ÿttin i rude kiftd ô f lüagic Îântërn, arid a camera obfcura,
fièithér o f w lncn, although evidently ó f Chihèfe wotkmanfhip,
appeared to wear thë marks o f a national invention. I ihouid
rather côhdlüdê, that they were part ò f thòfe firlkihg and curious
experiments which thé parly jefiiits difplaÿêd ât Court, in order
to afioniih the Emperor With theit profdfund ifcill, and raift
their reputation às men o f learning. O f the omì/rts chinoifes
they ftfây, pe'rhâps, claim the invention, â'nd in pyrOtechny
their ingenuity may hé reckoned much füpëriôr to any thing
which has hitherto been exhibited ih that aft in Europe.
A convex lens is among thé üfual appendages' tò thè tObàccó
pipe. With thefé thèy are in thè daily Habit o f lighting their
pipes. Hencé thé great burning tens made by Mr. Parker of
Eteet-Street, and carried out among the prèfénfs for thé Emperor,
wàs an ohjedt that excited no admiration in the minds o f
the Chinefè. Thé difficulty Of making a léns o f fuéh magnitude
perfeà, Or free from flawf and its extr'â'ôrdinâf^1 ppwerf
CóUld not be UnderftoOd, and cohfequeriUy not appreciated by
them : ànd although in the flioft fpacé ófÌòUfTetóhds it completely
melted dotvn one o f their bâfémoppef cóifis, when thé
fun wâë shore than forty degrees béyónd the meridian, it made
ho impteffioh Of furptifè oh their uninformed rh'ihds.' Thé
Ohly enquiry thêy made about it was, whether thé fübftâhcé
Was cryftri ; but being iùforfned it WaS glafs, they tUrhed afvay
with a fort o f difdairi, as i f they wOUId fay, Is a' lump Of glafs a
proper prefénl to offer to OUr great Whaiig-feef The primé' mia
niftêr, Ho'-fchiïng-torig, in order to convince us how very familiar
articles Of fucli a nature were to him, figfitéd his pipe very
compofedly
compofedly at the focus, hut had a narrow efGape from fingeing
his fattin fleeve, which would certainly have happened had I
not given him a fudden pufh. He feemed, however, to be in?
fenfible o f his danger, and walked o ff without the leaft con?
cern.
Indeed, in feledting the many valuable prefects relating to
fcience, their knowledge and learning had been greatly overrated.
T h e y had little efteem for what they could not comprehend,
and fpecimens o f art ferved .only to excite their jea?
loufy, and to wound their pride. Whenever a future etnhaffy
£hall be fent to Pekin, I ihouid recommend article? o f gold,
filver, and fleel, children’ s toys and trinkets, and perhaps' a
few fpecimens o f Perbyihire fpar, with the fti&eft brqad-clotb
and kerfeymeres, in preference to, all others; for in their prc-
fent ftate, they are totally incapable o f appreciating any thing
great or excellent in the arts and fpienees.
T o alleviate the affli&ions o f mankind, and to affuage the
pains which the human frame is liable to fuffer, muft have
heen among the earlieft ftodies o f civilized lociety; and accordr
ingiy, in the hiftory o f ancient kingdoms, we find the pra<ai-
doners o f the healing art regar4ed oven tp adoration, Chiron,
the preceptor o f Achilles, and the «after of
was transferred to the heayens, where he ftill fhines under the
name o f Sagittarius. Among thefe nations, indeed, which we
call favage, there is ufually fhewn a more than ordinary rolpecl:
for fuch o f their countrymen as are moft {killed in removing
obftru£tions, allaying tumors, healing bruifes, and, generally
fpeaking,