through the broad ftreets o f this capital from one extremity to
the other without the leaft moleftation, or, indeed, the leaft no tice.
We could not forbear remarking the extraordinary contrail,
that the two greateft cities in the world exhibited at this
hour o f the day. In the public ftreets o f Pekin, after five or
fix o’ clock in the evening, fcarcely a human creature is feen to
move, but they abound with dogs and fwine. A ll its inhabitants,
having finiihed the bufinefs o f the day, are now retired, to their
refpedive homes to eat their rice and, agreeably with the cuf-
tom o f their great Emperor, which to them is a law, to lie
down with the fetting fun; at which time in London, the crowd,
is fo great-, from Hyde Park corner to Mile End, as to interrupt
each other. _ In Pekin, from the moment the day begins
to dawn, the buzz and the buftle o f the populace is like that
o f a fwarm o f bees; whilft, on the contrary, the ftreets o f London
at an early hour in the morning are nearly defected. A t
eight in the evening, even in fummer, the gates o f Pekin are
Ihut, and. the keys fent to the governor, after which they cannot
be opened on any confideration.
The Embaflador and the reft o f the fu-ite, with the ibldiets,
fervants and muficians had, leveral hours before us, fet out in a
fort, o f proceffion, in which an officer of: government onhorfe-
back took the lead, with the letter o f the Emperor o f China to
the Eing o f England flung acrofs his ihoulders, in a wooden
cafe covered with yellow filk. A t a late hour in the night, w.e
joined the reft o f the party in the fuburbs o f Tong-tchoo-foo, where
we were once more lodged among the gods o f the nation, in a
temple that was confecrated to the patronizing deity o f the city.
There.
There are no inns in any part o f this vaft empire ; or, to ipeak
more correftly (for there are refting-places), no inhabited and
furnifhed houfes where, in confideration o f paying a certain
lum o f money, a traveller may purchafe the refrelhments o f
eomfortable reft, and o f allaying the calls o f hunger. The
ftate o f fociety admits o f no fuGh accommodation, and much
lefs fitch as, in many countries, proceeds from a fpirit o f difin-
terefted hofpitality; on the contrary, in. this country, they invariably
ihut their doors againft a ftranger. What they call
inns are mean hovels, confift-irig o f bare walls where, perhaps;
a traveller may procure his cup o f tea for a piece o f copper
money, and permiffion to pafs the n ight; but this is the extent
o f the comforts which fuch places hold out. The practice indeed
o f travelling b y land is fo rare, except occafionally in thofe
parts o f the country which admit not the convenience o f inland
navigations, or at fuch times w hen thefe are frozen up, that the
profits which might arife from the entertainment o f paflengers
could not fupport a houfe o f decent accommodation. The officers
o f ftate invariably make ufe o f the conveniencies which
the temples offer, as being fuperior to any other which the
country affords; and the priefts, well knowing how vain it
would be to refift, or remonftrate, patiently fubmit, and refign
the temporary ufe o f their apartments without a murmur.
In mod countries o f the civilized, world, the buildings appropriated
for religious worffiip and the repofitories o f their gods,
are generally held facred. In the monafteries o f thofe parts o f
Europe, where inns are not to be found, the apartments o f the
monks are fometimes reforted to b y travellers, but in China the”
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