The Editor o f this Publication in gratifying his inclination for .inquiry
had to furmount the ftern impediments above mentioned, united with, the
infirmity of a conftitulion impaired in the Carnatic, and1 foi the reft oration
of which the phyficiahs at Madras had preferibed the ineffectual air,
it unfortunately proved in his cafe, o f the fouth of > Chm^g^-,
From the attentive hofpitality o f fome o f the gentlemen then reliding at-
the Britilh.facftoryrt- the Editor received, during a ftay of ..feveral months,
not ionlymany.difinterefted .andunforgotten kindneffes but alfpipmuch
important information. 'Under the:aufpjees .of thofe gentlemenjhe partook
of. fcveral entertainments given by the’,.Hong misfelanfe'atMh&fi own.
houfts ; from which advantages, with the aid of fome donations? unwea*
lied diligence, and, frequent exertions .of .patience,- he obtiincd no j jy y
inconfiderable knowledge o f the Chinefe cuftoms.-
The Chinefe, colle<£fei>vely, appear to be ingenious in.theif'peac.eful arts,;
poliftied and courteous .in their m annersmoral and fagaciousdn.their .civil
inftitutes juft: and politic ln^thur penal laws;’ and in want ot »nqtlyng
-but the Bleffing, of Revealed Religion to render them one of f&hC, Ifappie-ft
people in the univerfe.1
the furrounding crowd, and began to afeend the hill; he was am fled luarjflP'fummit by
two flout natives; two of the party attempting to follow him were intercepted immediately,
and a detachment of Tartar foldiers, rulhing from a fally-port, carried the firft offender within
the walls of the-city. The remaining gentlemen then ufed all their rhet 3
the language on either fide was pirferth unintelligible to the other), to obtain a releafe of
the prifoner, or even to be permitted to accompany him, but without effedt: a refeue .was'
equally impracticable, and they were compelled into a precipitate retreat amidft the {bouts
and-feudalities of- thoufands. It was feveral hours before the gentleman was releafed, and'1
then at the interceffion of the Hong merchants* with the executive power. His treatment
had been better than expedited, fince, with the exception of their repeatedly attempting, to
•fnatch his watch, and regarding him with ignorant curiofity, he got home to the 1 a-tor}
without farther moleftation.
This adventure is here related as a convincing proof o f the; difficulty,, i f not'of the'danger,
attending inquifitive ftrangers in China.
t Particularly William Fitzhugh, James Drummond, and Thcimas Fitzhugh, Efquireg.
* A company of Chinefe merchants, by whom all the immenfe commerce at Canton is regulated. '
' Ifbij. the better;mM^}forg6fifhisSfpMyEurope; the Vttftnr obtained
correct* diayu^^|of idp'odtnef fiabitsj and? occupy-
.fic>ns4 tbg dtint r4?tr im lH n ji^ md hiifrheftftfmen, in particu^|i«. 'fac>
fintqlcs oljgw hit 1»*re;t\hibitccfFd» ^ M ^ ^ ^ ^ ggd<a»-- Not intended
for p ub k b in ^^ q ii^th t^ aic, thus, it the ifoftante of fom£
Idirnulr aridr iiTguimii^'fiicndilftfed- ffclin* fits i^rtfollci after ten. years
felraffpdr^al "1 nfl&u dion* aSfe$ Jeneiai amufe-
tntnfc muff ltfulfff^M« luclratcui ira tio'iK o f’ tli£domeffib and
median leal’ fiabjw dP^^origfnaI^(^Kmote'‘n.ft'i>on-,fl)^bii-fi) though difs
co\ ered^ upyt u ll^ of fnc EuntlKJ^rddiJ 11 ftdl( &it little kn'bwn ify
Euiopean1?. '
In Ordcf tou^hdef this purp&fe effedtiMf i i ^ S ’aPfoliitclj neceflary to-
‘1 ‘line*orc\pllnaioTy' itttt’f^Kf!1^ 'e .ic li‘ piitc, and Whcrevct!
the rccbllcdicsn'ofJfHTEditor w is deficient, lie li#i1rnai*cl' it bit tareful
^dctftions from tHFm fnm e* of*-ifrndft e \tiy trncllcr, from Nieuhoff
a'nd Navarette •toWtffinfbn irld -Van Braam. 'iSgfee the. maW o f reading
will fitfiM iriotis ciicumftmtfcs ad\ tncttlib) "tliofe writers, corroborated
by tnrlc evidences.
It may b iW eM ry thafthc Ttd'j'ov, ll^id^J^fov^liis Living arrogated
any pretention to Re -fEcmcd tile liiftoi i u / o t fife! 1^Lnef&'$tion. He
liiiw ilttSdy. ftated tRc motive ofe Wf^^leTta^in^; and at Knovdklged ,that
m'-utlf lift the'h^cr-mds_ La^lp-PPled of^p'Mito^quotUions,, which. he
has nobconlidcrctL lhneuftiuit to-itnik}- inbred fpeeidff w iU, tj otilfi have
disfigPr^Wtfte texfiV tncFa^'ffte rcfuences^vloujc? haj$ ciiannTii'rtd the
margins.
In thefe mifcelKneou^ deferfptlon , niirt^o^gLinus did? framing; will
With then a)?cuffomed tantlcVife,,allow for^the lnncc^ric^Ofo'out' w ho
from his caily vouth lu-^b'ccn desoted t’dc ^ p ’roCcllioiil whl|hs'&n(fra0y
milliires agunft litcnn impio\ tinentlj!
i t A I29 S- rhe fill c unis of C l na re hroughl into Europe by-Marco Polo, '
a Venetian, who had .travelled into that countrj through Iartary.