134 
THE YU. 
opportunity of making ; but such of its characters as I have been 
able to mark, are given in a note at the foot of this page. * 
The other stones which I observed in Tien-sing were chiefly agate 
and pudding-stone, worked into large rings for the wrists, orna- 
ments for the women’s hair in shape like a skewer, and snuff-bottles. 
These last, formed also of amber, porcelain, and imitations of stone, 
resemble in shape the smelling-bottles of the ladies of England ; but 
have a small spoon, like that of a Cayenne pepper-bottle, fastened to 
the stopples, for the purpose of taking out the snuff. 
The curiosity of the people of Tien-sing seemed to have been in 
no degree diminished by their first opportunity of seeing the English 
tribute-bearers, and was manifested, much to our annoyance, in our 
visit to the city. The crowds who had been so orderly and silent 
during our procession to partake of the imperial banquet, being now 
unrestrained by authority, flocked about us, and were not more 
forbearing than others of their countrymen. 
No circumstance arrests the eye of a stranger in the cities of 
China more than the great number of barbers, who are met with in 
its streets and form a considerable proportion of every crowd. Why 
they are so numerous, is readily explained by a reference to the uni- 
versal custom amongst the Chinese, of shaving all but the crown 
* Its colour is greenish white passing into greyish green, and dark grass-green. In- 
ternally, it is scarcely glimmering. Its fracture is splintery : splinters white. It is semi- 
transparent and cloudy. It scratches glass strongly ; and is not scratched by, or scratches, 
rock-crystal. Before the blow-pipe, it is infusible without addition. 
Specific Gravity. 
1. Whitish green, marbled with dark-green variety, - 3'33 
2. Dark -green variety, - - - - - - - - 3-19 
3. Whitish green variety, off the same specimen as No. 1. - - 3’4 
4. Light-coloured greenish-white variety, - 2’858 
The specimens of which the specific gravities are as above, were all, except the last, fur- 
nished to me by the kindness of Sir George Staunton. The last is precisely of the same 
nature as the sceptre sent to His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, and was put into 
my possession, for the purpose of examination, by the Honourable Mr. Amherst, to whom 
it was presented by one of our attendant Mandarins. 
