Page:Twentieth Century Impressions of Hongkong, Shanghai, and other Treaty Ports of China.djvu/45

Rh it was approved with something like enthusiasm by the East India Company. The mission sailed from Spithead on September 26, 1792. Macartney and his suite of ninety-five persons embarked on board the Lion man-of-war of sixty-four guns, and the East India Company's ship Hindoostan, one of the finest of the Company's fleet, accompanied the warship, together with the brig Jackall. After calling at Batavia and Turon Bay in Cochin China, the little squadron arrived at Chusan. The Embassy was well received here and at other ports at which the vessels touched, and abundant supplies were furnished by the authorities. On August 5th Lord Macartney and his suite, embarking in the smaller vessels of the squadron, proceeded up the Peiho River, where a yacht was awaiting to convey them to Tongsion, the landing place for Peking. The Ambassador was most favourably impressed, not only with the higher officials who were assiduous in their attentions, but with the common people who thronged the shore at every point. "I was so much struck with their appearance," he writes in his diary, "that I could scarce refrain from crying out with Shakespeare's Miranda in the 'Tempest'—

On August 6th the mission landed. They were received with much ceremony and were conducted to the Temple of the Sea God, where they were formally welcomed by the Viceroy of the province. After partaking of tea the party proceeded to business.

"The Viceroy began by many compliments and inquiries about our health, and talked much of the Emperor's satisfaction at our arrival, and of his wish to see us at Gehol, in Tartary (where the Court always resides at this season), as soon as possible. To these we made the proper return of compliment, and then informed the Viceroy that the train of the Embassy consisted of so many persons, and that the presents for the Emperor and our own baggage were so numerous and took up so much room, that we should require very spacious quarters at Peking. That as we found it was the Emperor's wish for us to proceed to Gehol, we should prepare ourselves accordingly, but that we should find it necessary to leave a great part of the presents at Peking, as many of them could not be transported by land to such a distance without being greatly damaged if not totally destroyed. We explained to him the high compliment intended by the first Sovereign of the Western World to the Sovereign of the East by sending the present Embassy, and hoped it would be attended with all the good effects expected from it. That as it was equally my duty and inclination to promote these views to the utmost of my power, I requested the Viceroy would be so kind as to give me such information and advice as might enable me to render myself and my business as acceptable to the Emperor as possible."

The Viceroy, who was described by Lord Macartney as "a fine old man of seventy-eight years of age &hellip; calm, venerable, and dignified," listened with perfect politeness to the Ambassador's representations and expressed in unaffected manner his complete compliance with them. On August 7th the mission commenced their journey to the interior. The entire party were embarked on thirty-seven yachts or junks, "each yacht having a flag flying at her mast head to distinguish her rank and ascertain her station in the procession." The emblems also bore in large Chinese characters these words, "The English Ambassador bringing tribute to the Emperor of China." Besides the boats accommodating the mission were numerous craft conveying Mandarins and officers who were allotted to the service of the visitors. Indeed, as Sir G. Staunton, the official historian of the Embassy, records, "No slight magnificence was displayed, and no expense seemed to be spared." But the mission had not got very far before it had a taste of the unpleasant side of Chinese officialdom. A Tartar Mandarin in high office, styled the Emperor's Legate—one Chin-ta-gin—who had been told off to accompany the Embassy to Gehol, raised difficulties in regard to the disposition of the presents. In somewhat brusque fashion he intimated that the Emperor would expect to have all the presents carried to Gehol and delivered at the same time. Macartney answered him "that the Emperor was certainly omnipotent in China and might dispose of everything in it as he pleased, but that as the articles which I meant to leave at Peking would certainly be totally spoiled if managed according to his notions, I requested he would take them