a peninsula lying to the north-east of China, between 99 and 130 degrees of E. Long. and between 32 and 46 of N. Lat. It is divided into 8 provinces, which contain 40 cities of the 1st rank, 51 of the 2d, and 72 of the 3d. The capital of the whole is Han-ching, where the king resides. The Jesuits say, the people are well made, of a sweet and tractable disposition, and fond of learning, music, and dancing, and in general resemble the Chinese. The houses are mean, being covered with thatch; and they have no beds, but lie on the floor. They have little silk, and therefore make use of linen cloth in its room. Their trade consists in white paper, pencils, gunflint, gold, silver, iron, yellow varnish, fowls whose tails are three feet long, horses no more than three feet in height, fable skins, castor, and mineral salt. In general it is a fertile country, though abounding in mountains. It is tributary to China.

M. Grosho relates an observation concerning the natural history of Corea, which, in his opinion, furnishes a new proof of the revolutions which the surface of our globe has undergone. An ancient Chinese book affirms, that the city where Kipe, the king of Corea, established his court, was built in a place which forms at present a part of the territories of Yong-ping-fou, a city of the first class in the province of Petcheli. "If this (says he) be admitted as a fact, we may from thence conclude, that these territories formerly belonged to Corea; and that the gulf of Lea-tong, which at present separates this kingdom from the province of Petcheli, did not then exist, and that it has been formed since; for it is not probable that the sovereign would have fixed his residence without the boundaries of his kingdom, or in a place where he was separated from it by a wide and extensive sea. This conjecture is confirmed by certain facts admitted by the Chinese. Thus when Yu, surnamed the Great, undertook to drain and carry off the waters which had inundated the low grounds of several provinces, he began by the river Hoang-ho, the overflowing of which caused the greatest devastation. He went in search of its source to the bosom of Tartary, from whence he directed its course across the provinces of Chan-fu, Chen-fu, Honan, and Petcheli. Towards its mouth, in order to weaken the rapidity of its waters, he divided them into nine channels, through which he caused the river discharge itself into the eastern sea near the mountain of Kie-che-chan, which then formed a promontory. Since that time to the present, that is, about 3950 years, the river Hoang-ho has departed so much from its ancient course, that its mouth at present is about six degrees farther south. We must also remark, that the mountain Kie-che-chan, which was formerly united to the main land of Yong-ping-fou, stands at present in the sea at the distance of about 50 leagues to the south of that city. If the sea has been able to cover with its waters that extent of territory which at present forms part of the gulf of Lea-tong, may we not be allowed to suppose that like inundations may have formed successively the whole of that gulf, the ancient existence of which seems so ill to agree with the residence of the kings of Corea in the territory of Yong-ping-fou? It is true, the Chinese history makes no mention of so considerable a physical revolution; but it is equally silent with regard to the 500 lys (50 leagues) extent of ground which is at present covered by the sea beyond the mountains of Kie-che-chan. Besides, of all the changes which the surface of our globe experiences, those only are... are mentioned in history, which happen suddenly, and which consequently make more impression on the minds of men.

Corea chiefly produces wheat, rice, and ginseng, with a kind of palm tree which yields a gum capable of producing a yellow varnish little inferior to gilding. Hence also are exported cotton and fable skins; also gold, silver, iron, and fossil salt; a kind of small brushes for painting, made of the hair of a wolf's tail, are likewise manufactured here, which are exported to China and highly esteemed there. The sea coasts abound in fish, and great numbers of whales are found there every year towards the north-east. Several of these, it is said, have in their bodies the harpoons of the French and Dutch, from whom they have escaped in the northern extremities of Europe; which seems to indicate a passage from the European into the Asiatic seas round the continents of Europe and Asia.

A considerable quantity of the paper of Corea is annually imported into China; indeed the tribute due to the emperor is partly paid with it every year. It is made of cotton, and is as strong as cloth, being written upon with a small hair-brush or pencil; but must be done over with alum-water before it can be written upon in the European manner. It is not purchased by the Chinese for writing, but for filling up the squares of their faith-windows; because, when oiled, it resists the wind and rain better than that of China. It is used likewise as wrapping paper; and is serviceable to the tailors, who rub it between their hands until it becomes as soft and flexible as the finest cotton cloth, instead of which it is often employed in lining clothes. It has also this singular property, that if it be too thick for the purpose intended, it may be easily split into two or three leaves, each of which is even stronger than the best paper of China.

The Coreans are well made, ingenious, brave, and tractable; are fond of dancing, and show great docility in acquiring the sciences, to which they apply with great ardour, and which they honour in a particular manner. The northern Coreans are larger sized and more robust than those of the south; have a taste for arms, and become excellent soldiers. Their arms are crossbows and long sabres. Men of learning are distinguished from other classes of people by two plumes of feathers in their caps; and when merchants present the Coreans with any books for sale, they dress themselves in the richest attire, and burn perfumes before they treat concerning the price.

The Coreans mourn three years, as in China, for a father or mother; but the time of mourning for a brother is confined to three months. Their dead are not interred until three years after their decease; and when the ceremony of interment is performed, they place around the tomb the clothes, chariot, and horses of the deceased, with whatever else he showed the greatest fondness for while alive; all which they leave to be carried off by the afflants. Their houses, as in China, consist only of one story, and are very ill built; in the country being composed of earth, and in cities generally of brick, but all thatched with straw; the walls of their cities are constructed after the Chinese manner, with square turrets, battlements, and arched gates. Their writing, dress, religious ceremonies, and creed, as well as the greater part of their customs, are borrowed from the Chinese. Their women, however, are less confined, and have the liberty of appearing in public with the other sex, for which they are often ridiculed by their neighbours. They differ from the Chinese also in their ceremonies of marriage, and in the manner of contracting it; the parties in this country taking the liberty to choose for themselves, without consulting the inclinations of their parents, or suffering them to throw any obstacles in their way.