[ 7 1 7 ] 
to till the ground, and facrifices on that hill to hea- 
ven. . The emperor’s apartments there have nothin^ 
magnificent in them j but the ceremony of plough- 
ing is a folemn and curious one, and deferves a par- 
ticular defcription. The emperor tills under a fmall 
covering of mat. When he has ploughed about half 
an hour, he afcends a large alcove, from whence he 
fees the princes, great men, and mandarins, plough 
in the fields, which are not covered with mats. 
While the emperor is ploughing, a good number of 
peaiants fing ancient fongs on the importance of 
ploughing. . The emperor, princes, and great men, 
are drefled in the habit of plough-men, and their 
inftruments of hulbandry are very neat, and kept in 
a magazine. T here are granaries for the grain pro- 
duced by this tillage ; and it is carefully remarked, 
that the grain from the emperor’s tillage is much 
better than that from the labour of others. From 
this grain are made feveral cakes for the various fa- 
ct ifices to Heaven or Chang ti . ’I he emperor pre- 
pares himfelf for this ceremony by falling, prayers 
to heaven, and a kind of retreat : and the intention 
of it is to keep up a memorial of thofe times, in 
which the princes themfelves tilled the ground. This 
ceremony is of the higheft antiquity in China. 
Over againd the Sien nong tan is the Tien tan , or 
Hill of Heaven, near ten ly in circuit. Every thin? 
here is magnificent. The emperor goes thither every 
year at the winter folftice to lacrifice to heaven. He 
prepares himfelf three days for this ceremony by 
fading, in a palace of Tien tan , called the palace of 
fa fling. The hill, on which the emperor facrifices, 
is magnificently adorned. At the four avenues are 
beautiful 
