My Travels Continued as far as Fo Ngan

1. The City Chang Cheu is very famous, and renown’d in China, all the Chinese that trade to Manila are of it and its Territory, and are therefore called by us Chíncheos, by corruption of the Name; it is part of the Province of Fo Kien, and cost the Tartar dear. He took it once, but lost it to the long-haired Chineses; ¹ but then coming a second time with great Force, he made himself Master of it again. True, it cost abundance of Lives on both sides, for it was strongly garison’d, being a Frontier Town. At the dawn of the day we went out of the Boat; to continue our way we went about a great part of the City, and on a sudden I found my self in a Street, the longest, finest, and fullest of People that ever I saw. I was astonish’d and surpriz’d, especially hearing all People say, ‘This is a Father of Manila.’ And considering how ill the Souldiers at Manila use the Chineses there, I concluded I would be lucky if I got away with a good beating. I went on apace to escape the danger I fancy’d hung over me, and thought the Street had no end, for it was little less than half a league long. All the way along it was adorn’d at twenty paces distance with stone Arches curiously wrought. Troops of Horse march’d out of the City with much noise and confusion, and I could not think 143what would become of me. One Lodging would not entertain us, and the worst was, we had a River to pass in a great common Boat. I went into the Passage-boat very much concern’d, for there was aboard a great many People who took not their eyes off me. I waited two hours till the Boat was full; we went down the River three or four Leagues; when I got ashore, I thought my self in another World. After having travel’d about two Leagues, I met with the tallest and fiercest Chinese to look to I had yet seen, but he prov’d to me an Angel sent by God. He came to me, made much of me, comforted me, and by Signs gave me to understand that I should be merry and fear nothing. I understood something, and my Chinese explain’d it to me very well. In the Lodgings he gave me the best Room; when he eat he gave me the best Morsel; he took me by the hand, and plac’d me on his right side, and always took as much care of me as if he had been my Tutor or Guardian; I never saw a better-natur’d Man. Two days afterwards another, nothing inferior to the first, joyn’d us and I was right well pleas’d with such good Company. Being come to the City Civen Cheu [Ch‘üan-chou], I was amazed to see such a vast place; I saw it entire from an Eminency, and it look’d like a whole World. When the Tartar took it, the Walls were ruin’d, and he caus’d them to be new built: 〈those Walls may compare with the best that there be in the World for Strength, Beauty, and Greatness. [T 32]〉, yet they were finish’d in two Years. I believe it impossible for any European Prince to compleat such a Work in four or five. The Form of the Walls is like ours, with Curtains and two Bastions. We travel’d under them, crossing the narrowest part and as I went I counted the Cannon; I reck’ned as far as Seventy, and observing I was not come half way, left off this to take notice of other things. About the Year 63, the Floods swell’d so high, that they overflow’d the Walls, and drowned a great part of the City. Having pass’d this place, we came to a wonderful Bridg (before which I stood amaz’d and quite forgot all the others I had before observ’d with so much Care and Curiosity. ¹ That Bridg is laid over a navigable Arm of the Sea, 144where before abundance of People were wont to be lost. This moved Cai Jang, the Governour of that part of the Country, to compassion, and he causd it to be built. It is in length 1345 of my Paces, and those not just any sort, but large ones. The Cubes or Peers it stands upon are above 300 in number. The Intervals betwixt them for the Water are not arch’d, but flat, each cover’d with five Stones lock’d into one another, above eleven Paces in length. The Sides of it are adorn’d with graceful Bannisters, with Lions, Globes, and Pyramids on them at equal distances, which make it very graceful to behold. The whole Work and Ornament is of a blew Stone, so deep colour’d, that at first sight it looks black; and tho founded in the deep Sea, there is neither Lime nor Iron about it, only the Stones are mortized one into another; and yet in many Centuries it has not been in any danger of falling. There are on it five stately Towers at equal distances, with strong Gates and Guards of Soldiers. As I was going over it they told me this Story; that formerly when they cross’d this Arm of the Sea in Boats, a Woman with Child went aboard, and the Master of the Vessel foretold to her, that she should be deliver’d of a Son, who would come to be a great Mandarine, and so powerful that he would build a Bridg there at his own Charge. They say it fell out so, and he prov’d to be the same Cai Jang we have spoke of. Let it pass for a Tale, tho it is well known there have been Heathen Prophets. ¹ [T 32]〉 Three days afterwards, we met the General of Fo Kien, who was marching to Chang Cheu with 20,000 Men. I was in great confusion and distress upon this occasion, considering in what condition a poor Religious must be in such a strange Kingdom, and amidst an Army of Idolators. Those two Chineses were so assisting to me, that were it not for them, I know not what had become of me, not that any Man spoke to me, or offer’d the least incivility, but because of the dread and disorder that multitude of Gentiles put me into, in regard I could not speak, or give the least account of my self if occasion had requir’d. 145I pass’d in sight of the General, who was near the shore with the greatest Gravity and State imaginable. It was prodigious to see his Sumptures, Camels and Horses and Palanquin. When we were pass’d the Body of the Army, and thought all was over, from an Eminence I discovered another Party, which was no small trouble to me, they were all Pikemen, and drawn up on both sides of the Road. I went through the midst of them all alone, because my Companions were behind seeking their Sedan Chairs, and my Chinese our Baggage. When I was pass’d, I said, and still say the same, that I had rather go through two Armies of Tartars, than one of ours. 〈Once more I confess this is so: I wrote this for the confusion of our own People and whenever there’s Opportunity I’ll preach it so from the very Altar. Daily I am confirm’d in this Opinion, for its no small shame to us to see the Heathen so much in advance of us and daily we experience Barbarities from our own, which are quite alien to those Infidels who are call’d ‘inhuman’ and ‘barbarians’ in Europe. Upon this head, and others, I only wrote what St Augustine cry’d out, That the Pagans and Gentiles are become the Teachers of the Christian Faithful. ¹ 〉 We saw Country Houses and Villages with their Fruit and Meat set out in the Shops to sell, as if never a Soldier had gone that way. Then, and often since I have made reflection upon it; it is never known that Soldiers in that Country wrong the Subjects there, and therefore tho an Army enters and marches through a City, Town or Village, none of the Inhabitants is the least disturb’d. The Handicraft minds his Business, he that sells Fruit keeps his station, and so others; no Man dares touch any thing without Mony in hand, and paying the usual rate. The following Year a Soldier paid a Halfpenny short in a little Rice he had bought; the Seller complain’d, and having made it out, the Soldier was beheaded. The Chineses, and at present the Tartars, say, ‘Soldiers are to defend the People from the Enemy, and prevent the harm he may do them; But if the Soldiers do the same harm, the People will be expos’d to two Enemies: so that it is better not to raise Forces, that the People may have but one Enemy, whom they can 146better oppose than two.’ This is evidently true. (Now I do not doubt that the Nature, Method, and Disposition of the Chinese Government is admirable, and may be a Pattern or Model to many in the World. Nevertheless, for all this, in their accounts of their Government they make no mention of the Martial Men which makes them defective in one very material point, as to the several States or Hierarchies into which they divide their People; for all Nations in the World make special mention of their Soldiery in their Books of Politicks. I know not what reason the Chineses had, when they treated so much about the Establishing of their Monarchy, to omit and make no mention of a thing so material. The Art of War is much improv’d in that Kingdom at present, the Tartar holds it in esteem, but it is not to compare with the Military Art in Europe. [T 51, 162]〉