Tong-choppy While the English were observin g some- of the.-reli-
" l ... gious customs of the Chinese, an event took place whï©â
gave the latter an opportunity of sèeingan European CCM/-
mony of religion-in the funeraLof a person belonging//to
the Embassy, who died during its short stay neat-Tong*-
choo-foo. He was an ingenious and skilfid artist in brass
and other metals. From Birmingham he had settled in
London, where he was,earning adecentsubsisteneevjwfeen
he heard that an expedition washtting out*fer Ghiîïa#He
had conceived a notion that many improvements in- the
arts were practised at Pekin, whiGfeweredlttletknown^M
Europe; among others, that of making a kind !of tinsel
that did noEtarnish, or at least that kepbwithout tarnishing
much longer» than any that w^s-madeiëeedr'^flgçi^
European methods. He fancied that wefe!he acquainted
- with suchf improvements, he should he enabledr>to
provide handsomely for his family . He did not, indeed,
expect loenjoyfong, himself,-the benefit of ahy^&sî®shè
should discover. He was past the middle agi >;• of aifeefete
mate« and subject to many-complaints. But he^'hotightt
it not too much to shorten his own life/in* a?-pfeîilouè
voyage, for the sake of being able to communicate to his
offspring, what would be the means of their prosperity.
He offered bis services to the Embassy. At Madeira -the
Embassador perceiving thisiman’s health impaired âlÿèftdy
in the passage» urged bim tbfreturn h@mi*| - b u t’h e " # «
bent on: the aecomplishmentofhis purpose; He pursued
the voyagé ; and tho he was visited- by the epidénvicah
diseases, /b y »which, in th&.c©ursOiO©it, many Tong-choo-
youing and robust- persons rapidl)b;ldst< fchdi relives; he - °°'
helcbrout till hoiwas within one day's;journey of that capital,!
where he hoped to. attain the olgdet/Ofshls pursuit.
But ibisètephsff tutiortyï bi®kf©m doivwn -by fatigué and ill-
'hes-Sj/iwas unable -to ' suppêBtehiin any lon'gltf'and-he' fell
arsaWiffcelto the- affection ffë-Éôre hi-s »children! -He wfs
-kquiefe, 'sober, and honestî «Oeki and! dfeetendi in his
mariners : and his féllow^ïtraveilèrs„offhvory rank rêgrë>
Àtêds h-rrnî; nor should his -humMfe istatiônîfpfeôlude him
fromibmhgrnaemioned.-in- this rélàtiolkohan Embassy,
to whkkihkrwas. attached. I His nmhe wa^'!MaHesvi-His
fuBefal'was 'àttendeê,Uiïot‘ only! b^^tfe04:gre^t‘0's't number
o f his late* fellow-travellers, but fey*a vasti-eoffleonrsedf
Cbinfesei * Every form wa-siéBsepvidaiad^elie’ ceremony
performeef with muchvgmvity and'dedemhyy'asl^dlKik
respect to the memory- of-th e «deceased » as in compliance
with: thoHèas'af the-Chènese, who: art aptto /eohsidertbè
feast* sEghfeor inattention, : om s^shîî$ïferBn &cfeftsi@rfcs<,/jas
marks of barbarism and inhumanity: -
This Englishman/.^aàdnterred in thg.*midsémf several
Chinese, tombs,, interkptrsfed. w ith 'eÿpr^ssÿffiâes,l>a6taj dis-
tance from1, anydhureh or temple, but n ear( t h ètp ub li b r&ad
leading out oFTôtïglehôa-fooïThÊiChînèlèbuïfying-places
arenootherwise/eonseerated than by thOVeheration-of the* '
people,/-the /remains o f whoso doeestem# m-e;’deposited in
théihî Thei peopïe «preser-ve > thosts/skored. repositories,
wim/ ali theJcare/'thoylcan mîfeM tQK bëstpiv upon 'them.