306 A. D. 1794. 



ubled to accomplifli more of the purpofes of his miirion, after it was 

 formally at an end, than during his continuance at court. 



Lord Macartney had been fumifhed with credentials to the fovereigns 

 of Japan and the other principal Oriental iflands, which remain free 

 from the yoke of any European power. But when he heard that the 

 flames of war were kindled in Europe, and confidered that there was 

 no forCe in the Indian feas to protect the company's homeward-bound 

 property from Canton, to the amount of three millions flerling onboard 

 fifteen ihips, he laid afide all thoughts of further embafiies, and deter- 

 mined to return home, that the Lion might ferve as a convoy to that 

 valuable fleet. Having difpatched a tender with plants of the tea, tal- 

 low, and varnifh, trees for Bengal, the whole fleet proceeded for Europe, 

 and arrived in fafety in England on the 6'" of September 1794- 



From the information obtained by the gentlemen of the embafl)% 

 concerning the little-known empire of China, I have feleded the follow- 

 ing particulars, illuftrative of the fl:ate of commerce in that Angular 

 country. ^ 



In China there are no hereditary ranks or titles * ; and every man in 

 power or office is, at lead, fuppofed to owe his preferment to his own 

 nierit. There are three clafles of the people ; i) the learned men, out 

 of whom all the magiftrates and governors are chofen ; 2) the cultivat- 

 ors of the foil, who, are above nine tenths of the whole people, and 

 whofe induflry is chiefly exerted in providing grain and other articles 

 of food 'for mankind, there being very few cows, horfes, or other live 

 flock, in the country ; and 3) the loweft order of the people, confifling 

 of tradefmen and mechanics, among whom merchants are clafled ; for 

 in China the profeflion of a merchant is in little eftimation, the method, 

 punctuality, candour, and ftrift honour, which are the charaderiftics of 

 mercantile men in a conimercial nation, being unknown to the petty 

 dealers of that empire. But from this defcription the merchants in 

 Canton, and even thofe in the neighbourhood of it, muft, in fome de- 

 gree, be excepted, who, by having fome intercourfe, diredly or indiredly, 

 with foreigners, have, in fpite of the national felf-fufficiency and arro- 

 gance, acquired a fuperior knowlege of bufinefs, and fo much of that 

 mutual confidence, without which bufinefs cannot be tranfa6led on a 

 large fcale, that packages of goods bearing the marks of the Eritifla 

 Eaft-India company, are fold and refold by the invoices, as in India, 

 without ever being opened for examining the quantity or quality of the 

 contents, till they arrive at the places, where they are retailed to the 

 confumers. The hong merchants being very extenfive and privileged 

 dealers, and having large concerns with foreign merchants, muft be 



* They are not, however, indifferent to the pride and point out with exultation the names of thofe an- 

 of anceftry,but carefully preferve their genealogies, ceftors who have been recorded in the Bool ofmerih 



