kiss of £. R. Ames.

B3

1805

CONTENTS.

CHAP. I.

PRELIMINARY MATTER.

INTRODUCTION.-General View of what Travellers are likely
to meet with in China.-Mistaken Notions entertained with re-
gard to the British Embassy-Corrected by the Reception and
Treatment of the subsequent Dutch Embassy.-Supposed Points
of Failure in the former, as stated by a French Missionary from
Pekin, refuted.-Kien Long's Letter to the King of Holland.-
Difference of Treatment experienced, by the two Embassies ex-
plained. Intrigues of Missionaries in Foreign Countries.-Pride
and Self-Importance of the Chinese Court.-List of European
Embassies, and the Time of their Abode in Pekin.-Conclusion
of Preliminary Subject.

PAGE 1

CHAP. II.

OCCURRENCES AND OBSERVATIONS IN THE NAVIGATION
OF THE YELLOW SEA, AND THE PASSAGE UP THE PEI.
HO, OR WHITE RIVER.

Different Testimonies that have been given of the Chinese Charac-
ter. Comparison of China with Europe in the sixteenth Century.
-Motives of the Missionaries in their Writings.-British Em-
bassy passes the Straits of Formosa.-Appearance of a Ta-fung.
-Chusan Islands.-Instance of Chinese Amplification.-Various
Chinese Vessels-System of their Navigation-their Compass,
probably of Scythian Origin-Foreign Voyages of.-Traces of
Chinese in America-in an Island of the Tartarian Sea.-in the
Persian Gulf-traded probably as far as Madagascar.-Commerce

96699

of the Tyrians. Reasons for conjecturing that the Hottentots may
have derived their Origin from China.Malays of the same descent
as the Chinese.-Curious coincidences in the Customs of these
and the Sumatrans.-Cingalese of Chinese Origin.-One of the
Brigs dispatched to Chu-san for Pilots.-Rapid Currents ainong
the Islands. Visit to the Governor.-Difficulties in procuring
Pilots. Arbitrary Proceeding of the Governor.-Pilots puzzled
with our Compass-Ignorance of Arrive in the Gulf of Pe-tche-
lee. Visit of two Officers from Court, and their Present-enter
the Pei-ho, and embark in convenient Yachts.-Accommodating
Conduct of the two Officers.-Profusion of Provisions.-Appear-
ance of the Country-of the People.-Dress of the Women.-
Remarks on their small Feet.-Chinese an uncleanly and frowzy
People.-Immense Crowds of People and River Craft at Tien-Sing.
--Decent and preposessing Conduct of the Multitude.—Musical
Air sung by the Rowers of the Yachts.-Favourable Traits in the
Chinese Character.-Face and Products of the Country.-Multi-
tudes of People Inhabitants of the Water.-Another Instance of
Arbitrary Power.-Disembark at Tong Tchoo, and are lodged in
a Temple.

PAGE 17

CHAP. III.

JOURNEY THROUGH THE CAPITAL TO A COUNTRY VILLA
OF THE EMPEROR.—— -RETURN TO PEKIN.--THE IMPE-
RIAL PALACE AND GARDENS OF YUEN-MIN-YUEN, AND
THE PARKS OF GEHOL.

Order of Procession from Tong-choo to the Capital.-Crowd assem-
bled on the Occasion.-Appearance of Pekin without and within
the Walls. Some Account of this City.-Proceed to a Country
Villa of the Emperor.-Inconveniences of.-Return to Pekin.-
Embassador proceeds to Tartary.-Author sent to the Palace of
Yuen-min-yuen.-Miserable Lodgings of.-Visit of the President
and Members of the Mathematical Tribunal. Of the Bishop of
Pekin, and others.-Gill's Sword-blades.-Hatchett's Carriages.-
Scorpion found in a Cask packed at Birmingham.-Portraits of
English Nobility.-Effects of Accounts from Tartary on the Offi-
cers of State in Pekin.-Emperor's Return to the Capital.-In-
spects the Presents.-Application of the Embassador for Leave to
depart. Short Account of the Palace and Gardens of Yuen-min-

yuen. Lord Macartney's Description of the Eastern and West-
ern Parks of Gehol.-And his general Remarks on Chinese Land-
scape Gardening.

PAGE 59

CHAP. IV.

SKETCH OF THE STATE OF SOCIETY IN CHINA.--MAN-
NERS, CUSTOMS, SENTIMENTS, AND MORAL CHARACTER
OF THE PEOPLE.

Condition of Women, a Criterion of the State of Society.-Degraded
State of in China.-Domestic manners unfavourable to Filial Af-
fection. Parental Authority.-Ill Effects of separating the Sexes.
-Social Intercourse unknown, except for Gaming-Their Wor-
ship solitary.-Feasts of New Year.-Propensity to Gaming.-
Influence of the Laws seems to have destroyed the natural Cha-
racter of the People.-Made them indifferent, or cruel.-Various
Instances of this Remark in public and in private Life.—Remarks
on Infanticide.-Perhaps less general than usually thought.-Cha-
racter of Chinese in Foreign Countries.-Temper and Disposi-
tion of the Chinese.-Merchants.-Cuckoo-clocks.-Conduct of a
Prince of the Blood. Of the Prime Minister.-Comparison of the
Physical and Moral Characters of the Chinese and Man-tchoo
Tartars.-General Character of the Nation illustrated.

CHAP. V.

PAGE 93

MANNERS AND AMUSEMENTS OF THE COURT.--RECEP-
TION OF EMBASSADORS.-CHARACTER AND PRIVATE
LIFE OF THE EMPEROR.- -HIS EUNUCHS AND WOMEN.

General Character of the Court-Of the Buildings about the Palace.
-Lord Macartney's Account of his Introduction. Of the Cele-
bration of the Emperor's Anniversary Festival Of a Puppet-
Shew.-Comedy and Pantomime.-Wrestling.-Conjuring and
Fire-Works.-Reception and Entertainment of the Dutch Em-
bassadors from a Manuscript Journal.-Observations on the State
of the Chinese Stage.-Extraordinary Scene in one of their Dra-
mas.-Gross and indelicate Exhibitions.-Sketch of Kien-Long's
Life and Character.-Kills his Son by an unlucky Blow.-con-
ceives himself immortal.-Influence of the Eunuchs at the Tartar
Conquest their present State and Offices.-Emperor's Wife,
Queens, and Concubines-How disposed of at his Death.

129

CHAP. VI.

LANGUAGE.- --LITERATURE, AND THE FINE ARTS.--
SCIENCES.MECHANICS, AND MEDICINE.

Opinion of the Chinese Language being hieroglyphical erroneous.—
Doctor Hager's mistakes.-Etymological Comparisons fallacious.
-Examples of.-Nature of the Chinese written Character.-Dif-
ficulty and Ambiguity of.-Curious Mistake of an eminent Anti-
quarian.--Mode of acquiring the Character.-Oral Language.—
Mantchoo Tartar Alphabet.-Chinese Literature.-Astronomy.-
Chronology.-Cycle of sixty Years.-Geography.-Arithmetic.-
Chemical Arts.-Cannon and Gunpowder.--Distillation.-Pot-
teries. Silk Manufactures.-Ivory.-Bamboo.-Paper.-Ink.—
Printing. Mechanics.--Music.-Painting-Sculpture.—Archi-
tecture.-Hotel of the English Embassador in Pekin.-The Great
Wall. The Grand Canal.---Bridges.--Cemeteries.--Natural
Philosophy.-Medicine.--Chinese Pharmacopoeia.--Quacks.—

Contagious Fevers.-Small-pox.-Opthalmia.-Venereal Disease.
Midwifery. Surgery.-Doctor Gregory's Opinion of their Medi-
cal Knowledge.-Sir William Jones's Opinion of their general
Character.

PAGE 159

CHAP. VII.

GOVERNMENT-LAWS-TENURES OF LAND AND TAXES
-REVENUES-CIVIL AND MILITARY RANKS, AND ES-

-

TABLISHMENTS.

Opinions on which the Executive Authority is grounded.-Principle
on which an Emperor of China seldom appears in public. The
Censorate.-Public Departments.-Laws.-Scale of Crimes and
Punishments.-Laws regarding Homicide.-Curious Law Case.
-No Appeal from Civil Suits.-Defects in the Executive Go-
vernment.-Duty of Obedience and Power of personal Correction.
-Russia and China compared.-Fate of the Prime Minister Ho-
chang-tong. Yearly Calendar and Pekin Gazette, engines of
Government.-Freedom of the Press.--Duration of the Govern-
ment attempted to be explained.-Precautions of Government to
prevent Insurrections.--Taxes and Revenues.--Civil and Military