41 provinces, that were gathered together, fell down and wor-
“ ihipped,” except certain ftrangers, who, being obftinately
refolved to do no greater homage to any fovereign than what is
required by their 0wa fovereign, bent one knee only to the
•ground.
T he Emperor was carried by eight men in a kind o f fedan
chair, which was followed by a clumfey Rate chariot upon two
wheels, and without fprings. He bowed very gracioufly_ to the
Embaflador as he paffed', andfent a meffage to him to fay that,
underftanding he was net well, he advifed him to return immediately
to Pekin, and not to flop at Yuen-min-yuen,; as was
intended.
The morning being very cold, we were defirous to get home
as faft as w e could ; and accordingly galloped along with fome o f
the Tartar cavalry. When we arrived under the walls o f Pekin,
we turned our horfes towards a different gate to that thrbugh
which we were accuflomed to pafs, in order to fee a little
more o f the city. But one o f our condudors, who had
thought it his duty not to lofe fight o f us, in perceiving us
making a wrong turn, hallowed out with all his might. We
puihed forward, however, and got through the gate, but w e
were purfued with fuch a hue and cry, that we were glad to
efcape through one o f the crofs ftreets leading to our hotel,’
where we arrived with at leaft a hundred foldiers at our
heels.
On
On the ift o f Odober the Emperor, attended b y a Tartar,
mfpeded the prefents in the hall o f audience and examined
them with minute attention. He defired the Tartar prince to
tell us, through Deodato, that the accounts he had received
o f our good condud at Yuen-min-yuen gave him great pleafure,
and that he had ordered a prefent to be made to each o f us, as
a proof o f his entire fatisfadion. This prefent was brought,
after his departure from the hall, by the old eunuch, who took
care to tell us that before we received it we muft make nine
proftrations according to the Chinefe cuftom. I made him no
anfwer, but requefted Deodato to explain to the Tartar prince,
who was ftill prefent, that being under the orders o f the Em-
baflador we did not think ourfelves authorized to do what he
had found good to refufe, but that we had not the leaft objedion.
to go through the fame ceremony that he had done at Gehol.
The Tartar prince immediately anfwered that nothing further
was required. W e accordingly placed one knee on the loweft
ftep leading to the throne. The prefent confided o f rolls
o f (Ilk and feveral pieces o f filver caft in the form o f a
Tartar ihoe, without any mark or infcription on them, and each
about the weight o f an ounce.
The prefents being now all delivered, and the Embaflador
informed by the miffionaries that preparations were making for
our departure, the ufual time b eing. nearly expired, his Excellency
was defirous o f having the day fixed, and for this pur-
pofo difpatched a note, to the firft minifter, who fent an anfwer
by the Tartar legate to inform him that, to prevent any
likelihood o f being furprized by the approaching bad weather,
r th e