Golden roofs? No, glazed clay tiles
Editorial contextDescribing the palace where the 'Great Cham' now lived, Nieuhof explains that the roofs are covered with yellow glazed tiles that shine brighter than gold in the sun. This, he says, is why some people reported that the palace was roofed with pure gold, when in fact the tiles are made of clay.
All the Roofs of the Buildings are covered with Yellow glazed Pantiles, which shine, when the Sun reflects, brighter then Gold; which has made some believe and report, that the Roof of this Royal Palace was covered with pure Gold; whereas in truth the Tiles are only made of Clay, and Glaz'd and Neil'd over with Artificial Yellow
About the Tartar emperor's court (Chinese-built palace)
Not caves but shining tents of waxed silk
Editorial contextThe Chinese, bitter enemies of the Niuche Tartars, mock them as cave-dwellers, but the text calls this false: they live in fine tents used instead of houses, made of silk or cloth coated with clear wax so they shine like mirrors and shed the rain. Great men have several tents joined so they look like one, for wives, servants and kitchen.
The Chinese, who with good reason are very bitter against the Tartars of Niuche, invent and mock them by saying that they live in caves and underground pits; which is false: for they keep themselves in very fine and handsome tents … of silk stuffs or cloths, so neatly and artfully coated with bright, translucent wax that they glitter and shine in the sun like a mirror
Working translation
Original wording
De Sinezen, die met recht op de Tarters van Niuche zeer gebeeten zijn; verdichten en drijven hen tot spot na, datze in holen en onderaartsche kuilen woonen; 't welk valsch is: want zy onthouden zich in zeer schoone en cierlijke Tenten … uit zijde stoffen of lakens, die met helder en doorschijnend wasch zoo aartigh en kunstig bestreeken zijn, datze in de Zon glinsteren en blinken als een spiegel
About Tartars of Niuche (Manchus)
A note on this quote
OCR normalized; the two printed columns, interleaved in the OCR, are read in order.
A Tartar lady tries on the ambassador's hat
Editorial contextRiding past the old imperial court at Nanjing, the Dutch were invited in by a Tartar lady of about forty, 'very debonair and free'. She came out to meet the ambassador, admired how their swords bent without breaking, put his hat on her own head and unbuttoned his doublet. She then served them a strong drink made of beans. A lively picture of a Manchu noblewoman's easy manners with strangers.
we past by the Gate of the old Imperial Court, where sat a great Tartar Lady, with her servants waiting upon her, about forty years of Age: She very civilly sent to our Interpreter to invite the Embassadours into her House … She was very debonair and free, looked upon our Swords, and much admired their bending without breaking: She took the Embassadours Hat, and put it on her own Head
About Tartars (Manchu noblewoman)
A Tartar grandee eats half-raw pork at the council table
Editorial contextAt their first reception in Beijing the envoys sat with the council, whose Tartar members wore plain clothes and sat on a bench covered with old linen. The presiding lord grew hungry and ate half-raw pork 'more like a Butcher, then a Prince'. The Jesuit Adam Schall, dressed in Tartar fashion, interpreted. The Dutch were shocked by the lack of ceremony.
his Highness found himself hungry, and sent for a piece of Pork to satisfie his Appetite, which was half-raw, whereof he did eat most heartily, in a slovenly manner, that he looked more like a Butcher, then a Prince … When Dinner was brought up, his Highness and the rest of the Tartar Lords fell on again as greedily, as if they had eat nothing all that day
About Tartars (Manchu lords of the Qing council)
Keep in mind
Written with obvious Dutch disdain; a contrast with Chinese court manners rather than neutral description.
Forced to wear the Tartar queue
Editorial contextThe general description explains that since the conquest the Chinese must shave their heads in the Tartar manner and keep only one lock hanging behind. Thousands, it says, chose death rather than lose their long hair. This is the Qing head-shaving order, told from the Chinese side.
since this Famous Empire fell under the Tyrannous yoke of the Tartars, and became subject to them, they have also submitted to the Tartarian mode of cutting and wearing the Hair: for now the Chineses do cut off all their Hair after the manner of their Conquerour, and reserve only one Lock, which hangs down behind
About Tartars (Manchu conquerors) and Chinese
A Tartar archer hits a palm-sized mark three times
Editorial contextWhile the embassy camped ashore, the Tartar escort put on a display of arms. One bowman shot three arrows in a row through a target no bigger than a hand at thirty-five paces and was paid a small coin. A small eyewitness scene that matches the Manchus' fame as archers.
The Tartars in the mean time, to show some pastime, exercised their Arms before the Tent of the Embassadours, which was performed by them with much dexterity. Amongst the rest, there was one with a Bow and Arrow, who was so rare a Marks-man, that he shot thrice together through the white, no broader then the Palm of a Hand, at the distance of thirty five Paces
About Tartars (Manchu soldiers escorting the embassy)
Horsemen raised to arms from the cradle
Editorial contextA compiled portrait of the Tartar soldier: iron helmets with dyed horse-tail plumes, bows and sabres but no muskets, nearly all cavalry. They are pale, silent, trained to arms from infancy, unmatched archers, and eat any flesh half cooked. The same page calls them 'a Nation of Plunderers' and says few have any religion beyond some lamas.
They are whitish of Complexion, not talkative, but silent, and well composed, bred up to Arms from their very Cradles, which makes them such excellent Souldiers … They eat whatsoever they can get, but chiefly flesh, and that half roasted or boiled, being not curious of what sort it is, whether of Camels, Horses, or other Creatures.
About Tartars (Manchus)
Keep in mind
Compiled, and mixes observation with hostile stereotypes about plunder and irreligion.
The Manchus called 'Kin', lords of the golden mountains
Editorial contextThe Dutch general description says the people of Niuche, 'properly East Tartary', are known to the Chinese and their neighbours as Kin, meaning gold, and are called lords of the golden mountains because the Chinese believe their land is rich in gold mines. Kin is the Jin, the dynastic name used by the Jurchen and again by the Manchus before 1636.
The inhabitants are known among the Chinese and their neighbours by the name of Kin, which in Dutch means Gold. They are also commonly called the Lords and Masters of the golden Mountains, because it is a common belief among the Chinese that the land they possess holds very gold-rich mines
Working translation
Original wording
D'Inwoonders zijn by de Sinezen en Grens-buren met den naam van Kin bekent; dat Gout op Neêrduitsch te zeggen is. Gemeenlijk wordenze ook de Heeren en Meesters van de goude Bergen genoemt, dewijl het een gemeen gevoelen onder de Sinezen is, dat hun landschap, datze bezitten, zeer gout-rijke Mijnen in zich besloten houd
About Tartars of Niuche (Jurchen and Manchus)
The emperor of China is the 'Grand Cham of Tartary'
Editorial contextIn his opening words Nieuhof explains that the Company sent its envoys to Peking 'to the Grand Cham of Tartary, the now Emperour of China'. The old European title for the Mongol Great Khan is simply transferred to the new Manchu ruler of China, the Shunzhi emperor. This is the vocabulary later writers like Witsen and Dapper inherited.
with Credentials, and a considerable train of Attendants, to Peking in China, to the Grand Cham of Tartary, the now Emperour of China, impowering to negotiate concerning a Free and Mutual Commerce with them in his Kingdoms and Territories.
About Tartars (the Manchu Qing dynasty)
Gog and Magog beyond the mountains, fires in the night
Editorial contextThis page is not by Nieuhof but from Athanasius Kircher's China Illustrata, bound into Ogilby's English volume. Kircher quotes an Arabic geographer on the cities of Gog and Magog beyond an unclimbable snowy mountain: people who climb it rarely return, and those who do report many fires at night. Kircher then fits this to the Great Cham's empire and Prester John.
On the other side of the Mountain are many Cities of Jagog and Magog. And it often happened, that the Inhabitants of this Region, out of a certain curiosity, ascend some part of it … but many never return … some that have return'd safe, relate, that in the Region on the other side of the Mountain in the night season, are many fires
About Gog and Magog, identified with the Great Cham's realm
Keep in mind
Not part of Nieuhof's text; a learned legend passed through several books.