PäSggf*
the' Pei-' relations' ofcJ^klaesej customs,*dwhen tea-ifSjs^we^ upon
th ^ a p iv a h of =a: visitor, were' not ^observed, -ior. ■ -were
slightly passed over ion th&present^meoting; duiwhich
there was nothing 'particular in this usespeit to notice,,
unless'it may-be mentione^that the'le^wa^ ibroU ght in
cups .with .covers upon; oblong . 'saucers, and infused in
ejfch cup separate!^? the' leaves trend ainingi at Jheijbottof«.
o fth c p u p ; and that"th<| simple in-fusionJ^fchis herb
was thought by the hostpf-’hoibyifehie;guesls, p^efer-^e
to its mixture with ,oream<'andfetfga*^i;i
The Viceroy had takenmp his1 abode? aifci lll principal
temple of Ta-coo, consecrajfeedutotife&-.^^'^ t h e ^ a |‘thj:
proximity of which occasioned,' no- doubt,1 frequ||j| invocations
to that deity, under i the appellation Of
hai-vawngy or king oft|he »egatemtsea., T h e ^ p l^ ^ S ^ # ^
^ Ifig u re s of him in dafferenthrilliaTit e d i f e p s i ^ ^ p ^
lain, within one inclosure. The-atoex^dcbte^swfti^is
one representation of this\ChinSp Neptome ptand is^efUr
Mematfcof the element over which he,‘is tddbs^JeiSSd.*-as.
presidihg. He sits upon thelwaves-with firmness,^ea^.
and digtarty^ and tho he brandishes no trident, Uf&mi-np-
monsters from the vasty deep,'yet heseems to-be oo^stj.i&us-
of .security' by the possessionpf a magnet in one^'and,.
while the dolphin, which he Holds in the other, denoteS-
his power over the inhabitants of the ocean. His be&tfd
flowing in all directions; and his agitated locks' seemed
intendedi'for a personification of thai troubled element.
The circumstance of the'divinity’s reliance upon a mag-
ngt^4s,a sufficient in^ig^tiQP. how intimately the know- •
lgdge of its ^ ro p e rfi» has-been incorporated with the
Tnytlt^ldgicalk doctiines^qf th^r Chinese,; as well as at
what ;art^a^l-yperiod that knowledge, must have been
appligd^fco u They^ who juppose, indeed,
from ^ iia u s allus^ps ip ancient authors, as well as from
a consideration vqf the, ^ ith l^ h ie h p ie q ^ o f iron
placed imp jr^ u la y positj0 4 ^fe|j^re magnetic qualities,
that these(;irtfere k n o ^ h ^ n f Europe also in.yery remote