' ( 7® )
We receked.the ufead fopply o f provifions, witfi A e addifrö©» for
the firft: time* ó f fbnre wipe o f èhe -country ia a fioa©-jan its'-colour
is nearly that a f . what is called O fo sa wiaefo. England» and is equally
•*kar: it is rather ftrong, but is o f an «npleafant * flavour,befog haffo
-and ihaspv and, fo feert,. has jjMfogjgjggj tafte .©f vinegar than wine.
The*jafe which cojttafoed I t was equal, fo ipeafoi% t© S^è;Énglifli g^h-
loos ; and ibe na®jthfs|'|t jgras covered with a large plantagekafiokded
in wlfo ate^r e j clay ; ©n which was fikpd, a red label» marked- with
.certain Chinefc .characters, t© denote, as I fuppofb, the oorftette o f ,the
weifel.
We païïêd feveral -very populous towns -drr’both fides o f the river,
hut fituated at fome diflance from it. The Ambafladoir, however*
.received military honours from the fokliers belonging to them, who
were drawn up on the bank, on ekher fide, exforigupas tè their- *e*
ipeCtive cantonments; and iiirraunded by an irnrrienfe crowd ©£ fpee-
ilators.
The uniform o f the fcldiers -eonfiftsof a large pair df ioofry bladk
nankeen trowfers. which they fluff* into a kradjM quilted cdftoa
■ ftockihjgs, itröde hi the form iff -boots. They always wrap theat- feet
jfo a cbtfoft -pog befcfo draw thefe boots over their ttowfeks Aejr
-add alfo a pair o f yety elumly Aoes,"raad0 ®€ccïK^j-. A e A f ^ h f
'wWch afo, tat kaft, aa fojeh thick, and- ^sty broad at .the points.
‘Thefe jfrowferSihave^to waifthand, fo Aa t A e y lap-oyej*» aïiffars üed
•with a piece oFconimori tape, to which is generally fofpended a finaU
.leathern bag, .or pfipfe, to contain money. Thefe foldiers do not ufe
.either fhirts, waiftcoats., fir neckloths; but wear a . 'large: mantle o f
black nankeen, with .loufe fleeves, which is edged with nankeen-of a
jred colour. Round ..their .middle .there is a broad gird!e;<*firnamSnted
in the center, with what.appears ,to be a pebble of about the fize o f
dialf-a-cro-wn, though, as 1 was informed, it ig an -hard! fub fiance
-fir- pateSnade of .rice. .Êfofi® ,,t'his: girdle is fufpended a pipe and bag
■ftp-' hold- .foM'Gefo qn ,qpe .fide, .and rfifiadfiojo the .other j whichi are
annually
t 7! )
annually allowed them.' by the IDmperpr,. as well as a-daily portion o f *m-
tofiaceo, épiant- that grows fethc-utiaoft abund-an.ee fo every part of. '^ I T
China.
The* Chinefe troops were always, when I fiw them, 'dira-wn up in?
Angle ranks, with a great number, of colours ©i ffandards, which are.
chiefly madefof. green Ä , with, a red hordfoyand enfie&l R&h.
golden characters,, They wear their fwords on- the. left fide, but the.
handle orjhilt is backwards, and the p o in t fonvards, fo that, when-
they dtaw thefe weapon’llth e y p u t their Rands behind Éieir,:b ic k s ,ln d
unfbeath them without beings immediately perceived j. a manoeuvre.'
w-hfch they, execute with great dexterity, andd^well adapted for the
purpofes -of attack, - a<s a foreign, antagonift, who k n o t asccuflomed to .
this mo'de of- alïàuk-, would-be probably -wounded} at leaft, %ef©re-ik
was prepared to, defend himfelf agfinft it. g a n d e r their left arm i*
flung‘ a b bw; and a quiVef, generallyfionteMnW twelve arrows,,
hângs on their backs.j_ others, are armed1 with matcfolocfes of a very
mfty. appearance..
• Theinheads are ffiaved round'the crowtr, ears, ’and"necK,. Crcept'a"
ffnaäl ofi the back ,(jf the head,, where the hair, which'iscêptèq-
foged r e g /o f tp a great,lfepgth,fiâhgs dpjvh dïeinbaèks tfoV^afl, and
is -tî|d dt the wîïl; a* rtfifiid1. They W a r à fhallow ftraw hat very
neatly.made, which iS fiecelïarilÿ t^feunder the cMn^With a firing,, add,
is. decorated with a bunch of camel’s hafi^ dyec} of ,a:r^- colo&fi/ it
On.fif qccafiöns,*, fimikr to that which brought theiS troops to the.
hanks of the river tod&‘ militarÿfiènoïif Vdtthe 'Britrfh Amb^Tadbr, at
temporary, arch covered with filk is placed a t each end’of'the'^fie, in..
which the mandarins, fit till the.pfoceffion, .-or perfon.'tp“ be faluted
appears, when they come forward and m'ake their, appèafonce., ÊÊ&
thefe arches are three fmall .fwivels abbut thirty,‘ inohes*'m length, which
are fitted“ in the ground with the muzzle pointing tb'itfie air : thefe'are
difeharged as the. perfon to be, honoured with, the falute paffes th e .
mandarin,