( vi )
interpolations— my; only bufinefs is to relate what I faw m
the courfe of this embafly, in 'every part of which I had
the honour to attend Lord Macartney, who was appointed
to be the representative of his Britannic Majefty at the
Court of Pekin.
The difadvartwggj which sopgre@g:hel trade of European
countries with China are well known, and to remove
them in behalf of our own, was an dpje® well worthy
the attentive wifdom of our government. * It was not,
howevèf, a mere fpeculative project ; as a fufficiqnt intimation
had been made to the Court-of London, that an
Ambaflador from thence would be gracioufly received by
the Emperor of China:- miniiters,; therefore/ a£ted with a
SI#iâ political -attention, to the commercial interefts of
this country, by preparing an. embaflj^ejfuited to the
dignity of the Court of Great Britain, - and fitted out in a
manner to attract the attention; of the Ghinefe people, as
we 11 as to command theim.%c^ *nd fgcùre the regard' osf
the Court of Pekin.
The Honourable Colonel Cathcàrt was, accordingly, in-
veiled, in the year 178.8, with the important character of
miniftcr from this country to the Empire of China; a man
whofe fuperior talents, amiable manners, fhrewd’ fagacity
and aâive perfeverance qualified him, in a pre-eminent degree,
to forward the important obje&s of his. million. but
the
I m )*
the premature death of jthat able, excellent, and.f.ccom-
plilhed m||i,‘|which..happened on his-voyage, thwarted the
progtefs^f the ^dmbpfly^ h'e^w$£. appointed to conduft;
and as no perfon had be&n.namddf in - the King’s com?
million, aJ;q fuccped; tq|Ms|diplom^i4^ffice, if he Ibould
not reach, the place of his: deMnation, that embafly died
with him ; and« m^y’ H,dJfaid .tq^have' been buried on the
dlffaait fhore wbe|pJfi st mhe,s repcpe,.
\ The wife attentions of government, were not, however,
tojbe turned afide frpm fuqh an important, national,objeft:
ns,a cp,mmp/cial alliance between the. CojgjFts of London
and Pekin: the chara&er,. of^Amhafiadpr to China,'was
accordingly, reyjypd, with additional Iplpndor, in' the pet-
j^n. of Earl Macartney,;, and an embafly was rei-appointed,
in fuch a manner as became the empire it was. to repre-
fent— and the empire before which, it was to. appear.
jit is;impoflible .to fpeak in higher terms of the anxious
care and liberal attention of government to, this diplomatic
million than it deferyes. The .fuperior talents which
dire# the board of controul, and the eommettiial fpirit
which animates the,, direction, of^the|Eafl: India Company,
qombined to form thofe, arrangements, whiqhf certainly
deferved fuqcefs,, i£vt^y.did not^ obtain, it. «narrow,
or fordid views, mingled with the’ preparations of itis
the "means of exterior figure, and the allurements of
1 1 M national