I i "i
PORTRAIT OF THE PURVEYOR
For the Embassy, while the Embassador remained at Macao.
m
I
T he tlress o f tins figure is the same as is g en e ra lly w o rn b y the citizen s, o r
m iddle class o f people in C h in a , w ith v a ria tio n s in the c o lo u r; and some
difference o f form in h a ts, caps, boots, k c . k c .
T h e external ja c k e t is o f sheep sk in , o rn amen ted w ith crescents o f the
same m ateria l, d y ed o f an o th e r co lo u r, sewed in to it a t equa l d is ta n c e s ;
a n d has a co lla r o f sable, o r fox s k in . T h i s su rto u t is w o rn o n sucli
m o rn in g s and ev en in g s as are fresh an d c o ld ; in the d a y time (if fo u n d in co
n v e n ien tly hot) it is laid aside. U n d e r th is is wo rn a vest o f figured
silk ; bene ath which is an o th e r o f white lin en , o r taffeta; and la s tly , a p a ir
o f loose d raw e r s : in the sum m e r season these are o f lin en o r sd k , and for
the win te r, th e y are lined w ith fu r, o r q u ilte d w ith raw s i lk ; an d in the
n o rth e rn p rovince s th ey are w o rn , made o f skins o n ly .
T h e cap is composed o f a coarse so rt o f felt, w h ic h is v e ry c om m o n ;
a n d wh ile new, th ey have the shape o f those w o rn by tbe M an d a rin s , (see
th e P o rtra it o f V a n -ta -z lu n ), b u t th ey soon become p lia n t an d misshapen,
b y wear, o r w h e n ra in lias taken the stiffness from th em . T h e stockings
are o f n a n k e e n , q u ilte d on th e in sid e w ith cotton. T h e shoes are likewise
n an k e en , w ith th ick soles made o f p ape r.
F rom the g ird le on the rig h t side, hangs a flin t a n d steel, an d knife
sh e a th ; on the left, pu rse s for tobacco, o r snuff.
T h e box h eld in b is h a n d co n ta in s sweetmeats; a j a r o fw liic li he e n trea
ted the persons o f the Embassy to accept as a token o f his re g a rd .
T h e back g ro u n d , is a scene a t Mac ao.