If, however, cities, towns, villages, and farm-houfes, were
lefs abundant fo near the capital, than from the relations o f
travellers we had expedted to find them, the multitudes o f
inhabitants whofe conftant dwelling was on the water, amply
made up the apparent deficiency on ffiore. We paflfed, in one
day, upon this river, more than fix hundred large veffels,
having each a range o f ten or twelve diftmdt apartments built
• upon the deck, and each apartment contained a whole family.
The number o f perfons in one o f thefe veffels, we reckoned, on
an average, to be about fifty, and we' actually counted above
one thoufand veffels o f this defcription, that were floating on that
part o f the river, between Tien-Jing and Tong-tchoo. The different
kinds o f craft, befides thefe, that were perpetually palling
and re-paffing,: or lying chained to the banks o f the river, all
o f which were crowded with men, women, and children, c o n tained
full as many as the large veffels above mentioned ; fo
that, in the diftance o f ninety miles, on this fmall branch
o f a river, there were floating on the water not fewer than one
hundred thoufand fouls.
Among the different cargoes o f cotton wool, copper-money,
rice, filk, fait, tea, and other, commodities for the fupply 6 f the
capital, we obferved an article o f commerce, in feyeral o f the
large open craft, that puzzled us not a little to find out for
what it was intended. It corififted o f dry brown cakes, not
much larger but thicker than thofe we call crumpets. A clofe
examination, however, foon difcovered the nature o f their
compofition, which, it feemed, was a mixture o f every kind o f
filth and excrementitious fubftances, moulded into their prefent
fhape, and dried in the fun. In this form they are carried to
3 t h e
the capital as articles o f merchandize, where they meet with a
ready market from the gardeners in the vicinity; who, after
diffolving them in urine, ufe them for manure.
Little occurred that was worthy o f note, between Tien-Jing
and Tong-tchoo, except an inftance in the exercife o f arbitrary
power, not lefs cruel than that o f the Governor o f Chu-Jan,
and ill agreeing with- the feelings o f Engliihmen. Some o f
our provifions happened one morning to be a little tainted,
which could not be wondered at, confidering the heat o f the
weather, the mercury, by Fahrenheit’s fcale, being from 82° to
88°; The officers, however, who had been commiffioned to
furniih the fupply o f provifions, were inftantly deprived o f their
rank, and all their fervants feverely bambooed. The Em-
baffador interceded with Van and Chou in favour o f the degraded
delinquents, was heard with great attention, but perceived
that little indulgence or relaxation from itridt difcipline
was to be expedted on fuch occasions.
The whole diftance, from the entrance o f the Pci ho to the
city o f Tong-tchoo is about one hundred and feventy miles.
Here we found two buildings, that had been eredted in the
fpace o f two days, for the temporary purpol'e o f receiving the
prefents and baggage ; and they were conftrudted o f fuch large
dimenfions, that they were capable o f containing at leaft ten
times the quantity. The materials were wooden poles and
mats, and a fence o f wooden paling furrounded the whole.
We took up our lodging in a fpacious temple in the fuburbs,
from whence the priefts were turned out without the leaft
ceremony