“ throne, and fat down upon cuihions at one o f the tables on
41 the Emperor’s left hand. And at other tables, according to
*' their different ranks, the chief Tartar princes and the Man-
“ darins o f the court at the fame time took their places; all
“ dreffed in the proper robes o f their r.efpective ranks. Thefe
“ tables were then uncovered and exhibited a fumptuous
“ banquet. The Emperor fent us feveral diihes from his own
“ table, together with fome liquors, which the Chinefe call
“ wine ; not however expreffed from the grape, :but diftilled
“ or extra&ed from rice, herbs, and honey.
“ In about half an hour he fent for Sir George Staunton and
“ me to come to him and gave to each o f us, with his own
“ hands, a cup o f warm wine, which we immediately drank
“ in his prefence, and found it very pleafant and comfortable,
“ the morning being cold and raw. Among other things he
“ aiked me the age o f my Sovereign and, being informed
“ o f it, faid he hoped he might live as many years as himfelf
“ which were then eighty-three. His manner was dignified,
“ but affable and condefcending; and his reception o f us was
“ very gracious and fatisfa&ory.
The order and regularity in ferving and removing the
jg dinner was wonderfully exa&, and every funaion o f the
| ceremony performed with fuch filence and folemnity as
“ in fome meafure to refemble the celebration o f a religious
“ myilery.
There were preient o n . this occafion three F.mbalTadors
from Ta-tze or Pegu, and fix Mahomedan Embaffadors
“ from
“ from the Kalmucs o f the fouth-weft, but their appearance
H was not very fplendid. During the ceremony, which laded
“ five hours, various entertainments o f wreftling, tumbling,
I wire-dancing, together with dramatic reprefentations, were
“ exhibited oppofite the Emperor’s tent, but at a confiderable
“ diftance from it.
“ The 17th o f September, being the Emperor’s birth day,
“ we fet out for the court at three o’clock in the morning,
“ conduced by Van-ta-gin, Cbou-ta-gin, and our ufual at-
“ tendants. We repofed ourfelves about two hours in a large
“ faloon at the entrance o f the palace enclofure, where fruit,
“ tea, warm milk, and other refrelhments were brought to us,
“ A t laft notice was given that the feftival was going to begin,
“ and we immediately defcended into the garden, where we
“ found all the great men and mandarins in their robes o f
“ ftate, drawn up before the Imperial pavilion. The Em-
“ peror did not (hew himfelf, but remained concealed
“ behind a fcreen, from whence I prefume he could fee and
“ enjoy the ceremonies without inconvenience or interruption.
“ All eyes were turned towards the place where his Majefty
“ was imagined to be enthroned, and feemed to exprefs an
“ impatience to begin the devotions o f the day.' Slow, folemn
“■ mufic, muffled drums, and deep-toned bells, were heard at
“ a diftance;— on a fudden the founds ceafed, and all was
“ ftill— again they were renewed, and then intermitted with
“ fhort paufes ; during which feveral perfons paffed backwards
“ and forwards, in the profcenium or foreground o f the tent,
“ as i f engaged injpreparing fome grand coup-de-theatre.
I At