ceremony, to make room for us, confifting in the whole o f one
hundred perfons nearly. And here it was fettled we ihould
remain until every article was landed, and coolies or porters
procured fufficient to carry the whole at once to Pekin, which
was computed to be about twelve miles to the weftward from
this place. And although near three thoufand men were
required for this purpofe, they were fupplied the inftant the
goods were all on ihore ; nor did it appear that any difficulty
would have been found in raifmg double that number, as there
feemed to be ten times the number o f idle fpedators as o f
perfons employed. The plain between the landing-place and
the temple was like a fair, and cakes, rice, tea, and fruit upon
maffes o f ice, and many other refrefhments were expofed for
fale, under large fquare umbrellas, that ferved inftead o f booths.
A flice o f water-melon, cooled on ice , was fold for one tchen, a
piece o f bafe copper coin, o f the value o f about three-tenths o f
a farthing. Not a fingle woman appeared among the many
thoufand fpectators that were affembled on the plain.
C H A P . HI.
Journey through the Capital to a Country Villa o f the Emperor.
Return to P,ekin. T he Imperial Palace and Gardens
o f Yuen-min-yuen, and the Parks o f Gehol.
Order o f Proceffion from Tong-choo to the Capital.— Crowd affembled on the Occa-
fion.— appearance o f Pekin without and within the Walls.— Some Account of this
City.— Proceed to a Country Villa o f the Emperor.— Iticonveniencies of.— Rä um to
Pekin.— Embaffador proceeds ip Tartary— Author fent to the Palace o f Yuen-min-
yuen. — Miferable Lodgings of.— Viftt o f the Prefdent and Members o f the Mathematical
Tribunal.— O f the Bijhop o f Pekin, and others.— Gill's Sword-blades
Hatchett's Carriages.— Scorpion found in a Caff packed at Birmingham.— Portraits
o f Englijb Nobility.— EffeEs o f Accounts from Tartary on the Officers o f State in
Pekin.— Emperor''s räum to the Capital.— lnfpecls the Prefents.-^Application
o f the Embaffador fo r Leave to depart.— Short Account o f the Palace and Gardens of
Y uen-min-yuen.— Lord Macartney's Defcription o f the Eafiern and Weffern Parks
of Gehol.— Änd his general Remarks on Chinefe Landfcape Gardening.
T h e prefents for the Emperor and our private baggage being
all landed, the packages repaired, and every article minutely
noted down b y the officers, o f government, the porters were
directed to fix their bamboo bearing poles to each package, that
no impediment might prevent our fetting out at an early hour
in the morning. In doing this, as well as in landing the articles
from the veffels, the Chinefe porters ihewed fuch expedition,
flrength, and activity, as could not, I believe, be paralleled