r 11 ix A. 



i.r-r! 

 kind. c,f 



; ' '> 



T -- n 



ware. 



get, winch art upoa Moulds, or modelled by 



tfar lii:.il, the efferent part* arc prepared separately ; 

 ud, l.ni nearly dry, arr ccmrn:cd together with paste, 

 of the ume nature aa the substance, of which they are 

 cmpotrd ; while the arama. being polished with a knife 

 . 1 with varnish, are completely concealed. 

 When a piece of porcelain it thus properly fashioned, it 

 ptMetinlo the l.ui.ei . one of whom : 



out the circle to be coloured around the brim, an . tber eK- 

 atgoa the flowen> a third the mountains or rivers, a f mirth 

 the animals, a fifth the human ti. urcs, and a sixth ap 

 plies the paint. When the porcelain hat received itt form, 

 colour*, and ornaments, it it then conveyed to the fur- 

 nice ; and each piece it put into a separate caw r box, 

 the bottom of which it covered with a laxr of fine band. 

 over which again i> thr.'wn powder of k.io lin. The 

 case ii covtreJ by thr butt< m of another case, which en 

 ters it only so far as to thut it entirely, without touch 

 ing the porcelain below ; and these piles of cases are 

 then placed in the furnace, up-in a bed of coarse sand, 

 the finer kinds being in the middle, the coarser at tin- 

 farther extremity, and those, which have most body and 

 strongest colours, at the mouth. These piles are pi ce<l 

 closely together, and made to "support each other by 

 pieces of earth at the top, bottom, and middle ; but st 11 so 

 at to allow the flame to find a free passage on every side. 

 It Mrldom happens that a baking succeeds entirely ; and 

 from too strong a heat, or insufficient cases th- wh le i., 

 orrelimcs completely spoiled, and the porcelain and ca- 

 fes found converted into a shapeless m^.ss, as hard as 

 flint. Henci smaller furnaces are more frequently used ; 

 and the cases arc introduced mo the furnace, and taken 

 out when supposed to be sufficiently baked, by means of 

 a long wooden handle, with an iron plate at one extre- 

 mity. 



The Chinese name for porcelain is Tse-kee ; and the 

 best is made in me village of Kmg-te-ching, in the pro- 

 vince of Kiang see. The finest is reserved for ihe em- 

 peror ; and it has been questioned, whether any of the 

 largest and moat beautiful piece., huve ewr hi n brought 

 to Europe. The porcelain pieces arc painted ..! various 

 e. lours; but the most prevailing is white, with blue 

 M; and the greater part of what m tnMported 

 to Europe it of this colour. Au inferior kind, en- 

 white, is also brought to Canton, in order to he 

 painted there, ate- rding to the order* of the European 

 merchants. It t- -a:-!, th.-.t one of the most c.-tce,r.ed 

 and expensive kinds is of a red colour, which i some- 

 tim> * uniform throughout, and -.oiretinn-s merely sprink- 

 ltd in the form of small spots; which is done by dip- 

 ping the ei.d of a pipe covered with gauze into the 

 matter, and I 1 en blowing it upon the porce- 

 Tberc is also a black or Lad coloured porcelain, 

 tomrtimei interspeised with g'ldn.g, which is in gnat 

 rrquctt ; and thi gold colour is prepared by rubbing 

 the palm of the hand, in a ;.Iatc of porcelain, gold 

 tlutt mixed with water and ugar. t i- then applied 

 Vith a pencil dipped in clear gum-water; and, when 

 the ves-el hat pa sed through the fuiiucc, the g.'ld is 

 polished with ,\ fine wet sand. 



Besides porcelain, they form very beautiful vases of a 

 brown .-h c 1 tired clay, some of which are from three 

 to ti ' ;>, and t ur or : 



kind* ,( which arc used for holding gold ti '. 

 aquatic pUnt, &c. and the coarser re employed tor 

 iff seeds, fruitt and water. lu this manufacture, 

 particular attention is paid.t-- the wants of the people- , 

 and ihey aie tupplird, at a cheap rale, wi-.li . 

 ctrpj, lampi, and various kitchen utensil*, of th fcakcd 



earth. There are vnses also of fuiicr'a cartl:, 

 used for cooling and sweetening water ; and a co 



kind of earthen ware, which is tupposrd to communicate """ 

 a more delicate taste to r: e, wU-i, bc.iied in it, and is 

 therefore much used in culinary pur; 



It has been consider! d as a i. : <v of thi- ' 



want of ingenuity in the I nilii have 



been to long in possession of the ai 

 lain, !. \iss, without 1 



'. til-- n, ml ol ; i manufac' 



and it is said, lh.it they ev\n pr f : to held it in v. ry 

 little estimation. At the recommendation of the Jt^ 

 a French f,mn!y, made an attempt, in the last ai, 

 to introduce this ma;. a: Pekm, but fn:led of 



In Canton, they have learned to melt i-!,'. t^lass, 

 and cas.t it in a new form ; but tlu ii common r 

 61:11 generally made of a polished metul, winch i np- 

 10 b' a comp<'iind of zinc and copper. A glas- 

 house is sa'd. indeed, to be k>-pt up at Pekin, where a 

 few vases and ot!..'r articles are m..di- ; but is reg;. 

 merely as an est iblUhmtBt of pomp, and as an appcn- 

 dajr.- lo the spl- ndour of the court. 



Tlitir cloth manufactures do not appear to have un Clotli m*. 

 dergoi.e any recent or progressive improvement ; but, llul - 

 from th-'ii- clo.-i- adherence to ancient practices, they have cr 

 long remainvd entirely rtationai y. Ti,e u^e of silk has ui:- Silk. 

 questionably been known in China from a very remote 

 period ; and nvntion is made of a kiiul of brocade in the 

 annah of Tcheoo, about 7SO years before Christ. 

 Tin re are strong ground-., however, for the belief, that 

 the culture of the silk worm was first introduced into 

 the Chinese empire by a colony of Jews, alter the expe- 

 dition of Alexander to India had opened a communica- 

 tion with these countries ; and is at LMSI certain, that 

 they arc the best manufacturers of that article in China, 

 and abound chiefly in the silk province . But, in what- 

 ever way, and at whatever period, the manufacture of 

 ki'k was introduced, it has been cultivated to Such an 

 ama/.mg extent, that, beside* the immense quantities an- 

 nually exported, it forms the principal clothing of the 

 greater part of the inhabitants. The best is produced 

 in the province of Tche-kiang, and is di^tiiuni s'ltd by 

 its superi T fineness of texture, softness to the touch, 

 and whiteness of colour. The greater quantity of :.!L 

 sttills arc manufactured in the province of Kiang-nan, 

 and its capit 1 Nai.kcen. fiom . d dl that 



is intended for the use of the empc-ror. The Chinese 

 manufacture this substance :MO a gua; vaiie.iv >-f etuffs, 

 plain, striped, flowered, napped, clouded ; gati/.es, vel- 

 vets, and brocades of every different c< .lour, i.<p>'cially 

 violet, red, yellow, and black ; and a multitude of i. (her 

 kinds, whose names even are 1.1, known ino her c. unities. 

 Thty make several kinds similar t.i those of Europe, but 

 very inferior in point of Workmanship. Neither oe the 

 siik buttons, nhb >n,. a:,d stockings, whicii they to 

 facturc in Canton after foreign pa.-.erns, equal to t!.c r 

 of France and England. Tin ir velvets KP bad; their 



.1 Pekin satins ar very UM-qnai, and Ii 

 to cut. Tlieir gold brocades, tiu:\i. !, ixti, ni, ly bril- 

 liant, when fresli from the hai.d of the w.j. ki-.tan, ;i: 

 ily tarnished by air and mois:ur-, a> tl.e ^old, which 

 they employ, is only a kuid of gilt I'ln > exu 1 



chiefly in tin manufactur of gai./e.-, ' a.,d 



flowered, of great variety and beauty. There at-.- 

 kinds, which are more generally Ured in 'J 



i.er. The first, called Too-an i . ud of fa- 



but with less lu^-rr, tlnn ,-. hat is 

 1. ;i<'in. The other, .1 



coloured taflety, is very cl.-ely woven, and yet extre;mc 

 3 



