“ to that genuine politenefs, which diftinguifhes our manners, it
“ cannot be expedited in Orientals, confidering among other
things the light in which they are accuftomed to regard the
“ female part o f fociety.” • Whether the great minifters o f
ftate, who have daily intercourfe in the different tribunals, fome-
times relax from the ftiff and formal deportment obferved towards
each other in public, I am not able to fay, but when at
Court they invariably obferve certain ftated forms and expref-
fions as ftudied and ceremonious as i f they had never met before.
It appeared to us highly ridiculous to fee our friends, the
two colleagues Van-ta-gin and Cbou-ta-gin, on meeting in the
precindts o f the palace, performing to each other all the genuflexions
and motions o f the body which -the ceremonial
inftitutes of the empire require.
I rather fufpedl, however, that where any degree o f confidence
prevails among thefe people they fometimes enjoy their
moments o f conviviality. Our two worthy conductors met at
Canton an old acquaintance who was governor o f a city in Fo-
kien. He gave them an evening entertainment on the river in a
fplendid yacht to which I was privately invited. On entering
the great cabin I found the three gentlemen with each a young
girl by his fide very richly drafted, the cheeks, lips, and chin
highly rouged, the reft o f the face and neck whitened with a preparation
o f cerate. I was welcomed by a cup o f hot wine from
each o f the ladies who firft fipped by way o f pledging me.
During fupper, which for number and variety o f diihes e x ceeded
any thing I had hitherto met with in the country, the
girls played on the flute and fung feveral airs, but there was nothing
thing very captivating either in the vocal or inftrumental part o f
the mufic. We pafled a moft convivial evening free from any
referve or reftraint, but on going away I was particularly defired
by Van not to take any notice o f what I had feen, apprehenfive,
I fuppofe, that their brother officers might condemn their want
o f prudence in admitting a barbarian to witnefs their relaxation
from good morals. The yacht and the ladies it feemed were
hired for the occafion.
The incalculable numbers o f the great officers o f ftate and
their attendants, all robed in the richeft filks, embroidered with
the moft brilliant colours, and tiflued with gold and filver,
the order, filence, and folemnlty with which they arrange and
conduit themfelves on public court-days are the moft commanding
features on fuch occafions.
This fober pomp o f Afiatic grandeur is exhibited only at
certain fixed feftivals 5 o f which the principal is the anniverfary
o f the Emperor’s birth-day, the commencement o f a new year,
the ceremonial o f holding the plough, and the reception o f foreign
embafladors, moft o f whom they contrive to be prefent
at one or other o f thefe feftivals. The birth-day is confidered to
be the moft fplendid; when all the Tartar princes and tribu-
tuaries, and all the principal officers o f government both civil
and military, are expected to be prefent.
For reafons o f ftate, which will be noticed hereafter, the Emperor
rarely fhews himfelf in public among the 'Chinefe part
c c o f