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December.
Saturday 21.
G H A P. XXV.
Some account o f Canton. Proceed from thence to Wampoa, and Ma-
eoa; brief account o f them. CircumjVancëf felütive to thfrefidwce
o f the embajjy at the latter place. | Spilfo r England. -
C a n t o n , or Quanton, isfituated on the fouth fide o f the river, to
which; it gi^es a name, and he's- in about one hundred and twelve degrees
éaft longitude, and twenty-four degrees fouth latitude. It is furrounded
a wjfll, ttèafïbirty'feet in%eiglrtv^ult'^"ft®tfë7"ah3;'(le'f?nded iri’fe very;
direction,' particularly towards fh'e* river? by very ftrong forts, mounted
With heavy artillery, and garri-foned with” numerous troops. It is knw-
'poflible, however, to form an accurate judgment' Óf its extent, as it'i&
built on a plain; the furrounding country1 being one continued
level,^except towards the-fouth. where. flrangérs are never peripitted
_ Theftrects of the city arc, in general, from fifteen to twenty feet in
breadth, and paved’with broad ftönes. - 'The houfes TelÖdm rife abetve
one llory, and are built of wood and ‘brick. Thé |hops hafe 'their'
fronts fancifully ornamented, with a balcony, that riles frorh the pent-
houfe roof over the door, and is adorned with gilding and colours.
The drefs of the inhabitants does not differ from- thole-which hays’
been already defcribéd. It is; 'KowéVèr, a very reifiarkable circumftaricé,-
that notwithftanding this' city is fo much to the -fouth ward b f Pekin,;
the winter Ihould be lo levere as to induce the inhabitants to wear
furl ? apd fhat fuch cloathing is not altogether confidered as a matter o f
luxury, or confined to the higher order of the people, is evident front ■
ihe
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the great n^bers which I &w, an,d, a,s it appeared, .1793.
flocked with large quahiiSfef'dfifur cloatttirigi It corififted of'the 'o ^ b e n
Ikins of^edp^E'llf’ faxes-, bearsV and Iheep. ThefkihWvtere welf'dref^P’ *
made up in» the 'fbrnWs6 f* j^etfcej^ afid|>are Worn With the r-oygh fide
towardst’hA'fi|^if;
/ The ^Vicejoy’-s, palace at Canton,; in form* dimen (Ions, ,,and ornaments,,.'
is the counterpart c/^th^w^3^ X^ftAmb^lfad^^esuojed aj:
Pekin :l^nyjdeicaa^on'> of. it< wnullb,/t!hei^)re,^^luperfiu^u|., O f
yubMe^uiMjtegs-.fHerer>are nope,; finlefe Itiumphal.^cbes? arid ggtevpys,
wh|fhj»re very-numerous, may be included under that denomination.: i
■ Hj TbeTEfCfttib^- of inhabitants in this city; i^;§|3^at<esd at a ipj^ion.-
tand.its large andi exten.fivh fubdebstmay, without, exaggeration,, be- faajl
to contain half that mupber. Indeed, i f the! perfons fare included,
who navigate,' a’ndifve^Shbddrcl, the "very numerous junks and fampans, -
■ or 'fifhffi^bo'kts^with which' thedSahton ritefis topvered, nay calculation
wifi: be coWfiflereMyexceed&dv
This r i v A hs^«appro'acfes the? city,* is equal in breadth to the
Thames*, iri itshwideffc pint. It abounds alfb 'in. Various kihd's e f She
fiflii but the water fis -very unwhdldome for ftrangerst tilh i^ha^ltdod
long ehoughfbflia very confiderable ?fddirt|ehtlfib fiabfideid-^pe^,!«
however, Who dive: m the? junks, ufe iiy £>s!f* arH^mfhritied^'fcff^eVe^
purpole*, and without anyinconvemence that I could lgajn, -
';Wh'en we, were .on the river that flows by Tong»fS'h4w^*an expert
ment'WaS'hnade ’ra^edtihg the water,'and, m aifingle gallon ofcit, there
afcntamecr, 0»ftfaiding®mfd|alf a pint atSyfelJow land ; ycl in this'flalc f -
the.pec^pjefpf thqmiotry uni-verfally ufe itpand h§Svenoidea bfipuifffy-
ing tt‘ by filtration.^ We had no opporfunitytbf becoming acquainted
-with the common maladies of the people who live on the banks of
that river:—but water fo charged as this.-appears to be, mull have
L 1 p . ; 1 fame
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