Page:To the Court of the Emperor of China - vol I.djvu/22

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INTRODUCTION.
xxiii

conformity with the plan, bear witness to its accuracy. A part of them I sketched myself, and the remainder is in my collection of Chinese views, which are calculated still farther to prove the accuracy of what I say. I have no doubt of this kind of supplement fully satisfying the curiosity of my Readers.

I have written the names of the cities and other places, according to the orthography of the Chinese Mandarins, and with divisions. The hyphens signify that all which they do not separate, ought to be pronounced in a short and simple manner, as forming only one syllable, although there are some which, in European languages, would make two. Kiang, Liang, Hiang, must therefore be pronounced as a single syllable.

I thought it proper to give these previous explanations to my Readers, in hopes that my Work would not displease the Public, and if this expectation be not deceived, I