last mentioned, and which is without any Smell, (for, if it had been odorous, _Martinius_ would have mentioned that Circumstance, as he did of the third Fountain) must gradually extract the Taste and Smell from those precious Vessels, resembling _Lemnian_ or _Silesian_ Earth. But this Water of the Rivulet _Leang_, or of the Fountain _Hoej_, would either not at all, or with Difficulty, extract the Taste and Smell from these earthen Vessels, unless it abounded with an highly penetrating Salt, or, perhaps, a Vitriol; since _Martinius_ tells us, that Vitriol Mines are found in _China_, for no Substance can communicate to another, a Quality which it does possess itself. _Tea_ has indeed a Taste, though not of the grateful Kind, as is obvious from what has been said. The Taste and Smell, therefore, which the _Chinese_ perceive in drinking _Tea_, do not proceed from the _Tea_ itself, but from the Water, or earthen Vessels they use, or from both; from the Water, which by its Mineral Salt, extracts from the Vessels their Salt and Sulphur; and from the Vessels, which in return communicate these to the Water. For this peculiar Quality of the Earth, the City is called _Gnihing_, which, according to _Martinius_, signifies the _Glory of the Earth_. It is, by no means, surprizing to find various fragrant Mineral Earths: Thus, in the Dutchy of _Kalenberg_, in _Germany_, there is dug up a certain bituminous Mineral, which is a Kind of intermediate Substance, between Earth, Clay, and Stone; and which if it is either licked with the Tongue, or has cold Water, and especially Rain-Water, poured upon it, diffuses a Smell as fragrant as that of the Violet: The Truth of this, I know from Experience. But these precious Vessels are so rare in _Europe_, that the smallest of them are not to be purchased under an immense Sum. When, however, I understood, that _Frederic_ the third, King of _Norway_ and _Denmark_, had, among other _Chinese_ Curiosities, two of these elegant and sumptuous Vessels; I obtained the Use of them from him, and prevailed upon _Julius Reichelt_, Professor of Mathematics at _Strasburg_, and a skilful Designer, to delineate them. This Gentleman has, with the greatest Accuracy, not only exhibited in the following Plates, these, and other _Chinese_ Utensils, but also informed himself of their real Bulk, with all the Care and Pains he possibly could: But we shall give an Account of his Performance in his own Words: [Illustration: TAB. I. Fig. I. Fig. II. Fig. III. Fig. IV. Fig. V. Fig. VI. Fig. VII. _B. Cole. Sculp._ ] [Illustration: TAB. II. Fig. VIII. Fig. IX. Fig. X. Fig. XI. Fig. XII. Fig. XIII. Fig. XIV. _B. Cole. Sculp._ ]