T he very circumfcribed limits which are marked out for foreigners at
Canton',’- have lendere&tfcKe,natives of ((sjfjfeina^fo completely ifolated from
the reft o&htwfan^lsind, that' only^ai^yery' isljbefiflciai acquauffla&ee has'
been hitherto obtainedt^fttetke Religion,'. the Laws, the Manners, xx the
Arts o f a people the moft arilcient’iri the/dSfcovered world; ^aflddt is exceed-
dfcnglysta hefiegrgttedi that either habitual.: rrfjtiam, , ungenerous. fufpicion,
or cxpci lcnccd ntc tffuy .‘cituimfpedtion, .Hhojild influence the Chinefe,
even at the lidlftancej ibfj^brleenihuindred; miles from the capital o£ their
empire,*- to reftrain the:obferving trayelfer iwttjhin this narrow eompafs."
Irifult is the"common lothof «foreigners, who .extend their walk
t e s t e d the?few yards appointed fqwtkcir. temporary refidprtce. Ill treatment
miy b<|. expected appro ujy the „bit's walk ƒ ind cither imprifonment
ou>l2r^ n f tf t i t tlic ginci iL coiihquuiic£ra|mfl3ng through US
gates. puSnJJ.it 1 aft, t\ fltu itiontpJi^lo'rcignus at Cantoik at the
actifeirn'enOemeisit of )tl\e«yfaar.,>i-7t)0?'.
* A. party of Englifhment, on the 24th of December 1789, had- agreed, with an old Chinefe
foldier for a view of the city of Canton—to afford which, he pretended he would .conduct
them to the top of a confiderable eminence J that* is near the walls of the city, md
commands it. Having fuffered the cuftomary verbal abufe from boys and from the common
rabble, in their way through the | r flreels, and being attended by a vaft multitude, on
their arrival at the foot of the hill they were difappoimted by their guide refufing to proceed.
This produced i'ornc ftrong remonftrance , dor n ; which one of the gt itlemen flipped through
. . f Confifting of Major .Johnfon, of the-India’s Company's .engineers bn the.Madras eftablifhment; Lieutenant Hardy-
man of hi Ma fty 6th regiment, and his bi tl r Lucius, t mam lthipman it the Britifli navy.; CaptainHervejr,
from Calcutta; Doftor Trufton ; .and Lieutenant Mafon, the.Editor of this Work, at that time in the 36th regiment,
. and Major of Brigade to his Majefty’s forces on"the coaft of Coromandel.
X Called, by I r pean 3, Padre Hill.