78 
CHINESE COMPLEXION. 
since their amount was unquestionably swelled by the inhabitants 
of the country for miles around. And even of the multitude whom 
we saw, an inaccurate judgment was liable to be formed. It was not 
a fixed body of people. Those Chinese who had taken their stations 
most remote from the city were the first to obtain a view of the 
Embassy, but not satisfied with a single glance, moved with us, in- 
creasing successively the numbers before whom we passed. But as 
they were obliged to go behind their countrymen, who would not 
relinquish their posts on the margin of the bank, their change of 
situation was not readily observable. 
The appearance of the people, who were of all classes, was 
rather that of inhabitants of different climates than of the same 
district. The dark copper colour of those who were naked contrasted 
so strongly with the paleness of those who were clothed, that it was 
difficult to conceive such distinct hues could be the consequence of 
greater or less exposure to the same degree of solar and atmospheric 
influence : * but all conjecture on this subject was set at rest by re- 
peated illustrations of their effects. Several individuals, who were 
naked only from their waist upwards, stripped themselves entirely for 
the purpose of going into the water, to obtain a nearer view of the 
Embassy. When thus exposed, they appeared, in the distance, to 
have on a light-coloured pair of pantaloons. But difference of 
colour was not the only variety of character observable in them. 
The eyes of those whose complexion was dark, had less of the de- 
pressed curve in their internal angles, so remarkable in the Chinese 
in general, than of those who were of a lighter tint. Indeed in some 
* De Guignes makes the following observations on the complexion of the Chinese : 
Le teint des Chinois est d’un brun-clair; mais cette couleur varie suivant la qualite des 
individus et leur profession. Les coulis, les matelots, les ouvriers, et les labom*eurs, plus 
exposes par etat a l’ardeur du soleil, sont plus bruns, et meme d’un brun-fonce; tandis que 
l’homme en place a le teint plus clair, plus blanc, et quelquefois fleuri. Voy. a Peking, 
Tome ii. p. 159. 
