-written SceouriT, arid then Rafted, :aSSit feemed to -me, a coumteipart'df
Auguft. their minUteon every feparate‘article'; Mot was a Angle box, ^-package,
or parcel, differed sfb pafs, till it had undergone -this previous cere-
J! iaony j which was fpecially ordered, is J was «informed, -to -.afcertain
to the EmperdiF the quantity of" prefeats and baggage hi •poffeflSo#^
A e embafiy.. «
Every-exertion was made both by us and the natives to coiSipl'etO the
landing o f our cafgoes-from the junfes ; and fo much-expedition -was
ufed'onj the- ocCafion, ^that thewhole-of the private baggage, and-a
great part o f the prefents, were fafely brought orifh’ore, and1 placed
h r the depot, in
The temple, which had been appropriated by the Chinefe gbv'ern-
ment for the refidence o f the Britilh Ambaflador to Tong-tchewy is
iituated about three quarters o f a mile from the river, and about bine
mile from the city, and Hands -on a riling groundf -the building- h&s -a
neat appearance, but is fo very low, as to have nO -elaith to that d if-
tindtion, which it might be expected -to poflefs, when wexonfider-the
purpofes to which it was applied.— It riles no higher in any part of it
than on© ftory.
T h e entrance to this building is a -common' fquare gateway, that
opens into a neat, clean court, which was occupied by the, foldiers
belonging to the cmbafly, :as a.kind o f barracks : another court bey and
it, and to which there was an afcent o f three Heps, contained feveral -
fmatt buildings, occupied by die Chinefe who belonged. to the houfe;:
immediately adjoiningitq-it, Lord Macartney’s feryants.-occupied a
fimilar fituation. Oppofite to the fervants quarter • wa«;^.fm§j|l fquaf®
building, which is ufed as a place o f worlhip, and contains only one
room of common dimensions: in the middle of this chamber there
was an altar, with three poseelane figures as large .as life placed upon
i t ; there were alfo candlefticks on each fide o f it, which are lighted
regularly every morning and eyening, and at fuch other times as perrons
Cons come there to pay their devotions. ‘ Before thefe images there is a
Cmall pot of duft, in which are inferted a number of long matches, 1 Auguft.
»that are alfo lighted during the times o f worlhip. When the period o f 1
«devotion is paft, the1, candles are'extinguifhed, and the flame o f the
matches blown out,but the matches are left too moulder away. When
this ceremony, is o«eiv an attendant on the, altar takes a foft mallei:» with
■ ;which he ftrikes a bel’l, that is fufoCi^&dltb it; ■ three times: the’' persons
prefent then kneel before .the images, and bow down their heads
■ three ;.times to the ground, with their hands clafped itf each other»
--which, they-extend over fheir heads, as they rife,:-, a low bow is then
feen <ta conclude the ceremony-of.the!’daily worlhip o f the Chinefe,
which is termed by them, chin-.chin-jofh, or worlhip o f God,
' Such is die domeftic mode of worlhip that prevails throughout the
*whple empire of, China, as every inhabitant o f it, from the meaneft
peafant to the Emperor himfelf, has an altar-arid S d e i ty : the moll
wretched habitation is equally fumilhed in regard to its idols, though,
as may be fuppofcd, in proportionate degrees o f form and figure, with
the Imperial palace. rNor are thnfe .who are confined to the occupations
o f the water without them; every kind of vcflH that navigates
the lea, os the river, being provided with its deity and its altkr,
., The court adjoining to this domeftic chape! is occupied by' the
Chinefe, md employed as a kitchen i from thence there is a circular
entrance to that part o f the building which was particularly affigned
to the Amhaffador and his fuite.
It fuirourtds a vety handfome and fpacipus court, which was ufed
as a; dining apartment on the occafion: on one fide Of it there was an
elegant platform, railed on two Heps, with a beautiful roof, fupported
b y four gilt pillars > and an awning was ftretched over the whole court ,
to protect it from the heat o f the fun. This place was fumilhed alfo
with beautiful lamps, -regularly difperfed all around i t : they corifift o f
frames made o f box-wood, lined with tranfparerit filk and flowered
N gauze