( m )
793- i on the water-fide in martial figure,: to give the cuftomary ialutes. A*
each \tih jo f troops there iwas a .temporary arch e^efecfewitb
a cohne&ed platform, about three feet from the .-.ground^ guarded-hf
.railing, and pjoje^ing into tferiver^ iMfp-temporary, flriaifluises weep
Covered with beautifid matting, the,rails were hound with.sfUk o f
. various colours , and oroamenfediwith knots and fiefiaans : the arches
wexe decorated ih.feMfe tafte, andthe whole was crefted for the con*
.yemenee, of-tb.e Arnbaflador, i f it had , fuited Ms convenience to flop*
and ivifit the mandarin.
At a fnudi diftancevwnd on an elgvated fituation, was an encamp-,
■ xnprrt ofthe manrlarin’s guards. The tents were pkchedclofe to each
other, in a circidaffoim,with a fmall vacant fpac6 as ap entrance,
> .to,the mandarin’ s pavilion, which occupied the center: it was .dei,>
. .cortted in awciy’elegant manner with ribbons ahd, filfe^h ftreiraers :
.the front of it was open, and dilplayed its interior ornaments; .it
contained a table covered with a collation* and furrounded with fine
.chairs, with ,.a canopy aver one o f them. The mandarin’s attendants
.appeared to be in waiting, and a centinel was on duty on .each fids
o f the pavilion.
This regal© wa6 prepared with great potkeaefs and hofpkaMty in
.honour o f the Ambaifador and the mandarins on board the junks, i f
the order o f the voyage would have permitted them to have delayed its
»rogrefs for a fhort time, to have acknowledged rhcfe-fefpedtful at-
tentions.
Each tent had a flag ofgreen filk, ornamented with golden figures
.aacf chinefe charaSers, flying on the top ©f it, f© that this encamp-
;£nent was a very pretty‘and phSurefque dbjeQu;
At a fmall diftance from it, -there was a large town, she ’lioufes of
-which being huilt qf ftone gave it a veiy fuperior appearance, andfthe
inhabitants pofTeftgd all the exterior <cf an opulent and polifhed people.,
Hexc
Here wé flopped for a fhort' time fn. order fo receive afiipply of pro- *793-
vifions, as well a^ ïo 7’bfe furnifhedwith a body of thofe men whofe November*
employment rffe) to tosw the jünks.- They wore à kind o f uriiform,
and had fedfdap^ on their heads, b y which their lab’oriô’uà.profeffion .
is known and diftinguifhed. Our. eyes* were vëry mufcn-^gratified at
fhi$r',place by the fight o f 'a eudfi^etible number of women, ’who
appeared to us not only to p'oflfefs fine features, but fair complexions.
-
At five- ofclbejk we Came? to'the fuburbs of a very large, city, and
palled 'at leaft a mile along the fubùrbs before we reached’ the wall ©fi-
it. Ffhm as toy fituation would admit, and the beftinforrbhtlonifT*
é!'ôtilH' bbtâiiïî this place is at lèaft nine-miles incircum--
ference. ' Several hundred junks were moored along, its wharfs, dome-
of-which were of very large ddiaaenfi'ons. The wall is "at- leaft forty
feet in height, aftdhas’a very-ancient appearance. The redoubts which
fupport-tÊçç gafe^are’ fuch as 'I had' not feen i n ’China, being in the
fprm of dû- half-moon. The trdop^ were- drawn’ out,, as in: other
places, on our arrival, ah# -a very brilliant illumination, exhibited by
the mandarin, did not fail to di&pate the gloom of the evening.
This morning the freer entered a large lake» adpmed with a great-. Tuefday
number- of beautiful- iflands. Tjre moft considerable of them is on
the-fbuth-weft. fide of the' lake 1 its- length is about three quarters o f a
mile, but not of equal- breadth. It cbntains a mandarinfs: palace,
with fev-eral fumjptier houfes, fancifully featured- about jib j. the whofe
fhaded with the ’fitreft. trees, 'and prCfenting to us,' as we failed by it,,
a ûioft ihviting feerie of rural elegance.' But beauty was not the,
only circumftanee which*1 allured our attention to this charmingv ,
ifland; arconfiderable rock, an object of Comparative grandeur, aifo
rafe.from the- midft of?its groves, and was crowned with- a-ftateiy
pagoda;, ‘
We