August, 1793, the town o f Ta-coo, within fthe Pei-ho,.
or White river, and Öhe first pâæe of amy note,jin this-
norA-eastbontier of China. There/.thev found a rnnsj-
derable number af%yachts, or large cohered* barges, and'
boats of burden,, calculated to pass over the shallow? of
the Pei-ho, and destined to * convey" the whole of Âê?
Embassy .as fia* as- that .river led towards A c çapÿt^pfi
the empire.
The Embassadof -entjeFed immédiat cfy into the;^,chfe
prepared for his reception. It bore some-resemblance"to.
A e passage-boats on -the English and.IBiuitdh canals ; but:
being intended .for a longer and MinsaatBDrupted monte.,
was made more ^spacious, .and fitted -up with greater
conveniences, as wæffl as better decorated. Theoapfliit^-
taaent .allotted ifor dais jETceebeney -took tup most off the
vessel, :aind cconsisted anf an antichambar, a'sai©an,.;a bed--
chamber, anda xdaset. In :Ae saloon was a>seat. t@F, f c -
® n rr or isquare ’sapha^isnAiasiis found in A e daopsési trf
every rchief mandarine, and on whkh,.mtp.pcnifed fry'
large “cushions, beigiveeaudience to b is suitors.. ; A gangw
ay, ;stretobing<out about it wo tfeet beyond (the gxnmarfe-
■of A® yacht, served .for a communication to® eafrh side,
-foom fiteM to stemx, for the (domesties arrd cre w, without
passing through A e roeam. O b- Asse gangways-; A e
seamen stepped, when it happened to be «necessary to
force, Iby setting-poles, (the vessel over dthe ishafrows, or
Arou^h thick mud. The crew had a ismall ccafrin next
the stemvin a comer of which perfumed matches were Face up
constantly kept lighted, and placed round an idol upon the Pel~ho~
'at»'s®S.al.t’*flmr} froatsfottebded with provisions and cooks,
te supply the EnAiassador sfiAte, without A e necessity
n f going; aAore,x®i suffering any delay whenever the
tide d# windshoulcbbe favourable, for proceeding.'
Sixteen other yadats, masted them of a larger size, than
that of the Efobassackar, as intended each to carry many
passongris/Menl found sufficient for holding the whole
of M’s Excellency*3 suite. Many of Aose.’ vessels were
eighty feet long, and very capacious; y e t they were
built of * such; light wood, and so constructed, as not to
sink more than eighteen inches into the water, tho Aey
wei«: lofty above Ah The cabnirs Were« high im i airy-
Above them'were births; for the crew, and beneath the
flonr&wo#© lockers for stowing necessaries-
; T l^ c S K ^ ’Astiiwtiett, :aa to arnauent, .between the
Embassador's, and the otheryaehts1, consisted in the
greater proportion of glass panes which adorned the
wmclows o f the former ; while the frames of the others
Wer^generally filled with a kind af paper, manufactured
ehiefly A d y e a , and in stenAmposMoa of which asn
unctuous substance is employed, far rendering the p a p «
more durable when Aus exposed to the. weather, it being
much fie# easify^ffeetbd by rain, op any kind of wetr
th ah Aati whicM& made in E w o p ^ The general use
of glass in Ae yacht where; decoration was; principally