C H 
<lSfplaying the dignity of the prince in the fuperior 
manners of the man. His habit was a robe of dark pur¬ 
ple 111k, with a cap of black velvet, furmounted with a 
red ball, and ornamented with a large pearl in the front; 
liis boots were of fllk embroidered with gold ; his under 
garment was of yellow fitk; a blue lilk fafh or girdle was 
tied round his watte, and a firing of pearl beads were 
fufpended from his neck ; on his bread he wore a tablet 
of yellow fattin, on which was beautifully wrought a fi¬ 
gure or creft of the five-clawed dragon, which, like the 
lion in Great Britain, is made the emblematic guardian 
of the Chinefe throne. The portrait of the emperor, 
done by Mr. Alexander, draftfman to the etnbaffy, and 
publifhed as a frontifpiece to fir George Staunton’s mag¬ 
nificent work, is faid to have been taken under unfavour¬ 
able circumftances. Sir George remarks, “that to ren¬ 
der the portrait more correCt, it might have been proper 
to draw the eye more full and clear, and the counte¬ 
nance more open and cheerful. Such at lead it was dur¬ 
ing the interview with the ambaffador, which was pro¬ 
longed by the necefiity of interpreting- whatever was faid 
by either party.” 
The dignified and fplendid manner in which the em- 
baffy was received, influenced the minds of the Chinefe, 
and induced them to believe that the government was 
about to make a change of meafures favourable to the 
Englifli. AmbaiTadors were not ufually received by the 
emperor upon his throne; nor were their credentials de¬ 
livered into his hands, but ordinarily into thofe of his 
miniflers. The fird prefent which the emperor of China 
made in return, to his Britannic majedy, was a jewel or 
precious done, more than twelve inches long, highly va¬ 
lued by the Chinefe. It was carved into the fimilitude 
of a Chinefe fceptre, in the form of that which is always 
placed upon the imperial throne, aliufive of peace and 
plenty. The ambafiador, in compliance with the Chinefe 
etiquette, and alfo the minider plenipotentiary, refpeCt- 
fully offered prefents, in their turn, on their own behalf; 
which his imperial majedy vouchfafed to receive, and 
gave others in return. Adverting to the inconveniency 
of having recourfe to an interpreter to explain whatever 
pafled during the interview, his imperial majedy aflced 
the colao, if there were any perfons in the embaffy ac¬ 
quainted with the Chinefe language; and being told 
that the ambaflador’s page, mafter George Staunton, a 
youth then in his thirteenth year, w r as the only one who 
had made any proficiency in it, the emperor delired he 
might be brought up to him ; and he alked him to fpeak 
Chinefe. His imperial majedy was fo pleafed with the 
converfe and elegant manners of this accompliflied young 
gentleman, that he took from his girdle his areca-nut 
purfe, which hung to it, and prefented it to him with his 
own hand. It was of plain yellow filk, and had the figure 
of the five-clawed dragon, and fome Tartar characters 
wrought upon it. 
At the conclufion of thefe ceremonies, were brought 
up to the emperor, at the right hand of the throne, feve- 
ral Hindoo ambafladofs from Pegu, and Mahometans 
from the vicinity of the Cafpian Sea, who, when they 
had repeated nine folemn proltrations, were fpeedily dii- 
milfed. After this, the Englifh ambafiador, and the 
three perfonages accompanying him, were conduced to 
the left hand of his imperial majedy, and feated upon 
cufhions. The princes of the imperial family, the chief 
Tartar tributaries, and the highed officers of the court, 
were leated according to rank, nearer Ifo or more remote 
from the throne, before which was placed a table for his 
imperial majeity ; and one table was likewife laid for 
every two guelts. When all were feated, the tables were 
uncovered, and difplayed a fplendid banquet. Various 
kinds of viands and different forts of fruit were ferved up 
rn bowls, piled pyramidally one above another. Tea 
was alio introduced. During the repad, every bowl or 
cup handed to the emperor was taken with hands raifed 
above the head, as had been done by the ambaffador 
i 
N A. 4^ 
when he prefented the gold box. Much filenceand great 
i'olemnity, verging on religious awe, were obi'erved dur¬ 
ing the whole of this bufinefs. Yet his imperial majefty’s 
attention to his European gueds was remarkably confpi- 
cuous. By his order, feveral diflies were handed to them 
from his own table; and, when the repad: was finithed, 
lie lent for them, and gave them, with his own hand, a 
goblet of warm Chinefe wine. Inquiringof the ambaffa¬ 
dor how old his own fovereign was, he cordially wifiied, 
in anfwer, that he might attain to his years, which then 
amounted to eighty-three, in a perfeCt enjoyment off 
health. The fedival being concluded, he defeended 
from the throne, and walked firm and ereCt to the open 
chair which was in waiting, and which conveyed hint 
back to his palace with the lame folemnity in which he 
came. 
A fliort time after, the ambaffador received from his 
imperial majedy, prefents of filk, porcelain, and teas for 
himfelf and all the gentlemen of his fuite. Some rare 
white grapes, more oblong in form than the Spanifli 
olives, and about their fize, were mixed with the oCca- 
fional prefents of fruit. At or after the cultomary vifits, 
between fuperiors and inferiors in China, an interchange 
of prefents takes place; but thofe from the former are be¬ 
llowed as donations, while the latter are received as offer¬ 
ings : thefe being the Chinefe terms for luch prefents as 
pafs between the emperor and foreign princes. But among 
the many infrances of civility and politenefs on the part 
of the emperor, was an invitation to the ambaffador and 
fuite to vifit the gardens and pleafure grounds of Zhe- 
hol. This, like many other tranfaCtions at the imperial 
court, began early in the morning. In going thither 
they met the emperor, who, after being greeted by the 
ambaffador, informed him, he was proceeding to his de¬ 
votions in the temple of Poo-ta-la ; that, as they did not 
adore the fame gods, he fhould forbear to l’olicit his ex¬ 
cellency to join him; but that he had given directions 
to his miniiterSi to accompany him through the gardens. 
His excellency was not lei's furprifed than pleafed to> 
find that Ho-choong-taung, the prime minilter, had been 
ordered for this purpofe, in the hope that it might afford 
a favourable opportunity of contracting an intimacy, 
and of refuming the topic which was the chief objeCV of 
liis million. But thispleafurable idea was foon repreffed 
by the appearance of the Thibet general, who joined the 
colao, as if he dreaded the ambaffador’s gaining any af- 
cendency over him, or that any explanation might take 
place between them relative to the Thibet war, or con¬ 
cerning any other fubjeCt interefting to Great Britain. 
The general’s brother, and another chieftain of rank, 
were alfo prefent. His excellency and fuite were con¬ 
ducted by them through a valt inclofure of pleafure 
grounds, forming a portion only of the extenfive gar¬ 
dens ; the remainder, appropriated for the ufe of the fe¬ 
male part of the imperial family, was inacceffible to 
thefe mi hitters as well as to the Englifh. Riding through 
a verdant vale, in which were willows whole trunks were 
of vaft magnitude, they arrived at a lake, upon which 
they failed in yachts till they could proceed no further 
for a bridge. The fpreading leaves and fragrant flowers 
of the lien-winy, a fpecies ot lily, covered the furface of 
the water. 
Near the bordefs of the lake were feveral final! palaces. 
In each was a public hall, having a throne in the mid¬ 
dle, and a few fide rooms chiefly furnifhed with Euro¬ 
pean works of art, and rare natural productions ot Tar¬ 
tary. Upon a marble pedeltal, placed m one of the pa¬ 
vilions upon the lake, was an agate of unique beauty 
and fize, which, by art, is made to reprefent a land- 
fcape; it is four feet long, upon which is cut a copy of 
verfes compofed by his imperial majeity. Various kinds 
of quadrupeds and birds were difeovered in the gardens, 
but no menagerie of wild beads. There were alfo un¬ 
commonly large varieties of gold and filver fillies fport- 
ing in ponds of clear water, wliofe beds were covered 
with 
