firft {fome Pre{fent or other to the Idol of this Temple, for a fafe and {peedy paflage : The Sacrifice whichI {aw here, is performed after this manner; the ordinary fort o people takea Cock, but the rich a Hog (wherewith the Country abounds) whic they bring alive to the Image, which is Piured in a moft terrible pofture, an there they cut the Throats of thofe Creatures, and with the warm blood befprinkl the Claws of the Ido] (which generally are drawn with the Claws of Griffins) an {ome part of his Body ; fo that their Idols are always bedaubed with blood, o purpofe to make them look with the more grim Afpeét. They ofter up likewil to the Idol the Feet of the dea Swine, and the Spurs and Com of the Cock the reft they referve for themfelves, and make merry therewith, feafting in honou of this Idol Quite through the middle of chis rich Village runs a broad Street, full o Shopson both fides, where all manner of Commodities arefold ; but the chiefef Tradeis 1n Purceline,or China Difhes,which i to be had there in great abundance The Inhabicants of this Village told us (to our great admiration) that ther was no better Purcelin mad in all the Kingdom of China then in the Villag Sinktefimo, whichlay at leaft 100 miles Eaft-ward from this Village near to th City Feuleang, the fourth {fmall City of the fecond chief City of "Foachen 5 the added withal (which encreafed our Admiration) that they did not fetch the Eart whercof this Purceline 1s made out of the Province of Kiang[i, wherein this Vil lage isfituated, but from the chief City of Hoeichen, in the Province of Nankin and that the Inhabitants there were not able to make it, though they digged th Eart |