that' the quality which has. jjjfli been mentioned is equally prevaleiik
among dte fair ones of Aiia.
The -.womeb,:we few s» cats paffige through Pekin poffeffed, fc*
•general, great delicacy-of feature, and few Ikins by Eatpre, with which*,
however»; they a#e not content»- and fffesefbm whiten them, with cof-
metics j they likewise employ vermilion,, hut in a manner, wholly, different
from the application of rouge among, our European, ladies y.far
they mark the middle of their hips with it by a ftripe; o f itsiieepeft;
Colour, which, without pretending to reafen upon it,, certainly
heightened the ^fedt o f fhgjjf features. Thetr eyes are very fmalfeibut.
•powerfully brilliant, and their arms extremely long and {lender.-
The only difference between, the .women of Pekin r and tb©fe=rWe:fetti
already feen, as. f t appeared to -us, was that th e , former wear a fhaap
peak of black velvet or filk, which is*ornamented with flones, and
defeends from the forehead almoft betweep thefe-cyes* and feipt th ^ r
fed:, free from the bandages which haye already been mentioned,,
-were fuffered to attain their natural growth*
When we lad palled th'rbugh the eaftem gate o f the ;city, feme
confuIron having arifen among the baggage carts, the whole proceffion
was obliged .to .halt. I, therefore, took the opportunity~©f leafingJmy
limbs, which were very much cramped by the inconvenience of - the
machine, and perceiving a number p f women in the crowd that fur-
.rounded us, I ventured to approach them and, addrefling them
-with the Chinefe word Chou^au, (or beautiful) they appeared to,
be extremely diverted, and gathering' round, me, but with an air of
great mddefty and politenefs, they examined the make and form of
my clothes, as well as tire texture-of the, materials of which they .were
-compofed. When the carts began to move off, 1 took leave of thefe
obliging females by a gentle lhake of the hand,, which they tendered
to me with the moft graceful affability \ nor did the men, who were
prefent, appear to be at all diffatisfied with my .condudt, but, on the
contrary, expreffed, as far as I could judge, very great fatisfadtion at
a ................... this
f }
this public attention I paid ta-theirjladies. It appears, .therefore, that
in this ^city, the^6rrien,;afe not diverted o f aTeafonable portion of their
‘Irfferty, aad, cWfeepielmy, tfa$ me -jgaMwfy: attributed fo ’ubiverfally
to the1 :Ghihefe*,men, is- not- a predominant. C[iialify? at leaft, in tbe-
eapitali;e^-the empire;*!
Among other objedtVwfiidfr we lavy in our Way, aad.cSd n'bt'Bdl to'
attract our notice^ we met la’ funeral pf&ceffion,. yybfeH'' proyed to be a i
veiy striking and.felemn fpe<5tacle;'the coffin fe'covered by, a canopy
decortited ^fKfejirtains.’oF fetin, .enlaphed'~withvgord and. flowers,,, and
hung with efcutchepps’: ,.i,t ISplaGed on a, large bieror,platform, and’
carried by at leaft fifty- or fixty :inen,jj who fupport it on their Shoulders ■
with long bamboos' croffing each-otllfeiy'and march eight abreaft with -
flow and felemn ftep. . Abanffofmufeim«tediately follows, playihg-
a kind <of dirge,, which Was- not without: a; mixture;of plcafing tunes: -
the refatiows and friend«' of. the deeeafed perfcn A m followed, atfayed >
in- bkek and white- dreifes; • r
> Having paffed throegH tf e ’-eaiftem' febuib# ©f fhe- city, we entered -
into a-rich and beautiful .country, when a Abort ftage M about four-
miles brought us to one of th e Emperoris: palaces named Yeumen-*
mariyeurhen,' where we arrived about five crclock in the afternoon, opr--
pBefibd with fatigue; from the* extreme-beat'’of^he.dayijaad the various--
iknpedinaentE wdiioh obferudhed our paffage, arifing frorrx the immenfe-
orawds.>of peopfe that may be laid to have felfed rip; the; whble way
from Tong*-tchew m tbis place, a journey o f ffiiriy miles;. /
In adhort time after our arairal,. we Received a very feaitty and ist-
differeitt: refrelhment, when thewhole fuite retired to Ifeep off thfe-
fatigue of the day.
CHAP.