c p p >;
, . *793“. with fringes o f gold» On the back part ®f it. the arms o f Great Bri-
September. tain appeared ia- ’-the richeft embroidery;-the floor- beneath it wasr
fpread with a beautiful carpet, on which were-placed five chairs o f
ft&fgyof the fame materials as tbe-canopy* and fringed with gold»!
Thé center chair immediately up^er.the coat of arms was elevated on
a platform above the reft, to which there was an afcent,,of two fteps.
The whole had been arranged with great tafte in England,, and, in Its
prefent fituation, made a very fuperb appearance, in every refpeCt fuited
to the oecdSonii for which it was A t the.othef extremity ®£
the apartment, oppofite to the canopy, were hung the whole length
portraits o f their Britannic Majefties; |b that this chamber wanted no
decoration appropriate to the exterior of diplomatic dignity,
, Thefk dhpofitions being eompfeated, and hr a manner equally
fuited to the lplendor of the embafly, as.to the individual convenience,
o f thofe who compofed it, nothing remained to perfect the domefti®-
' eftablifhment, but the regulation op the different tables to be providfed
® for the feveral departments o f the heufehokTs which it was thought
proper to delay till the arrival oftbe Emperor in Pekin,
-Captain Mackintofh propofed to fet off otf the Monday, to join his,
fhip, the Hindoftan, now lying at Chufan, and to proceed toCiantsmt
there to take in his cargo for England, having feen, as he conceived».
* favourable commencemen t o f this important emhafly*’ih which his.
* mafters, the Eaft India Company, had fiieh a predominant intereft.
Saturday a«. This day the Emperor o f China returned to the Xmperial palace in
Pekin i and his arrivaf was announced by a grand difehaage of-t-Urtjl»
hay.
The. occupation! o f this day in the palace ..of the Ambafiador were
entirely confined to writing letters fotr England, o f which Capt,
Mackintofh was to> take the charge; it then being confidered by
Lord Macartney as a fettled arrangement with the court o f Pekin,
4 - that
i .!
that 'the Ehghftï emhafty ihould remain in that city during-the Winteri »793.
to cany on the important negotiations with which it was entrufted. September.
'His Excellency received the vifits'tof feveral mandarins; •' Certain .Sunday 4*.;
packages defigned ■ for the Emperor were prepared to be prefented to
his Majcfty:. they eonfifted o f fuperfine broad and other cloths o f
various kinds of Britifh manufacture.
In c’dnfequence' o f the ficknefs that prevailed among ’the’ foldiers Monday 30.
belonging to thé embafly, I t w al’ thought expedient to eftablifh an
hofpital for .their more fpeecjy cure, as well as to feparate the invalids
from thofe'who were in health and' capable o f duty. Dr. Gillan and
Dr t Scoh were'acèofdlngly dènrecf to examine a range o f buildings behind
the Ambaffador’s apartments, with an open area beyond it, rand"
on the report o f thofe gentlemen, .’fttis^as; determined that they ftioukl
be formed into an hofpital. Accordingly feveral arrangements took
place, to' render it comfortable to thofe -who.Were under the neeeflity
-of taking up an oceafioftal abode -ip ^t. At tips time, ©fthe.fifty men
which compofed’ the -guards o f the embafly, * eighteen- were in fuch a
flute as to require the-attentive care and {kill of the phyfician.'
A toaridarmeame from the Emperor -to requeft that the ordnance Qpiobert
:pre&nts! Fright'be immediately fent to-the palace-of Yeumen-manyeu- 1
men,' where they were to be proved and examined^rpufc^he Chinefe
thought themfelves‘’equal to the talk of proof and, examination s for
the Britifh artillery foldiers were never employed, as yaS,&^e'(ft^3y;to
'difpfay' their fuperisr fkill in thefciericé o f engineering and gunnery.
The chariots, &c. were alfo removed to .the fame place, and the
fadler and carpenters belonging to the embafly, wdth fome ,affiftant
'mechanics, were fent thither to unpack and hang them on their^éaf-
tiages : this wasMbne, but the Workmen were permitted to adjuft -
therh' fblly for prefentation and.eame back in the evening to Pekin
' without receiving orders tef return to complete their work, and explain
Z % . • the