chB-f^v accompanied bv a civil matistemte, -ïllie latter was dit*
Islands. - , . . 1 . ? . , " ■ tmguisned. by a square embroidery upon his breast, m
party>-eek>ured silk, in which the figure of an imaginary
bird, the phoenix of the Chinese, was wrought ; aswas
i that of a,tiger,'on a similar embroidery, op the. governor’s
robes, .denoting his militar y functions. This latter animal
is not inaptly emblematicsof^he^evila which happen
in the course of that profession jî^and a bird, in the ancient
mytholog-yoTEuropejidenoted wisd6m,ithjë!praper
quality of ptagistratess These persons, with some subor-
dmate- officers, seated theipselves in a row ô f armsehaks,
covered with English sçarlet eloth,while .the English
Were seated on a similar row plaeedoppositéto them.
After an intercoms© of civilities, tea wasi presentedV
and the magistrate-then began* a -speech, which*'wasr
uttered with a variety .pflones; andaceompanied with
gestures, that implied it to-have been intended for a display
of eloquence, -entirely thrown away,.indeed; upon
most , of his auditors ; but of , which the. purport- was,
that the mode o f navigation fromprovinee to province
along the coast had been,mti all times-, the praotice
_ amongst ,ibsi Chinese, and rnust^ consequently,, be the
best to follow in the preseiii in^anosîi ithavGhu-san was
onl y a subsidiary pofftste tibe greater one ®f Ning.-pod?
and could supply no pilots, such as were now demanded?
To this speech it was simply answered, (hat :th©greater
size, and different constKikction o.f the English ships, ■
required a diffepant method to. fee followed in this jp-
sp^^sthmn what usually was praetisedifthatas Ning- z-m.•:~r-
poo might furnish such -pilots!^ could not befound at -
Chjiksain,^l|icy would immediately proceed thither in
search of theih.
I-lFhis^inteiwtion «alarmed, instantly, <fcHe governor.? He
said that*thkrdepartnra for Ning^oo would imply, in
the, eycspf the Emperor, a dissatisfaction at their reception
at Chu-san; the consequence o f whieh, probably,
would occasion the.loss o f his office and of his* dignity^
pointing te^ globiuki*Ted button, which' he-wore upon
his bonnet, denoting the second class of magistrates; or
officers", itrihe' public service, o f whom' there are-nine
degifees* except which there is; strictly,* no rank ordig?
%)ityi-htfee country*
The governor,- to*?,avoid the? possibility o f disgiace;
anisnediately (undertook to find ouWpensons qualified to
condutJbsriae squadron in the desired route. Peremptory
•ordersi were instantly dispatched into-die town Tor - all
such persons as^wexe known to have ever beeh a$Tien>-
sing. As soon- as They appeared, they were severally
CK-amined' as to theirskill in navigation. Two, at last;
jwece found, who had traded frequently toTtettport-; but
•who had «pitted the sea some time.’ They -gave information
that the navigation of the Yellow sea was attended
with no peculiar difficulty or danger, at least to
vessels of «the size, that were generally used to traverse it ;