CHAPTER II.
EMBASSY LANDS N EA R tO N G -G H O O -F O O . PRO CEED S TH R O U G H
P E K IN t 6 A PALACfe IN IT S N E IG H B O U R H O O D . RETURN*?
.7” 'TO T H E C A P IT A L ..' ;;'
T h e Embassador and his suite, had- hitherto^ro^
secuted their journey towards the capital of China without
fatigue or inconvenience. They could not but be
gratified in finding, in almost every object -that presented
itself to them, something from its novelty striking
to thq eye, orotherwise interesting to the mind. *Even
the uniformity of the country, through which they had
travelled, was a spectacle scarcely to be paralleled,,'dor
so vast an extent, elsewhere. The whole of it igigj^t be
considered, according to a sacred and pleasing thqqi^g, as^a
part of the earth in the first state of its formation,, preserving
still its equal and fruitful surface, while convulsions
threw the rest into inequality and deformity; but to those,
who attend to the operations of nature, it appeared as a
creation subsequent to the existence of the more elevated
portions of the globe, and consisting of alluvial land
brought down by torrents from the neighbouring mountains,
and settling at the bottom of them, and gradually
gaining upon the sea.
Towards the western extremity of the immense plain,
probably soTormed,bifehds.d?ekin;.-the óf
China.- -’ T h e'ro u te‘ fay thkodfh^tnftöm 'Töil^ghêhrfdè
tfotthe .autumnal* paèane uöB> the Empètidr, -c-alil^&Yue'n1
mift^yuen1; or • glrfermsf; yr^tspstual p'lï^n^cwMrt^slich
oft thdhp^esmis^^^ohldïilMïbe^bralispöiièdWighi ‘safety
were to* be .d^biieexl^lind thé E rh fe iM w
ah® ihifS^jailet wërélto bn{g^om<fii®MMtk#l§^^êbYüëh-
min-ynen, w hile preparations wer<maik<tffg#f a ^ jè u rneydnto,
Turtari^.j: 'k
"■uuAsrfcfeér’è'wasiholnusi^ahteïèo’miüunS'êatóöhl'fer^èèSêls
o£$hfe siae ‘of iyacfits -heb^eó-fPékin* and T b fig ^ ^ o ipM /'
Wfrerfe tfeötfe.-ofJthé ’Embassy.were noWtaftiy^S, aKtërfijfi'ê
dt; itibhasteTy kieariheiatter. was?tp®^réd>fer
lioil-pf -theJpersbns landing Ifroriv them*. iThJëib%|*%^
arid’-'jkreselits- were ssecur'ed im tem p o r a ry !h u # d 4 a f§§
e|ected- for the purpose! iofhwhicfr- th<3 hsafêrM^wèi'l
stlonghamboo’s/ tarid ■ close! Jmatóng'impervious ito 'rain.
Each of thöséubuildings.was -upwards ofst^Vouhindred'
feet in length.'. T hey -were l sftdjïtedt opposite'-ftPeaslii
other; »surrounded-by a strong fence,- and^shut in with
gates a t the* eltremities. Guards^vern stationed round;
ahdï'notides posted upToibiudingialLperfsonsTrom approaching
»the place with-fire. Thesfe extensive';-Storehouses
| were finisheffum a diw-hours!. Every ifhing
brought h y vthe Embassy'»was taken out Upwards1 of
thirty5vessels, a id safely dodged in theiöoursé‘ofu-{slh g r4 |i
day.-- But materials^and labourers' are, in?Öhink5,- a'Mhê,
VOX.. II. M