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costs 6000 pounds, which might be obviated, if they went up & down in
one of the Company's ships. I mention this, not as one of the principal
savings, but as a proof of lavish expence. In the Fleet which
I now convoy, there are ships which bring tea to Europe for less
than 9£ pr Ton while the Indie Ships have from 22 to £23 10 pr
Ton. If such glaring jobs and expences of such magnitude, are
allowed to exist, all attempts to continue a flourishing commerce
cannot last long. Better economy. & a closer mode of
traffick must and ought to succeed such extravagance & folly.
But to return a little to the Chinese. I was invited to
dinner by one of the principle Hong Merchants at his house out
of the city. As he wished to shew me every thing, I went to see
his Granaries, and a species of farm, all very well arranged,
& on which he employed and fed 400 men. His house was extremely
spacious, and he told me he had 100 Apartments for his women
and their attendants: these of course were invisible. His saloons
garden fish ponds and boats, were the realizing all that you
have seen on the Chinese screens. The fanciful taste, with
which his saloons were ornamented with lattice work Lamps,
Lustres Lanthorns, artificial flowers, China jars large looking
glasses and other whimsical assemblages, added to the different dresses
of the guests, Host, and servants was by far the most picturesque
scene I had ever seen. A dinner given to me by another of these Merchants
was in a different style. Opposite an open saloon, where we
dined, was a very gay Theatre, which had been erected for the entertainment
of the Viceroy, and during dinner a Comedy was played
consisting of the first comedians with music, singing dancing tumbling,
and a variety of entertainments, which pleased not only from
the novelty, but as they were descriptive of the Chinese character
previous to the Tartar conquest. This the English gentlemen who were
with me affected to despise; but they were such good Actors, & followed
nature so close in their action that I fancied at last that I understood
them. The dinners were both splendid, mixed between the
European & Chinese taste. In compliment to my Hosts I fixed
myself to the latter, and eat of Birds nests, Sharks fins, Deers sinews,
and other Chinese delicacies, which as I was singular, seemed to please
them very much
I begin to believe more of the tales of the Fairies, Arabian
nights entertainments and some other works which I have read,
than I have hitherto done, and it is not impossible, if I live longer,
that I may believe every thing. In entreat you not to be incredulous,
but to believe me, when I assure you how much I am with
great truth and affection
Yours &c &c —
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Identifier: | JB/169/148/004 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 169.
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lady bentham |
[[watermarks::gr [crown motif] [britannia with shield motif]]] |
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