CHAPTER m
s ail
- Departure
from Pekin.
n E P ^ i | 0 K -F R O M P E K IN . TO U RN E Y T O iH A N rG H O O -E O O , .
P A R T L Y -U M > N ;T H E 1M PERIA;L> G A N A L . .
T h e resolution having been once farmed b ^ f the
Embassador,, of endeavouring to overtake ^ë^|ion at
C$Ujsan, he became as anxious to set out from- Pekin^a
Jbe had been before desirous of protracting hitóst-ay in
it. , Another circumstance contribuh d also to precipitate
his departure. The Pei-ho, and other smaller rivers^in-,-
the north of China, axe partly fed by,the melting;of the1
snow in summer paailhe tops of the Tartarian -mpuntains.-
While this operation of native continuej^É ^ B ^ afi?
deep and fit for the .purposes of navigation;Ibutjto\Yards
the end of autumn, when the sun’s obliq®lAay s f^U^dth
less.effect upon the earth, and the melting ceasés,^tho||
rivers become so“ extremely shallow as' well asj'spw> that
boats of convenient size can no longer pass upon them,
even before the supervening frost imparts solidityto their-
diminished and sluggish waters. The mandarines who
attended the Embassy, and were aware of the^extreme
fatigue and inconvenience of travelling much by land
in China, especially in winter, hurried every preparation
in order to get upon the Pei-ho, while it was yet
EMBASSY TO .-CHINA:.
navigable, . 11ivlaisisfettfedslt ha t,tKe îparty;should proceed Departure
.to iHan-‘ch©B,-.foo|-.eapital oî^h^jhdxsinëe of Ghe-Kiang,
of which Cbu-san formsjia.fp,®rt^*W'here,brif J^ir Erasmus
Gower '.should be- sftill tin’-waitin’gffbr^iherEmbassador,
thé lattdr mighbjipm1rhim msa4f4sv^d'Sy;l5; ,and ifiotfiâij-
wisé, he mf^ht continue bis rtMe^MnSly for Cintoh,
arid from* thfencenoKEuKOpe^ECHuwAabZhin, -andaŸbn-
telZhin,- >wko ^weiè steadily attach edilt©' the -Embassy»,
laridoonrydrom - mu¥h-frf^f;g^eEnBfSk^s> a'ép^ndddyiÿrêrê
RÏIosviêd^by hfs-> E«ibelJ‘enoy’s^ ek fey hhd >iregplablyper-
.tainingêoîthdipÉov-inèbcdflPêâGbe^èë|lt0)àèeênipKnÿ him
through strii He'- dëxivediah*àdva®ta^&)fi-ttilhigMafeer
importance ; > from the' very ■ doubts t ànd< foepÎ5èiôns;vrhich
tKtereHéïriiês'*ff the English had inspired i n to- thicCbfebJs
mind',' andha'd ^venEndeavouredtfd^cohYè%t(i)j:thàt of
his:Imperial Majesty .hit was thoüghf/iîfrsëBrii’si^mgterialj
th^t^aSpersen in whomgbVer)meMpfô(àedthe ulnMt édoii
fidènofe^shourld be appointed|td)'afecbhipany theSe-'sits|)ecti
WdcstrarigërS in Weir’ldng^l’uraeydthf©h§hThe-‘empiMj£ in
order-i®! watch -their conduct^ arid penetîgtëf 'if pbssibfe}
the-ir^real character ?arid deigns, i The--chOT|H<fell upon
tbê- 6olJa'ô:Sun-ta-Zhin, méntisned in tbe$ Mr dtehajbèhof
this vblriraeT n As- he had acquittédhim'sêtftè the perfect
$ atisfaction' nft»thébè@hrtv<0&hen !-sëri’l tb ube^'tlwith thp de*
le s té s from Russia* on the frontiers, hè'was, no*doubt;
deertledvthe fittest Tor >à?bonfidential commission Gosncefn*
ing other; fdtfeigneT&M-He was'iJtboperi U^d engaging