CHINESE SOLDIERS. 
91 
ready mixed by his side. He was much pleased by my visit ; showed 
me all the secrets of his art, and begged me to partake of its produce ; 
but this was too much impregnated with the oil of Sesamum to be 
at all agreeable to my palate. This favourite ingredient in Chinese 
dishes, is expressed from the baked seed of the plant, and has a 
highly empyreumatic flavour. 
Leaving this place, I passed, on the way to my boat, the tents of 
our Chinese soldiers, arranged along the shore, and forming a scene 
of much interest. Each was lighted by a blood-red lamp suspended 
from three sticks set up in a triangle in front of its opening. Groups 
of soldiers were sitting around them, either smoking their pipes or 
playing at dominos. 1 placed myself in the midst of one of them, 
and at once drew their attention towards me. They examined every 
part of my dress, and seemed especially struck by the fineness of my 
linen, and the apparent richness of my gilt buttons. Not satisfied 
with a superficial examination, they pressed me to take off my coat 
and other parts of my dress, and did not appear altogether contented 
at my non-compliance with their wishes. They were less fastidious 
on their part ; not only removing any part of their clothes which 
they thought me desirous to examine, but urging me to keep it ; and 
would not be satisfied until I had accepted a white linen badge 
inscribed with large Chinese characters, which was worn by each 
soldier about his neck. The largeness and length of my hands also 
occasioned them some surprise and amusement : theirs, like those of 
all the Chinese, when compared with the hands of Europeans, are 
very small. When placed in mine, (which are not excessively large,) 
wrist against wrist, the ends of their fore-fingers scarcely extended 
beyond the first joints of mine. 
At an early hour on the following morning, we were again in pro- 
gress towards Pekin, and reached Tung-Chow, twelve miles from 
Pekin, at four o’clock in the afternoon. Crowds of people on the 
shore, and in boats, assembled to witness our approach, exhibiting 
the same general characters as those whom we had seen at Tien-sing : 
but a greater number of them bore the marks of extreme poverty. 
n 2 
