354 
THACKERS OF THE BOATS. 
courtesy.” The Chinese wish to call foreign ambassadors Kung-she, “ Envoys 
with tribute,” and the presents Kung-wuh, “ Articles of tribute.” That the 
word hung has long been understood as here stated, appears by the following 
quotation : — “ Koeo-tsong, of the Lung dynasty, made peace with the Tartar 
King Hi-tsong, on very dishonourable conditions; for on signing this treaty 
he made use of the word chin , which signifies subject, and of cong, which is 
tributary.” — Du Halde. It may occur to the reader, that the Chinese give 
presents in return ; this is true, but they call them by a very different name, 
viz. Shang, “ a thing bestowed on an inferior.” The letters which have 
passed between European Sovereigns and Chinese Emperors have not been 
called by the same name. The letters which they receive, they wish to be 
called Pea-su-wan, “ a representation made,” as if by petition. The letters 
they give are called Chih, “ an imperial mandate.” We used the word 
Shoo, “ a book, or letter,” such as passes between equals. The Chinese 
allowed us our own phraseology, and in speaking to us generally used it ; 
what they wrote on the flags of boats, or used amongst themselves, we could 
not controul.” 
Page 76. — Trackers of the Boats of the Embassy. 
The following observations, extracted from Mr. Morrison’s journal, re- 
specting the trackers employed in China, have so much interest as to re- 
quire no apology to my reader for their insertion in this place : — 
“ The boats were dragged by human effort. Poor miserable looking men 
passed cords across their breast, over one shoulder and under the other arm, 
and walked forward in a leaning posture, pulling at the end of the rope, 
which had its other end fastened to the mast-head of the vessel, to which they 
were giving motion. There are sometimes ten, twenty, or thirty men em- 
ployed to drag one boat. These men thus engaged are called Tseen-foo. 
Where there are not persons whose constant occupation is tracking, or where 
an extraordinary number is required, government impresses poor people, 
wherever they find them, for one day’s journey ; and to have them ready on 
the arrival of a fleet, sometimes confines them for a day or a night. At one 
place we found a temple, dedicated to the Ming-keen-sheh-wang, ‘ ten 
judges in Hades,’ converted into a prison, to confine the trackers over-night. 
Four of our party went to see the temple, but found its gate chained up, 
and the magistrate of the town’s seal upon it. A military officer used his in- 
fluence to have it opened for us, but the large group of imprisoned trackers 
