was therefore merely remarked in answer, that Sir George, at the time referred to, was no more than twelve years of age, and that it was manifestly improper to place any reliance upon his recollections of an event which had happened twenty-three years previously; but that resistance to the present requisition rested' upon the authentic and official records of the former Embassy. After much cavilling respecting this weighty matter, the Mandarins pleaded the responsibility they should incur by giving way, and expressed their apprehensions of the Imperial displeasure.

Lord Amherst observed in reply, that he could not possibly an-, ticipate the Emperor's being dissatisfied with the same demonstrations of respect that had been accepted by Kien-Lung, his illustrious father. They then declared, that the Emperor Kien-Lung had been much displeased, and that the princes and nobles had considered it most extraordinary that they should prostrate themselves, while the English remained standing.' p. 94.

After this complete and unblushing retraction of their former assertion, some further conversation took place, during which something like a threat was intimated, that the anger of the Emperor might be awakened against the King of England. This observation Mr. Morrison very properly refused to interpret.' At length they yielded; but when Lord Amherst hadsaid, that though it was customary only to bow once before 'the throne of his own sovereign,' he should not hesitate to repeat his bows, as often as they should make their prostrations,' the Chinese, with characteristic illiberality, endeavoured to graft upon this voluntary concession, a demand that Lord Amherst should kneel upon one knee. This was rejected, and after duly honouring the Yellow Screen, the party sat down to dinner. A dramatic exhibition formed part of the entertainment; it was very showy, very noisy, and perfectly unintelligible: the part of a stag was the best performed in the 'piece.'

On the 14th August, they left Tien-sing in the junks provided for their accommodation, and passed on the river a prodigious fleet of corn vessels, laden with the imperial revenue, which, it appears, is frequently paid in kind: the number of the grain junks is estimated at nearly fifteen hundred, carrying about 120 tons each. We spare our readers the perpetual discussions between the Commissioners and the Chinese, on points of detail. At one time, the number of attendants, at another, specifically the band, were objected to; then, the sailing of the ships from the anchorage in the Yellow Sea, excited displeasure and alarm; but still the Ko-tou was super-eminent; it was never lost sight of by the Mandarins, and Lord Amherst had the agreeable employment of repeating, almost daily, the

same round of objection and explanation. At length, after the Embassy had been compelled to stop, and even to retrograde during a short interval, an edict was received, directing that it should proceed to Tong-chow, where it would be met by Ho and Moo, two Mandarins of still higher rank than Kwang and Soo. Of these new negotiators the first was a Koong-yay, a title considered by Mr. Ellis as equivalent to that of Duke, and the latter was President of the tribunal of ceremonies. In consequence of this arrangement, the fleet again put forward, and soon reached the place of its destination.

Soon after their arrival at Tong-chow, the Embassy received a preliminary visit from six Mandarins, who conducted themselves with excessive rudeness, and retired, after announcing that the interview with the imperial delegates would take place on the morrow. At the appointed time, the party proceeded to the public hall, where they found Ho, Moo, Soo, and Kwang. The Koong-yay took the lead in the discussion. When Mr. Morrison requested chairs for the Commissioners, Ho replied that the business would be transacted standing; and added, that he and his colleague had been deputed to witness the performance of the Tartar ceremony. When Lord Amherst remarked that a different mode of manifesting respect had been admitted by Kien-Lung, Ho answered abruptly,' What bappened in the fifty-eighth year, belonged to that year; the present is the affair of this embassy, and the regulations of the Celestial Empire must be complied with, there is no alter'native.' On a further reference to the conduct of KienLung, the Duke' vehemently exclaimed: As there is but one sun, there is only one Ta-whang-te; he is the universal sovereign, and all must pay him homage.' A conference conducted in this temper, was not likely to lead to any satisfactory result; it appeared to be the intention of Ho to carry his point by intimidation; his manner was imperious and vehement, and his lips quivered with rage. At length, Lord Amherst terminated the business by putting into the hands of the Koong-yay, a letter addressed to the Emperor, which had been previously prepared and held in readiness for the present crisis. This step seemed to produce a strong sensation. Ho exhibited considerable surprise, transferred the letter to Moo, and even followed the Ambassador a few steps towards the door. After this interview several days elapsed, during which various messages were interchanged to very little purpose; but, at length, in consequence of an official note from Lord Amherst, a final conference was appointed. In the mean time, the business of the Tartar ceremony underwent a grave re-examination by the grand council of the Embassy, in which we collect that Mr. Ellis, who seems all along to have been most uncomfortably

anxious for prostration, pressed his opinion somewhat urgently, while Sir George Staunton, incomparably and in every point of view the best judge, as steadily counselled resistance. It was, however, agreed to try the effect of stipulating for solid advantages in return for concession in this particular. Sir George having given a qualified opinion that reasons might be found for taking a different view of the question,' provided that a fair expectation should be held out of obtaining the ulterior. objects of the mission,' in the subsequent interview with the Imperial delegates, this suggestion, evidently a very reluctant and even almost forced concession on the part of Sir G. Staunton, was acted upon; and to the appearance of vacillation which was thus given to the intentions and actions of the Embassy, we feel disposed to refer much, if not the whole, of the embarrassment and hopelessness which from this period attended all its movements.

Ho was now all graciousness, and while he pledged himself to nothing, gave hopes of obtaining every thing: Comply with the ceremony, and I am your friend at Pekin.' On their return, the subject was again discussed by the English Commissioners; Lord Amherst expressed his inclination to yield the point, and I, says Mr. Ellis, expressed my complete concurrence.' Sir George expressed a wish to take the opinions of the gentlemen who had accompanied him from Canton, and the result of his inquiry was their entire approbation of his own unaltered conviction, that compliance would be highly injurious to the Company's interests. In the mean time, Ho was actively employed in making preparations for the journey to Pekin; and having, as he supposed, ascertained the happy results of intimidation in the present instance, had apparently resolved to risk every thing upon its effects when the wavering recusants should stand before the full splendour and awfulness of Imperial Majesty. Notwithstanding an explicit note from Lord Amherst, he persisted in hurrying off the Embassy to Pekin, which city it was not, however, allowed to enter, but after a circuit round part of the walls, was carried forward at once to the palace of Yuen-min-yuen._The_extraordinary scene which took place we shall leave Mr. Ellis. to describe in his own words.

The carriage stopped under some trees, and we ourselves were conducted to a small apartment belonging to a range of buildings in a square; Mandarins of all buttons were in waiting; several Princes of the blood, distinguished by clear ruby buttons and round flowered badges, were among them: the silence, and a certain air of regularity, marked the immediate presence of the Sovereign. The small apartment much out of repair into which we were huddled, now witnessed a scene I believe unparalleled in the history of diplomacy. Lord Amherst had

scarcely taken his seat, when Chang delivered a message from Ho (Koongyay), informing him that the Emperor wished to see the Embassador, his Son, and the Commissioners, immediately. Much surprise was naturally expressed; the previous arangement for the 8th of the Chinese month, a period certainly much too early for comfort, was adverted to, and the utter impossibility of his Excellency appearing in his present state of fatigue, inanition, and deficiency of every necessary equipment, was strongly urged. Chang was very unwilling to be the bearer of this answer, but was finally obliged to consent. During this time the room had filled with spectators of all ages and ranks, who rudely pressed upon us to gratify their brutal curiosity, for such it may be called, as they seemed to regard us rather as wild beasts than mere strangers of the same species with themselves. Some other messages were interchanged between the Koong-yay and Lord Amherst, who, in addition to the reasons already given, stated the indecorum and irregularity of his appearing without his credentials. In his reply to this it was said, that in the proposed audience the Emperor merely wished to see the Embassador, and had no intention of en

tering upon business. Lord Amherst having persisted in expressing the inadmissibility of the proposition, and in transmitting, through the Koong-yay, an humble request to his Imperial Majesty, that he would be graciously pleased to wait till to-morrow, Chang and another Mandarin finally proposed that his Excellencey should go over to the Koong-yay's apartments, from whence a reference might be made to the Emperor. Lord Amherst having alleged bodily illness as one of the reasons for declining the audience, readily saw, that if he went to the Koong yay, this plea, which, to the Chinese (though now scarcely admitted), was in general the most forcible, would cease to avail him, positively declined compliance: this pro-. duced a visit from the Koong-yay, who, too much interested and agitated to heed ceremony, stood by Lord Amherst, and used every argument to induce him to obey the Emperor's commands. Among other topics he used that of being received with our own ceremony, using the Chinese words "ne-muntihlee," your own ceremony. All proving ineffectual, with some roughness, but under pretext of friendly violence he laid hands on Lord Amherst, to take him from the room; another Mandarin followed his example. His lordship, with great firmness and dignity of manner, shook them off, declaring, that nothing but the extremest violence should induce him to quit that room for any other place but the residence assigned to him; adding, that he was so overcome by fatigue and bodily illness, as absolutely to require repose. Lord Amherst further pointed out the gross insult he had already received, in having been exposed to the intrusion and indecent curiosity of crowds who appeared to view him rather as a wild beast than the representative of a powerful Sovereign: at all events, he entreated the Koongyay to submit his request to his Imperial Majesty, who, he felt confident would, in eonsideration of his illness and fatigue, dispense with his immediate appearance The Koong-yay then pressed Lord Amherst to come to his apartments, alleging that they were cooler, more convenient, and more private; this Lord Amherst declined, saying that he was totally unfit for any place but his own residence. The Koong-yay

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having failed in his attempt to persuade him, left the room for the pose of taking the Emperor's pleasure upon the subject.' pp. 177-180

The Embassy was immediately ordered off, without the interval of a single day; and the inconveniences and even miseries of the night journey which followed, are described by Mr. Ellis with admirable pathos, but with somewhat too much simplicity for the grave dignity of an ambassador.

Having given up my chair to an invalid, I returned in one of the carts; the motion was bearable till we came on the paved road, when the jolting became intolerable; it was a repeated dislocation of every part of the frame; each jolt seemed sufficient to have destroyed life, which yet remained to undergo the dreadful repetition. The elements combined with the imperial displeasure to annoy us; the rain fell in torrents; not, however, so violently as to deter the spectators from indulging their curiosity by thrusting lanterns into the chairs and carts to have a fuller view of our persons. I certainly never felt so irritated in my life. To be exposed to such indecent curiosity, while suffering considerable pain from the jolting, was too much for the best tempers to bear patiently, and produced in me something not far removed from phrensy. The darkness, holes in the road, and heavy rain, ren"dered walking almost impracticable, which, however, I attempted, and should have persisted, had I not apprehended being separated from the rest of the party.' p. 186.

As the success or failure of the mission depended so completely upon this point, we have felt it right to give a tolerably extended detail of the circumstances connected with it, and we shall now take leave of it, with the additional remark, that great light is thrown upon the transaction by the edicts inserted in the Appendix. It appears that the Emperor was throughout deceived; that he had all along supposed that the Ko-tou had been actually performed by our countrymen, and that they were prepared to comply with the ordinary process of the court-ceremonial. In consequence of their misconduct on this occasion, the four Chinese commissioners were punished by partial degradation, and at one time a sort of apologetic statement was issued under Imperial authority. The tenaciousness with which the present court adhered to the point of ceremony, contrasted with its remission in the case of Lord Macartney, seems to be accounted for by the conscious weakness of the government. Kien-lung was a man of spirit and ability; and assured of the stability of his rule, he was less disposed to obstinacy in points essentially unimportant; but the present Monarch is affirmed to be of a weak and capricious character, and if we may draw any inference from the recent disturbances, appears to hold an uncertain sceptre; hence he is the more anxious for exterior homage, and reluctant to part with even the shadow of power. As an instance of the entire depravation of the moral sense, in all classes of Chinese society, it may be here mentioned that the Vol. IX, N. S.

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