/ 
C H 
formed into regular lanterns, in each of which a burn¬ 
ing light was fuddenly perceived, whole flame was vivid 
and beautifully coloured; effedrted without any commu¬ 
nication from without which could produce the flame 
that was within. But what was moll extraordinary, this 
devolution and developement were reiterated, with a 
change of figure every time, as well as a change of co¬ 
lours. Smaller correfpondent boxes were affixed to each 
fide of the large one, which unclofed in the fame way, 
and expofed to view a kind of net-work of fire, with par¬ 
titions of variotis forms that glittered like burnifhed cop¬ 
per; and, with every guft of wind, produced corufcant 
flaflies refembling lightning. The whole concluded with 
a volcanid eruption of artificial fire, in the grandelt ftile 
imaginable. 
A feledt party was invited to a pantomimic entertain¬ 
ment in the theatre belonging to the ladies of the palace; 
a finall handfome building, thrfce ftories high, fituated 
between their pleafure-grounds and the emperor’s gar¬ 
den. It contained three open ftages, One above another. 
The guefts, among which were the ambaflador and a part 
of his flute, fat in deep boxes, oppofite the loweft ltage ; 
over them were the ladies, in latticed galleries, who could 
fee what was doing upon any of the ltages, though they 
were invifible to all. It appeared that the emperor was 
willing to gratify their curiofity with the fight of one 
belonging to the embafly, the page, mafter Staunton, 
being conduced out of the ambaflador’s box, by a eu¬ 
nuch, upon a platform within view of the ladies. The 
a£tors, who were numerous, and filled the three ftages, 
inftead of appearing in the human fhape, afl'umed the 
likenefs not only of animals, but likewife of a variety of 
inanimate productions of both fea and land ; intended, 
perhaps, to reprefent an epitome of the world. The pan¬ 
tomime was divided into feveral a£ts, and lafted a con- 
fiderable part of the afternoon. During the performance, 
the emperor called the ambaflador to him, and faid, “ It 
•was only on particular occalions, like the prefent, that 
be aflifted at fuch fpeCtacles ; the care of watching over 
the fafety of his people, and enaCting laws for their wel¬ 
fare, neceflarily demanded every moment of his time.” 
Notwithftanding this unremitting attention to the pub¬ 
lic weal, his imperial majefty had found leifure to culti¬ 
vate fome of the polite arts. He had written poems, 
fomething like the epics of Voltaire, which (hewed tafte 
and fancy. A few ftanzas were configned to the ambaf¬ 
lador for his majefty, as were fome rare gems, highly 
prized from having been eight centuries in the family; 
and they were prefented as a pledge of perpetual friend- 
fhip. It had been the cuftom of the emperor, after the 
celebration of his birth-day, to follow the great chafe of 
wild beafts in the forefts of Tartary; but this fport was 
now declined oh account of his advanced age. He gene¬ 
rally parted the fummer in his Tartar, and the winter in 
his Chinefe, territories; and, as his imperial majefty had 
refolved on a fpeedy return to Pekin, it was fettled that 
the ambaflador fhould leave Zhe-hol before him. Pre¬ 
vious to his excellency’s departure for Pekin, he received 
an anfwer from the colao to his letter, fignifying that the 
Uindooftan fliould be allowed to fell goods and purchafe 
a cargo at Chu-fan, under the protection of the manda¬ 
rins, who fhould take care that the natives did not exaft; 
and that, as (he had come from Europe chiefly laden with 
prefents for the emperor, no duties fliould be taken on 
ber return; but that captain Mackintosh could not be 
allowed to join his Ihip. This difappointment was, 
doubtlefs, owing to the illiberality and unfriendlinefs of 
the Thibet general. 
The embafly returned to Pekin on the evening of the 
46th of September, to the inexpreflible joy of fuch of 
their fellow-travellers as had neceflarily been left at that 
place, and who had remained ever fince immured in a 
State of little better than aftual captivity. Some of the 
miflionaries, in the firft days, had paid them occafional 
vifits; but this friendly intercourfe aroufing the jealoufy 
Vql. 1 V. No. 2x3. 
I N A, 485 
of the Chinefe, they were ordered to be difcontinued, and 
the conduCt of both, in future, was narrowly watched. 
An alarm of another kind was alfo occafioned, In the 
abfence of the ambaflador at Zhe-hol, by fome cf the 
perfons of the embafly inadvertently walking upcn the 
walls of their hotel, from whence could fometimes be 
perceived the female inhabitants of the neighbouring 
houfes. This was confidered as highly unbecoming, and 
gave great oft’ence; though, the moment it was repre¬ 
fen ted as improper, the piaCtice was difcontinued. The 
ambafiador’s re-entrance, however, into the city, was 
marked with the ufual honours, and he received the ac- 
curtomed vifits of the mandarins. His excellency being 
aware that a fyftem of precaution, originating in jealoufy, 
had been conftantly exercifed with regard to the embafly, 
forelaw the expediency of fixing fome certain day for his 
departure; and he had underftood that l’uch a propolal 
was expeCled from him. No permanent refidence had 
ever yet been eftabliflied in China for any foreign minis¬ 
ter ; and the government of the country confidei ing am- 
bafladors as guefts, whole charges were defrayed out of 
the public purfe, the unbounded hofpitality, and f'ump- 
tuous treatment, already afforded to the Englifh, were 
powerful arguments againft the prolongation of the vifit. 
The ambaflador, therefore, refolved to afk leave to depart 
in the beginning of February, before which time he might 
hope to effeCt fomething towards the eftablifhment of a 
more frequent and friendly commercial intercourfe. 
Exterior ceremonies performed in honour of the em¬ 
peror, which tend greatly to infpire the people with fen - 
timents of refpeft and duty towards him, are praCtifed 
generally on his birth-day throughout the empire. AH 
the mandarins at Pekin drefled in their ceremonial 
robes, had afl'embled at noon, in the great palace of that 
city, and each, before the throne, upon which incenfe 
was burning, proftrated himfelf nine times, and made 
offerings of viands and liquors, as if he could partake 
of them though abfent. In the fame general manner is 
incenfe burned, and offerings made, every new and full 
moon, before the throne of the feveral palaces, by all 
the officers of the emperor’s houfehold. The temples of 
Pekin, however, have no claim to elegance when com¬ 
pared with its palaces. The religion of the emperor is 
not generally followed. The mandarins and men of let¬ 
ters venerate Confucius, and aflemble, as of old, in halls 
of Ample conftruCtion ; and the lower clafies of the peo¬ 
ple are unable to contribute to the ereCtion of fplendid 
edifices for public worfhip. Befides, their religious at¬ 
tention, like thofe of the patriarchca) times, is much taken 
up with their houlehold gods; infomuchthat everyliouls 
has its altar and its deities. 
To qualify perfons as officers of the houfehold, and 
other departments among the women in the imperial pa¬ 
laces, it is neceffary to become eunuchs; and the opera¬ 
tion for this is generally performed before the age of pu¬ 
berty ; though it is fometimes done from childhood to 
forty years of age. Such as are defirous of quitting ple- 
beity, and willing to become eunuchs, are immediately 
received into one of the palaces, and inverted with an 
employment that gains him the advantages and import¬ 
ance of a gentleman; and fome few of them have been 
dignified with a^ball upon their cap, the badge of office 
of both civil and military mandarins. But Ample caftra- 
tion is not fufficient for thofe who are wholly entrufted 
with the care of the ladies of the court. They undergo 
entire emafculation, all traces of fex fuffering complete 
excifion. The beard of an adult, thus formed into a 
complete eunuch, foon begins to fall off; and in a fliort 
time the whole difappears. His frame alfo withers like 
a blighted plant; and his face, like the wrinkled liag, is 
full of furrows. From menial lervants at the commence¬ 
ment, by degrees they creep gradually into favour and 
power, adminiftering to the potentate’s private pleafures 
and amufement; and their influence has been able, from 
a fuppofed indignity, to effeft the difmiflkl and difgrace 
6 H -cf 
