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very easily give into, I am sure you will see the operation
of this system in its full extent, I will then judge, whether it
is throu' the medium of Canton, that we must look for an
extension of our commerce. It must be an innovation which
is abhorrent to a Chinese, evidently worth while to the Hong
Merchants to pay additional duties & bribes to the Mandarines,
who constantly think the Hong Merchants are enriching
themselves and are not sufficiently squeezed, which they
countenance by a display of opulence which would not discredit
any merchantile character in any Country.
I had two entertainments given me by the Hong
Merchants at their private houses out of the City. All the picturesque
of a Chinese screen was realized. All appeared the
work of the Genii, and was all Fary land. The entertainment
was splendid, with a mixture of European & Chinese dishes.
At one was a Theatre most whimsically ornamented but with
taste in the front of an open Salloon where we dined. During
dinner a Piece was performed, consisting of music singing
& dancing, the whole in great order, & the dresses & ornaments
rich and elegant. So that difference of manners and
customs considered, nothing could more shew an idea of
luxury and refinement. I am sure of one thing, our factory
at Canton, knew no more of the Chinese character, than they
do that of the Cham of Tartary. They have imbibed prejudices
they do not seek to enquire into, they are not known three streets
from their houses, have never enquired into Chinese history,
language or manners, and what you will scarcely credit, have
taught our Linguists English in the gibberish of a Negroe, and
in the manners that Children suppose they are always to be
understood by talking something unlike their own language
and through these mediums, they are to gain information.
The panther a vessell fitted from Bombay arrived at
Macau previous to my sailing. She had been sent to the
Pelew Islands with stock of different kinds and to survey
the Island. She report having found a good harbour but
I
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Identifier: | JB/169/147/004 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 169.
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000-04-09 Unable to interpret the "000-04-09" input value as valid date or time component with "There is no year 0 in Gregorian and Julian calendars." being reported.
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169 |
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147 |
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004 |
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collectanea |
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recto |
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lady bentham |
[[watermarks::gr [crown motif] [britannia with shield motif]]] |
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56967 |
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