with themfelves, it was not difficult to perceive, they felt,
though too cautious to avow, the fuperiority.
The Britiih embaffy was a meafure which .it was abfolutely
neceffary to adopt, for reafons that are ftated at full length in
the firft chapter o f Sir George Staunton.s. valuable work, and
die foundation it has laid for future advantages more than
counterbalances the. trifling expence it occafioned to the Eaft
India Company, which did not exceed two per cent, on the
annual amount o f their trade from England to Canton. Thofe
who had formed immoderate expectations muft have little underflood
the laws and, cuftoms o f China, which admit not- the
iyftem o f mutual intercoprfe between diftant nations, by means
o f embailadors or refident minifters at the refpeCtive courts.
Their cuftom is to repeiye embaffiylors writh refpe£t and, hofpi-
fa lity ; to confidprthem as" vifltprs to' the Emperor, and to
entertain th em . accordingly as his particular guefts, from the
mpjnent they enter the country till, tjiey returp to the boundaries
o f his, empire., This.- being neceffariLy . attended ryith an
enormpus. expense thq court of* .ceremonies has 'prefcribed,
forty days, fpr the. refi,denpe. o f e^^fladoys, either in
the capital, or whereyey.th^ coujjt, may. happen to b e ; though on
partipular opcafl.pus, pr by aqcider^:, the, term may fometimes
bg qxtende.tj to dpujfle tJjfit.tiitySy
Thus by, cqnCulting. the. apcounts o f the different, European
emhaffies tfiaf have. been, fen,t to,China in. the tw,o laft, ce,ntu7
* The cxpence” occafioned ,to the coui;t of'Chjna. by the Bntiiji embaffy, will be
Hated in a iubiequent' chapter. - -
ries, it will be found that thè refidence o f none of them was
extended to twice the term fixëd by the court of ceremonies,
and two of them did not remain the period allowed.
The firft embaffy fent by the Dutch arrived in Pekin
the 17th July 1656, and departed the 16th October following,
having remained ninety-one days.
The fécond Dutch embaffy arrived in Pekin the 20th June
1667, and departed the j th Auguft, having refided forty-fix
days.
T he firft Ruffian embaffy arrived at the capital on the 5th
November 1692, and left it on the 17th February 1693, having
remained there one hundred and fix days.
The fécond Ruffian embaffy arrived at Pekin on the 18th
November 172b,, and did’ not leave it till the 2d March 1721,
being one hundred and fourteen days.
Thefe two embaffies- were immediately connected with the
commercial concerns of the two nations, which were then
tranfaCted in the capital o f China, but now confined to the adjoining
frontiers.
The Pope’s embaffy arrived in Pekin on the 15th December
1720,, and departed the 24th March 1721, being ninety-nine
days.
The