A. D. 1794. 305 



object of the embaiiy, that an offer was made to the ftates-general of the 

 United provinces of any fervices to the Dutch factory at Canton, which 

 the ambaflador might have it in his power to perform. 



For conveying the ambaflador and his numerous attendants, the 

 Lion, a fhip of war of 64 guns commanded by Sir Erafmus Gk)wer, was 

 commiflloned : and the Eaft-India company appointed the Hindoftan, 

 a fhip of 1,200 tuns commanded by Captain Mackintofh, an experienced 

 and judicious ofHcer, to carry the prefents, and fuch perfons of the era- 

 bafly as could not be accommodated onboard the Lion. The fhips failed 

 from Portfmouth 26'" September 1792, and arrived on the 5'" of Augufl 

 1793 in the mouth of the Pei-ho in the neighbourhood of Pekin. 



Lord Macartney was received in China with the greateft pohtenefs, 

 and fumptuoufly entertained by order of the emperor, who received 

 that mark of attention from the fovereign of fo remote a country with 

 much complacency and fatisfaftion. But as the Chinefe have no con- 

 ception of any other purpofe of an embafTy than merely to deliver let- 

 ters and prefents, a letter and prefents in return were prepared, and it 

 was intimated to Lord Macartney, foon after the ceremony of the audi- 

 ence was over, and before he had a proper opportunity of entering upon 

 any part of the bufinefs of his miflion *, that the approach of winter 

 would be prejudicial to his health, and that orders were given to convey 

 him and his retinue to Canton. With this intimation he was obliged 

 to comply ; and the objedl of lb much labour and expenfe was thereby 

 rendered utterly vmattainable. But fortunately the two mandarins, ap- 

 pointed to attend him to Canton, conceived a friendfhip for him ; and, 

 by the opportunities of free converfation with them during a journey 

 (or canal voyage) of feveral months, he found means to imprefs them 

 with more proper and favourable ideas of the Britifh trade in China, 

 than had hitherto been entertained of it in that country. In confe- 

 quence of the frequent difpatches from thefe mandarins to the emperor, 

 fo happy a change was effeded in the difpofition of that prince towards 

 the interefls of the Britifli commerce, that he removed the obnoxious 

 viceroy of Canton, and inflruded his fuccefllir to put a flop to the op- 

 preflions complained of by the ambalTador, a meafure to which the new 

 viceroy appeared to be very well inclined of himfelf. The emperor alfo 

 intimated a delire of feeing another embafTy from Great Britain ; and 

 he gave orders, that no cuftom fhould be charged on the cargo to be 

 taken in by the Hindoftan, which was moreover permitted to load either 

 at Chufan or Canton. Thus it happened that the ambaffador was en- 



* The I'eftion of the aft for renewing the com- conduifl of th: Chinefe court prevented the ambaf- 



pany's exchifive trade, which provides tor a pof- fador from having any opportunity of even men- 



fibiiily of acquiring a territory from China, feems tioning. See abjve, p. 273, or adt 33 Geo. Ill, 



to infer that fuch an acquifition was one of the ob- c. 52, § 76. 

 -.•-■(fls of the cmbaffv, vhlich the verv peremptory 



Vol. IV. - - ^^ 



