Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-11-28

instructions To thenI indeed they are not I
qualified. They arc generaiy iilterate and
nuinStrWctcd themselves. They are the mere
performers of ceremonies s. and should never
be denominaiod by the sane nauie that Is APP
plied 10 the Ministers OF the Christian Reiisi-
on. The multtudes ofpeupie in tins country
are. IN moral and religious view, as sheep
without n shepherd
Wlrhon, reierrng 10 the peculiar and iinpor-
tant duties @. Christianity, out Speaksng u'ese-
" Oi its general aspect in Protestant cVti;l-
tr,e-. with Tie qualifications ana duties Ct It's
MINISTERS III tue pubic assemblies Ot the pCO-
pie. !iOw vastly superior to tie system OF Pa
ganiSm which prevails here. lie contrast
struck me very torctOlv duIlug DIVINE service,
as performed ny the Chaplain OF the EnblSSv
in this very temple. We have heard much Il
bO1l sitting OF not sitting IN the presence OF
great men. The Chinese carry ,heir Ohjecti-
ous 10 ridiculous length, 10 persons sitting,
WHO are of rank certain degree inferior 90
themselves and Oh $50 occasion, religious or
ceremouidl, 90 SuperiOrs dispense with tins II
SAGE. Hence. when looking round the con@re-
g:tiou during Sermon anu seeing an English
SoDienan, gentleman OF the inferior titles, Of
hccrS IN ti- Nialesty's ser zee, merchants, me-
ctanics. soldiers and servants, all sitting III
the same rOOn and listening 10 the same in.
struciI0n, the idea mentioned above, of the &C.
neral administration OF the CHRISTIAN Religion
hchg 80 vett far SUPERIOR occurred with The
I greatest force.
The laborims poor, in every country, who
| cannot read, nl.m At fast sI.hf be imposed
| to be nearly Oh a level Bat or SABBATH aud
public assemblies, Ter social worship and oral
| instruction., in tAe duties of men TO God and
| iO each nihcr, place our rOor in isuch more
| tiNUrab bic circumstances thdn III this country.
| When the poor do not avail themselves OF the
| advantages within their reach, as II is too
| often tie case, the beneficial effects OF course
| will not appear
| The m,ddliug and higher classes of people
| also who have money to spend, ard whose tine
! is not wholly occupied III pros iding the means
| OF Subslsieuce, are placed IN Iauch more favor
| nst:t DgODle
| description in this country. There Is more IN
! tei'ectndl occupation within their reach. The
! free discussion of questions connected with
! the welfare OF the country tue affairs OF De-
neyOient, literary, and scientific societies,
| ell the newspapers, and the monthly Journals,
| all tend less or mere 10 employ, 10 exercise and
| Strengthen the intellectual i.owcrS. Here all
! discussion OF the measures OF government, be
| iig entirely dlSalcwed all associations OF the
! people for any purpose whatever, being dis
/ couulged and no interest taken III the ac-
| quirCnlent OF science, or OF knowledge OF the
! =, neral affairs of mankind; people possessing
! property and leisure, want occupation aud
| become commonly q would not say always Ell
| Their idle smokers ofopium, or active devotees
! OF scusuai pleasure IL the most irregular aud
unnatural Forms. indecent images on porce-
! lam Uteusls fer tic writing desk, and for the
teatabIe, are found in many large towns in the
| interior OF the country, exposed ~ shops
| sail there are degrees OF public indecency,
winch have existed aud do eAjstin other cOnn.
! tries " hich are entirely unknown Ill China
| as far as observations and books enable persons
| To judge. indciIcacy has no place III their
| ligIon, as was the case III ancient Greece aud
| Rome nor are unhappy females suffered by
! the government TO walk the streets, as Is the
| cascn London.
| Dag 21-The embassy arrived al Sungcbow,
! which is one days journey from Picking Here
| we remained htdays, discussing with per-
| son of the rank of a Duke aud others, ques-
| ton, considered OF vital importance by both
parties. Yet it all turned on a ceremcny.--
4 X 81 ia lbs
great Emperor OF China 4 ceremony which is
| the strongest external expression of devoted
ness and submission which this people, who
/ abound in external forms of submissions, have
| been able 10 invent. 10 kneel down on the
! ground, TO place the hands when bowling. tor
| ward on the aoor, and 10 strike the forehead
| against the earth once, seems an abundauty
| apparent mark Of veneratiOn, devotion or sub
| mission. They however increase This by re-
curing the person TO strike his head against
| the earth thrice aud they increase this, us
! we DO our three cheers, by three times three.
Between each three the TOrShlpper rises and
stands erect, then kneels down again. This
| ceremony is called Pau Hives ken kow, which
| is rendered verbally three kneelIgs aud
| nine knocks" Some Of the Gods are worship.
| ped by three knocks some by six, and Heaven
| by zinc. This ceremony is by tributary Prin-
| ceS and Foreign Ambassadors performed TO the
| Emperor, tor itsownsakc and apart from
ry other ceremony, as an expression of ho-
mage. This is called by way of eminence,
" The Ceremony" and this is what the Tartars
(for they were all Tartars who were sent to
negotiate required from the British Ambas-
sador. That he should hesitate, will not be
wondered at hy many.
The Duke at last pretended TO give wav,
and on the afternoon of lhe 2Sih at4P y. n we
set Oft TO the palace Of Yuemnisg ynen, and
after travelling ali night, arrived at day light
the next morning. The hour appointed by tie
Emperor (Or as he is sometimes called the
" Son of Heaven for giving audience had al
ready elapsed. The rartars rise early. We
htarr tafl off oil ,t.-I,f
washed and undreSsed, TO the door of the Pa.
lace. British Npbieman, representing his
Sovereign, and who had come 1900 miles to
the Court of China, demurred, as was natural,
to enter THIS into tile Imperial presence, aud
pleaded with the Duke, who came out to urge
the Ambassador into the Hall of Audience,
that the fatiSues oftlIe night had rendered him
unwell, and therefore requested that the Duke
would beg his Majesty most graciOusly, to de-
Ter seeing him that morning. To effect this
with his Capric!Ous master, the Duke went and
said that the Ambassador was so i'll ne could
not stir step. This produced gracious or
der, thar the Ambassador should retire TO the
house provided for bin, and his Malesty's ply
stefan would attendupOu him He did attend.
what report lie made is not known. He could
not i'll truth report that the Ambassador was
exceedingly dangerously i'll. the En-
peror Thought he was imposed upon, and call
ed a special meeting of his Cabinet neither
the Duke, nor Princes, nor the COurtieTs, who
knew the fact ct our travelling all night dared !
TO tell himO ii his meuldl servants, who also |
knew the fact, did not tell him till two or three
days afterwards, when it was too late, and his |
Imperial Majesty, i'll fiji OF anger lin the pre-. |
Schce OF those COuTtIerS who knew tue real |
state Of the case, and could by stating il APP |
peise him. but did not decreed that the Am
bdssadOr should be required to depart inimedi- /
ateiy. Tins decree was carried into effect tile |
same day. At four p. VI. we left Yueuming-
yucn, aud aiter travelling all night 4 second
time, arrived at Turk Chow by break OF day /
OIL the morning of the 10Th.
tftt.n NUT. lie al