“ ficers of ftate, for three hours (fuch is the etiquette o f the
“ place) till the Emperor’s appearance. A t laft he came forth,
“ borne in the ufual manner by fixteen perfons on a high open
“ palankeen, attended by guards, mufic, ftandards, and urn--
“ brellas 'without number; and obferving us, as we flood in
“ the front line, gracioufly beckoned us to approach, having
“ ordered his people to flop ; he entered into converfation
“ with us ; and, with great affability o f manner, told us that
“ he was on his way to the pagoda, where he ufually paid his.-
“ morning devotions ; that as we profeffed a different religion.
S from his he would not afk us to accompany him, but that
“ he had ordered his firft minifter and chief Colaos to conduit
“ us through his garden, and to fhevv us whatever we were de-
41 firous o f feeing there.
“ Having expreffed my fenfe o f this, mark o f his condefcen-
“ fion in the proper manner, and my increafing admiration of
u every thing I had yet obferved at Gehol, I retired and,
“ whilfl: he proceeded to his adorations at the pagoda, I accom-
“ panied the miniflers and other great Colaos o f the court to
“ a pavilion prepared for us, from whence, after a fhort colla-
“ tion, we fet out on horfeback to view this wonderful garden.
“ We rode about three miles through a very beautiful park kept
“ in the higheft order and much refembling the approach to
“ Luton in Bedfordfhire; the grounds gently undulated and
“ chequered with various groupes o f well contrafted trees in
“ the offskip. A s we moved onward an extenfive lake ap-
“ peared before us, the extremities o f which feemed to lofe
ft themfelves in diftance and obfcurity. Here was a large and
3 “ magnificent