The carpenters were enaployed. ;tJ»s mownsg in unpacking. anr^oW
travettmg ebaffife beloaaging to Sar George Staunton, ia which Lord
Macartney psopofed tb tsaaeL '«o» Jehol; This caEBage?!peat^?T
traéled the notice of the Chinefe, who flocked! about it toi fee. the nu-
flute offets cenftruébiön, and the tóatenals.taf which it was farmed,
which they.examined-with a very Angular curiofity; and fome of
them ! fo anxious to underftand all its ■ parts* that they made
various drawings of it. -But fo familiar aire the eyfesi ó f thefe peo*.
pie to the glare and glitter of colours and gildings that, -however
they jnight admire -the mechanifm-and contrivance o f ..the’ Carriage,
they did not hefitate to fexprefsv their difapprobatton of its s^fefior
appearance ,- which,. I mtift ow», dïdiéót poffèfe any very: uncommon
degree o f attraction*.
~Af noon Mr. Plumb came to inform the fuite, fefrthe part óf. Van-
Tad^e^Iny iehe attendant! mandarin, thatfetch as preferred! to trayej; on
horfebifek*; were to give- in their nanus* that horfeg. (m%ht be fsjér
pared for them > and thofe who cbofe the conveyance by - carts „ lheuJd
be provided accordingly.
After thefe travelling arrangements were fettled, the muficiansj^lr-
vanfis, &e. attended at Mr; . apartment*- to ,recgjv£. the
clathes m w h isk ’S éy wefeïÉfcn^ke their-pu^Me appearance at^JefeoL
A large chefe was produced Tin the-qecafion.full gfjclpthe^ they^wer?
of green cloth, laced-'w ith gold; but* their appearance ^wakened _ a
fufpicion that they had- already been frequently WQ89., amf-ott-
tickets, fewed. to the linings, were'written the names of their former
■ wearersarid as--. many ■ of thefe tickets appeared,, on examining
them, to be the vifiting cards..of; Monfieur de la Luzerne,
the late French Ambaffador, it is more than probable, that they had
been, made up for fome gala, or fete, given? by that minifter. But
whether they were of diplomatic origin, on had belonged to the
theatres, is of no confequence, they weya never intended for affinal
fervice, being made only for a few temporary occafions, whatever they
might
Auguft.
Friday 3®
(j , Ii:3 )
might be. With thefe habiliments, howevety fercb as. they were,'
every man fitted himfelf, as well as he could, with coats and waift-
coats, as there was a great dearth of fmall-clothes, of which there
were not more in the whole package than were fu-fficient for the acv
commodation of fix perfons. The Chinefe may not be fuppofed to be
capable o f diftinguifhing on the propriety M .011% figure, in thefe ill-
fuited unifo'rmlt;.* but we certainly appeared in a^atery.ftrong. poihtikjf
ndictdS to cult othu. I h c tvVcouncis vtuc flnmlhcd ujth beaVer
helmets, but mot- a n h a t was idillribMed to -accompany ftbfefe. curious
liveries fwhich, '..afeer {alii; the fervants were, ordered ,-not to put on
tillffehe tfeyt.'fyvhen' they; vfefe to addjfc much to the entry o f the
embafiy intol^JtibpL *. >p
When thexhaife was put fen dqmpfefe ordertfor. theyburneyy a diffir
elalftr arofo, agauifft\\feicu s a fe r was not fdfefeleh/.feaprovifion could be
inardb'j ^an^Ttfe^ 'was* q^lefs than to‘g e t , a ^ couple of poftillions“: ^at-
lungth, howcycrff&Vcoip&faLfe' .infantry, -wshd had once fbeen-aqi^j-
boy, offered his fervfee-,, and fight-horfeman -wfus ordered tofeffift, him
inconduflfeg tjfe oarage,
Th*rs morning iurh of tlic piefcnts and baggage as vu.ro intended to,
be fortvaydofhtG' Tartary* wqge fent/.-offs fefeiefQ.f]them'weFe ear,rich by
mules,' others in*.caF.tgi* but the !mdre’ valuable- articles, andr-thofe ,;6f
delicate fabric and .curious conftfufeiori,. wgre.ferne.fhy:'ijtien*
: This ampo-rtanl bufialA .hii^'idiA^.tohed, fe^ j^ ta u t f^ r jo f
jvere'brought to the palaep,, when e&ch o f the gedfemen] and> the-.other
pfffeifs pfifefefeijUto vvho pfeppAd'to ride,,-made choice d f hisrhdffef
and thfeafemals which were, thus d e lv e d rfer - the ferviee’. o f ■
proaching journey, we^e then, doli-vpred to' thofe perfefls whofe offiefe
fe/Wasto take proper c^re o f them till, the time o f .dug departure.
The poftillion^ were permitted to eifereife^mehBffeS in the charie
for an hour, Through the ffteets o f Pekin. They were guarded both
R % '• ' by
Auguft^
Saturday 31»