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t W l' x in trays, on men’s fhoulders, to every ftage o f our journey, for our
■ September. . refrefliment there.
The diftance from Pekin to Jehoi is one hundred and fixty miles,;
. which was divided into pretty nearly equal joumies of feven days.
This arrangement was made that the embafly might be accommodated
each day beneath an Imperial roof; as the Emperor,, for his own
Convenience and dignity, has a certain number of palaces built at
equal diftances on the road from Pekin to his fummer' i^Mehce’in
Tartaiy. This privilege Was confidered to be a moil flattering mark
o f diftindtion, as it is never granted to the firft mandarins pf the
empire.
O f t^s pafece We, can .fey but little, as no.parts o f it were ópen" tó
us but thole which we inhabited. It did not rife higher than--one
fto iy ; noJV from what we had an opportunity of''feeing^ did ifTap-
pear that the interior apartments were fuperior to the exferrfal form!
which had nothing either o f elegance or figure to attradl attention^
The central part o f the courts wag planted with trees and* flowers,
©f various kinds^which had a very pleating effedf. -fan extenfive
garden furrounded the .palace-, but we could not, to opr very great
difappointment, obtain accefs to it.
Tuea&j3, We continued our journey at font" o’clock this morning, wifeh^the-
feme guard o f Chinefe cavalry; and, after having paifed the village
o f Cantim, which poffeflcs the iifual. charaóferiftic o f every Chinefe
village we have yet feen, an overflowing population, we arrived at the
town of Wheazou, a place of feme consideration; and, after the ufual
. refrefhments, proceeded beneath a burning fun along dufly roads*
but through a very fertile country, to the palace of Chanchin, whefe
, we arrived at one o’clock. It is a very extenfive building of one ftoiy
throughout, and contains ten or twelve fpacious. courts, furrounded
with piazzas, -and adorned with a garden,, in the center, planted with
H trees.
( I27 1
trees and ihrubberies that were interfered by walks. The country 1.793.
around it boafts a continuation o f that fertility which has been already
mentioned. It was enclofed, and fed innumerable herds o f cattle and
flocks o f Iheep : the former arc fmall but very fat, hut the fheep aré
both large and fat* with white faces i- and a Ihôrt thick tail,- which is
a lump o f fat, and weighs lèverai pounds.
We^fet. ofi[,)(ihis morning at fivefejçlocfc. The diftant coéfïtiy Wednefday4,
peared to' he mpiftftrinous-r, and rofe baldly in the hprizon. That .
fertility of, whîch"^muçh has, been feid, began fenfibly to diminilh,.
and the richnefs;'c|È'the fed wj^proportionably decreafing. At half
paft feveii ’©’clock^we arrived "at a fmall village, cajled Cuaboocow,
■ whereas biêakfaftëcÇ and, from feme aè^aèstàl*_ circumftance, not
-in the plenty, in â place likea( farm yard.
The' road, aâ* we proceeded on ,our . journey,;' became extremely
rugged and jdifagiee^hlej and the heat o f the weather continued
without-any alleviation..
At noon, v enfa,w a \cry^large walled city, >caljted Caungchumfoa j
fthe walls.vofe^/hkh-'Were h,udt o f ftone, and, though not' ft> lofty, in
the fameTorrifcn^ tliofe o f Pekin.
We paffed at" Ifeaflf hundred dromedaries and camels partying
verjpheavy’ leads of wood and charcoal, as, it appeared, to the city
which has been Vjfift mentioned: This large drove was under the
'direction ôf&Snë'man, who Teemed' to manage them all without the
leaft difficulty". Thefe animals are among the moft docile of the
brute creation; befides,k,J|hfe length of time they can feft, and the
burthens they can bear, render them invaluable in the commerce of 1
the eaft.
The' palace where the embafly was received at the end of this day’s
journey, derives its name from the city of Caungchumfoa, near which it
mmÈ ! I Hands» . 1