as thofe o f the Chinefe are under it ; the upper part was generally
o f embroidered fatin, the foie confided o f folds o f cloth or paper,
about an inch thick ; they were fquare in front, and a
little turned up. T he hair fmoothed up on all fides, not very
different from that o f the Chinefe ; and though their faces were
painted with white lead and yermillion, it was evident their
ikins were much fairer than thofe o f the former. The Chinefe
women are more fcrupuloufly confined to the houfe in the capital
than elfewhere. Young girls were fometimes feen fmok-
ing their pipes in the doors o f their houfes, but they always
retired on the approach o f men.
A ll the ftreets were covered with fand and duft: none had
the lead pavement. The crofs lanes were generally watered,
which did not appear to be the cafe in the main ftreets. A large
iheet o f water, feveral acres in extent, within the northern wall,
affords to that part o f the city, and to the palace an abundant
fupply o f that element, as does alfo a finall ftream which runs
along the weftern wall to that neighbourhood. There are be-
fides abundance o f wells ; but the water o f fome o f thefe is fo
dreadfully naufeous, that we, who were unaccuftomed to it,
were under the neceffity o f fending to a diftance to obtain fuch
as was free from mineral or earthy impregnations. When mixed
with tea, the well water was particularly difgufting.
Although Pekin eannot boaft, like ancient Rome, or modern
London, o f the conveniencies o f common fewers to carry off
the dirt and dregs that muft neceffarily accumulate in large
cities, yet it enjoys one important advantage, which is rarely'
i found
found in capitals out o f England : no kind o f filth or naftinefs,
•creating offenfive fmells is thrown out into the ftreets, a piece o f
cleanlinefs that perhaps may be attributed rather to the fcarcity
and value o f manure, than to the exertions o f the police officers.
Each family has a large earthen jar, into which is carefully
collected every thing that may be ufed as manure; when the
jar is full, there is no difficulty o f converting its contents into
money, or o f exchanging them for vegetables. The fame
{mall boxed carts with one wheel, which fupply the city with
.vegetables, invariably return to the gardens with a load o f this
liquid manure. Between the palace o f Yuen-min-yuen and Pekin,
I have met many hundreds o f thefe carts. T h e y are generally
dragged by one perfon, and pufhed on b y another; and
they leave upon the road an odour that continues without inter-
miffion for many miles. Thus, though the city is cleared o f
its filth, it feldom lofes its fragrance. In fact, a conftant difgufting
odour remains in and about all the houfes the whole
day long, from the fermentation o f the heterogeneous mixtures
kept above ground, which in our great cities are carried off in
drains.
T h e medical gentlemen o f China are not quite fo ingenious,
as we are told the faculty in Madrid were about the middle o f
the laft century, when the inhabitants were direited, by royal
proclamation, to build proper places o f retirement to their
houfes, inftead o f emptying their nocturnal machines out o f
the windows into the ftreets. The inhabitants took it into
-their heads to confider this order as a great affront, and a direct
violation o f the rights o f man ; but the doctors were the mpft
o 2 ftrenuous