avowed that neither he nor any o f his European brethren were
well qualified for the taik, and that they had been hitherto
more indebted to the Connoijfances de tems o f Paris than to their
own calculations. That having exadtly afcertained the difference
o f meridians between Pekin and Paris, they had little difficulty
in reducing the calculations made for the latter, fo as to
anfwer for the fituation o f the former, at leaft to a degree o f
accuracy that was fufficiently near the truth not to be detected
by any o f the Chinefe members.
T h e French revolution having put an end to future communications
with that country was to them a fevere blow in this
refpeft, though the fecretary thought he could now manage the
calculation o f an eclipfe fufficiently corredt to pafs current with
the Chinefe. Fortunately, however, Dodtor Dinwiddie had
provided himfelf on leaving London with a fet o f the nautical
almanacks, calculated for the meridian o f Greenwich, up to
the year 1800, which they confidered as an invaluable prefent.
The grandfons o f the Emperor were almoft daily vifitors. It
feems there is a kind o f college in the palace for their education.
Though young men from the ages o f fixteeo to five-and-twenty,
the old eunuch ufed frequently to pufh them by the ffioulders
out o f the hall o f audience; and, on expreffing my furprife
to Deodato at fuch infolence, he informed me that he was their
ay a, their governor!
W e had alfo a great number o f Tartar generals and military
officers who had heard o f fword- blades that would cut iron
bars
bars without injuring the edge ; and fo great was their aftohiffi-
ment on proving the fa d , that they could fcarcely credit the
evidence o f their own eyes. We* could not confer a more acceptable
prefent on a military officer than one o f G ill’s iword-
blades ; and from the eager applications made for them, as we
palled through the country, the introdudion o f them through
Canton, in the regular courfe o f trade, would, I ihould fuppofe,
be 00 difficult talk.
But the two elegant carriages made by Hatchett puzzled the
Chinefe more than any o f the Other preterits. Nothing o f the
kind had ever been feen at the capital ; and the difputes among
themfelves as to the part which was intended for the feat o f the
Emperor were whimfical enough. The hammer-cloth that covered
thé’ box o f the winter carriage had a fmart edging,.'and
was ornamented with felloons o f rbfes. Its fplendid appearance
and elevated fituation determinated it at oiice, in the opinion o f
the majority, to he the Emperor’s feat ; but a difficulty! arofe
how to appropriate the infide o f the carriage. T h e y examined
the windows, the blinds, and the flereefis-, and at lafi: concluded,
-that it could be for noBody but his; ladies. The old eunuch
came to me for information, and where he learned that the fine
elevated box was to be the feat ©f the man who managed the
horfes, and that-thé Empéfaris place, was" within^.-he; aiked me,-
with a fneer, i f 1 ÎùppbfeéEffaé'-ÿ’a--wba>ig-tee would fuÉer any
man-to fit higher than himfelf,; ànd-to turn-his bade towards
him ? and he w ifh ed to know i f We could not contrive to have
the côach-bbx' fèmdééd and pfaceÜrjfotrieWhére behind the body
.of the carriage. '• -r; ■- é~;
-Q_ A remark