Volume 3 — An Explanation, necessary to justify the Geography supposed in these Letters.

It may seem wonderful, that the Author of these Letters makes mention in his former, of a kind of War between the Oriental Tartars and the Muscovites, notwithstanding the extream distance these People appear to be from one another in our Geographical Charts; but those who know how much the Muscovites have extended the Bounds of the Empire along the Tartarian Sea, will judge the thing less difficult, besides those who have seen these Countries, have made Discoveries much differing from those which our Geographers have informed us of hitherto. Very lately Monsieur D'Arcy, who commands one of the King's Ships, in the Fleet of Monsieur Le Marescal d'Estrees, informed us, that having served in Poland, and having been made Governor of a Place towards Moscovy, the Moscovite Ambassadors in their return having pass'd by him, and being by him treated in such a manner as put them into a very good Humour; one of them shewed him a Chart of the Countries between Moscovy and China: and told him, that from three Cities which he shewed him, whose Names were Lopsla, Abasinko, Nerginsko, all three under the Government of the great Dukes, tho' situated in the great Tartary, there was a way to Pekin, which was not more than 25 or 30 Days Journey. This Map it seems must be kept very secret in Moscovy: For the next Day the Moscovite was in despair, for having given it, saying that if it should be known, he should come to great Damage. The Officer being come back since into France, has given a Copy to the King, and another to Monsieur Le Marquis de Signelay. To confirm this, it may be added, what a French Man has writ from Moscovy within this two Months, that they are actually raising Troops to go to War with the Chinese.