Visit to the
'Emperor’s
..:
their Yoices, > as' to resemble the; effect of the musical
glasses'at a distance. Thyperformers-were ;directed in
Riding from one- tone to^anMherjbyhhe: Striking of a
shrill and sonorous eymbaf; and the >judj§i^pf .music
among the gentlemen of the Embassy'werdt.much
pleased with their exeeutibn. The whole had undeed-a
grand effect. During the performance*, and at particular
signals, nirie>'times Repeated, all the persons .present
prostrated themselves nine times, except tE^jEmbassador
ahd his suite, whoimadd-a profound obeisanfce^. But: he
whom itWWmeahcto honour, eontinuedy as if it were
in imitation of the Deity-, invisible, the whole time.
The .awful impression intended to be m^de.rq^p^ihe
minds of men, by this apparent worship >of &?rfeflpw
mortal, was not to be effaced by any immediate tsqenes.of
sport or gaiety, which were postponed to the. folio wing
day; It was not deemed, however, inconsistent to visit
in 'the mean time some of the temples in the neighbourhood,
which had been erected by the Emperor.^Sjjn-ta*
zhin, one of the courtiers who. had been o f t henparty
through the garden, politely offered to accompany the
Embassador. This Tartar chief was lately promoted to
the rank of Qolao, or to that first clakt of mandatihes^qf
whom there are not above half a dozen in the> empire.
He had; some time since, been employed in the frontiers
of Russia, to accommodate disputes that had arisen with
that nation. He said, that he had negotiated ayt Hiachta
EMBASSYf CHINA. 257
with 'a RussmiS^IMraiSasfR& 'Wore a'1 ted riband?|ijd star
like thase of the^Embassador| ^ ^dr.with'!this generalihg
's'od^tfeTniinaild?ai#differen©ek'ii'Hearing>tha,tthh
lency had f 3rmer^WeefnWpon^iln%MOThohthat3CpiJ|try
from Ms Majesty, heWas Wefy.paKHcWlanih^ilinquiraes
codcernifig the; nfcHls^lpower,,»33®!*
that botmtii InhiMurlr, h^nsWejedr^vefaktjliiSStiops
oficurifesityahilegard foitChiba, Thefe qOhfergajihihbe-
came.i'fffer!esti|^| and, iia-slffeje'dSg^eeyednfidenjTaj^He
was intelligent ahd attentiveil-Sand thefsoft <ddhjtijn%]3y
which! c«amenced at this tMjgf Hetyeen’himi and? i the
Embassaddn, ;be'came afterwards of;m'u.chuse..
•'Th the.*£joursef<@f their! ridOdogethferion -4he^r|£en3;
jocc-a^on, !■ th ey iidsitedl several t©mples%ts|fa8e <js f ood Op
:ghntle elevations, §ome-on th e plain, and» others on the
stimmit'of high hills,, appro'achabJe onfyj by rti-hyhWtfls
of difficult ascent.; Of those ? temples, not
fewer tham five hundred g iff^ ta tu S ^somexthat bigger
than thedife, of deceased lamas ofreriowned san|tfiyf?;
Somef^ehe represented iSmth§> Attitudes Of constraint and
inconvenience; in' which, .from ah impulse.hf extraordinary
devotion,-and adsecret tdesirgjof being admired for
it,, they preserved tbe«vbwuthey 'had made to? continue
whilst they lived. But the most! eonsidierablcfdurtdation
was the Poo-ta-la, or'grand temple of FosfHmnsdsting of
one great; and SeveMabSmaller' edifices. Thd/principal
was a grand cathedral Of ai square form, each 'side jpf
Visit to the
Emperor’s
cou rt.