Page:To the Court of the Emperor of China - vol I.djvu/38

Rh had admitted them, they had their own chiefs under the name of Kans till 1644; but the Kan of Ningouta, then become Emperor of China, and head of the present dynasty, which consequently springs from a Manchoo Tartar, subjected them all.

The Mongul Tartars, who conquered China in 1280, and who were driven out in 1280, inhabit Chinese Western Tartary. They are governed by Kans, or princes, who are all subject to the Emperor of China, as Grand Kan of the Tartars, (Fr. Ed.)

I beg the reader here to pardon my entering into a comparison of temperatures.

Pe-king is in 39 degrees 55 minutes north latitude, and Philadelphia in 39 degrees 56, so that they may be said to be under the same parallel.

The winter is exceedingly cold and severe at Pe-king; and the nature of the winter at Philadelphia is the same.

The winter begins earlier at Pe-king than at Philadelphia, but it is over equally late at both places,

At Pe-king the north wind is inexpressibly piercing and prevalent.

In the city of Philadelphia the same may be said of the northwest.

At Pe-king, water freezes before Reaumur's thermometer has fallen to the freezing point, a phenomenon also observed at Philadelphia.

There is however in general less intensity, and still less duration in the cold at Philadelphia, than at Pe-king; since in the former city there are pretty frequently partial thaws, which soften the surface of the ice (for it doe's not melt till at a degree of heat which would melt it in France.)

As to the summer it is so hot at Pe-king that Reaumur's thermometer is often at 32 degrees above 0 (140s Fahrenheit.)