Volume 1

A new and complete collection of voyages and travels / [John Hamilton Moore].

  • John Hamilton Moore
Date:
[1785?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A new and complete collection of voyages and travels / [John Hamilton Moore]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    676/684 page 590
    for that puTpofe. Here we faw, in one of their tem- ples, a goddefs of ftone, 128 feet high, with 700 hands ; and as we frequently went into their temples, we found all their idols richly dreffed, but with the moft frightful countenances. Near this place were many fepulchres of the dead ; and on the 30th of October, meeting a great many men and women on the road followingan idol, preceded by pipers, drum¬ mers, and other muficians, we afked the adogeda * what they meant by it ? He told us that they were going to perform their devotions at a fepulchre, and that they were obliged to take their god along with them. We learned afterwards, that this is a common practice in C-hina, much in the fame manner as it was with the Greeks of old, and other heathen, nations throughout many parts of the world* as appears by the teftimony of travellers. The fame day we came in fight of a fpacious place called the Red City,, and famous for being the bury¬ ing place of many of their princes and emperors in antient times. We lodged that night in a village,,and as fome extraoidinary bufinefs detained the adogeda in the place, we fet out in the morning without him ; but before we had travelled far, his- fteward came up, and defiled us to tarry a little in. the place where we were ; his mailer being on the road to overtake us, we lpent this time in taking a view of one of their temples,, where we faw three of the adogeda’s fervants proftrating themfelves before an idol that flood in the middle, and two others that flood on both fades of it. We were much furprifed to find, a people, who in many things are undoubtedly ingenious, and more acquainted with learning than either the Maho¬ metans or many other people in the world, fuch grofs idolators; for wherever we went, we founc temples ereCted, and the number of their gods feemec almoftendlefs. November the 2d,, we came to the city of Tunko, famous for its traffick in Porcelain, and. here we were again fumptuoufly entertained with all forts of raufic, and- we had a play ailed in the evening; the aCtors being in the richeft dreffes we had ever feen. The next evening we came near to the fuburbs of Peking, the capital city of China, where we were met by many perlons of high rank from the emperor’s court. November the 4th, the ambaffador made his public entry into Peking, in the following order : About one hundred peace officers to clear the flreets ; thefe were followed by a party of the emperor’s guarJs,. with drums, trumpets, and other forts of martial mufick. Behind them walked the adogeda, who had conducted us from the borders of China. And then the ambaffador himfelf,. with two of the emperor’s officers of {late on each hand. And we, who compofed his retinue, clofed the proceffion. We were all lodged in the court, as is the cuftom for am- bafladors trom Ruffia to China. Here we lodged till November the 12th., when the adogeda came to inform the ambafiador, that he was to have an audience the next day, and therefore defired him to have his cre¬ dentials ready. He alked him at the fame time, Who were to carry the prefents ? The ambafiador tojd him, the Cofiacks; which did not feem to pleafe the adogeda ; for he would rather have had them carried by Chinefe fervants; but this the ambaffador would not comply with. It was, however, November the 14th, before we could get every thing ready; and then we proceeded to court an the following order : Fifteen Cofi'acW carrying the prefents, followed by one of the maflers of the jewel-office to the Emperor of Ruffia ;. and he was followed by rnyfelf as fecretary of the embaffy, C^ryinf uietCredenfiaIs: the ambaffador came next, ?hpCn(hd ryu0Ur adoSedas; and in the rear marched Con °, Scn^emen belonging to the embafly. Coming to the caftle, we a Ugh ted from our horfes, and walked m through a long narrow paffage, arched Within Jh anJ Cnd WaS a ftr°nS folding ^ate- 2n!he;nfner §ate> ^ came to alpacas ftone bndfae, about iixty paces in length, and on each fide IN CI-IIN A. was a wall not above three feet high ; but adojwieti with a great number of images cut 111 ftone. Bevoud the bridge we pafl'ed through a broad fpacious court* where we faw two large pillars wrought very artifici¬ ally, and adorned, with a variety of figures. Beyond this court, we were conducted into the moft {parlous and elegant hall I have ever feen;. and there we faw tables placed, with holfters on the ground for us to Ft on* which is the cuftom in China, particular!y with fuch as are treated with more than ordinary relptci. We had not been feated above ten minutes, when we faw the great minifters of ftate enter the mil, and the emperor walking behind them, and into his own hands the credentials were delivered. The prefents were given to-the adogeda, who ordered them to he laid upon the tables; and then the four great office!s of ftate walked forwards, and faluud the ambaffado v They enquired very particulaily concerning t he heal tlx of the czar ; and told the ambaffador, that the cre¬ dentials fhould be immediately trail Hated, and an an~ -Wv.r given to them. i his ceremony being over, we were re-condtidied to the ambafiador’s lodgings in the fame manner we came; and within three hours, after, two adogedas came to let the ambaffador know, that the czar s letters had been received with more than ordinary fatisfaCiion at court, and that the emperor had fent all forts of moft delicious proviiions for him and his retinue for that day, bccaufe we were to dine with the emperor on the day follow ing. This was an honour we did not expect, and the adogeda d id nos fail to let us know that few ambsffadors lead, ever been indulged with fuch a privilege. Next day we went in proceffion to the palace in the fame manner as before, and being feand again on pillows, in.the hall already mentioned, the emperor, attended by the fame officers as before, came forwards, and welcomed the ambaffador with a very hearty fa lute. Four tables were immediately brought in, two of which were covered with forty fiiver difiies, filled Vvoth all forts of fweetmea's,. for the ambaffador ; and the other two which had likewife fweetmeats on them, and mutton,, were- for us who belonged to his retinue! After dinner we were treated with the liquor called milk-tea, in woeden diflies, which, when we had drank oft the liquor, were re-dclivered. to the fervants with a low inclination of the head. The ambafiador was no fooner rilen from .table, than all the fweet¬ meats weie given to the Cofiacks, who carried them away when we left the palace. The whole of this entertainment was conduced with fo much decorum and fcbriety, that we could not help forming very high notions of Chinefe polipnefs* It is true,! there were many ceremonies 'cblerved, but they were not impoled on us, nor did they blame us for not com¬ plying with what we did not u.nderftand. Two days after we had dined with the emperor, his firft miniftcr of ftate, accompanied by ffiveral of the officers of court,, waited on the ambaffador, who entertained them with veiy good rnufick, to their no final] futif- faCtion and pleafure. The ambaffador likewife pre- fented the dorgamba, or chief minifter, with a large looking-glafs, two fmaller cues, two watches, with fome other things, fuch as,fables, black foxes fiti.us, ermines, and other Sirerian commodities, whieh were accepted of in the moft obliging manner. November the iSth, two heralds came from the palace, to invite us to dine again with the emperor; and vve were conducted to the hall where we had dined befoie. Fhe ambafiador, with fourteen of his letinue, being feated on the pillows, the officers of ftate already mentioned, came in ; and after the mu¬ tual compliments were over, afked the ambaffador, if he could fpeak Latin ? He aniwered, he could not; tney then afked if any one in Ins Tcimue could, and being told there was one, but lie was afraid he could not hold a long converfation, they went away, leav¬ ing us to wait for the emperor. We waited in the hall five hours, when the adogeda came, and con¬ ducted us through three fine gates, and as many fpa- cious courts. In the middle court was a beautiful fifb-
    digitised image 1
    digitised image 2
    digitised image 3