488 C H I 
northern, and another part to the fouthern, courfe of 
the canal: a circumkance, which not being generally ex¬ 
plained or underkood, gave the appearance of wonder to 
an affertion, that if a bundle of thicks be thrown into 
that part of the river, they would feparate of their ovm 
accord, and take different directions. 
The Yellow River, which the yachts had next to crofs, 
was fo rapid in its current, as to induce the Cbinefe to 
think it neceflary to make facrifices to the fpirit of the 
river to inline a fafe pakage. The maker of the yacht, 
attended by the crew, alfembled upon the forecaftle; and 
holding a cock in his hand as a viCtim, wrung off his 
head, and threw it into the Itream. lie then confecrated 
the veffel, by lprinkling its blood upon the deck, malts, 
anchors, and doors of the cabins; upon each of which 
were Ituck fome of the cock’s feathers After this, bowls 
of meat were brought, and placed in a line acrofs the 
deck; and before thel'e cups containing oil, tea,fait, and 
ardent fpirits. The captain now made three low folemn 
bows, lifting up his hands, and uttered a few words as if 
addrelfed to the deity. During this time the loo was 
forcibly beaten, matches were lighted and held towards 
heaven, tinfel paper was kept burning, and abundance 
of crackers let off. Libations were made by him to the 
river, by throw ing into it the cups of liquids, afterwards 
that which held the fait. The ceremonial being finilhed, 
the people made a hearty repaft of the bowls of meat. 
They then launched the yacht with confidence into the 
ftream ; and having reached the oppolite lliore, the cap¬ 
tain offered thanks to heaven with three inclinations of 
his body. 
During the embafly’s progrefs towards the Yellow Ri¬ 
ver, letters frequently paifed between the emperor and 
Sun-ta-zhin, and the latter often paid friendly vifits to the 
ambaffador. Quotations from the imperial difpatches were 
cited at different times by Sun-ta-zhin, containing not 
only an account of the letter of fir Erafmus Gower having 
been forwarded to Chu-fan, but alfo gracious expreffions 
towards bis excellency and fuite, which he was informed 
was in confequence of Sun-ta-zhin’s favourable reports 
of the embafly. He had declared to the emperor, that he 
was perfectly convinced the ambaffador had no other 
view than that of procuring for his country advantages 
in trade, which Europeans confidered as an objeft of the 
utmolt importance; and that he had difcovered nothing 
in their manners or fentiments which could create the 
fmallefl alarm to the nation, with whom the Englifh was 
delirous of ekablifhing a friendly or commercial inter- 
,courfe. As further teltimcnies of the emperor's perfonal 
regard, his meffages were often accompanied with pre- 
fents of dried meats from his table, preferved after the 
eaftern manner. His imperial majefty, in a recent anfwer 
to Sun-ta-zhin’s letters, affured him, that he entertained 
himfelf an high efteem for the ambaffador and his nation, 
notwithftanding the various furmifes which had been 
made concerning them ; that he had refolved to protedf 
their trade, about which his excellency had interefted 
himfelf fo warmly; that he had, indeed, refufed to com¬ 
ply with certain requeks, as at his advanced period of life 
he could not reconcile himfelf to any innovation ; that 
with regard to the bufmefs of Canton, it had been left to 
the difcretion and management of the viceroy, who would 
not readily give orders to abolifh practices which he him¬ 
felf had fanftioned; but as a particular mark of his im¬ 
perial inajelly’s attention to the defires of the Englifh on 
this fubjeft, he had recalled the former, and appointed a 
new viceroy, one who was related to him by blood, and 
endued with fentiments of jultice and benevolence to¬ 
wards ftrangers ; and that he had received inftru&ions to 
examine andrevifethe regulations of the port of Canton, 
and to put an effeflual flop to the vexations and griev¬ 
ances of which the Englifh complained. Sun-ta-zhin, in 
addition, faid to the ambaffador, that it might be fup- 
pofed perhaps, out of delicacy to his excellency, he had 
put too favourable a conltnktion on his imperial majef- 
N A. 
ty’s difpatches, but that he might reft affured they were 
the emperor’s own words; and that as the newly-ap¬ 
pointed viceroy was kill at Han-choo-foo, he would in¬ 
troduce the ambaffador to him there, who would confirm 
the affurances he had juk given. 
Proceeding farther on, they perceived plantations of 
mulberry-trees, fome of which bore white, others red or 
black, fruit. The boughs being frequently lopped off, 
young fcions flioot out abundantly, the leaves of which 
are tender and more nutritions for filk-worms than thole 
gathered from older branches. The aurelias of the filk- 
worrn, as well as the white earth-grub, and the larvae of 
the fphinx moth, are accounted among the Chinefe a de¬ 
licacy for the table. In this, however, they are not lin¬ 
gular; for in the Wek Indies a large caterpillar, which 
feeds upon a palm, is ekeemed a delicious morfel. They 
now approached the city of Sou-choo-foo, in the vicinity 
of Nankin, termed the paradife of China. It is large 
and very populous; the houfes are well built, and the 
inhabitants drefled mokly in filk. The women were fairer 
than thofe in the north, many of whom wore a fmall cap 
of black fatin adorned with jewels upon the forehead, 
brought down to a peak between the eye-brows, and 
they had ear-pendents of gold or crykal. The yachts 
kopped at a village near the city of Han-choo-foo, to re¬ 
ceive the new viceroy of Canton. He came in a barge 
to pay the firk vifit'to Sun-ta-zhin and to the ambakii- 
dor. He confirmed the affurances which had been given 
of the emperor’s friendly dif'pofition towards his excel¬ 
lency and the Englilh, to which, in the mok plealing 
manner, he added his own good-will. In addition to the 
honour conferred by the emperor on Chaung-ta-zhin, 
the viceroy, the inhabitants of the Che-kiang, the go¬ 
vernment of which he had juk quitted, and where he had 
adminillered impartial jukice, gave him the mok flatter¬ 
ing of titles, by calling him “ the fecond Confucius." 
He accompanied Sun-ta-zhin and the ambaffador into 
Han-choo-foo, at which place they arrived on the 9th of 
November, 1793. 
The city of Han-choo-foo, nearly equal in population 
to Pekin, is the grand emporium for merchandize and 
all kinds of articles which pafs between the northern and 
fouthern provinces. The highek houfes have only two 
kories ; the kreets are narrow, but well paved; in the 
principal of which the kiops are nearly as fplendid as 
thofe in London. The manufariure of fiiks and fatins, 
for which there is a brifk demand, is done by women ; 
and furs and Englifh broad-cloths form no inconfidera- 
ble part of their trade. Information was received here 
that fir Erafmus Gower had failed from Chu-fan ; but as 
he had kated in a former letter that he fhould proceed to 
Canton, to get a fupply of medicines which he could not 
obtain ell'ewhere, a difpatch was immediately lent to the 
company’s conunikioners at Canton to kop the Lion. 
From this place the new viceroy permitted captain Mack- 
intofh and a part of the amballador’s fuite to go to Chu- 
fan, where the Hindookan was taking in a cargo. Sun- 
ta-zhin, who took a friendly leave of the anibaffador, ac¬ 
companied this party. They fet out on the 13th, and 
arrived there on the 19th of November; at which place 
their conduftor, after making prelents to them on behalf 
of the emperor, fliook the captain heartily by the hand, 
and bade him a cordial adieu. 
The ambaffador and the viceroy fet out the fame day 
for Canton, the route to which was upon the river Chien- 
tang-chaung. Two bodies of Tartar troops, fuperbly 
dreffed, were drawn out upon the beach, and iaiuted his 
excellency as he paffed to his barge. An immenfe crowd 
of boats were akembled on the occafion, and among the 
experienced boatfmen was one who rowed, keered, held 
the fheet, and fmoked at the fame time. Between Han- 
choo foo and Yen-choo-foo were fome rich and pic- 
turefque valleys, which prefented to view the large-leafed 
chefnut, and purple-leafed tallow-trees; alfo the tower¬ 
ing larch, and the glittering leaves of the thick fpreading 
camphor- 
