C H 
it is principally with fruits and Sweetmeats. But, not- 
witliftanding tea is the common beverage of all the Chi¬ 
nefe, and is prefented to vilitors at all hours, yet there 
are lome, efpecially in the northern provinces,- who are 
fond of Spirituous liquors, and are difpofed to be very 
convivial. The mandarins leemed to indulge in luxury ; 
they made, daily, two, or three, meals of animal food, 
highly feafoned ; each repaft confuting of many courfes. 
The intervals were employed in Smoking, and chewing 
the areca nut. 
The embafly, in its palTage Up the river, was Saluted 
by a discharge of three guns at every military poll:, fome 
or which were paffed every day when the high road was 
near the river. This road, though narrow, was good; 
carriages were few; and thofeonly with two wheels, and 
without fprings. Gentlemen commonly travel in fedan 
chairs, chair-palanquins, or on horfeback; and ladies in 
clofe litters lufpended between mules; and even in this 
manner only for fliort diftances. T here are no coaches 
in the country. The ancient cuftom of applying fails to 
carriages by land, is not entirely laid afide. Theft ve¬ 
hicles are carts or double barrows made of bamboo, hav¬ 
ing one large wheel placed between them. Two poles, 
riling from the oppolite Tides of the cart, ferve as malls, 
upon which the fail, confining of a mat, is fet. But this 
can only take place when the cart is going before the 
wind. In other cafes, the machine is drawn by one man, 
while another, behind, not only keeps it Heady, but im¬ 
pels it forward. 
On the 16th of Auguft, the yachts having proceeded 
as far up the river Pei-ho as the depth of water would 
admit, came to anchor within half a mile of Tong-choo- 
foo, which is ninety miles diftant from Tien-fing, and 
within twelve miles of the city of Pekin. It appeared 
that the Lion and Hindooftan failed from the gulf of 
Pe-tche-li on the 8th of Auguft, and on the 12th had 
palled through the ftraits of Mi-a-tau. While they re¬ 
mained at anchor in the gulf, they found the latitude of 
the anchorage to be thirty degrees fifty-one minutes and 
a half north, and longitude by time-keeper, a hundred 
and feventeen degrees fifty minutes eaft; and that the 
latitude of the mouth of the Pei-ho, or White River, was 
thirty-nine degrees north. The letter which had been 
fent from the viceroy of Pe-tche-li to the governor of 
Ten-choo-foo, in favour of fir Erafmus Gower, had been 
the mean of procuring him every affiftance of which he 
flood in need. From thence he went to take a minute 
examination of the bay of Ki-fan-feu, fometimes named 
Zeu-a-tau, where he arrived on the 15th of Auguft, and 
found it fpacious, the depth of water from nine to five 
fathoms, the ground or anchorage tough, and that fhips 
were fecure in all direfitions; but that wood and water 
were at fome diflance in the bay. The country, how¬ 
ever, had a barren appearance, the inhabitants were poor ; 
and it was doubtful whether proper accommodations 
could be procured for the fick and convalefcents. Sir 
Erafmus, therefore, determined to go to Chu-fan, where 
he had more favourable profpefts; and for this place the 
tyvo large fhips fleered their courf'e. 
The route prefcribed for the embafly, was through the 
city of Pekin, to a villa in the vicinity of the emperor’s 
autumnal palace, called Yuen-tnin-yuen, or garden of per¬ 
petual verdure. At this palace were to be depofited iuch 
of the prefents as might receive damage by conveying 
them along the rugged roads to Zhe-hol, in Tartary. A 
temple, near Tong-choo-foo, was appropriated for the 
accommodation of the ambaffador and his fuite, and tem¬ 
porary buildings had been erected for receiving the pre¬ 
fents. Thefe buildings, conftrufted .of bamboo, were 
impenetrable to rain; guards were placed around, and 
perfons forbidden to approach them with fire or lights. 
All the packages were re-landed and houfed in a day. 
The temple, now converted into a caravanfary for tra¬ 
vellers of rank, was founded for the maintenance of twelve 
priefts of the religion of Fo. The priefta were removed 
Vox. IV. No. 212. 
N A. 477 
to a neighbouring monallery, exceptone, who was ap¬ 
pointed to watch over the lamps of the fhrine, and to qt- 
tend his excellency’s commands. The rooms had boarded 
platforms, elevated a foot from the floor; thick woollen 
cloths were fp read upon them, which, with the addition 
of a culhion, conftituted the bedding of thofe priefts. 
The apartments of the fuperiors were allotted for the 
embafly, in which, to their great terror, were difcovered 
fcorpions and fcoiopendras. 
A public banquet, or breakfaft, was prepared the next 
morning by the mandarins, to which every perfon be¬ 
longing to the embafly was invited. Befides tea, there 
were various kinds of viands. Tables were Ipread in the 
vacant parts of the new Itore-rooms, no other place be¬ 
ing fufficiently capacious. This repaft, according to 
Chinefe etiquette, was given as a mark of extreme civi¬ 
lity, by including every attendant belonging to the per¬ 
fon whom it was meant to honour; and not to have ac¬ 
cepted .of it, would, befides giving umbrage, have been 
confidered as a want of good breeding. The diftance 
from the beach to the temple was io lined with people, 
that it had the appearance of a crowded fair, efpecialjy 
as fimilar flails were purpofeiy eredted for the lale of li¬ 
quors, fruit, and other articles. Not a pauper was to be 
feen on the fpot; nor did any one alk alms. The pre- 
fent, indeed, was not the feafon of diftrefs for the pea- 
fantry, who, in times of dearth or fcarcity, impelled by 
lharp hunger, are often driven to criminal excefles to 
procure food. In thofe times of national calamity, how¬ 
ever, the emperor opens the public granaries for their re¬ 
lief, remits the taxes of the haplefs cultivator, and re- 
inflates him in his farm by pecuniary aflillance. 
A party of gentlemen, accompanied by fome manda¬ 
rins, going into the adjoining city to purchafe a few tri¬ 
fles, obferved the projeftion of an approaching lunar 
• eclipfe difplayed upon the lides of feveral hou-les. The 
Chinefe have always confidered an eclipfe of the fun as 
portending fome national calamity; and, as they efti- 
mate their own happinefs by the degree of virtue pof- 
feffi-d by their fovereign, they attribute their misfortunes 
to his privation of moral goqdnefs. Even the emperor is 
forced, as it were, to accede to the idea, and govern him- 
felf accordingly. On the eve of an eclipfe, for example,, 
he never engages in any important enterprize ; but feems 
defirous of avoiding the converts of his minifters, that he 
may fecretly examine into his pall adtions, with a view 
to correft their errors, for which the approaching eclipfe 
may be fent as an admonition ; and his fubjedls are then 
invited to offer him their advice. 
The country, for fome miles round Tong-choo-foo, 
appeared level; the foil light, and of ealy culture. Its 
principal autumnal crops were Indian corn and millet: 
and the thick ftubble was left upon the ground for ma¬ 
nure. The inllruments of hulbandry for thralhing and 
winnowing corn, as well as for rolling the land, were 
nearly of European conftrudlion. The inciofures were 
few, and but few cattle to inclofe ; pallurage ground was- 
rare, the anirpals for food and tillage being foddered and 
fed chiefly in flails. Straw cut Imall and mixed with 
beans was the food for horles. Ploughing was performed 
by oxen. Their horfes are ftrong and bony ; and many 
of them are fpocted as regularly as a leopard, occafioned 
by crofting thofe of contrary colours. Mules are more 
valuable in China than horles, as requiring lets food, and 
performing more labour. The cottages of the peafantry 
are neat and comfortable ; but they have neither fences 
nor gates to' guard them againft wild bealts or thieves; 
for the latter, perhaps, it were unnecelfary, as robberies 
are feldom committed, notwithstanding the pur.ilhment 
is not capital, as before noticed, unlels accompanied by 
afts of violence. 
The wives of the. peafantry are truly induftrious ; for,, 
befides managing every domellic concern, they exercile 
l'uch trades as are carried on within doors. They rear 
filk-worms, fpin cotton, and work at the loom ;• in fhort, 
6 F they 
