The principal ftraits in Afia are, Bhering's, which feparate it from America; the strait of Malacca; of Sunda, between Java and Sumatra; of Ormuz, between Perfia and Arabia; and of Babelmandel, which separates Arabia from Africa. The inhabitants, who are of a tawny or olive colour, and go almost naked, use bows and poifoned arrows, are fuperftitious and grofs idolaters; and in fome places, it is faid, offer their children in facrifice to their idol gods. The principal rivers that water Afia are, the Tigris and Euphrates, between Arabia and Perfia; the Indus and the Ganges, in India. The latter is the largest and most famous river of all Afia, and its fource, according to the opinion of the Indians, is celeftial, fince they fay one of their gods pours it from his mouth, on Mount Ima, from whence, paffing through many ftates, and directing its course fouth, it paffes into the kingdom of Bengal, and falls into the fea by feveral mouths. The highest mountains of Afia are, Ararat, near the Cafpian fea, on which it is thought the ark of Noah rested, when the waters of the deluge fubfided; Horeb and Sinai, in Arabia; Lebanon, in Judea: Mount Taurus, running from east to weft through all Afia; Imaus, in Tartary; the lofty Caucafus, between Tartary and the Great Mogul empire, celebrated in the fabulous ftory of Prometheus, who, according to the fiction of the poets, was chained to this monntain; and the Naugracut in Thibet. The Turks, Moguls, and Chinese, are of good fhape and complexion; the men wear turbans, vests, and flippers; the women drefs much like the men, only they wear a stiffened cap like a mitre, and their hair down. The Mogul ladies are fond of bracelets on their arms and legs, rings on their fingers and toes, jewels in their noses, and pendants in their ears. The Chinese ladies are remarkable for their little feet. In Siam, Pegu, &c. the inhabitants are tawny, with coarse features. The men wear a piece of cloth wrapped round their waift, and pull their beards, as the Chinese and Tartars do, up by the roots. The women have, befides the piece about their waist, another thrown round their breafts and shoulders, leaving the rest of the body bare. The common people near the fea go almoft naked. Questions formed for the Exercife of the Pupil. IN what refpects is Afia fupérior to Europe and Africa? What are the boundaries of Afia? What principal empires does it comprehend? By whom was it anciently governed? What animals are peculiar to Afia? To what fuperftitions are the native inhabitants addicted? Which are the principal rivers in Afia ? LETTER XXIX. DEAR BOY, W E will begin our furvey of Afia with the vaft, ancient, and opulent empire of CHINA, fituated on the most eastern verge of the Afiatic continent, which is bounded on the north by Eaft and Weft Tartary; on the eaft by the Eastern Ocean; on the weft by part of the Mogul's empire, and India beyond the Ganges, from which it is parted by ridges of high mountains, and fandy deferts; and on the fouth, partly by the kingdoms of Lao, Tonquin, Ava, and Cochin China, and partly by the Southern Ocean or Indian Sea, which flows between it and the Philippine Isles. It is about two thousand miles in length, and fixteen hundred in breadth, and is said to contain four thousand four hundred walled cities, the chief of which are PEKIN,* the refidence of the prefent royal family, Nankin, and Canton. About eighteen hundred years ago, they built their great wall, to separate and *Long. 116° 28'E. Lat. 40° N. Distance from London 4500 miles S. E. Contains 3,000,000 inhabitants. T defend their state against the neighbouring Tartars, which ftill fubfifts to this day, on a circumference of fifteen hundred miles, riting over the tops of mountains, and defcending into low vallies, being almoft every where twenty feet broad, and thirty feet high, a monument fuperior to the pyramids, both by its utility and immensity. China is the most ancient and populous empire in the world; it confifts of three principal divifions, viz. China Proper; the territory of the Manfhurs and Moguls on the north and weft; and the region of Thibet. China Proper extends from the great wall in the north to the Chinese sea in the fouth, and from the fhores of the Pacific ocean to Thibet. The government of this empire is hereditary; their religion Pagan; their learning abftruse and defective, their letters, or characters, being upwards of twenty thousand. The tea plant is peculiar to this country, of which they raise enough to furnish the whole world. All teas are fuppofed to be the leaf of the fame fhrub; but fo much is that part of China where it grows concealed from trangers, that European botanifts have never been able to fatisfy themselves on this fubject. The imperial canal interfects China from |