Tong-choo- ■ f
likely to excite. The outside of the shops was^pa&'nted
with a'^ariety-afilivefy. oofon®** a&weft asigiitll with rich
ensigns before them,; and long labels inviting customers .
Amongst the chief articles ex posed to sale bwere. tfetj'
silks, and porcelain* imported from th e southward, and
furs of different kinds, most; of which werebrought from
Tartaryi It was a pleasing circumstance to observe balsoi,
among other goods, somb English cloths, tho in no considerable
quantities.
The appearance nf. EnglishmeniiinteTrnj^ed^&rna
while, the usaal be*iupations;et£ the'peopleir i^h^piEu'-
ropKtns,: mostlymissionaries, hadtravelled thrqth&city;-1,
bu t i n Order jo escape notice, they were;>dadihJthedffiE^
chesses of: the countryy-andhad^suffered their g&ardsiit©
grow> in imitation Df the Chinese, 5 ^ d h ^ r t .d o ^ * to f
smoothfaces of the present strangers; formed,, therefore,
a new Spectacle. The greatest surprise, howeydr,' was
occasioned b y a black servant, who attended one; of the
gentlemen of the party. He had been brought fioftx Batavia,
to supply ;tb® place of an European whotfeturned
home. Th e jet hue of his complexfon*Mswoolly head,
and features peculiar to the negroes, nothing like'which
had been remembered to have been seen before, in this
inland part of China, led some of the spectators almost
to doubt, whether he i. belonged to the human species \
and the boys exclaimed, that it must be a black demon,
fm ^quee; but a good-humoured countenance soon reboneiledthem
to his; appeardnee;* and dfaey continued td Tonfcchoa-
stare at him witbout^appRehensioAo<r,disinkfijrife».t,<
■f IASs i th©<p»r by »pissed*ialdng.Mbie.s(i:eets,.. they «observed,
in spverahpilaceb dn> the isid.es/qfi Hhusds, the projection of
a lunar,eclipse, cwMch . was -to-Aappen 'SOdhialierwardi;
In th e qlear.and ^easdn^Mttto^phererof thismllfoatb, all
classes ©f men .livingimosdy.ont^jdobrsiare -inclined it® .
fefe i&ttentivmtui ;th@ ,appearances >©fbthe. hbavenst\
thtey acbnirbgrasinally The, MabitmB ounnfecWngiwtth j siiM
lunacy eveiits, as* ifith© lattetiwere d«pend:s®frUp'on¥he
former.'rS©me'acGidentalcbipeidentesStaktegplabi^etoee|.
festrengt'hewrhis belief ;:fdndihpvanityief^re4i^^u had
certainly its share in forming the pre tended
asfcrbldgy.«.{ I f eblip'^esp in» particular, c;w ^ e /considferedas
havii^dheipo^wt^'ifiSnbM^tbe’hl^ftiaonsi bfeMtur«!,
and|«hbdtraiisactiensebf rhankind, ’QkiUpgr^odSictf thgft
OfSurrenbte ime'essariby btegftki atedbj ect- Of attention.'§fld
soli'eitildg; <4ndptlib'* gWerntaeH&'ofi^hd.'^umiryf-'Wbi:
aUx-iou s tOlestablish 'the foundations^pbrfts ■ authority id
the peoples opinion of its £Up,effob wisdom* andconistaht
care of -their security1 and welfare}ib^i§oh?Verted{-their
prejudices4o< fobbtitif,« byi©xdUsivcIyApfpcuring*k>fedifi-*
m unication of|whatever- sciensserakd |ob§er;vati(3^ Bbuld
afford in this respect. Such
wards announefed to the! people, as <1» the iriStedchbf't'h’e
present projection, at the tiades ,iaildWithdhM^c^Sntdfift
fitted td'bhsUre veneratibn for'lhat^upbj^infee'ridin.gApovV'Sr
VOL. I I . ■ ' N