Page:Philosophical Transactions - Volume 002.djvu/89

 3. Gunpowder, which he also saith, they had before the Europeans.

4. Bell-sounding.

These are the principal Subjects treated of in this Book. We passe by severall Stories, which seem much to require confirmation. E. g. That of Sugar-Canes, eaten by an Elephant, and taking root in his stomach; that of Boys eating Serpents with as much greediness, as others eat Eels, or any good meat, &c.

Among the Cutts of this Volume, there is a Map of Asia, not un-instructive; delineating the way, the two Jesuits took in their Land-voyage from Pekin to Goa; as also that, which the Muscovian Ambassadors, not many years since, took in travelling from their Countrey, through the vast Tract of the Northern Tartary, to China, arriving on the North side of the China Wall at Pekin: Item, The Land-passage, heretofore made by B. Goes (described by Rigaultius) from Persia, by Lahor in the Mogols Empire, through the Kingdoms of Cabul, Zancut, &c. to Cataja, or (which is all one to this Author, as it is to several others) the Province of Pekin in China. Item, The passage of Paulus Venetus over Land, out of Europe into the same China: and lastly, That pretended one of St. Thomas, out of Palestina, through Syria, Mesopotamia, ' Persia, the Mogols Empire, the Pen-insul between the Bays of Cambaya and Bengala, to Maliapur, on the Coast of Coromandel, where the Name of the Christians of St. Thomas is still in request.