388 
CHINESE OFEICIAL DOCUMENTS. 
“ The Great Emperor reflected that your King sighed after happiness 
(China), and acted with sincerity ; we therefore accepted some presents, and 
gifted your King with various precious articles. You must return thanks to 
the Emperor for his benefits, and return with speed to your kingdom, that 
your King may feel a respectful gratitude for these acts of kindness. Take 
care to embark the rest of the presents with safety, that they may not be lost 
or destroyed.” 
After this lecture, should the Ambassador supplicate you to receive the 
remainder of the presents, answer, in one word, “ A decree has passed, we 
therefore dare not present troublesome petitions,” and, with decision, rid 
yourselves of them. 
Respect t/iis. 
N. B. The orthography of Chinese words, in Roman letters, is not deter- 
mined j and, therefore, the "same words are spelt differently by different 
translators, as in this edict “ Kiang” is elsewhere spelt “ Keang,” &c. &c. 
Yu-yu is, by Mr. Morrison, written joo-ee. 
No. 7. 
Imperial Edict, respecting the Embassy, received privately from General Wang, 
at Kvoa-chovo, 18 th October, 1816. 
His Majesty’s pleasure, as follows, has been received with feelings of 
respect : — 
On the day that the English Ambassador came to the gate of the Palace, 
he said he was sick, and could not attend the imperial residence. It was 
afterwards discovered, on an investigation being made, that the said Ambas- 
sador had travelled during the night from Tung-chow to Pekin, and when he 
reached the gate of the Palace, the court-dresses which they brought 
were still on the road, and that he dared not perform the ceremony in his 
ordinary clothes, and therefore sickness was affirmed. Ho-she-tae did not 
report clearly the fact, that the time appointed for the audience might be 
changed, and the ceremony performed. That was an error committed by 
Ho-she-tae in a direct address to me, which led to sending back the Embassy 
on the same day. 
I, on reconsidering that the said nation had sent a tribute of sincere and 
entire devotedness from beyond a vast ocean, at the distance of thousands 
of miles, f original, ten thousand lees,) could not bear to reject their ex- 
