pddn. “ in his-proposal concerning it 'solely hup rhaSi irtlfri^ty
~~ “ for itswelfare ^ hHfe<that in rèvery piker .respeêyts stay"
“ . would be iNGff. agreeable i to’ himg||p Nothing?!p*%id';be
more gracioixs and flattering'than the expressions which
Hórchoong-taung used: to the Embassador fro to. himself
upon the ;ofccasion> Thfe interpreter, tho >a^native of
China, but not long accustomed to the appearances .and
language o f his own court,. was firmly of opinion that it
would be perfectly at This /Excellency’s option to. continue
as. long at it as’ might; suit his purpose.
T h é Colaó suffered the Embassador to. .-take leafve of
him for that/time, withbut giviitg/ him the least inti-
notation o f the Empétor s answer‘toahis? M^e#y|s"iefcter
having been prepared, and intended, to !be .delivered to
him the rtoxt day, and which/delivéryis supposêdio be
meant as a signal for departure. Immediately, diowev.er,
on his return to Peking he had information to ithat' effect
from a private hand: and in the afternoon/CbOw-ta-
Zhin, and Van-ta-Zhin, called upon hitoato mdntion
that; he was to have a message from Ho-cHoong-taung,
to meet him the next day at the great palace o fj Pekin.
T h e y added, that th e y thought improbable, tho 'they affected
to say that they were not certain,, that the Emperor’s
letter to the King of: England would 'then be presented
to him ; in which case; -they advised him to. ask
permission to return with it to his Sovereign without
delay. I t was obvious that they had been directed to
givJfsucK advfoe'^liid'AiVlP^ indeed* under? a\fpnstraint Pekin.
unu'SuMhwith them in their intercourse with the Embas- ”
sadof pa^wejlfas in^ cfe^depfbS^fr^^jAits, while-they
offered it.- j
f'-i’E ajj$ppthfrnext rn'ca^M^ i 3^}fe'egate^ai»te'(|.oii his Ex*
celljtocy-to. acquaifo* him Jjbat'' the Colao^fisi^hf^'t0 see
him at frail of ^udie^fedp thep&lajre,of Pekin,
as - soon a ff j?h^’feo8.ll^i^^^ea|[V^r< Jy
.-|^Phe- Ejmbassido^ ha^fever^disposed atjthe time, was
unjyfrling|tq.fail/tp the appoinferen|v and sf^rutjpijr^&ly
jaftepded in a shorts time^Mthetpa|aceJio%whrch bypassed
tfrrpug-h ca cpnsidteja||ie/partyd! t h ^ ParM# id!|y., The
palaCef is ;eii|Gomp^^d,b|j|a h ig h ^ a lfr^ IM n w,hich| he
^fong^canals Qf
st^|uant granite, ;jwrk h ,,ba.Lii^- -
/trades^ of marbl^.to-;feho%pt;^ ftth ^ |^ 'd r y ^ h ^ ^ h ^ ^ p T ^
the^JEmperor’s aps^eKeorn^ i itled in, a larg^roll cohered
with yellow- silk, and placed in= aipfha-igjO^sJ-atq hung
with curtains o^the;samC;cpl(|{rr. It, wasjaftet^ar^fs..caj- ,
riedrin form up the-; middle^of-ithree tfligh|fHof^stairs,
while the Colapanel others who had hitherto,Stood by^Lfc,
prd the Embassador and his suite,, went ,up thq^idpi
steps to the half: a single structure sur-rOup^e^l^ many
others; itself of.gfeatj sjze and magni%qi^ew: tho built
of -wood j upon a, foundation o f graflit#|$ apd decorated
within side and without, with gildingp rind, in ,th§ hjap-
piest disposition ofrtho nioSt pleasing andVvivid colours.
VOL* II. S s