Travels in China. Containing descriptions, observations, and comparisons, made and collected in the course of a short residence at the imperial palace of Yuen-Min-Yuen, and on a subsequent journey through the country from Pekin to Canton / In which it is attempted to appreciate the rank that this extraordinary empire may be considered to hold in the scale of civilized nations. By John Barrow, esq.

  • John Barrow
Date:
1804
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Travels in China. Containing descriptions, observations, and comparisons, made and collected in the course of a short residence at the imperial palace of Yuen-Min-Yuen, and on a subsequent journey through the country from Pekin to Canton / In which it is attempted to appreciate the rank that this extraordinary empire may be considered to hold in the scale of civilized nations. By John Barrow, esq. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    ewhich Mr. Van Braam, in his journal, very coolly calls, per- forming the falute of honour, “ faire le falut a honneur.” And they were finally difmiffed, with a few paltry pieces. of filk, without having once been allowed to open their lips on any kind of bufinefs ; and without being permitted to fee either their friend Grammont, or any other European miffionary, except one, who had fpecial leave to make them a vifit of half an hour, the day before their departure, in prefence of ten or twelve officers of government. On their arrival in this Capital they were lodged, literally, ina ftable; under the fame cover, and in the fame apartment, with a parcel of cart-horfes. Mr. Van Braam’s own words are, ** Nous voila donc a notre arrivée “© dans la celebre refidence impériale, logés dans une efpéce ad écurié, e XN is) be] “* Nous ferions nous attendus a une pareille avanture | After fuch a vile reception and degrading treatment of the Dutch Embafly, what advantages can reafonably be expeG&ed to accrue from a fervile and unconditional compliance with the fubmiffions required by this haughty government? It would rather feem that their exactions are proportioned to the com- plying temper of the perfons with whom they have to treat, For it appears, not only from Mr. Van Braam’s own account of the Embaffy, but alfo from two manufeript journals in the Author’s poffleflion, one kept by a Dutch gentleman in the fuite, and the other by a native Chinefe, that the Embafladors from the Batavian Republic were fully prepared to obviate. every difficulty that might arife from the fuppofed points of failure in the Britifh Embafly, as dire&ted to their notice by M. Grammont. In the firft place, they not only carried c.2 prefents
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