several times repeated, with a difference o f figure every
time, m well as o f thie-«ebMrs> ’witb'wb&b tbe Ghinese
seem to have the ’aft of' clothing fire at pleasure. On.
each side of' the large bus was A correspondence of
smaller boxes, which opened in like manner, and let
down a kind o f net-work of fire, with divisions of
various forms, which shone like burnished copper, and
fla&heddike lightning with ©veryimpulse of the wind.
The whole ended with a volcano, or eruption of artificial
fufe, in the grandest style.
A ll those entertainments wore exhibited to advantage
on the lawn before the Emperor s groat tefthnap^ini the
open air. They were preferred, on this occasion, to the
more refipeipjeasur©? o f dramatic petfQrmanees, h#®5
ever relished by the Chinese; but which many o f the
Tartars, and other foreigners as well as the -Epiglish,
among the audience, could not understand-;. ;A select,
party, including die Embassador and principal gentfe
men of his suite, was invited to, the «Jxbibjfebn of a
in the playhouse belonging to tbe ladies
of the palace, which was situated in the boundary between
their private pleasure grounds, and the Empe-
rors'great garden. It was a small but handsome build-'
ing, several stories high. There were throe open thear
tres, or stages, one above another. Opposite the lowest,
stage were deep boxes for the guests,.and over them wero
retirodasd latticed galleries fcpiihje Udhis, who, without
being seen, could; discern what was passing upon either
stage. They hadtrfot.probably.any view into thetfeoMOSl
for the Emperory being dis|tossrft®.'indttlgMhdirddsin3 of
Seeing some, person of the Embassy, one. of the eunuchs
conducted the youth already mentioned,? out of the Embassador
§ boxj'Upon a platform within the ladies’ view.
Instead of human figures upon the stage, the actors
assumed the forms o f other animated beings,* as well as- of
inanimated produttinnspof .the land and sea. They
filled the thregi several stages*, forming, a kind of epitome
of the world, and performing'par ts, wh^^^y^somBi'W^re
conjectured to; represent the marriage Of I Odea tr and the
earths This pantomiknepoksistedof several aetsyandih@
motions and evolutions; of the actoMs lasted u part
of the afternoon.
Between the: acts, manyoffche spectators went into»
the Embassadons boxy to. see and converse with him.
Most of them were Tartars s few origo inal Chinesfe beingo
invited to JZhe-hoh Theta %i$ellikehyis© two Mnssab
men, chiefs of some hordes ’of CalnSoucks, who, not
long since; * on ocoasion; of discontent or misunderstand-«
ing with the government o f Russia, migrated in great
numbers from the northern coast oif the Caspiamseu into
Chinese Tartary, and put; themselves under the Em«
peror’s protection,^ Hcgiaye them a very favourable
reception, and decorated these two leaders with buttons
of dignity, and peacocks’ feathers to their caps.
Vis^t to the
Emperor’s ccTO; ‘