The Emperour ordered that they should give me Horses of his own Stables, to the End I might the more easily Change in Riding, and some of those were of them He Himself had Rid, which is a Mark of very extraordinary distinction. In this Journey we always went toward the North-east: From _Pekin_ to the Province of _Leao-tum_, the Way being about 300 Miles is pretty equal: In the Province it self of _Leao-tum_, it is about 400 Miles, but much more unequal by Reason of the Mountains; from the Frontier of this Province to the City of _La_, or the River which the _Tartars_ call _Songoro_, and the _Chinoise_ _Sumhoa_, the way (which is about 400 Miles) is very difficult, being crossed sometimes by Mountains extreamly Steep, sometimes by Valleys of extraordinary Depth, and through Desert Plains, wherein for two or three Days March we met with nothing. The Mountains of this Country are Covered on the East side with great Oaks and old Forrests, which have not been cut for some Ages. All the Country which is beyond the Province of _Leao-tum_ is exceeding Desert where nothing is to be seen on all sides but Mountains and Valleys, and Dens of _Bears_, _Tigers_ and other _Devouring_ Beasts, you can scarce find a House, but only some _poor Reed Huts_, upon the sides of some Brooks and Streams. All the Cities and _Burrow-towns_ which I have seen in the Province of _Leao-tum_, and which are in very great Numbers are intirely ruined: One can see nothing thro' the whole Country, but old ruined Walls with Rubble, Bricks and Stones. In the out-skirts of these Cities there have been of late some few Houses built, but without any order. Some of them made of Earth, others of the Rubbish of the old Buildings, the most part of them covered with Straw or Thatch, and but few with Tiles. There is now not the least Footsteps remaining of a great number of Towns and Villages which were here before the War. Because the petty King of the _Tartars_, who began to kindle this War having but a very small Army, caused the Inhabitants of those Places to take Arms, which Places he forthwith destroyed, that he might take from his Soldiers the hopes of ever returning again to their own _Homes_. The Capital City of _Leao-tum_, which is called _Xyn-Yam_, is a City very fair and pretty intire, it has as yet the Remains of an Antient _Palace_. It is (for as much as I was able to remark by divers Observations) of the Latitude of 41 _degrees_ 56 _minutes_; that is to say, two _degrees_ above _Pekin_, tho' hitherto both the _Europeans_ and the _Chinese_ have given that City the Latitude of 41 _degrees_. There is in that City no declination of the Magnetick Needle, as I have found by many reiterated Observations. The City of _Ula_ which was almost the very Extream of our Journey, lies in 44 _degrees_ and 20 _minutes_. The compass there declines from the South to the West one _degree_ 40 _minutes_.