An Explanation, Necessary to Justify the Geography Supposed in These Letters

particular Friend, to excuse us for the time to come, from these long Journies, and especially me, who am not of an Age fit for it: I tryed to obtain at least that they would be contented to take only one of us; the Letters of our Fathers were daily brought us during the Journey, and I had the convenience of writing to them, by means of the Curriers which continually went to and came from the Royal City: I write all this in haste, that I may continue to give you an Account of our Affairs. An Explanation, necessary to justify the Geography supposed in these Letters. It may seem wonderful, that the Author of these Letters makes mention in his former, of a kind of War between the Oriental Tartars and the Moscovites, notwithstanding the extreme distance, these People appear to be from one another in our Geographical Charts; but those who know how much the Moscovites have extended the Bounds of the Empire along the Tartarian Sea, will judge the thing less difficult, besides those who have seen these Countys, have made Discoveries much differing from those which our Geographers have informed us of hitherto. Very lately Monsieur D'Arcy, who commands one of the Kings Ships, in the Fleet of Monsieur Le Marechal d'Estrées, informed us, that having served in Poland, and having been made Governor of a Place towards Moscovy, the Moscovite Ambassadors in their returne having passed by him, and being by him, treated in such a manner as put them into a very good Humor; one of them shewed him a Chart of the Countys between Mosco- vy and China: and told him, that from 3 Cities which he shewed him, whose Names were Lopsha, Abafinko, Nerginsko, all 3 under the Government of the great Dukes, tho' situated in the great Tartary, there was a Way to Pekin, which which was not more than 25 or 30 dayes Journey. This Map it seems must be kept very Secret in Muscovy: for the next Day the Muscovite was in dispair, for having given it, saying that if it should be known he should come to great Dammage. The Officer being come back since into France, has given a Copy to the King, and another to Monsieur Le Marquis de Seignelay. To confirme this it may be added, what a French Man has writ from Muscovy within this two Monthes, that they are actually Raising Troops, to go to War with the Chinese. Some Observations, and Conjectures Concerning the Chinese Characters. Made by R. H. R. S. S. Made by R. H. R. S. S. Whether there ever were any Language Natural, I dispute not: But that there have been, are and may be artificial Languages 'tis not difficult to prove. The Chinese Court Language is said to be of this kind, invented and Spoken by the Literati and Mandarins throughout the whole Empire of China, differing from all the other Languages spoken in it, and I conjecture it to be nothing els but the names of the Characters by which they write and express their meaning, Arbitrarily Imposed by them, as we in Europe set names to Arithmetical Figures, not as we pronounce words written with a Literal Character. This I Judge by comparing the Characters with the Names, Monosyllables or Words they Pronounce and read them with. Nor do they ascend above a Monosyllabical Name tho' the Character be composed of many single Characters, each of which hath its proper Sense and Monosyllabical Name, And though the meaning of each Character, be an ingredient in the Notion of that compounded Character. I might give an Instance also in the Artificial Language,