failed eaftward from Kamikatka to fuch a diftance as, in his
mind, puts it beyond a doubt that the country he arrived at
Was no other than the coaft o f California. The Spanifh writers,
indeed, o f the early voyages, to this country, make mention o f
various wrecks o f Chinefe veffels being found in different parts
o f the weftern coaft o f the New Continent; and they obferve
that the natives here were, invariably, more civilized than in.
the interior and eaftern parts o f America.
Even thole on the eaftern coaft o f South America have a
very ftrong refemblance to the Chinefe in their perfons, though
not in their temperament and manners. The Viceroy o f the
Brazils retains a dozen o f thefe people in his fervice, as rowers
o f his barge, with the ufe o f which he one day honoured us,
to make the tour o f the grand harbour o f Rio de Janeiro.
W e obferved the Tartar or Chinefe features, particularly the
eye, ftrongly marked in the countenances o f thefe Indians; the
copper tinge was rather deeper than the darkeft o f the Chinefe ;
but their beards being moftly confined to the upper lip and
the point o f the chin, together with their ftrong black hair,
bore a very near refemblance.
The illand o f Tcho-ka, or Saghalien, in the Tartarian fea,
oppofite the mouth o f the Amour, has evidently been peopled
by the Chinefe. When Monfieur la Peroufe vifited this illand,
he found the inhabitants clothed in blue nankin, and “ the
“ form o f their drefs differed but little from that o f the
“ Chinefe; their pipes were Chinefe, and o f Toftanague; they
“ had long nails j and they faluted by kneeling and proftration,
j£ like
“ like the Chinefe. If,” continues the navigator, “ they have a
“ common origin with the Tartars and Chinefe their fepa-
“ ration from thefe nations muft be o f very ancient date, for
“ they have no refemblance to them in perfon, and little in man-
“ ners.” Yet from his own account it appears that both their
manners and cuftoms have a very clofe refemblance.'
The Chinefe at one period carried on a very confiderable
commerce with Buffora and other- fea-ports in the Perfian
gulph, particularly S irq f, near which fome fmall iilands, as
well as feveral remarkable points and headlands o f the coaft,
ftill bear Chinefe names. In fome o f the voyages it is obferved
that a Colony o f Chinefe had apparently fettled in the kingdom
o f Soffala, the defendants o f whom were, in the time o f the
writers, eafily diftinguilhed from the other natives, by the difference
o f their colour and their features. The early Portu-
guefe navigators alfo obferve that on the illand St. Laurence
or Madagafcar they,met with people that refembled the Chinefe.
That the celebrated traveller Marco Polo vifited Madagafcar
in a Chinefe veffel there can be little doubt, unlefs indeed,
like his own countrymen, we chufe rather to reje£t the probable
parts o f his narrative as fabulous, and to believe the miracles
performed by the Neftorian Chriftians in Armenia as the only»
truths in his book.
It is impoflible not to confider the notices given by this early
traveller as curious, interefting and valuable; and, as far as
they, regard the empire o f China, they bear internal evidence of
being generally correct. He failed from China in a fleet confining