486 CHI 
of mandarins of eminence. The milfionaries who, from 
their principles of converting to their faith, (land on a 
precarious footing, are more afraid of giving offence to 
an eunuch than ro a mandarin; and knowing the}' have 
the ear of the emperor, they endeavour, by meeknefs and 
aCts of civility, to conciiiate their good wilhes. When 
an emperor dies, all his women are removed to an edifice 
called the Palace of Chajlity, fituated within the walls of 
the palace; in which they are (hut up for the remainder 
of their lives. There are in China a few Pagan nuns 
yvho.make a vow to remain virgins. Though the laws 
of the country do not admit of religious convents, thefe 
women are admired for perlevering in an effort which is 
difficult to accomplilh. The adultery of women is not, 
like that of men, punilhed capitally. When a new em- 
pero'r accedes to the throne, it is laid that very refpeCl- 
able perfons of the country take their daughters to the 
palace for his choice; and the families of l'uch as are ac¬ 
cepted, think themfelves highly honoured. Others are 
prelented to the princes of the blood either for wives or 
concubines. The latter, in China, are looked upon in 
the fame light as handmaids in the Old Tellament. In 
the lower claffes of life, how'ever, beauty mud be very 
rare, if what has been afferted be true; that all young 
girs among them, of good figure, with handfome fea¬ 
tures, and delicate complexions, are purchafed from their 
parents at the age of fourteen, for the gratification of the 
rich and powerful. 
Intimation was given to the ambaffador of the empe¬ 
ror’s approach to Yuen-min-yuen, and that the etiquette 
of the court required he Ihould go fome miles on the road 
to meet him. Though much indifpofed with rheuma- 
tifrn, his excellency went early in the morning to the 
rendezvous pointed out. The emperor came with regal 
pomp and dignity; and, perceiving the ambaffador, he 
flopped to deliver a gracious mtffage of civility, which 
ended in defiring him to return fpeedily into the city, as 
ti’.e dampnefs of the morning might increafe his com¬ 
plaint. The ambaffador was now informed by fome of the 
great mandarins, friends to the embaffy, that a council 
had been holden to take into conlideration the letter 
brought by him from the king of Great Britain, and the 
proper mode to be uled towards his fubje&s. On this 
occafion the prime minifcer had fummoned the Thibet 
general, viceroy of Canton, and a former hoppo of the 
fame place, a declared enemy of the Englifh, then a (fate 
prilbner, convicted of embezzling the public treafure to 
an immenfe amount, and of exadions from the Englifh 
while at Canton, to give their teftimony and advice, as 
being competent to judge of the conduct and difpofition 
of the foreigners trading to that port; but, without 
doubt, to llrengthen the colao againft the more favour¬ 
able inclinations of his imperial inn jelly. Nothing au- 
fpicious could be expeCled from the luggeftions of Inch 
perfons; and the ambaffador notified his defire to the 
prime miniiter, to leave Pekin early in the month of Fe¬ 
bruary. The ambaffador, inltead of an anfwer to this 
meffage, received an invitation to come to the colao at 
Yuen-min-yuen, where he had lome Englifh letters to 
deliver to him. His excellency went thither, and found 
a few' letters, dated Chu-fan, from the Lion and Hin- 
dooilan. The colao wifhed to know their contents. He 
was told that the Lion would loon put to fea, but that 
the Hindooffan would wait for her commander; and his 
excellency- hereupon put the letters into his hands. The 
colao hoped the fhip would wait to carry back the em- 
baffy. He obferved, that the emperor, on hearing of the 
ambaffador’s illnefs, and the death of fome of his fuite, 
and apprehenfive that they might materially fuffer in 
their healths by a continuance, imagined it might be de- 
firable to depart before the rivers were frozen up, as tra¬ 
velling by land was very inconvenient in that country. 
The ambaffador dilcovered that other motives were con¬ 
cealed under the pretended folicitude for the embaffy’s 
health, and made a proper anfwer; which was replied 
N A, 
to by the prime minifler as before; and,his excellency 
was buffered to take leave, without being informed that 
the emperor’s anfwer to his Britannic majefty’s letter was 
ready, and w'ould be delivered the next day. 
The legate having waited on the ambaffador to fay 
the colao deiired to lee him at the great hall of audience 
in the palace of Pekin, he went thither ; in the midfl of 
which was placed upon a chair of ftate, the emperor’s 
anfwer. It was comprifed in a large roll, covered with 
yellow filk, and was to be lent that evening, in form, to 
the ambaffador’s hotel. Whatever favour it might con¬ 
tain, could not be attributed either to the colao or his 
companions, whofe unfriendlinefs was demonftrated by 
their pertinacity in refuting" the prefents uliial from fo¬ 
reign minillers. In a converfation, however, with the 
minifler on the points defirable to be procured for the 
Englilh Eail-India company in China, he alked for a 
brief abltraCt ; and, without pledging himfelf to fupport 
them, promifed they lliould have an immediate confider- 
ation. Kis excellency, in confequence, loll no time in 
forwarding fuch a llatement. The emperor’s anfwer, 
which was lent the fame evening, was accompanied with 
feveral chefts of prefents for his Britannic majelty; fome 
for the ambaffador and his fuite ; and even tokens of his 
beneficence were extended to all the officers and men of 
the lhips of the embaffy. 
As no politive directions had been given for his excel¬ 
lency’s departure, it was inferred, from the emperor's 
lall declaration at Yuen-min-yuen, that recourfe would 
not be had to ablolute command. His excellency had 
to regret the little progrefs made as to the purport of his. 
milfion; though he faw the inutility of a wifh to prolong 
his ref/dence againft the coho’s inclination. He had, be- 
lides, been privately informed, that the Chinefe had no 
other idea of an embaffy than that of a vifit, with pre¬ 
fents on fome folemn feltival, and to lall only during its 
continuance. Under thefe circumftances, his excellency 
fignifiecl to Ho-choong-tuung his intention of joining fir 
Eralinus Gower, at Chu-fan, with all poffible fpeed ; and 
requelled a letter from him might be immediately for¬ 
warded containing fuch information. This determina¬ 
tion, which feemed pleafing to the colao, was perfectly 
confident with Chinefe decorum, which demanded a to¬ 
tal ceffation of the embaffy after the receipt of the em¬ 
peror’s anfwer, and the farewel prefents; neither could 
any perfonal communication afterwards be obtained with 
his imperial majelly. An intercourfe more favourable to 
the views of the ambaffador unexpeClediy took place on 
the route to Chu-fan, through the meahs of one of the 
fix grand colaos, appointed to accompany the embaffy 
thither. This i'udden removal from Pekin threw the em¬ 
baffy into great confufion, from the lliort time allowed 
to prepare for it; but it was forced to yield to impe¬ 
rious neceflity. The route was direCled through Han- 
choo-foo ; and, beffdes, its two old and repeClabie com¬ 
panions, Chow-ta-zhin and Van-ta-zhin, another perfon 
of the firlt rank, Sun-ta-zhin, one of the grand colaos 
who was in the confidence of the court, was appointed 
to accompany the llrangers on their return, and to watch 
and report their conduct. 
On the morning of the yth of OCtober, Ho-choong- 
taung, and other minifters, came to a pavilion within the 
gates of Pekin, to take leave of the ambaffador, and de¬ 
livered lome gracious meffages on the part of his impe¬ 
rial majelty. They hoped the treatment his excellency 
had met with was confonant to his willies; and at the 
fame time allured him, that due attention lliould be paid 
to him and his fuite, in order to render the journey plea- 
lant to the port of embarkation. Upon a table were placed 
two tubes of bamboo wood, covered with yellow cloth, 
containing two rolls of yellow paper. Upon one was 
written an enumeration of the imperial preients, and up¬ 
on the other, an anfwer to the recent requifitions made 
by the amballador rcfpeCling the Englilh faClory at Can¬ 
ton. A mandarin of the fifth order was appointed to 
carry 
