68 EAMBLES OP A NATUEALIST. [Ch. IV. 



succeeded in chasing out the ragged crowd which had curi- 

 ously followed us into this sanctum. The mandarin was 

 decorated with a clear blue button and peacock's feather, 

 and appeared to be an intelligent and rather superior man 

 of about 35 years of age. He conversed freely through the 

 medium of Mr. Gregory, who acted as interpreter ; and after 

 having remained some 20 minutes we quitted the place 

 with the same formalities as on entering, the mandarin 

 having first accepted Capt. Bullock's invitation to visit the 

 ship at Tam-suy, next day, -which happened to be her 

 Majesty's birthday. 



The day following, therefore, the 24th of May, we were 

 prepared to receive his promised visit, and to show him the 

 manner of decorating the ship in honour of that occasion. 

 As usual, at eight a.m., the ship was dressed out with flags, 

 &c. ; and Captain BuUock having invited the European 

 residents to dinner, a long table was prepared on the quarter- 

 deck, and a stage erected at one end, upon which the blue- 

 jackets were to enact a play which they had got up among 

 themselves. It was not, however, tiU nearly five o'clock that 

 the mandaria arrived, accompanied by the subordinate man- 

 darin of Tam-suy, his secretary, the consul's linguist, and a 

 crowd of attendants. They seemed much pleased with every- 

 thing they saw, and miautely examined aU the principal 

 arrangements of the ship, particularly the guns ; so that 

 time drew on, and the dioner hour (half-past six) was get- 

 ting very near. The Europeans began to arrive ; but our 

 Chinese friends as yet showed no signs of bringing their 

 visit to a termination. Under these circumstances Capt. 

 Bullock, , who was quite willing that they should remain, 

 asked them to be his guests for the evening. Chinese polite- 

 ness, according to the rites, should have declined adding 



