IX. TOHE-KIANG, or Tse-kian, contains 11 cities of the first class, 72 of the third, and 18 fortresses, which may be accounted as towns. Hang-tcheoo-foo, the ca pital of the province, is regarded by the Chinese as an earthly paradise, and is one of the !largest, richest, and best situated cities in the empire. It is said to be four leagues in circumference, exclusive of its suburbs ; and its inhabitants are computed at one million, of which one thousand are employed in the manufacture of silk. Its streets are narrow, but well paved with broad flag-stones. They arc full of very large shops and warehouses, stored with English broad cloths and peltry, in some of which not less than ten or twelve persons are serving behind the counter. The shops of the apothecaries and per fumers were particularly noticed by M. De Guignes, as finely ornamented ; and he observed also numerous tri umphal arches, adorned with figures, which had the ap pearance of being cut in stone, but which he concluded, from one that was broken, to be formed of some compo sition. A small lake, called washes its walls on the western side, and adds greatly to the beauty of the place. The water of this lake is clear as crystal, full of eels and other kinds of fish, and its banks co vered with flowers. Open galleries, supported by pil lars, and paved with large flag-stones, are erected along its sides for the convenience of walking; and causeways, cased with cut stones, traverse the lake in various direc tions, having numerous openings, covered with hand some bridges for the passage of the boats. In the mid dle of the lake are two islands, in which a temple and other houses of entertainment are erected for the recep tion of those tvho amuse themselves in the place. " Its natural and artificial beauties," says Mr Barrow, " ex ceeded every thing we had hitherto an opportunity of seeing in China." The surrounding mountains are lefty and picturesque ; the vallies clothed with trees, especi ally the camphor-tree, tallow-t•ee, and arbor vitae, (the first a bright green, the second purple, and the third a deep green colour), and varied and romantic sepulchres are seen in avenues among the trees, surrounded with cypress. Parties of pleasure in barges are frequently formed on the lake, but few females, except those of loose character, join in those excursions. Kia-king-foo is remarkable for its fine streets, which arc furnished with beautiful piazzas to shelter the passengers from the sun and rain. Hoo-tcheoo-foo is situated on a lake of the same name, and is celebrated for the immense quan tity of silk manufactured within its walls. Ning-po-foo, called by the Portuguese Li-ang-po, or Liampo, is an excellent sea-port, on the east coast of the province, opposite to Japan ; and about 20 leagues from the town is the island of Tcheoo-chan, where the English landed upon their first arrival in China, in the year 1700, as they were not able to find their way through the nume rous islands on the coast to the port of Ning-po. The
town is famed for its silks, of which it sends great quan tities to Batavia, Siam, and particularly to Japan. Chao lung-foo is situated in an extensive plain, and in its vi cinity is a very ancient sepulchral monument, which the Chinese consider as the tomb of the Great Yu. The inhabitants of this town and its district are said to be superior to most of the Chinese in their acquaintance with all the chicanery of the laws, and are generally preferred as secretaries to the higher mandarins. Tchu tcheoo-foo may be mentioned on account of the pine trees, which grow upon a mountain in its neighbour hood to so extraordinary a size, that one of them will contain 40 men in the hollow of its trunk.
The province of Tche-kiang extends from to north latitude ; and its mean temperature in the. middle of November, was found to be from 56° at sun rise to 62° at noon. In the space of fifty leagues to the north of Hang-tcheoo-foo, the soil is clay upon a bot tom of potters earth, the country level, and the moun tains commence only in the environs of the city. For the space of sixty leagues, as far as to Tchan-chan-hien, it is more or less mountainous, the soil sandy and reddish, like the stones on the hills. On the side towards Kiang see, for the space of twelve leagues, it is'mountainous, and the soil of a clayey nature. The province in general is in a state of high cultivation, and its population is im mense. Its climate is healthful, its plains well watered, and its canals in good repair. On account of its maritime situation, its extent and population, it is one of the most considerable provinces in the empire ; and was formerly the residence of some of the emperors. Its principal trade consists in silk stuffs, of which those kinds, that have gold and silver interwoven, arc the most esteemed. Great numbers of silk worms are of consequence reared in the province ; and whole plains are covered with dwarf mulberry trees for their support. These trees are pur posely checked in their growth ; as it is found by expe rience, that the worms, which feed on the leaves of the smallest trees, yield the finest silk. Notwithstanding the immense quantities exported to the other provinces of the empire, to Japan, Europe, and the Phillippines, so much still remains, that a complete suit of silk may be purchased in this province as cheap as one of the coarsest woollen in Europe. The province produces, also, dif ferent kinds of wood, especially bamboo and the tallow tree ; and mushrooms grow in such abundance, that they are pickled and dried ; in which state they may be pre served a whole year, and when soaked in water, become as fresh as at first. The province yields also, indigo, and is celebrated for the excellence of its hams. The inhabi tants arc said to be extremely superstitious, but they are lively, mild, and polite to strangers.