November.
i 2Q© )
We haâsao'îooner paffed this -dfelight&il fpot; potfeffing fo much
beauty in itfelf, and commanding fo large a portion of fine profpeft
around it, than we entered another- river,'the mouth of Which isfurroundk
,ed with high lands, offering the moft pidtirefquê feenery that can be
imagined :°thick woods.-, (lately edifices,'lofty pagodas, anti mountainous1
fhapes, -with the river and the lake, all blended together in one pic-
tare, may exercife-the imagination of thofe who read this work, but
far tranfeends the defcriptive powers of the writer of it. It may- not
alfo be unworthy of remark, that all the houfes which occupy the
heights furtounding this bay, are ornamented with gilt pyramids or
pinnacles, which rife from the roof, and give fome o f the buildings
the appearance of Gothic architecture. -
This river, as might be expected, foon brought us to a town,
-where the foldiers, which were drawn up on either fide of 'th£-#atef!
fo falute the .fleet, 'were different from thofe- we had already feen, by
the variety o f their chefs and~ the colour o f their Standards ; 3vhath?,w£te '
norw mnltiplied into white, leaflet, orange,' light and^darkhliK and
green.;.
A mandarin’ s palace, very’fihely ornamented with painting, gilding,
.and filkéa ftreamersj a river crowded-with junks, and à ch im in g
country on eilief fide o f it , were the Only -objeâs th'at^p'rrfentéd^fibfhîf
• ftlves to us, till we aimed-before the city o f Meé-ycfumnee-awng.- -The *
walls are of great height, and guarded by towers'; while; a' kind o f
glacisflopes down from the foot of it to a mdadb W‘, - agreeably planted^
with trees' that ffretch along the fide o f the river, and add very much
to the beauty of thé place.
Here the .fleet anchored for a fhort time to take in the ufuai
fupply of provifions ; and, from the general appearance of the city,
.as well as of the adjacent country, they feemed to have been formed
•by the hand of Commerce itfelf for the purpofes of navigation.
■Beauty
| )•
Beauty óf fituation might alfo be added to the abundance of its pfe^
duiStiono'i^c&th^Mifefó^WMvef'that pafled b e ïfe its‘walls, when
■they röfe into height! -’were c-OVered1 withffein§i^-^D@d§-'flnd gardens,
which gate a charming! vafetyftdt the tr-anfient fcene.*>
, To tó f e pleafing ubjgdb fticceed^^pn^p£t.avvery different nature,
a^d^'hyfi^s’i'éönmff, -acqüïfê|l > -an^^a'd-clifibnsilffeMpbrtance. ' It was'no
Jefs than adirgelbodj^-lf IfoldiérS drawk lijfön an, fefplanade • die ’line.
h £ Which, ■'extdnding ^eapajmilfey divided ^to'.Gomffeniegidiffinguifhed
hy- the;yarietyi of their uniWrias, 'iatódieM|^||dWiy ithe -nUmlk'ri as-welf
hs colour o f their ftandardsV^pffbhïd! a$&y beautiful»- fpe&atle1. c
attradtf»iir.notice, except a fmaH'dock
•yafl^^S^lOTléj^c-junks,'>l^ieibfêdL itl frïfoe^^^vre/*'WHicK ^fSraied
a pfetty/ i|?rtiïufef^fe'‘fGehe'.'' -Thé rivet W ‘appeared ‘tof b'è pröcedf-.
ing Bolffly êifóiltö a iiehrfe tde c^ nfry^buWdf mote unequal‘iutfacc
than are^'we1 had yelpfcen; ^wffëh1,^ by Jan }unexj>eö:ed nrean&er, it
*broügtó^us^4 aëlélo thé city-of ^Meé^öu-mfee-awrig/ ta/allohifh uS
'wmftHë extehtxjf’ft.1 Hereiwe paffeddHrSuglrl^thef large bfrd^è-,
■ afttfr!heaPaJ; circular baftiom wMeh'-fcaffirfiandddy by: hts-baftéèry,.' eVéry
direiSioJ-fofthé rivérf; '
yi'othcr'fuTO*öfdhè-'firearn, a very fine EilffofeHip, &sfjt were,
before - Whole ;l’funimik, i l 1%oWhëd' With a magnificêntnjWgbda,
and WrofTOe®MldJMve 'pï the decoration'that Coüïd be conferred’bh
them• b y hfeaütiful gardens and elegant -buildings. Af thé foot o f tMs
elevaren*fpot are two ‘ftone arches, or gateways, which open to a
walk that winds gradually up the hill to the pagoda.,
The palace of the mandarin, o f whofe garden this hill appeared to
form a pèrt, is fituated on the hanks of the rivet, from whence a broad
flight of fteps afeends to the gate of the outer court. This edifice is
perfectly fuited, both in its fize and appearance, to the dignity of its pol-
feflor. Like other buildings of the fame kind and cliarafter in China,
D 1 it