"The _Man ying_ passed the Bocca Tigris the first time in the 45th year of Këen lung (1781), and are called _Ta chen_ (_Teutchen_). They have accepted the religion of the Lord of Heaven. In customs and manners they are similar to the Se yang, or Portuguese; they are the brethren of the Tan ying, or _Single eagle kingdom_ (Prussia); in difficulties and distress they help one another. Their ships which came to Canton had a white flag, on which an eagle was painted with two heads." This extract is taken from the History of _Yuen_. I take the liberty to observe, that the Chinese scholar must be careful not to take the _Sui chen_, or _Chen kw[)o]_ (the Swedes), for the _Ta chen_ (the _Teutchen_). In the _Memoirs_, l. c. p. 19 v., we read the following notice on the _Chen kw[)o]_ (the Swedes): "The _Chen_ realm is also called _Tan_ (Denmark) realm, and now the _yellow flag_. This country is opposite to that of the _Ho lan_, and a little farther off from the sea. There are two realms called _Sui chen_, and they border both on the _Go lo sse_, or Russia. They passed the Bocca Tigris the first year of Këen lung (1765)." _The Tan ying, the Single Eagle or Prussians._ "The Tan ying passed the Bocca Tigris the 52d year of Këen lung (1788.) They live to the west and north of the Man ying (Austrians). In customs and manners they are similar to them. On their ships flies a white flag, on which an eagle is painted." This last extract is also taken from the History of Canton, published by his Excellency Yuen. If we consider how easily the Chinese could procure information regarding foreign countries during the course of the two last centuries, and then see how shamefully they let pass all such opportunities to inform and improve themselves, we can only look upon these proud slaves of hereditary customs with the utmost disgust and contempt. The ancient Britons and Germans had no books; yet what perfect descriptions of those barbarian nations have been handed down to us by the immortal genius of Tacitus! Montesquieu says, that "in Cæsar and Tacitus we read the code of barbarian laws; and in the code we read Cæsar and Tacitus." In the statement of the modern Chinese regarding foreign nations, we see, on the contrary, both the want of enquiry, and the childish remarks of unenlightened and uncultivated minds.[15] YING HING SOO's PREFACE.