The Portugueze embafly entered Pekin the ift May 1753*
and left it the 8th June following, being only thirty-nine days.
The Britiih embafly arrived in Pekin the 21ft Augull 1793,
and departed the 7th Odober, being forty-feven days.
The third Dutch embafly entered the capital the 10th
January 179J, and left it the 15th February, being thirty-fix
On the whole, then, it may be concluded, that neither Mon-
fieur Grammont, nor they who conceived that anluncondmona
and fervile compliance, on the part of the Britiih Embaffador,
would have been produdive o f more favourable refults, were
right in their cpnjedures. On the contrary, it may, perhaps
be rather laid down as .a certain confequence, that a tone of
fubmiflion, and a tame and paflive obedience to the degrading
demands of this haughty court, ferve only to feed its pride, and
add to the abfurd notions of its own vaft importance.
C H A P. 11.
Occurrences and Obfervations in the Navigation of the Yellow-
Sea, and the Paflage up the Pei-ho, or White River.
Different TeJUmonies that have been given o f the Chim/e CharaBer— Comparifon of
China with Europe in the fxteenth Century.— Motives o f the Miffionaries in their
Writings— Briti/h Embaffiy paffes the Streights of Formofa— Appearance of a
Ta-fung Chufan IJlands Injiance of Chinefe Amplification— Various Chinefe
Vejfels.— Sffitm of their Navigation— their Compafs, probably o f Scythian Origin
—foreign Voyages o f— Traces of Chinefe in America— in an I/land of the
Tartarian Sea— in the Perftan Gu/ph— traded probably as fa r as Madagafcar—
Commerce o f the Tyrians Reafons fo r conjeBuring that the Hottentots may
have derived their Origin from China.— Portrait of a Chinefe compared with that
i f a Hottentot.— Malays o f the fame defcent as the Chinefe.— Curious coincidences
in the Cujloms of thefe and the Sumatrans.— Cingalefe o f Chinefe Origin— One
o f the Brigs difpatched to Chu-fan fo r Pilots— Rapid Currents among the
IJlands— Vifit to the Governor— Difficulties in procuring Pilots— Arbitrary Proceeding
of the Governor.— Pilots puzzled with our Compafs— Ignorance of— Arrive
in the Gulps o f Pe-tehe-lee.— Vifit of two Officers from Court, and their Prefent
— enter the Pei-ho, and embark in convenient Tachts— Accommodating Conduct
of the two Officers Profufon o f Proviftons— Appearance o f the Country— o f the
People.— Drefs o f the Women— Remarks on their fmall Feet— Chinefe an uncleanly
and frowzy People— Immenfe Crowds of People and River Craft at Tien-
Sing— Decent and prepoffeffing ConduB o f the Multitude— Mufcal A ir fung by
the Rowers of the T a c h t s — Favourable Traits in the Chinefe CharaBer— Face
and ProduBsof the Country— Multitudes o f People Inhabitants o f the Water—
Another ltffiance o f arbitrary Power— Difembark at Tong Tclioo, and are lodged
in a Temple.
Ml F any man fhould make a colledion of all the inventions,
“ and all the produdions, that every nation, which now is,
E “ or