f§p i
O&ober*
( f $ )
Forfome days the provifions with which we" Bad bceh' fop plied ,
were'not dnfy* deficient in quantity, but were fettt ready dréfled\ tfof
cold; fo that- we found* it neceffary to drefs them'again', or rather Beat
diem up as well as we could. Mr. Plumb, the vehicle of* all complain
ts> and who, in general, contrived to procure redrefs, was employed
on the prefent occafion to reprefbnt the diflhtisfi&ioit'Which'
Was felt b y the different departments o f the embaffy, refpeding“ the
deficiency and quality of the daily provifions.
ïriday i a. 'The; fame flat and fertile country appeared on either fide of the canal;
though the view was this day varied by feveral-gardens, in which
there were plantations of that Ihrub which bears what is called'the
Imperial and gunpowder teas t it grows to the fize of a gööltèrry
bufih,' with leaves of the, fame fize. , The former ofthofe teas is epl-
k d e d from the firft, and the other from the" fiicceffive;. blofloirts. of
that plant..
We continued to pafe through a fiieeeffion of locks,. and to eScfcjie
the curiofity of various towns and villages which phured fertlf their
inhabitants to fce die extraordinary fpesaack. of an Einopean .embaffy.
saim*y 19. Towns and villages- alternately prefcnted. trhemfelves on either fifle bf*
die canal, with, their prodigious population, but poffeffed no peculiarity,
and offeied no eircumffances. of novelty whith"would juftlfy a.
particular defcriptioAThe
reprefentation which had; been" made concerning thé pïwfiohé. ■
produced an immediate change-m the fopply óf them i- Wef this day
received a large quantity of mutton, and beef,' with fowls and dfitk'S *
tothefe were added bread, flour,-tea, fugar,/ rfye, vegetables of all
kinds', with -foyy oil, candles,* ctóiyoaly and Wood / and, whrlé°the
folid part of the meal,'with’thê nteans of preparing it; were’amply
• administered,
( *®7 )
adccMi^ifherecl, the ejegant addition-.g-f, fruits of various-kinds, and the •„jf’xfc*
liquors, o f the. country* yrete not forgotten. d&SberT
fo the \?eiy unexpeCfod fituation of the embaffy, it was very natural
for thole who; comp©fed«fthe retinue o f it to .be continually forming
•cqiSjeififtflfes, and eagerly, inquiring, after any information that might
tend to. elucidate, the extraordinary cufcunaftances- d£ it. Thus we
became; agguaipted? with various reports on foevfubjeCi^-fome. o f which
We were diigofed',^3-.credit,,, while we rejected- others, as-they, feemed
to.cprjcur with, ohcontr-adiCt;.th&eventsmfi themoment*,-
Thus we were not unwillingto believe^ as it*Was propagated among
us by'fame of. the Chinefe, that: a-Tartar- mandarin had. been abler to
prejudice, the Emperor, agaiftffi the Englifh people,, by" teprefenting.
foem asfoajfofonsv inhuman, andi deffotute of< all thofe amiable qua-,
htie’s' whieh the-y. pretended to poflefs^; nort were many c>£ the.fuitfe
indifpofed to believe that^td fuch an unpronitrous circumflance the
emhafiy, had brnifi'trbat^d,- to^h^'\no.?‘\y%fe ..expfefficvv with, fiich ,
ftranga difiefpedt and peremptory dMiniffionir It was al-fo-added,- that
Va^i-Tjadge-In!, the attendant'.mandarin,, had fince reprefen ted^e ^‘on-
du^t aqd character, of the embaffy in-a. very different point of.yijaw, in
a, written memorial iaddijefTed,,tq foe Emppror; whicfihad indupedjhis'
Imperial Maj^fty to-give orders'thatime-1 Britifli Ambaflador‘and- his-
forte, 'fhould be--abundantly fupplied with every thing neceffary for
their convenience and comfort, and. that they m£ght at a^timeSjeqipy
foe-liberty, o f going on fhpxe, and amufing therafeives at their own
difcrettorL,-'
We pafled a great number "of .tobafeco pjant^t-ipns. „ TherChiuefc Supda^jo.
cultivate and manufacture this plant in a very fuperior degree,, and are;,
fupppfed to. ppffefs greater varieties o f it, than-any-other country^in
the world. 0
The quantity of ..■ tobacco confirmed, and, of coyrfe, 4 g/own in
China, muft be beyond all calculation, as fmoaking is univerfally
B b 2 praClifed,