( g I
' , î93; When we mentioned thefe foleran repofitories in a former page*
Pècêmbêr1 thought fuggefted itfelf, that fuperftition might carry the dead to
thofe high places, on the fame principle that idolatry has .raifed'.itjs
altars there; but, when it is confidered that the dreary, uncultivated
mountain is better fuited to the character the fepulphre j and that
‘Sphere, is, perhaps, fomething condolatory in the idea o f that fecurity
which belongs to thefe awful, and almoft inàccefïible folitudes ; we may
probabfy approach nearer to the real motives of copfigning the dead to
thefe elevatedtombs,« ;;
The general conflxuAion o f them appears to be the fame : it con.r
fifts of an excavation ip the mountain, chifelied put-,ia the form o f a 3
large niche, which is then paved, and concealed Iwaw^l.yyith am
ornamented door. Some o f thefe places are covered with domes ;
from otihcrs pyrsmidiç9l forpys^ ipring Up, «aid the façades o f them
were, as far as I could diftinguifh., painted o f a lead colour». with,
a white border. '
Thefe receptacles o f the dead yrerefuceeeded by few habitations ©f
die living that bavnany claim to particular notice qr^jobfev^tion, till
- we came to the large and populous village o f Ty-ang-koa. Here \ve
few a vaft length oftinaber in rafts, floating dAm _tiie with
lèverai bambôg.-buigh ereftqï jgg| ft, and the families ,bjéqpgin|pgjfôÉ
theim Great numbers o f people were alfb employed in bringing
timber to the water fide, either on their fhpuklerSj, or in waggpife i
while others were occupied in forming rafts.
-, The country ft ill retains its barren, afpetft, though a pagoda was
qccaftqnally feen to grace the fumnafts, of the ■
% Friday *3, We this day pafled a confiderable town called Tya-waung, part o f
■which was in ruins j. and, a little further down the. river, we came to,
the city of Shaw-choo * the fuhurbs of which extend to the water
fide, and where the houfes. are buüCïn fuch a manner as to be in con-..
4 tinual
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/ jnnal danger of falling on the heads of their inhabitants, and involving
them in one common' deftrudtion. A wopejen frame work
refting fometimes upon a foundation of cfey-,pr ftone, with a few
flender uprights', are tne5 only fupports eft’ ihofe habitations that
ranged ilong the fhore'j where frequent ruins manifefted' the folly as
well as the frailty of fuch architecture.
The fleet came to an jpichor at ^ e x trem ity of (he cify^bpfpre the8
palace of the grand mandarin, which was. finely 4©^pmted with triumphal
arches: a platform wasalfb ereftedfrom the hanks-of the river
to th e , hquferfq accommodate the AmbafTadoi, if hi Excel lint y
had found lit -convenient to go on fhore. The^oldieis^^opging to
the mandarihwpre alfo" drawn up in dud-form'/ and gaye -'(he iffial
falute.
At this place large junks were prepared to receive tire embafly j ;an*,
in a very, fhort time, the whole ra te and. the baggage, was jemoyed oa
board them. Our accommodations were accordingly inqteafed ip
proportion to the .fuperior dimenfions of the Veflels that now corjq-
tained us.
In theueveirihg the grand mandarin lent the fuite a yqry ha'hdfom.e
prefent of China, together with a large fiippfy ofipm^'ifions ; iwe.'alfo
received, M- ,a later hour of ‘ the ..evening,, a large- parcgl of tobacco,
foipe ducks'cured in the manner of hams, of -a very delicate flavour*
together with a donfideiglile quantity of dried,fifh.
Thd-vo^^e was lms day-, agreeably varied by anoccafional, though
not-yery frequent patch1 of cultivated -ground', which was now become,
in fhape, fisae, or-,fixation, a-cheering^ljej:.,
The wfether was modefe^j-'a^d pleafent; and, .though there appeared,
a very fmall proportions^ cultivated land-, the mountains were
fometimes clothed with w o o d ^ h e village d f Sho'ong-koang, /fituated
* I i - ' p . . on
December,
Saturday 11^