Journey to
the Northeni
Frontier.
CHAPTER III.
JOURNEY TO THE NORTHERN*-FK6i^TIER OF CHlN'M® V tEW OF
t Ae ''G R EA T S vALLi -VISIT TO^THE EMPEROR’’S "COURT ’> 1 *
HIS SUMMER’S RESIDENCE? IN TARTARY-.
T h e - Embassador, attended; by the usual numbey
biChinesei and most of his European-suite, set.out from
Pekin’on the second of September, 173^.-: The plain m
which that capital is situated extends .axonsideTabfewayl
to the north and east. To the left, ap'westwardthe- hiU§.
began to rise at a little distance«^ ut. to thj^-right, -fpr
many miles, there was a_perfect level to bj^gis|f
of Pe-chee-flee, which seemed to' have. r,etreatedTxom,3tb f*
base of the mountains it originally had bathed.
the rough-barked willow/-(salix fragilisj^ro^ying to-;a,
vastrsize,-shaded the road passing iomr this plain. It
appeared to-be the tree best adapted to the s o iW fH ^ . ‘
b ln this part of the journey has Excellency,travelled in
his European carriage; and it was probably for the fiyse'
time that an English post-chaise rolled upon the route-,to
Tartary. -The Embassador took occasionally some of th§
mandarines into the chaise with him. At first they were
somewhat startled, lest the carriage, which was hung
high, and seemed to them to totter, should overturn;
but beihigvaku.rdd#@| its p&cfdotpsafetyi ■;
inexpressibly delfih#d&mth;its^sikessv ilighte'essvbndi
mpiditylilthef! ingitouit-^of the; spring^ kt2fnd£o'£ the- va-
iiftUjS*fe<.)ntrivami^dfr)&'iaisihg aiith loWei glasses
and*'em tains, amlstoiuidcii^si^oi? dimj'nisliiirsg aGjtpl'e’aSf
"^Ifffthe dpeningkoSAe, ^ehe>ia«jbHrtdis.h>
.The soiliadjoinin',g)t© this ■ fiat -Eqadjb%s*ink the# first
p ^ t ^ ^ i t , like,;that.on: the :ofe.he^:sidl®khf iPekifM, # rich
lqam#highkyf4©Edtivated, andqb^Ei®g'8geheiilly?‘the><sifhi’d
prodpe^^butf^dne, field,.'in w h i g h - ! p o - 1
Iphmfimisfcemed? td; h&vesfeleen planted ,,famkas jhdg'ed
fEdrn.^thh^egularity ofa i tsu growiibd attracted« ffiolfef pth!-
tiGufarlyIthe^afctentiain?,. of the,1 •strangerst^tTheymw'ere
informed- th-afi¥its> leaves-^ maeeidtedbarid1 prqparedidikd
thps'etoi, the, -indig^plant^pTqddeedplibewikv1 a> 'dy«Hf
a jblue,| colouff,equals or' dfeideast^ appfcoa’eHingWdu that
afiihdigo. It maiy be desirable^ to; make?J i®J climate'^
whichj of- Pekin,, will not prod,ude4t?bei I-ndig^
fera, the experiment, hdw far-the dyejtf^be^martu-'
factored' from-thisi polygonum <may fbfeps|iHstituted? to
advantage,rf©r.«that which dhei indigfiuplanti affords.1
A small species u of, the Colutebfeyas tfti the ■ same/'lime-.
mentioned^-as^pfoduci|L^fromnthe. buds ab b tenfefc
leaye^fia substance, which |gffe%iat d y e-o f a«green
colour. ..
There is ^scarcely '»iv^getabl^jgrowinsg nhr China, idf
which the different uses, in the?economy &f life, have
voi. m y
Joiipneyto
the Northern'
• Fr¥n<f'ief.