[exception. to ,sndhva;^ule, was not likelyjto be>made,-at
opceHim f^your of a nation, of whope-c wealth; enterprise,
and power, the. Emperor fjand mandarine's wl-ferei sufficiently
persuaded ;mb|ut of whose.Virtues thdyshad little
h e a r d .j f j
A sup'cpsjsiqn of British] subjects]: residing'in a dignb
fie<j station at. Pekin, who§e cautiousjmndu’ct and Scsopr-
;t^pus.^manij^s_ would jbefcaleulated t© gdinvthiB estefeih
.of fhe\nppfr, and the- respect^Ql'therldwer .olassescoft !fihe
Chinese, might, b y . .dissipating ; their.. prejudicesb'fand
Cppp^iatinjg their gepdrwllh prodneemtsbe «Urdrdeiice
ncpe^sjafcy, to , a , desirable alliangev.jwith tHgmi ^The
mittanpp of,such, however, inches first' instance .dmiglSt
tjje a-rpatter^pf spme ^difixcultyjandi’hazSrd'. A British
subject [in the service of;thqiEast India <GcmjnHy,, who
had .attained the languagerG*f the country.,/ hybh&yin^
beepf sent to‘Cantpn at a very earlyh^effand- hadhre-»
mained long in it, WMlpunished^^ldi|)Bel|!drdei;&dfM
Pekin, for having attempted to penetrate to*'that capita»!';
with a view o f presenting, in #bedleoeeI<to hisrilfljpe-
riors,. a memorial of. grievances from itheaBrkisHdfac*
tory.
It was: presumed,: that- better success I might attend
an-.^ypy of rank', invested with a royal commissicjn^*
whiejb commands., .respect
and a person of noble birth, and distinguished' merit;
undertook to.make the experiment.; He was.acdompa-*
EMBASSY TO CHINA. 25
nied bygefitleinendof •ability*and knowledge; but the
expedition was in’t||ttipTed b y his premature decease
imtHdtfcpjifS'e »o'f Hhe* Voyage »oWfa dThis ■ event retarded,
b it did Jnot, prevent;- &e ,prp^ee®tibn of the measure
originaMy^tfntended .$$F¥ekh -citdffinstanees 'Occurred to
press itsuxccotidn. A-more1 comprehensivewiew, also,
was taken^/of th^subjM^f*va>fid .considerations o f hu-
mauit^ajad, ph i l^ hpjfa^We^e sttperadfdt^d- 9$ those* of
policy and commerce*. i'iAim'ollg^th^l trafiSacfrioils-w'hich
gjbveLdu'sitre%di ibhe»present 'r@ign$ sPhi'ei'^f'Itb'e. most-memorable
were tke^pyag^s undertaken- tfn'deMhe ’amme1-
^iath.'auspicesi of the Bbyereijf&tvl||teefoy llhedadtitfdakiM
o f science- y^^*eti.l4rg^^.akd.‘ thh ,fghfe Jwa§ ’circumnavigated
,' with(^0i theQm6erlttVes|^ gafe^n|^®h quest.
But! ad.vantag%;iy-ltf^bMained><M'bre1*du'rib'l ef and* Wore
worthy ^ ‘etewaledominfc Ohe man, -’©boson b y government,
as fitted for ardtfoWsunde’ftayM^dby intrepidity
and judgment»’, as'* y^llUs* byi'tlie;oeSfltent o f ‘his
Requirements, was gn&biednto 'ma|e c<§nside1&bkn improvements
5in navi^rfoiPhnd^ gif^raphy ;■ and, coffer
Occasion of
theEmbassy.
sU'ehesSi’vfe‘trialis,vvfd'‘ determine- points Idf? htneh prOViSfUSi
doubt and cU'rrbsfty^S] well "as ufugeUeiul1 importance;
while another-, stoYfed< With the<‘knowledge‘Of j Whatever
former naturalists i observed', !Rad- -making,ofim thel
sake rof. furthf^re^earfe^l^'^dMiitary -sa|M#Ce Of* the
enjoyments o^fortune;;^ an eafl%s^%itto eifeiuhter-the
extremities-1 o f opposite climates, afebthe1 'perils- of* un-