Star.
London, England, 1817-09-18 00:00:00

EMB4SSY 7'o C 1101,4.

OXTRACT OF A LETTER FP.OM A GENTLEMAN IN
THE Still: OF l'llK LATE EMBASSY TO CHINA.
" On t'• I,lv 1816, I embarked with se-
veral 4th Eno.iish Gentlemen, at Macaw; and on
the lfitlt his Mapsry's ship AIXEITE, having on
hoard his Excellency the Right Hon. Lord Amireasr,
Arr.h is ador from the PRINCY ltEr3nNT to the EIIIPK-*
f CIVN A, arrived oli the Lemma Islands.—
There 1 let the Honourable Company's cruiser Dis-
cnvery, in whi,:h I ffris:Jar itcd, and went on board
Irgare. We had a very lay, ur..ble passage to the
Gnlph 441 Chili-le,. by which latter term the Chinese
denote ina:e tl, Province in which Ikking is situated.
.• On t!le of July, the live vessels, at which
the sqoadron was composed. were safely anchored
c:F the mouth of the River Pei-ho, i.e. • the Nerds
itr,ev,' on which, at the distance Of two day's jour-
ney, by water, the famous town called Teen-tsin,
6 the heavenly conflaence cif Streanis,' is situated.
The veilage that stands at the month of the river is
Ta-boo. The lanl all around is so low as to
be scarcely distinguishatle from the anchorage,
which, owing to the shallowness of the wats is
eight or ten miles IfOrn the shore. There ape • reJ
here a want of civil zed decency, with which 1 was,
qyite surprised. The fishermen were either in a state
at canydete nudity, Cf wore a jaekt.t only thrown
over their shoulders. The men who tracked the
boats against the stream, alter we landed, were also
in s'milar circumstances., Throughout the whole of
the Provinces of Chih.le and of Slian-tung. boys, at
the dr of twelve or fourteen years, went naked.—
At '1 a.koo, there is a Temple dedicated to Full, or
Fuhtoo, wl:ich is the Chinese pronunciation of
• Buddali.' They use commonly only the first sel-
lable, Fuh ; and hence, according to the spelling of
the MS. Dictionaries, Foe, which modern writers
have abbreviated to in.

" On the Ist of August I went on shore, at the
request of the Ambassador, to see brxnso, an Im-
perial Commissioner there, appointed to receive the
Embassy. In this Temple I found an European
print of the head of our Saviors. lie was crowned
with thorns, and a reed in his hand. This print was
pasted on a large scroll of paper, which was, ong
up in one of the rooms of the Priests, lied in.:wise
vessels placed before it. There was some Chinese
writing on the scroll. which I was anxious to read.
'Pie Priest, however, said that the picture was there
-:dicated, and be could not take it down. He
viewed me a book containing the service, which he
said they read when they worshipped this picture.—
The service was in an exceedingly mysterious style.
could not that evening (it wits now late, and I
kit the place at daybreak the next morning) make
out the scope of it. This picture, and the name
Teen Choo Redone (by which the ltnniish religion is
known) were the only vestiges of the Christian religion
that occurred in me during the whuleofour journey.
" AUGUST I3.—We were entertained at a banquet,
given by two Imperial Cunsmissioners, in the name
of the Empetor, at Teets-tsin. The same principle
which operated, when in Europe inferior food and
wine were placed at the bottom of Use table, mani
felted ;twit in a different way. The 'toperiall Com-
missioners, the British Ambassador, and the Com-
missi inert, Sir George Staunton, and Mr. Ellis, sat
on very low cushions, perhaps six or eight inches
from the ground, on which a red felt cloth was
placed. I am now writing to you from a Temple,
in which are upwards of a hundred Priests, and as
Many Idols. About fifty Priests worship with morn-
ing and evening prayers, which occupy nearly forty
minutes, images of Buddah. There are three images
placed. n a line; before these the Priests burn tapers.
• offer incense, and recite prayers, sometimes kneeling
and rewating over and over again invocations, and
sometimes putting the turehead to the ground, in
token of adoration, submission. and supplication.—
Day aft-r d.y, and year alter year, this is gone
through ; but they never associate with the people
of any rank or age, to deliver instructions to them.
Indeed, they are not qualified. They are generally
illiterate and uninstructed themselves. They are the
mere performers of ceremonies, -and should never be
denominated by the same name that is applied to the
Ministers of the Christian Religion. The multitudes
Of people in this country are, in a moral and religions
view.sas sheep without a shepherd. Here all dis-
cussion of the measures of Government being entirely
disallowed; all associations of the people for any
!suppose whateeer being discouraged ; and no inte-
rest taken in the acquirement of science, or of a
lona ledge of the general affairs of mankind people
possessing property and leisure want occupation ;
and become commonly (I would not say always)
either idle smokers of opium, or active devotees of
sensual pleasure.
" AUGUST 20.—The embassy arrived at Sung-
chow, which is one day's journey from Ps king. Here
we remained eight days, discussing with a person of
the rank of a Doke and others, a question. considered
of vital importance by biith parties s yet it all turned
on a ceremony. High Officers of State in China,
dependent Tartar Kings and Princes, all perform to
the great Eaperor of China a ceremony which is the
strongest external expression of devotedness and sub-
missson; which this people, who abound is external
forms of submission, have bees able to invest. To
Liget down on the ground, to place the hands when
tiovrifg, forward, on the &KW and. to strike the fore-
head, against the earth -once, seems an abundantly,
apparent mark of veneration, devotion, or soboussion.
They, however, increase this by requiring the person
to strike his head against the earth thrice; and they
'increase this, as we do our three cheers, by three
Bros three. Between each three, the worshipper
uses and stands erect; then kneels down again. This
ceremony is called Pan tins ken row, which is reit-
-roved verbally, ' three kneelings and niniknoeks.'—
Some of the gods are worshipped by three knocks,
some by six, and Heaven by nine. This ceremony is
.by tributary Princes and Foreign Ambassadors per--
formed to the Emperor, for its own sake, and apart
from every other ceremony, as an expression of ho.
lunge. This is called, by way of erniance, • The
Ceremoul,' end this ki *hat the Tartars (for they
were all rattan who were sent to negocsate) re-
quired from the British Ambassador. That he should
Will net be wondtsed at by many. The
Duke at last
pretensieS to give way, and on the alter-
iron of the 28th, at tour p. tn. we set off to the pa.
01 Ireenmintyper, and *es travelling all night

arrived at day-right the nett Morning.. The hoer i
appointed by the Emperor (or, as be is Sometimes I
called, • The Son of Heaven') for giving audience,
had alr:ady elapsed. ' The Tatars rise early. We
were hurried, atteitravelling all night, unwashed
and undressed, to the'cloor of the palace. A British
Nebleman, representing his Sovereign, and who had
come 50,000 miles to the Court of China, demurred,
I as was natural, to enter thus into the imperial pre-
since, and pleaded with the Duke, who came out to
I urge the Ambassador into the hall of audience, that
the fatigues of the night had rendered him unwell,
and therefore requested that the Dnke would beg his
Majesty graciously to defer seeing him that morning.
To effect this uith his capricious master the Duke
went, and said that the Ambassador was so ill he
could nut stir a step. This produced a gracious
ord. r, that the Ambassador should retire to the house
provided for him, and his Majesty's Physician would
attend upon him. He did attend. What report he
made is not known. He could not in truth report
that the Ambassador was exceedingly or dangerously
ill. The Emperor thought he was imposed upon,
and called a special meeting of his Cabinet ; neither
the Duke, nor Princes, nor the Courtiers, who knew
the taco of our travelling all night, dared to tell him
of it ; his menial servants, who also knew the fact,
did hot tell him till two or three days afterwards,
when it was too late;. and his Imperial Majesty, in a
fit of anger (in the presence of those Courtiers who
knew the real state of the case, and could by stating
it appease him, but did not), 'decreed, that the Am.;
lbassador should be required to depart immediately.
This decree was carried into effect the same day.—
At four p. m. we left Ytitn.mingquen. and after
travelling all night a second time, arrived at Tung-
Chlw by break of dry on the morning of the 10th.
'Die Emperor found out afterwards the real state of
the case, and degraded the Duke by removing him
from situations of high trust which he held. The
Duke is brother to the Empress. Three other per.
sons of the first rank were also removed from their
offices, and an edict published— [This document ap- ,
peered in the STAR]—chiding his Courtiers for their
hateful indifference to the public welfare, sod lament= 1
ing that selfishness should be carried to such a degree
—a thing, he said, which he did not believe to be I
possible.. The Duke's most intimate friends, as his
Majesty stated it himself., who in ordinary cases pro.
teased the utmost attachment and cordiality, smiling
and fawning upon him, when they saw him perplex-
ed and embarrassed by the Emperor's questions put
to him, would not, though fully in their power, set
him right, or state the truth for him. Every one
said, • It is net my business: -A-' Alas,' said the Em-
peror is his Edict,' on what a dangerous rocky emi-
nence does a Statesman tread.' And in the next hat
adds, t If you had no regard for the Duke, had you
none for your country r—Notwithstanding all this,
his pride and notions of dignity would not allow him
to give an explanation to the Ambassador. He,
however, ordeted his own Officers to treat him with
politeness, as he passed through the country. The
night after the expulsion (for such our departere
was), he sent three articles ai a present, or in their
phraseology,' a domiticm,' to the Xing of England,
and, took three articles from our presents, or, es they
called them,' tribute.' One article was the portraits
of our beloved and lamented Sovereign and his Queen.
l' Seer. 2.—We commenced our return from Tong-
chow. Time does not permit Ins to describe any
part of the country through which we passed 8 mast
of it,' indeed, was travelled over by the English and
Dutch Embassies in the reign of the late Emperor
Keenling, and is described in the books published on
ibose occasions. Just before entering on the Yang-
tze.Keana, we stopped at Kiva.Chow, *here I con.'
versed with a Mohammedan Gentleman, its one a
the Temples of Buddah, where he was lodging for a
day or !wog,. Temples in China, like religious houses
on the Continent, are often employed as temporary
inns by travellers. Government also turn. them to
this purpose; hence it is, the temple from which I
address you is made the dwelling of the British Am.
bassador. Maliommedans are found in considerable
numbers in several parts of China. They are allowed
the exercise of their religion, and admitted into the
service of the Government. The Gentleman I have
now mentioned was an officer of government, and
another, with whom I conversed at the capital of
Keang-se, wrs in the army. I was informed by these
' persons, that in Keang-Nan they have 36 mosques,
but unlike the temples of the idolaters in China ; they
are generally locked up, except on their Sabbath,
which occurs on our Friday. They have a teacher,
who recites their service is Arabic. The people also
learn to repeat the sei vice, but do not understand it.
My informant said, that neither the service nor the
doctrines were translated into Chinese; • I should
think lie was incorrect. I wished him to inquire
amongst his friends, and procure me a book; but he
persisted that no book in the Chinese existed.
•• I was told that at Kae-fueg-foo, ie the province
of Homan, there were a few families deneniinated
the Tedou-Kin.Kedou. 1 The religion or sect which,
plucks out the sinews from all the meat which they
eat.' They also had a Le•fae.sze (Temple of Wor-
ship) and observed the eighth day as a sabbath. This
statement corresponds with what is related in Crosier,
respecting the persons considered Jews, and I think'
the account hen given strengthens the probability
dust they are so.. The blabommetian Gentleman said
he thought they were the same as the Teenchoo-Ke-
dor, i.e. as the Ronne Catholic Christians.
" Oer. Ig.—We left Kiva-chow and the beautiful
prospect seen !rem it. Opposite to it there rises out
of Yang-tsze Kraig, a conical island, called Kir-1
than, • The Gulden Hill.' It was visited by kome
of the Emperors of the present family, and is mow
merited with temples up its sides and a pagoda at its
summit. From the rapidity of the current, the Da.
vigation of the Keang, as it is all called for the sake
of brevity, is difficult and dangerous. We depended
on the wind ; and we never sided at night, which
occasioned our stopping whole days at 'one place. and
at other times bringing to very early in the day. This'
continued sill die 19th of November, when we left
the Popsy lake, And changed boats at the capital of
Keang-se. Thus for a whole mouth we had delight-
ful walks of miles into thecountry. The climate was
cool and pleasant, and the scenery greatly varied.
The batiks of the Yang-tsze.Keang, diversified by'
gentle swells clothed with wood, exhibiting every
tarns of leafed foliage of every hue, were beautiful.
Oa the Po-yang Lake I visited a most romantic spot;
' its Shantung we passed not fax from the birth-plaer,

df Colleens ; and at the piece I now mention there
is a college at which Choo-100 stze, the most esteemed
I commentator on the four books. taught about COO
years ago. The college is situated at tie top of
glen, through which a clear stream winds its way
over a rocky bottom s near the stream are cultivatt d
sputa, and op the sides of the hills a variety of tim-
ber grows. At the top ut the gl-n the Lci;stian.
Mountain of Retreat,' lilts its dark rocky summit,
and defends the • College of the White Stag Valley'
from the northerly blast. Here Chniefoo-stze taught.
They shew the rock on which he sat to angle, and a
tree yet bearing flowers, which he planted with his
own hand ; to pluck the leaves off is by the local
magistrates strictly forbidden.
u Dec. 20.—We passed the moutrain called Meli.
ling, 'which divides the provinces of Keangse and
Canton. To render it more easily pissed, a deep cut
was made through the solid rock, at its summit, by
the.liberality of an individual oho had retired from
the Court of the dynasty Yang, about a thousand
years ago. His image is now placed in a temple rin
the Canton side of ne hill, and divine ht'nours paid
to it. But the whole of this land •is full of idols,
they worship the work their own fingers have made.'
—lshmael, ii. 8.
" JAN. 1, 1817.—The Embassy arrived at Can-
ton. Nearly siz months had elapsed from the time.
that I embarked at Mace:. During the cootie., I
visited a great many temples: they were commonly
in bad repair, and sometimes in ruin.. Those religi-
ous struttures, somewhat similar to the Monument At
London-bridge, called by us Pagodas, and by the
Chinese Ya, were many of them falling down. They
were built chiefly during the last dynasty. Priests do
not live in them, but idols are placed in the different
stories, and, from an inscription 1 saw on one, I
judge that an idea of placing the idol as near to
Heaven as possible, was part of the motive for build-
ing. The highest are nine stories ; some are seven,
some five. They are often built on the tops ut moun-
tains, where the labour and expense of erecting them
must have been very great."

IVON-LIABILITT OF CARRIERS.

BRISTOL AsslZls.
ovum b. FRINSONT AND OTHERS.

In this action the plaintiff sought to recover the
sum of 415. 16s. and the wattle of four shawls, en-
trusted to the defendants, u common carriers, to be
conveyed to 'Trowbridge.
Mr. Serjeant Past., in stating the ease to the Jury,
observed that under the decision of Lord Ellenbo.
rough, who had ruled as follows: d 4 the law is impe-
rative, that a proof of the notice of the contract to the
plaintiff inust be adduced before the carrier can be
exonerated from his liability to the loss:* the plain-
tiff would be entitled to the verdict of the Jury.
Mr. Richard Stat.ley Laytham being called, stated
that on the 17th of December blithe took a parcel to
the White Hart coach-offiee, in Broad-street, in this
city. It contained iitl 3. I6s. in cash, and was wrapped
up in four shawls, which were worth about 90s. It was
directed to" Mr. James Orem, Trowbridge." Wit-
ness paid two-peace for booking it. Of his own
knowledge he did not know whether the parcel
reached its destination or not. It was between seven
and.eight in the evening when betook it to the office.
Croirsexansined by Mr. Gastme..—The £l3.
was a debt which witness owed to a Mr. Bannister,
and he bad been desired to pay it to his son. Mr.
Oram was a relation of Mr. Bannister. Witness had
seen a public notice stuck up in the office, relative to
no parcels being answered tor, it lost, unless entered
and paid for accordingly.
Mr. Baron GRAHAM observed that this fact esta.
Wished a notice of public notoriety.
Mr. Serjeant Pus contended that the notice, the
board, the bill, or ethatever it was, or a copy of them
ought to be produced, for it could not be obtained
through the medium of parole evidence.
Mr. Gatsal.az-1 shall prove the contents of the
board by this witness, so that it forms a part of my
case. It was true that in some cases the board had
been produced, but in eases where it could not be
produced to shew the length of the letters, that part
was supplied by evidence. Did your hordihip ever
hear os a board being produced upon which there
was a printed notice to warn persons against the dan-
ger sit spring guns ?. Or did your Lordship ever hear
of a grave-stone being introduced into Court to prove
when the tenant died who slept under it? (4 laugh.)
Mr. Baron GRAHAM thought that be had trpeatedly
heard the question asked, •at Have you seen the
board ?" The only question in his mind upon that ,
point of the case was, whether it was a matter of such
public notoriety as it must, in the common course of
things, tome to the knowledge of the plaintiff, that a
notice to that effect was stuck up. It was nut fit that
the board should be hawked about from town to town
to prove the publicity of the thing.
Mr. Gasituta's cross-examination of the witness
continued.

Mr. GastLis—Was this the notice you sew ?
“ Take melee that no package or parcel whatever, abuse the
value oils, pounds. will be answered for unless die value is as sad oaks* k is paid for aseordsngly."
Witness—That was the substance of the notice. I
have seen it foe a long time in the office, but I did
not see it the night I took the parcel to the office. I
had seen it frequently before. Nor do I mean to say
it was not there on that particular night. I have re-
peatedly seen it since.
Mr. Serjeant Pa4h—That is my case. The parcel
never did come to hand, although I esinnot prove it ;
but I take it that it remains for the defendants to
prove that it did come to hand.
Mr. Baron Gammas—lt always forms part of the
declaration, that it never did come to hand.
The witness Laythans was then called back and
examined by Mr. Serjeant Put.. Mr. Hathaway,
the book-keeper, told wittsess the parcel was never
sent. He said be was afraid it was mislaid; as he
had written to the proprietors of the coaches to as-
certain it.
' Mr. Gases objected to this testimony being re-
ceived as evidence against the • defendants, in which
objection be was borne out by the Court.
141'. GAMS& now submitted that the,action must
tall upon two grounds; first, that Mr. Orans had In,
property in it, as it was a debt due to Mr, atoni!,ter
and secondly, that it had- never got into the pty•srs-,
non of Mr. Oram, as the comignce or ennsignte, nei-
ther had it got into the posscsainn of the deteadants.
Mr: Baron GnAllatt observed, that it will in Pr

sumed to be in t!..e posless;on nf t!te defeenla .it 'r.
mediately it was del,vcred at the cnach•Olce.
The Learned Cettncel, upon one broad awl e,,,
ral principle, then contended, that the Ctnecy
took the parcel was pyrfec:ly aware of tl..e •.!
of the terms upon wit;ch the cl:liendantL cisrrice.,
their business.

Mr. Baron CitA:l4*.;-.-That matter atis%-e,.,:
of the evidence, aad Nall le^ for etc ti,tilniinati aw
the Jury.
Mr. Gasn.re 5h,411,1 avurne that the evidence**,
suiheiently pieguant to prove that tact. H. Lt,t.
ned Friend (Mr. :-Zerjeant Peil) hid cited a easel
which he had said that Lord Ellentc.roueil
that it was not encugh that nctiee should be g:tr.
but that the person who took the parcel ,
ceive a receipt for IL Hv ('Alr.Ga-elee) wets:den-,
ture to say that. Lotil Eaenbotough never had
held the law to be. His friend 1,2.1 said, you In:,
actually prove that the perv,rs ;rho delivered the,
eel had a knowledge ot tvrrn.: of the nonce.'
He should submit that a silt::cierit notice I.;
proved ; then it would reir,ain P. point of la.v wcitttl
the notice to the :taint was a sofa:tent not;v: to it
plaintiff?
Mr. Serjeant PELL observed, that as to ci e F,
point he should say nothing ationt it :he only ti
Wan Lnr.l Ellenbqtough had ; br.t
wit be tcr him (the Learned Serjrant) to say unel
cher f;is I.nrdshi,i ruled right or it roug ; but lie 4i.k,N
contend, that a carrier scud not rtmeve from his
self the liability, unless upcn an txpress contract
and the question, therefore, would 1C:43:1e itself HE
this, h. id Mr. Lap:inns, on the 17th cf Decemt,
when he took the parcel to die other, notice tha: tl
carrier would not he accountable for the loss CI at
goods above the value o: 4'5, unless entered and
tor accordingly ? Now all the evidence that west
that point WAS, that he saw the notice a month
tore, and some time afterwards ; therefore, he (!.
Learned Serjeaat) could not tell how :re could Lac:
that it was up on that night or not, or how no*
to Mr. Laytham would be a notice to the piale
Lord Ellenborough had said, that an rapes' uci:
must be given at the time the goods were denvert'
or it must be upon an express contract.
Mr. Baron GRAHAM observed, that it that avast`.
:decision of Lord Elienbort,ugh, he had considerat
.doubts about it. He thou ht, however, that. the
was perfectly clear, it pio,l could be adduced
the party receiv:d notice at the time the goods
delivered; but whether it was a sufficient not.
the witness (Laytham) in the present case—he
ing seen the notice before and alter the time
delivery of the parcel—upca that point it wou,
for the Jury to draw their own inference.
Mr. Serjeant Pate—" Would your Lordshil
your judgment upon the point of the notice?"
Mr. Baron G!!AlIAM".I shall not state my
mentbut upon the evidence before me."
Mr. GASZLEE, in reply, said it was a princii
sound policy that the carriers should restrict t
selves as far as possible to their liability; and the
thing for the Jury.to say, would be, whether
Laytham, the plaintiff's agent,. had or had
knowledge of the mattner in ,which the deter
. . • _

carried cn theit.buainess, at the time be dein
the parcel? ..
Mr.-Baron GItkRAIT, in summing up the facts
the case, obseffed; that the action was brougl
the non-delivery of goods; and the delence set
was, that there seas such .it public notice put tip;
defendant:l' tifEee as not tc• render them liable h

loss of any parcel, unless it should be entered
paid for as being above the value of ; and
question was. whether the plaintiff had .t notit
that circumstance? The evidence was that Mr,
tham was aware of the existence of the notice

a fortnight before, and within a few days itte.
17th of December; then whit possible doubt
the Jury entertain that the delendiuts hid chi

their mode of dying busiiie.s iu tin short a titni
The Jery almort instiunly found a verdict fi
defendants.

A few days since a toll collector, near Lynn,
folk, summoned two commercial Gentleuttl
evading the toll, who were severally convicted i
full penalty of 4•O g. 0.1 the follotsi:tg inurnitt
two Gentlemen summoned the collector ice it..)t
ing his name over the tell-house, and crAvicted
the penalty ut £5; and alter deducting, their cll.
they left the overplus in the hands of the :Mgt
to be given to the ettor in bread.

BIRTHS.
&pc. 7, the Lady of Iteutenant-Cult:ncl Ellice, of the 7.
ling I)ragootta, or a daughtt.r.
Staub): se'nnight, t he l ady of Major 5t.(3.-0rg.,.,' a A.:.
Saturday, at l'Archtittott, th.- lion. Mrs. 114'.:1.!,-; -: ,t.