180] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1792. 
ments, together with the various 
evolutions of the men, might, in 
these respects, convey some idea of 
the European art of war. The 
embassy was also provided with a 
physician, and two persons conver- 
sant in astronomy and mechanics, 
artificers of every kind, musicians, 
and a proper retinue of servants. 
Mr. Henry Baring, lately appointed 
a writer in the service of the East 
India Company, was allowed to at- 
tend the embassy to Pekin, as being 
qualified to improve his residence 
there, for the purpose of becoming 
afterwards serviceable to his em- 
ployers at Canton. From the col- 
lege at Naples, for educating young 
Chinese, for the propagation of 
christianity, two young men, of 
amiable manners, and of virtuous 
and candid dispositions, and well 
acquainted with their native Jan- 
guage, as well as the Latin or Ita- 
lian, were procured by the zeal and 
address of the secretary of legation, 
who went to Italy for that purpose, 
to act asinterpreters. ‘They began 
early to be of use in suggesting, 
from what they knew and recol- 
lected of their own country, some 
of the fittest preparations for an 
expedition thither; such as extra- 
ordinary pieces of ingenious me- 
chanism, set in frames of precious 
metal, studded with jewels; and, 
by means of internal springs and 
wheels, producing movements, ap- 
parently spontaneous. But toys of 
this kind, to an enormous amount 
and value, had already made their 
way into the palaces of the Empe- 
ror and his ministers; having been 
transmitted to them by the man- 
darins (to whom, for the purpose 
of obtaining their protection, they 
had been given as presents) in the 
hope of securing, in their turn, the 
favour of theirsuperiors. It would 
have been vain to think of surpass- 
ing, in public presents of this kind, 
either as to workmanship or cost, 
what had been already conveyed to 
China, through private channels ; 
and it was to be hoped, that the 
momentary gratification produced 
by those gaudy trifles, had been 
satiated by the accumulation of 
them. But it was thought, that 
whatever tended to illustrate sci- 
ence, or promote the arts, would 
give more solid and permanent sa- 
tisfaction to a prince, whose time 
of life would naturally lead him to 
seek, in every object, the utility of 
which it was susceptible :—as in- 
struments of astronomy; and, above 
all, specimens of the best British 
manufactures, and all the late in- 
ventions for adding to the conveni- 
ences and comforts of life; which 
might serve the double purpose of 
gratifying those to whom they 
were to be presented, and of excit- 
ing a more general demand for the 
purchase of similar articles. The 
East India Company appointed a 
large and commodious ship to carry 
out those presents, together with 
such persons belonging to the em- 
bassy as could not conveniently be 
accommodated on board the Lion. 
A small vessel was also provided as 
a tender.—As intelligence of these - 
preparations could not fail of 
reaching the ports of China, it be- 
came proper to take an early op- 
portunity of announcing the em- 
bassy regularly to the Chinese go- 
vernment, lest the undertaking, 
through error or design, should be 
made to assume a warlike or sus- 
picious appearance; and the Am- 
bassador’s reception be thereby 
rendered dubious. The mission of 
Lord Macartney was, therefore, 
announced 
