and easie passages bee therewith stopped and enuironed; but the mountaines running betweene those lowe passages are, by their owne naturall strength, and inaccessible heigth, a sufficient fortification agaynst the enemie.  Linus.  Tell vs (Michael) whether the kingdome of China be so frequented with inhabitants, as wee haue often bene informed, or no?  Michael.  It is (Linus) in very deed a most populous kingdom, as I haue bene certified from the fathers of societie:  who hauing seene sundry prouinces of Europe renoumed for the multitude of their inhabitants, doe notwithstanding greatly admire the infinite swarmes of people in China.  Howbeit these multitudes are not pel-mel and confusiuely dispersed ouer the land, but most conueniently and orderly distributed in their townes and famous cities:  of which assemblies there are diuers kindes among the Chinians.  For they haue certaine principal cities called by the name of Fu:  other inferior cities called Cheu:  and of a third kind also named Hien, which be indeed walled townes, but are not priuileged with the dignities and prerogatiues of cities.  To these may be added two other kindes of lesser townes, which are partly villages, and partly garrisons of souldiers.  Of the first and principall kind is that most noble citie standing neere vnto the port of Macao, called by the Chinians Coanchefu, but by the Portugals commonly termed Cantam, which is rather the common name of the prouince, then a word of their proper imposition.  Vnto the third kind appertaineth a towne, which is yet nigher vnto the port of Macao, called by the Portugals Ansam, but by the Chinians Hiansanhien.  Al the foresayd prouinces therefore haue their greater cities named Fu, and their lesser cities called Cheu, vnto both of which the other townes may be added.  Moreouer in euery prouince there is a certain principal city which is called the Metropolitane thereof, wherein the chief magistrates haue their place of residence, as the principal citie by me last mentioned, which is the head of the whole prouince called Coantum.  The number of the greater cities throughout the whole kingdom is more then 150, and there is the same or rather a greater multitude of inferiour cities.  Of walled townes, not endued with the priuileges of cities there are mo then 1120:  the villages and garrisons can scarce be numbred:  ouer and besides the which conuents it is incredible what a number of countrie fames or granges there be:  for it is not easie to find any place desert or void of inhabitants in all that land. [Sidenote:  The Chinian riuers greatly inhabited.] Now in the sea, in riuers, and in barks there are such abundance of people, and of whole families inhabiting, that euen the Europaeans themselues doe greatly wonder thereat:  insomuch that some (albeit beyond measure) haue bene perswaded that there are as many people dwelling vpon the water as vpon the land.  Neither were they induced so to thinke altogether without probabilitie:  for whereas the kingdom of China