CHINESE OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. 
383 
he shall offer it up to the officer Keen-gan , who having received it, shall 
ascend to the middle steps to the imperial presence, and kneeling, present 
it to His Majesty. 
After this, the officer Soo, and the others, shall conduct the Ambassador 
and suite through the western folding-door to the inside of the palace, where 
at Je-ping they shall kneel down, and wait till His Majesty confers upon the 
King of their country a Joo-ee.* * * § The officer Keen-gan shall receive it, and 
deliver it to the Ambassador, patting authoritatively all such questions as His 
Majesty may direct. These forms being over, Soo shall conduct the Ambassar 
dor and suite out by the same door at which they entered. At the outside of 
the door, Soo shall respectfully take charge of the Joo-ee for the Ambassador, 
and then, as before, lead the persons of the Embassy to the west side 
of the Altar of the Moon. The crier shall proclaim, “ Be arranged.” 
All the persons shall then arrange themselves, and the music shall strike 
up. It shall next be proclaimed, “ Advance and kneel the Ambassador 
and suite shall all advance and kneel. The crier shall proclaim, “ Bow the 
head to the ground, and arise j” the Ambassador and suite looking towards 
the upper end of the palace, shall then perform the ceremony of three 
kneelings and nine times bowing the head to the ground, t This ceremony 
being ended, the music shall stop : the Princes and royal personages, who 
are permitted to sit, shall conduct the Ambassador and suite to a place 
behind the western line of persons, where they shall perform once the 
ceremony of kneeling and bowing to the ground, and then sit down.t 
His Majesty shall then have tea introduced § ; the Princes, the Ambassador 
and suite shall kneel, and bow the head to the ground once. After His 
Majesty has drank tea they shall return to their seats. 
The attending officers shall then confer on all who sit the Hae-cha (milk 
tea), for which all shall perform the Ko-tou once ; after drinking the tea they 
shall also perform it. The immediate attendants on His Majesty shall then 
proclaim the Peen, and the Princes, the Ambassador and suite, shall rise 
up. The same word shall next be thrice proclaimed below the steps, and 
the band shall strike up the tune Hai-ping, (subjugation or tranquillity 
* A white stone, in form not unlike a soup ladle. The term Joo-ee implies, “ as you wish.” 
| This is not merely the Ko-tou, but a repetition of it, in Chinese called San-kwei-keu-kou. 
^ It does not appear that any Chinese joined in this part of the ceremonies. 
§ His Majesty alone drinks tea. 
