I M )
in evefy- rb-fafoth of M J fHe’n&h
and manUfactuf§,‘ Were amply fu e lled ; ahd'thbugh tbh
eriibafiy hfs failed' in its--object, Sts Faifutxe dtrinbl? '6#
attributed to thbfo Whb framed aiid fafhibhed it in5 fhh>.
country,’ and1 fet it forward t?o its1 dillant deffiahtibii-.
I h^ehke^h&My related e#ty'circuiMlraii!^dftat came
nndqr my obfervation; wr?h idarty%fctth%feh^^ f
I beard from thofe, whofe authority if: wohld'^M' impertinence?
to' fay no wbrfe, inrh-fe t?o* rhfxfh | My delignoV
fd dtffekft’ifb' riibri tBah I afii <^ilif?&f [ J B p p g l aticf
this voluihfe Will Be more j^SMetSirl^fhufid tti bbfttiuh a
faithful acbotiiit the Britife eb sM ^ its
through ChtiiMy M j l the tittle that ibe LiOtt niM Of W§yJ
^nd the ;HMd83ad Eafl-India fcompaiij^g 15% anchored
before Mefttiw,- in the YelfoW M arrival af ta n -
ton. This Narrative* is Fiiifhfull/Jft&i acc'oichnf'“to the
belt of my -abilities, and from the moft accurate qfefer-
vations ih ihy pbwer to make, dutitig the jpunSly1 of “ the
embafly by land, or its By'’Watery di^’^s 'temporary
fefidfedce iii Pekirr ahd
Gthe^y whot pdf?eft a brilliant ferfiy, tJlf ^ j^IdWing
imagination, ^ might give tfr theii dfefcdijitioh of* tfe
fcenes through Which this vblufctih Will hOhdliSt/fhe rea-
der, thoffe bright colours Which We fbe' Oil the J(ihmefe
manufkc-
( « )
manufactures: that are imported into this country, to decorate
the a^aStmehts of elegant opulence : ;but my principal
object is to give a ftrong and accurate out-line of the
pi&ufib; and I would rather be acculed bf the dulnefs
and tautology of truth, than rifqUfe' a ihipicioii that I had
facrificed to a creative-imagination. Indeed, in a journey
» or. a voyage, or by whatever. name it mj|y be dif-
tinguifhed, of upwards.of two thousand miles, forrieIre-
petition mult be expected and forgiven^ not only from a
fimilitude of obje&s, hut from thej| impoffibility of displaying*
by literal defoription} tlwfe differepces between,
them, which, though rovidteht to the«tye’;' canhbijfob;£tafi£-
ferred to the page. Cities, towns and villages,“ mountains
and racks, rivers, canals and lakes*;site. &c*~ will often*-
times admit of nothing more than .general1 ^denominations*
The regularity, alfb, With which the Britifh embafly was
conduced in its; progrefs through Clfih i, Will give * -ah
occafionai: uniformity to the narratibn, that may^lfonae-
timefe oheck the interefl Whiph/ I truft, it'will he gefte^-
rally found to excite: but I beg leave to allure the reader
that, if unfortunately he fhould not be always amufed by
this work, he Will never be Mtfentlonaily-deOeived j and
the merit of fhithfef reprefetitation 'l^^l I have to claim,
and all I Wjfo to receiveV ;
I have preceded the hiftory of the journey through
China with an account of the voyage to it; and have
confequently mentioned places which have already been
b defcribed