and moor in the stream, the.bar;of<.sand;.at the entrance of the lake being
aknpst.dry in the fair season. . The vast sheet o f water, which, by-taking
a, circuitous direction:, had, on, our first arrival, in<haeed;ns«tn^^eljjde
that-we were on. an island, was now diminished to anvineonsiderablei surface,
and left a large portiomof land,i which had recently-been cbyesesdi; in
a adapted for the cultivationcof rice., i We'observed-the peasants inA
dustriously employed; in turning up the oozy soil, preparatory to the-iiecepi
tiori of seed; and it was now manifest, that the place of pur residence,
which, from the encroachment of the periodical waterS, we hadfCousidercd
as low, was, in fact an elevated a n d .commanding situation.
Early in October, the Chinese.deputies, having fulfilled their diplomatic
mission, left the grove to return to their native country. They embarked
on board commodious boats, in which I understood they were to travel for
three weeks, and afterwards prosecute their route by land, until they got
into the heart of the Chinese dominions, where water carriage is facilitated by
numerous canals. They expected to find the cold intense before their arrival
at Pekin; a journey which they stated would.require three months to perform.
I presented the senior, at his last visit to pie, with a wrapper of English
.broad cloth, which he remarked would be more comfortable in his journey
among the cold hills of China, in the month of December, than his own
. garments of silk quilted with cotton. He apologized for not having-any
.thing better to. give- me in return than some pieces of silk and a few fans;
but his son, a promising youth of seventeen,; who attended his father in
quality of page, and who had been on more familiar terms, with us, -than
the natural, gravity and public character of the seniors would allow to
them, came to take leave of me just before his embarkation, and observing
that he should probably never see me again, entreated my. acceptance of
hij?; pjfejy andthmgnt'sc,, as * memorials of- thefespn of Keeloree.* , When
I. hesitated, m receivingsw-hat, w^eiepn^^enGies^to^jhmgi, but uSelesaSto-
seemed, S0^mPlch^hurt,'(. thafe-1 qom^'qnt^wopnd'the /feelings of
thej i^g^nuppg,i.y.^^h^|j^&jgGting( his^aykje vyd^en, qi-.gopcl'-tyill. v l,h p d
givqndiimj, atfdi^jgjr^t^mes^a few? trifli^g^attficatipns, aqd ,he,could4not
repgnqije. himself ttog depart »^ij^ou^ngjymg^ som % returns, His .pillow
vras-.a l>g^Jia^uBr^^bo|:^abqnt't^gl^ee^,iG^^|l^;^|(jdpcu?15^jli|itQpi!and
ppy^r^d.^i.thi a - q a ^ o f- sjljc , ^ 0., thickly -quA^l! n u ll cotvoii .is to render
ft, spft. , In., a hox of^thjs^^ajtag ^Jihjese,’^jv'hen1 he-.-mpkes J a^jpurpey*,
;t||i^Hy.carries aE,b j^ ’®l^|>|qS^ttopgh4 ii^pr,0Mided .^i^aH^^aitjisj;ft!it
fea^y tpfcbg.pppngdi,and the,case,,iscJosd)‘buttoned -thus eti.n Jle i secure
all- his,property- by^lqpging.'fOn^ufcjA'Jihjs'bjjx;;wjs, rifiU.emjitvit conl-
tain,ed.the.purse| beforementioned, a&sf£ek..and.flintyto light fip y^rid a
bracelet andjringf(of agate,, which the^dna&MSsUred-me \\c id-endued;1 >1 uh
ceEt^jn, cabalistic v i r t u e s ,^ protect, the-pqpsessor, from, the^ perils |H th c
soadt;,',
During the time that matters of business (iveie midei*dis'cussion, < nd-tbe-
necnssqry papers. preparing, Mr. Wood' euqdo) edkH(sUejs,ure howis in db
gosling ins. suivey ol the river, and.jin rpakingVVAtaunoqiftwkobsLri un >t i
whilst DoctorrBuchanan, ever as,siduoys. in{ the. pursuit,ofi^q^MgeL pxOi!
secuted botanical enquiries, and collected general information from every
accessible source. Among other things, books in the Birma^ffi^^tj^erfe
brought to him.for^sajg^op.which the qwnesfeputv what« seemqd‘'tq^bej;.a
* This I conceive to be rather a title than his’ real name.
' t This purse bore an exact resemblance to the representation in Sir George Staunton’s
work, of the purse which his imperial majesty of China" presented to therembassadoi’Sfpage
when the British embassy was formabyvintr.Qduced, ;v-!