CHAPTER VII.
RESIDENCE QF,;THE EMB.ASSY AT AANTON^AND AT MACAO";
aotm. -HIhe ^ t)^ d isu b u rijro E C a n to n are^ituated^mastly on
! tkte?easter^^fefcGfe|l«Te-kiang river. The Emba'ss'^
was lodged >on the opposite side., ( Its quarter^ coqsist-ed
of separatfedauildings«sufficiently spkcious. »and Gonver
nient. S o ^ ^ o f them werlf fitted up iritheEhglish' mam-
ner, with glass windows and fire-grates.' The use of-the
latter was then found, in the winter solstice? to be very-
comfortable; th o in- a* situation bordering upon the tropic.
A largfe garden with ponds and parterres surrounded) the
buildings.; On one side of them was a temple^. and oA
the other,- a highr-edifice-, th,e top of which commanded
a view of the river and shipping, as well as- of the qi|y
and d ie country to a considerable distance. |
Canton, like a sea-port or a frontier town, bears many
marks of. the mixture of foreigners-with natives. The
handsomer; factories of the different nations of Europe
trading to it, situated in a line along the river, outside
the walls of the city, each with its national;flag flying
over it, contrast with the Chinese buildings, and are an
ornament to the whole. The numbers of strangers to -be
seen in the suburbs, while their ships are unloading and
loading innsthe, riv er; .their various' languages; dresses-, Canton;
and characteristic deportment, would leave it almost a
doubt, if a judgment^werentd-cbedormed from that part
hjgthd town, -to what nation, it wa!s belonging.*
The neighbourhood t^fethe^doreign-factoigp is filled
with storehouses for the reception» of European goods*
until the'yr areP disposed of to the natives?|pr Chinese
goo'cK for exportation untiishipped. The front ofialmpst
evefy house -is a shop; and the‘"ish^ps? ofeohe on more
streets1 ^re,laid out chiefly to* supply the wants qf>, strangers;.
Airpbr^hases-are made either b y individuals jbfer
longing^to the ships,-or b y th e agehtetofieomipanies in
Europe. f'.The great objects of import dnd-iex~port are
carried on chiefly b y the- latter.- In transactions b y the
former,' instances of fraud may have happened or been attempted
;rsearefely any..'byi-the-Mtter. .Theprobity |p fp
fuality,’and creditof th.ebEn|lish'East’Jndia Company in
particular, .and their agents{fare known among1 th e ^ h i-
hese ^merchant’s- to ^he.such, that their^g©.odssar.e? taken
alway^as-to) quantity and quality; for-,yvhat\ they .are
declared'in the invoice g*knd;lb:e’b.alesi'»with their mark
pkssun trade, without examkratiOii? throughout >Ae gm,-
pire. Those 1 agenfs-iSre dividedvgenerally dnto- supercargoes
and wViters.llThey have-.thte good fortune,; by>drç
nature -and liberality of^theifr emoluments, tob'hg. placed
aboVh temptation. They arë allowed a, .commission on
the business donè by therri, according to their «stations