Their empire is very ancient, and they pretend that it existed many thousand years before Noah's flood: it is generally allowed to have continued 4000 years.

The annual revenues of the crown are computed at 9,000,000%. The surplus revenue remitted to Pekin in the year 1792, was stated to be about 12,000,000%. sterling. The attention, precaution, and extreme jealousy of the government, have not been considered sufficient for the protection of the empire, without the assistance of an immense standing army, which, in the midst of a profound peace, was stated by Vanta-gin, to consist of 1,000,000 of infantry, and 800,000 cavalry.

Their religion is paganism. They allow polygamy. Their writing is very peculiar; for every letter is a word, and consequently they have as many letters, or characters, as words in their language.

Cilies. PEKIN, 50 miles from the great wall, is the capital of China. It is six leagues in circumference. Its temples and towers are numerous; and its inhabitants 2,000,000. NANKING is the largest city in the empire. CANTON, the only port to which Europeans are admitted, is 20 miles in compass, contains 2,000,000 inhabitants, and often sees 5000 trading vessels at a time, waiting to receive its rich commodities.

Curiosities. The most remarkable antiquity of China is the great wall, erected at a remote period, to prevent the incursions of the Tartars. It is a stupendous work, traversing mountains and vallies, and crowned with towers.

Islands. In the Chinese sea are several islands of conse quence. HAINAN, separated from the province of Quangtong by a narrow strait, is 50 leagues long, and 25 broad. It contains mines of gold and lapis lazuli, and many sorts of valuable wood. The natives are deformed, small in stature, and of a copper color.

FORMOSA, On the northeast coast, is 240 miles long by 60 broad. It produces two harvests in a year; and has a rich variety of trees, fruits, plants, quadrupeds and birds. Only part of it is governed by the Chinese; the remainder is possessed by the original inhabitants, who are represented as in a state of nature. The capital city is built in the Chinese style; it has a good port, but of difficult

entrance.

LEOO-KEOO, a group of islands to the northeast of Formosa, are tributary to China.

THIBET.

WEST of China lies the country of Thibet, or Tangut, bounded north by Tartary, west by Hindoostan, south by Assam and Birmah; 1000 miles long, its breadth unequal. According to Templeman, it contains 16,826 (German) square miles.

This country is one of the highest in Asia; it being a part of that elevated tract which gives rise, not only to the rivers of India and China, but also to those of Siberia and Tartary. We are informed that it is generally divided into three parts, Upper, Middle, and Lower Thibet. The upper division seems to respect the countries towards the sources of the Ganges and Sanpoo rivers; the middle, that in which Lassa is situated, and of which it forms the centre; and the Lower Thibet, that which borders on China; but the subject is obscure. Little Thibet, which is situated between Upper Thibet and Cashgar, is rather a dependency of the latter, than of Great Thibet.

Considering the exceeding rough and sterile state of the country of Thibet, and the severity of its climate from its wonderful elevation, we are astonished to find its inhabit ants in a high state of civilization, their houses lofty and built of stone; and the useful manufactures in some de gree of improvement. All these advantages they proba bly owe to their vicinity to the Chinese, to whom the lama is in some respects tributary,

The Thibetians are governed by the grand lama, who is not only adored by them, but is also the object of adoration for the various tribes of pagan Tartars, who walk through the vast extent of continent, which stretches from the Volga to Corea. He is not only the sovereign pontiff, the vicegerent of the Deity on earth, but, by the more remote Tartars, is absolutely regarded as the Deity him. self. They believe him to be immortal, and endowed with all knowledge and virtue. Every year they come from different parts to worship, and make rich offerings at his

shrine. Even the emperor of China acknowledges the lama in his religious capacity; although, as a temporal sovereign, the lama himself is tributary to him. The opinion of the most orthodox Thibetians is, that when the grand lama seems to die, either of old age or infirmity, his soul, in reality, only quits a crazy habitation, to look for another younger or better; and it is discovered again in the body of some child, by certain tokens, known only to the priests, in which order he always appears. Beside the religious influence and authority of the grand lama, he is possessed of unlimited power throughout his dominions.

The religion of Thibet differs, in many respects, from that of the ancient Bramins, yet, in other things, they have a great affinity. The Thibetians have a great veneration for the cow, and highly respect also the waters of the Ganges, the source of which they believe to be in heaven. The Sunniasses, or Indian pilgrims, often visit Thibet as a holy place; and the lama always maintains a body of nearly 300 of them in his pay.

This is one of the least favoured countries in the world. Low, rocky hills, without vegetation, extensive arid plains, of stubborn aspect, promise little produce, and are gener ally incapable of culture. The climate is so cold, that it drives the people to vallies, hollows, and sheltering rocks. The flocks of wild fowls, beasts of prey, and herds, are astonishing.

The dead are consumed by fire, or devoured by beasts, the mortal remains of the sovereign lamas excepted. These are buried sometimes in a coffin of gold. Under the portico of the mausoleum are priests, who read and pray always upon the same spot, and keep alive the sacred. fire that burns before the shrine. They occasionally relieve each other.

Thibet contains 12,000,000 inhabitants. The mission aries estimate them at 33,000,000.

HINDOOSTAN, called also

INDIA ON THIS SIDE THE GANGES, lies between 8 and 34

degrees north latitude, and is bounded on the north by Tartary and Thibet; east by Assam and Arracan; south by the sea; west by the river Indus; 1800 miles long, and 1600 broad.

Climate. The climate towards the north is temperate; but hot in the south. It rains almost constantly for three months in the year.

Rivers. The Indus, the Ganges, and the Burrampooter, far exceed the other rivers of Hindoostan in magnitude. The Ganges is one of the finest rivers in the world. It is revered by the Hindoos as a deity who is to wash away all their sins. Its whole course is 2100 miles; it empties into the sea by several mouths.

Productions. The vegetable products of Hindoostan are almost innumerable, and extremely luxuriant. The grain most cultivated is rice. All kinds of fruit suited to the climate, are produced here in abundance. The domestic animals are buffaloes, sheep, camels, elephants. Of wild quadrupeds are the rhinoceros, the Bengal tiger, monkies, wild boars, &c. The mines of Golconda have long been celebrated for diamonds.

Population, Religion, &c. The inhabitants of Hindoostan are computed at about 10,000,000 Mahometans, and 100,000,000 Hindoos. The Mahometans, or Mussulmans, are represented to be of a detestable character. The Hin doos, or Gentoos, are of a black complexion; their hair is long, their persons straight and elegant, and their countenances open and pleasant. They differ materially from all other nations by being divided into tribes or casts. The four principal are the Bramins, Soldiers, Laborers, and Mechanics; and these are subdivided into a multiplicity of inferior distinctions.

Their institutions of religion form a complete system of superstition, upheld by every thing which can excite the reverence of the people. The temples, consecrated to their deities, are magnificent; their religious ceremonies splendid; and the absolute dominion which the Bramins have obtained over the minds of the people, is supported by the command of the immense revenues, with which the liberality of princes, and the zeal of pilgrims and devotees, have enriched their pagodas. The dominion of religion extends to a thousand particulars, which in other

countries are governed by the civil laws, or by taste, custom, or fashion. Their dress, their food, the common intercourses of life, their marriages, and their professions, are all under the jurisdiction of religion.

Political Geography. Hindoostan is divided into a great number of separate and independent governments. The company of English merchants, trading to the East-Indies, has acquired possessions, which, in point of extent and population, surpass the whole British empire in Europe. The Mogul empire being reduced to insignificance, the English may be considered as the ruling power in Hindoostan. The principal mass of the British possessions consists of the rich and populous provinces of Bahar and Bengal. The capital of British India is CALCUTTA, situated on a branch of the Ganges, 100 miles from the sea, but accessible by the largest merchant ships. It is supposed to contain half a million of people, who are a mixture of various nations. It is the residence of the governor general, of the courts of justice, and of the officers civil and military.

DEHLI, the capital of the Mogul empire, was the most celebrated city of India, before it underwent the terrible devastation of the conqueror, Nadir Shah. It still pos sesses many remains of ancient grandeur and opulence.

INDIA BEYOND THE GANGES.

Boundaries and Extent. THIS peninsula is bounded by Thibet and China on the north; by China and the Chinese sea, east; south by the same sea and the straits of Malacca; west by Hindoostan, and the bay of Bengal. It lies between 1 and 30 degrees north latitude; 2000 miles long, and 1000 broad.

Divisions. India beyond the Ganges is naturally distributed into a number of separate and independent states; of which those that are best known will be briefly noticed.

ASSAM

Is bounded west by Bengal and Bootan, north by Thi bet, and southeast and south by Meckley. The river Bur