ACCOUNT 
ches in that city, where they might 
be fold to great advantage. The 
idea of trade was fo affociated with 
that of Englifhmen, in the minds of 
the Chinefe, who knew them only 
~ as venders and purchafers of goods, 
\ 
that.they could fcarcely give credit 
to the affertion, that the perfons 
compofing the embafly were not 
merchants, and that the fhips of 
war never carried goods for fale, 
or that there was little, befide what 
was intended for prefents for the 
court, in any of the veffels. The 
propofal, made with-fo little,cere- 
mony, of converting churches into 
fhops for the retail of merchandife, 
which appeared fingular to an Euro- 
pean ear, was perfectly familiar to 
the Chinefe, whofe places of wor- 
fhip are occafionally made to an- 
{wer every purpofe of utility to 
which they may be applied. “The 
building in which this converfation 
took place, wasitfelf a temple; and 
in the crowd were fome of the 
honzes, or priefis, who miniftered in 
it; and were remarkable for the 
contraft between their grey beards 
and their robes of rofe-coloured filk. 
The mandarins, who were in- 
formed that the Englifh fhips could 
not crofs the bar, immediately con- 
ceived their fize to be immenfe, and 
formed a proportionate idea of the 
quantity of prefents neceffary to fill 
them. They gave orders for pre- 
paring junks to bring thofe prefents, 
as well as the paflengers and bag- 
fa e, on fhore..» A confiderabfe 
ilding near the river’s mouth was 
provided for the reception of the 
ambaffador, where. it was expected 
he would remain fome days, to re- 
eover from the fatigues of fo long a 
voyage. And it was obferved, that 
he need not precipitate his journey 
to the capital, as the Emperor's 
OF .B/O OK S. 464 
birth-day was yet at a confiderable 
diftance : — thefe people not ima- 
gining that an embafly could be any 
thing more than a vifit, or meflage 
of high compliment to their fove- 
reign on that anniverfary, or on the 
occafion of fome other folemn fef- 
tival. 
This information had not beew 
long communicated on board the 
Lion, when feveral Chinefe veflelg 
brought a fupply of live ttock, fruit, 
and other vegetables, in fuch pro- 
fufion, that the fhips could only 
contain a part of it, and the overplus 
was neceffarily fent back. Among 
other articles were 20 bullocks, 
120 fheep, 120 hogs, 160 bags. of 
flour, 1000 water - melons, 3000 
mufk-melons, 10 chefts of candles, 
and 3 bafkets of porcelaine. The 
hofpitality, arfd indeed the attentions 
of every other kind, which the em- 
baffy and fquadron experienced on 
all occafions, were {uch as ftrangers 
feldom meet with, except in the 
eaftern parts of the world. Two 
mandarins, one civil and the other 
military, came to congratulate the 
ambaffador on his fafe arrival: they 
told him that they were appointed 
to attend him to the imperial court; 
and that it was the exprefs will of 
their fovereign to render his jour- 
ney fafe and agreeable to him. 
Thefe gentlemen were received 
on board the Lion with attention 
and cordiality, Much of the {tiff- 
nefs which generally accompanies a 
communication through the medi- 
um of an interpreter, was removed 
by. the good humour of the parties, 
and the ardent defire they felt of 
making out one another’s meaning. 
Their difcourfe by no means par- 
took of the guarded intercourfe of 
ftrangers fufpicious of each other. 
Sometimes, before.the explapation 
was 
