Directory_and_Chronicle_1842 — Page 104

86

Sketches of China.

FEB.

torch-bearers. Many casualties had occurred on the journey. Several of the baggage-wagons had been upset, and much of the baggage was injured. But this was a slight grievance. One of his lordship's servants was nearly killed by the overturning of his cart, through the carelessness of his driver; receiving in the fall a severe contusion of the brain, the effect of which still incapacitates him for his usual avocations. When we were somewhat recovered from our fatigues, and looked back on the occurrences of the last two days, we seemed rather to have awaked from a dream, than to have experienced any circumstances of real existence. It was impossible to link them together in any probable chain of cause and effect. We could only conjecture that we had been hurried to and from Yuenming Yuen, and subjected to all kinds of indignity and inconvenience, to suite the will of a capricious despot." pp. 112, 113.

Mr. Davis, writing five-and-twenty years subsequent to those oc- currences, has told the story in a somewhat different mood-evident- ly showing that the scenes were not obliterated from his memory, and he has succeeded in giving to the descriptions something of that ridiculous air which characterized the movement to and from Pe- king. John Gilpin's race was nothing compared with this, and we are almost surprised that Mr. Davis did not throw his narrative into verse. Even in its present shape, it is worth reading, and we quote it entire.

“August 28th.-Great exertions were made in the morning to leave Tung- chau as carly as possible, after a delayed residence of eight days from our first arrival. The baggage and presents were sent off first, and at about half- past four in the afternoon our party set out, being determined not to leave the impedimenta behind, as had been the case in coming up the Pei ho. Ля the two officers of the guard and myself were to ride, I had requested the mandarins overnight to let us be supplied with tolerable horses; but when these were produced, they turned out to be in a state of utter impossibility, I walked over to Kwáng, and remonstrated with him, upon which he affect- ed not to know that the animals were so bad. Cháng tájin then kindly of- fered me his own horse, saying that he should go in his chair; and I gladly accepted it, as, though bad enough, this beast was greatly superior to the former tender. The Chinese breed of horses is confessedly one of the very worst, and the same may be said of all their domestic quadrupeds, except- ing pigs and asses. Being kept alive on the smallest possible quantity of sustenance, they naturally degenerate in size; but the pig is the great save. all, and as he lives upon refuse, he pays well for his keeping about the house or cottage; while the ass likewise thrives upon what would starve a horse or I seldom or never saw any donkeys in the south, but near Peking we remarked that they were a particularly fine variety, and perhaps might ac count for the goodness of the mules, which are also a superior breed.

cow.