A Geographical Description of All the Countries in the Known World, Part 1 · Subpart 61
The Country of Quinsay described.
Quinsay borders upon Cochin-china:
The whole Countrey is well watered, and the Rivers abound with fish; which they use to take with Cormorants. The People are of an Olive colour, wear their hair very long: their eyes are commonly black: their noses little: their eyes small: their beards deformedly thin; their nailes oft-times as long as their fingers, serving as a mark to distinguish the gentry by: The better sort are cloathed in silk, and Satten: the meaner in black cloth made of Cotton▪ their coats long, and quilted, made to tye under the left arm, after the As…tick mode: their sleeves are long and strait at hand: their shooes oft of the same stuff with their coats: some have them richly imbroidered▪ some knit their hair in cawls of silk, in horse-hair some, and some in fillets of gold, or silver: Others wear high Caps, or Felts, made of fine twigs, round, and mixed with silk of divers colours, &c. The women are modest, a light vail of fine linnen wholly covering them. They are generally proud, crafty, jealous, voluptuous, and given to Musick▪ Poetry, Painting, and stage-playes; They eat in porcellane, and have their diet in many small dishes, minced, which they take up with two sticks of bone, or Ivory: for to touch their meat, or their mouths with their fingers is held absurd, and impious; they all sit on stools, and eat on Tables.
No Beggars are suffered amongst them, for if they bee young, the whip rewards them, but if they bee old, and lame, the Hospital relieves them: murther they punish with death: adultery, and theft, with the Strappado. They exceedingly honor, and reverence their Parents: they obey them at all times, in all places: marry not without their assent: they honor them bee they never so mean: relieve them bee they never so poor: at their death shew loyalty and duty, and seldome mourn lesse than two or three years. They arrogate all sorts of excellencys in Art, or Science as peculiar to their Nation, they think their speech, (which mostly consists of Monosyllables) the most sweet, and Rhethorical of any in the world: They say they are the antientest of all other People, and that they borrow nothing from any other, but all other from them: They say they were the first inventers of Letters, Guns, Painting, Tillage, and Navigation: For all which they say That they only see with two eyes, and all others but with one. They are great Gamesters, and when they have lost all, stake their wives, and children, whom they part with, till they can redeem them; they so firmly believe the Resurrection, that sometimes they lend money to bee repayed in the world to come: Though their houses outwardly are but mean, yet oft-times the insides are lined with excellent good Marble, Porphyry, and Serpentine. When the Husband dyes, the wife mourns exceedingly, puts sackcloath next her skin: for three years is scarce seen to laugh, and abstains from publick Feasts, and pastimes.
There hath often been great warres between the Tartars who lived beyond the vast wall before mentioned; and the Chineses; as Anno Christi 1206, which lasted for seventy and seven years, at which time the Tartars wholly conquered that potent Empire, extinguished the imperially family of the Sunga's: erected a new family of their own, which they called Ivena, of which Tartarian race nine Emperors governed successively the Kingdome of China, for the space of seventy years in peace: but at the end thereof a contemptible person of the Chineses, called Hugh, presumed to rise up against them, acting first the part of an high-way man, and wanting neither courage, nor companions, in a short time made up the vast body of an army, fought with; and after many signal victories in the year 1368. finally drove them out of the Kingdome of China, receiving for his pains the whole Empire, and was the first erector of the Imperial family of the Taiminges, who enjoyed the Kingdome in peace for two hundred and fifty years: The last of them was called Vanley, who from the year 1573 to 1620: governed the Kingdome of China, with much prudence, and equity: But about that time the Tartars being multiplied; and receiving many injuries from the Chineses, they again take armes, invade China, and with mighty successe began, and continued the wars till the year 1653; at which time they had made a full conquest of it, no considerable party opposing them in their peaceable possession; as you may read more fully in a book called Bellum Tartaricum.