{ a ia >
lanterns; and from the number o f them, as well as the brilliant appearance
of the place, there was every reafon to confider it as in the
firft rank o f Chiüdè cities. The Ambaflador was Muted here as he
had been by a great number of forts in the courfe o f the day. ;
Saturday 16. The weather was exceeding cold, accompanied with rain.
Wepaflèd fevéral' ftone pagodas o f a greater height than any We
had yet feen, fome o f them reaching to nine ftorics. The-environs
o f the . river ftill continued to be mountainous and full o f pföurefque
beauty, heightened by the fancy and Angular genius of the inhabitants',
both as to cultivation and ornament. Large plantations o f the tallow
and mulberry tree occafionally appear, to vary and enliven the fücceflión
o f delightful views which unfolded themfelvcs as the ftrcam bore us
along.
The falutes o f artillery were now become To frequent, that they were
tirefome; as the banks o f the river are, in a grèat meafi&€7 lined with
forts,. which expended their gun-powder in doing honoür to the em-
bally. It may, indeed, be faid, with a ftri& regaid*to truth, that in
our long journey through this kingdom, we had never 'proceeded a
Angle mile without receiving the Mute o f lome fort or militaiy dan|on--
ment: nor were thefe military honours altogether conAned to the Ades
of the river; for this evening the Aeet Wks ah tibjed; of rëfpèét from
a body o f troopsat \ con Adorable tfiftance, as we Could judge from
their illumination; which had a very pleaAngeffect.
■ Sunday t£. About three o’clock in the morning I was awakened by a'very-
heavy difcharge of artillery; and mftantly quittiiigrny bed, I perceived,
by the number of lanterns, th a t a v ^ M g e tó d y d f lh e n were
drawn up on theihore : but this was nöt a ll; for alight«! torch was,
Axed to the carriage o f every gun, and the bearer ó f each ftand o f
colours was alfo diftinguilhed b y a flambeau, which gave new brif-
liance and effect to the military iHumination.
In
W93y t
November.
x7$>
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In an early part o f tht afternoon the fleet eagreto an anchor oppoflte
to a fihall, but very pretty town, on the banks o f the river; and in a November.
Ihort time the conducing mandarin vifited the junks, to convey
to the whole o f the ambaflador’s train, according to their rank, pre-
fents o f perfumes, fans, Imperial tea, and nankten.
We now feemed to have quitted the mountainous country for an Monday i*.
extenflve plain , covered with plantations o f the tallow and mulberry
tree, intermixed . with villages, and the ornamented habitations o£
mandarins; fome o f w h ich were faced with a lead-coloured. plaifter,.
bordered with £ white;— an arrangement of, colours not uncommon
ire our own country, whether applied to the furniture o f houles,. or
the diefs of ladies.
: The. provifions which we now received, though jby no means deficient
in quantity, were far inferior, indeed, in quality to thofe we
received in the former .part o f our journey ; .which we were made to
underftand arole froin;the nature .of the, country, rather than from any
inattention to the comfort and convenience o f the. embaffy. Indeed,
there could he no reafon to fuppofe that the Emperor had not even been
anxious to render our departure from his kingdom as agreeable as
refpedl and exterior honour could make it. In ihort, from, Tartary
to Canton, it was a. chain of Mutes, which were fo frequent, as I
have before, obferved, -that it might b<5 compared almoft to a train o f
wild-Are laid from one end of the empire to the other.
I (aw a.groupe o f water-mills, conAfting of ten or twelve o f them,
all turned by a.fmall cut from the ,rivprj ^which made ^k^^it.round,
a meadow where they were erected: they bore an refembknee \
to ojur- flour-mills, in _England, and appeared to be wqrkecj on the
fame principle*, they ;yye];e n^vy, however, become c^m o n
objedts. Thofe, which I have now mentioned, yrere, a sT under-
flood, employe! jo,, threihing ’ Among the various circumftances,
' . commai*