PURCHAS HIS PILGRIMES
Trig. Epist. Note of Souldiers Peeces. Pantoia mistaken, perhaps the Printers fault.
Pictures.
[III. ii. 404.]
Provinces and their names.
their Characters being of things not Letters; in proper names is very great difficulty to expresse ours in their Characters, or theirs in our Letters; insomuch that one Jesuite doth not perfectly agree with another, nay, often dissents from himselfe, as in Janseu, Yamceu, Hianceu, for their great River which Polo cals Quian; and Chi, and Ci, and Qui I find often confounded in their syllables, as also X and sci, as Xauchin, Sciauchin, and the like. Yea, such is the difficulty, that the Jesuits can scarsly devise to expresse in China Characters, the forme of Baptisme, to put the Latine words thereof, into China Characters, that Baptisme might uniformely bee administred after the Romish Rite, as themselves confesse.
Touching their Souldiers, I thought good, to adde this note for their Peeces whose Barels Pantoia sayth, are but a span long, that Captayne Saris beeing asked told mee, hee saw many of them, and they were as long as Pistols, but the Cocke such as makes them of little service.
I have added these Pictures of a Man and Woman of China, not by ghesse, but out of certayne in China Pictures made also in China in very good Colours, but with Arte meane enough, fine cloth inserted in strong Indian Paper; of which Captayne Saris communicated many to me. Their little Eyes and Noses, long Hayre bound up in knots, womens feete wrapped up, long wide-sleeved Garments, Fannes, &c. I have (taking divers parts out of divers) presented to thee. A taste of the China Characters thou hast in the Title. That of Ricius I have added from the Jesuits, in thankes for his great paines, and to shew the habit of the head, &c.
The names of the Provinces I have hunted out of the Jesuites Journeyes and other Relations. In the most I am sure I am right, in the other [1] you have my conjecture; for neyther know we their Characters, nor have any given us a particular Geography or Chorography, but only the names of the Provinces. I have added names also to some Cities and Rivers of principall note. As for the truth of the Map I finde well to agree with the Jesuites
- ↑ Three or 4. to the South-west.
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