Aug«tft'
September.
Sunday I. "
JMqoday p.
f I3+. )
by mandarins andfoidiers-;and, indeed, fuch were the crowds which
aiiembled Jp*fee this extraordinary- fpedtacle, that fome kind of aufoo-
jjityfknd exertion wals necieflary to g'ive the drivers an opportunity of
ftijewihg theirfkill, and exhibiting, the equipage and itsaapparatus t#
advantage;. --‘The corporal being alfo furniihedj on- the. occafion- with
-the jacket, helmet, &c. of the light/horfe, -the' ppftilliohs-l.not only
made an'uniform,- but a very pretty, appearance. >
The Ambaffador received a vilit from feveral mandarins 5 j when the
hand played .on the ftage of-the theatre for fobir entertainment.
Lieut. Parifo exercifcd his men in the ordnance •etrbliitiuhs^ to keep
-foem in ppuSdpe» as it was thought very probable that,' on prefenting
the artillery to the emperor, he might defife to fee ah exhibition of
European tadtics.
As* it was ®idehsd that the embafly flioukhfepoiit to-mbrrow mom«
jsgat twoDkdoek, fome of the baggage, tb'puffcvent’ a£uhueh''&s p'of-
fible the confufion which had been hitherto experienced ? Was -font
forward tlfid eyemng,.v
Soon after one o#dodk thi| momirig, the drums were heat through
all the cohrts of the palace, and in half an-fobur- the’ whole fuiteNtfas
in motion. ’The bedding was then fent on in* carts jAand^&§ Ambafi-
fador, with his attendants, having made a flight hreakiafl:,* quitted the
palace at half an hour paft three o^lock, under a ffir&hg efc'ort of>
Chinefe cavalry. But, even at this early hour, the crowd o f fpee-
tatbrsrwas fo great to fee our departure, that the pfogrefs bf' the fca^
valcade was very much impeded, efpecially the carriage" b f foe'Am-
haflTador, which, from!&e eoncourfe^ peoplej^and the aukwardnefe
of the borfes that had not been properly broke into their hew geer,
jvas for-fome time yayjnuch delayed,
; I • ; j ; At
( < - s "I
At feven o*dock we paired through the city, gate, and: in
half an hour had exchanged- fob fuburbS' for :a very rich and finely- September!
cultivated country: The ‘ road, "though -very broad, had no pavement
in the center, like that,which,leyds .from Tong-tchew. to Pekin. At
the end,'of- fi^'nfijes we’flopped 'afe^Gonfiderable village-,called Chin-
gifio, wljere ^-edlay^dfo, take thesyfulli&e^eforoents of the rooming,
which haye,been,,fp ,o,ftelpim^it*ipu^d. Our route, was then continued
through a great number of villages^ knaj.,ai^ar- tWP|%J^40c,k arrived at
pne- of the Epaperors palaces^ named Nanfhifhee, where we wore
appointed tp remain during the firft,night ^ o u h journey.
The mandarin Van-Tadge-In, whom I have had fuel} frequent,
d'ecafion t6 menfion, rather in'ereafed than diminifoed his aftiyity ,on
the prefeat journey; which mighk-afij£^,, ^peahaps^ from- oujr -being
-more particularly under the Imperial Xary. and piotcclion? . We were
hem|^®yided with -eypry'^ requifife accommodation*? and fh a veiy
.oanatprtable* manner. ;To our dinner eacly day was -added,, a^regale of
J ooaw _apd .farptfo ap \ foe former is a, bitter wine, of the .country;' and
’nSefijtcr, a veiy firpng^fpnit dmilled fre^_|ite;ymd* m i l l e t , „
appcajrancc rciemblcs that of Brltifo gin.
In foe evening foe -fiddlers were exercifed by fLieujtenaht Cpfi ’
TJenfqn, ‘
We compiitcd foe journey of this day to he about twenty-five rajjj£j .
anfo^foough it may appear but-dull travelling, to perfons, acejaftorned
jo_ thep^pefotipn of English roads, it will hd^nfid^rtedja^np very
tardy ,progrefs, when foe ohftacles are. known which .tended; ^ tp im- .
.pede.ity^a,,
Thie fame horfeS, »were to take us the wholeyjquyqey*, and foe, fame
men to-carry phe .jraggage j ^Kfidesj, -foe vwbjolei^&Qur proyifions ■
was ordered and drefled at 'foe, feyera}.,®JacpSj,., through .which we •
palled on the road, and conveyed in bowls^carefully covered up'
in