Page:Hakluytus Posthumus or Purchas His Pilgrimes Volume 12.djvu/442

 of my most deare Fathers and Brethren, neither doth nor shall ever faile me. And therefore if I shall understand, that they take this in good worth, I will give Relation of that which shall fall out here by the helpe and grace of our Lord, to whom I humbly beseech all of them to commend mee.

I send here withall two Maps of this Kingdome of China, which came to my hand after I had written this Letter, and Relation. I sought to translate all that which is contayned in the China Letters; which is all the Rent which every one of these Provinces payeth to the King of China; and to make a description of all the Houses which everie Province hath, and how many people, and many things else: But your Worship may beleeve that by no meanes I had leysure: and therefore I send you only the figure, and another yeare (if it please our Lord God) I will send you the same with the declaration thereof.

All the rundles and squares which are therein are Cities, or Fortresses of many Inhabitants, both of them walled about. There is no Towne here set downe that it is not walled: the others are many more.

The Rivers are well distinguished. The great lines are the limits of the Provinces : the other small lines, and of little circuit are the Jurisdictions of some one principall Citie.

We print here another Map of all the World of our manner with Chinish Letters, which because wee want time to declare the Letters, I send not till the next yeare, which then we will send if our Lord grant us life.

I send you many other Papers, that your Worships may see the fashion of the Letters of these people of China, and what Characters wee committed to memorie. From Paquin, beeing the Court and Royall Citie of the King of China, the ninth of March, 1602.