The first, a description of the celebrated porcelain Pagoda, or Temple of Boudh in Nan-King, is translated immediately from the original by Sir George Staunton. The second, a letter from the Emperor of China to the Prince Regent, on the subject of the late embassy, is given through the medium of an Italian translation.

Description of the Porcelain Pagoda

at Nan-King.

The Dwelling of Security, Tranquillity, and Peace.

The representation of the precious glazed Tower of the Temple of Graitude, in the province of Kiang-Nan. This work was commenced at noon,

on the fifteenth day of the sixth moon of the tenth year of the Emperor Yong Lo, of the dynasty of Ming, and was completed on the first day of the eighth moon of the sixth year of the Emperor Siuen Té, of the same dynasty, being, altogether, a period of nineteen years in building.

The sum of money expended in completing the precious glazed tower, was two millions four hundred and eighty-five thousand four hundred and eighty-four ounces of silver. In the construction of the ornamental globe on the pinnacle of the roof of the tower, forty-eight kint in weight of gold, (sixty-four pounds,) and one thousand four hundred kin in weight of copper were consumed. The circumference of this globe is thirty-six che, or forty-two feet. Each round or story is eighteen che high. In that part of the tower called the Quang were consumed four thousand eight hundred and seventy kin weight of brass. The iron hoops or rings, on the pinnacle of the roof, are nine in number, and sixty-three che each in circumference. The smaller hoops are twenty-four che in circumference --and their total weight is three thousand six hundred kin. §

1413 of the Christian era. + A kin is one pound and one-third. A che is about fourteen inches. This part is obscure, and will be better understood from Le Compte's description, imperfect as it is. "The top of the edifice is not the least beautiful part of the tower; it is a massy pillar, that stands upon the floor of the eighth story, and reaches more than thirty feet above the roof; it seems to be wrapt in a large iron

ΤΟΣ, Γ.

On different parts of the tower are suspended eighty-one iron bells, each bell weighing twelve kin or sixteen pounds. There are also nine iron chains, each of which weighs one hundred and fifty kin, and is eighty che long. The copper-pan with two mouths to it, on the roof, is estimated to weigh nine hundred kin, and is sixty che in circumference. There is also a celestial plate on the top, weighing four hundred and sixty kin, and twenty che in circumference. In the upper part of the tower are preserved the following articles :-Of night-illuminating pearls one string; of water-repelling pearls, one string; of dust-repelling pearls, one string; and fire-repelling pearls, one string; of over all these is a string of the relics of Foe. Also an ingot of solid gold weighing forty leang, (ounces,) and one hundred kin weight of tea-of silver one thousand leang weightof the bright huing, two pieces, weighing one hundred kin-of precious stones one string-of the everlasting physic-money one thousand strings-of yellow satin two piecesof the book hidden in the earth, one copy-of the book of Omito Foe, one copy-of the book of She Kia Foe, one copy-of the book of Tsie Yin Foe, one copy, all wrapped up together, and preserved in the temple.

The tower has eight sides or faces, and its circumference is two hundred and forty che. The nine stories taken together are two hundred and twentyeight and a half che high. From the highest story to the extreme point of the pinnacle of the roof, are one hundred and twenty che. The lamps within the tower are seven-timesseven in number, in all forty-nine lamp-dishes, and on the outside, there are one hundred and twenty-eight lamp-dishes. Each night they are

hoop, of the same height, in the form of a screw or spiral line, extending several feet from the pillar, so as to appear like a hol- ́ low cone, suspended in the air, with spaces to let in light. On the top of this pillar is placed a golden ball, of extraordinary magnitude." Extraordinary indeed! for, if the Chinese account is to be believed, its dimensions are more than twice, and, of course, its magnitude more than four times that of the ball of St Paul's Cathedral. would seem to be of copper, and platet! with gold.

D

It

supplied with fifty kin weight of oil. Their splendour penetrates upwards to the 33d heaven-midway, they shed a lustre over the people, the good and the bad together,downwards, they illuminate the earth as far as the city of Tse Kee Hien, in the province of Che Kiang.

The official title of the head priest of the temple is Chao Sieu. His disciples are called Yue. The total number of priests on the establishment is eight hundred and fifty. The family name of the head mason of the building was Yao, his personal name Sieu, and his native town Tsing Kiang Foo. The family name of the head carpenter was Hoo, his personal name Chung, and his native province Kiang See.

1819.

Translations from the Chinese.

tomed ceremony without exceeding or falling short of what is required; and duly observed all the forms with proper decorum; and was then enabled to look up, and to receive the favour and affection of the Son of Heaven; to see his majesty's celestial face; to be entertained at a grand banquet; and to have numerous and valuable presents bestowed upon him.

In this present year you, O King, have thought fit again to send an ambassador to our court, with a written representation, and with orders to present me with the productions of your country, on his being introduced to my presence.

I, the Emperor, having reflected that you, O King, had done so in sincerity of heart, and from feelings of respect and obedience, rejoiced exceedingly at this intelligence; I caused forthwith the former records to be examined; and I ordered the proper number of officers of state to await the arrival of your ambassador, that on the very day of his approach to the palace he might, in all due respect, behold the imperial person, and then be entertained with a grand festival, according to all things, and with exactly the same ceremonies which were observed in the preceding reign.

Your ambassador first began to open his communications at Tientsing. I appointed great officers of state to be there, to give to him an imperial feast and entertainment. When, behold! instead of your ambassador returning thanks for this feast, he refused to pay obedience to the prescribed ceremonies.

I, the Emperor, in the affair of an inferior officer of state arriving from a remote country, did not deem forms and ceremonies of any great importance; it was an affair in which some indulgence and a compassionate forbearance might be shown to the individual; and I therefore made a special order for all my great officers of state to use gentleness and accommodating behaviour towards your ambassador; and to inform him, on his arrival at Pekin, that, in the fifty-eighth year

of Kien-lung, your ambassador, in performing the usual ceremony, always fell upon his knees, and bowed his head to the ground, according to the established forms; how, indeed, on such an occasion, could any change be allowed!

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Your ambassador then told my great officers, face to face, that, when the proper time came, he would comply with the ceremonies, and would perform the kneeling and prostration, and bowing of the head to the ground; and that no exceeding or falling short of the established forms should occur.

Accordingly, my great officers, in conformity to, and in reliance on, this declaration, reported the affair to me; and I sent down my pleasure, that, on the 7th day of the 7th moon, your ambassador should be ordered to appear before the imperial person; that, on the 8th, in the great hall of light and splendour, an entertainment should be conferred, and gifts bestowed; and again, that, in the gardens of perpetual pleasure, a feast should be prepared ; that, on the 9th, he should have his audience of leave, and that on the same day it should be permitted him to ramble among the hills of ten thousand ages; that, on the 11th, at the gate of perfect concord, gifts should again be conferred, after which he should repair to the board of ceremonies, and there again be feasted; and that, on the 12th, he should be finally dispatched, and ordered to proceed on his journey. The day fixed for performing the ceremony, and the precise form to be observed, were previously communicated to your ambassador by my great officers of state.

On the 7th, the day appointed for your ambassador to approach and behold the imperial person, he accordingly arrived at the palace, and I, the Emperor, was just about to enter the great hall of audience.

Your ambassador, all on a sudden, asserted that he was so exceedingly ill, that he could not stir a step: I thought it not impossible, and therefore ordered the two assistant ambassadors to enter the hall, and appear before me; but both the assistant ambassadors also asserted that they too were ill. This certainly was an instance of rudeness which had never been exceeded. I did not, however, inflict severe chastisement; but I ordered them to be sent off the same day, on their return to their own country.

As your ambassador was thus prevented from beholding_the imperial presence, it was not expedient that he should send in the written representation from you, O King. It is, therefore, sent back in the same

high compliment to the worth of the Scots peasantry. He observed, that Burns had fallen a sacrifice to his independent principles; for, had his principles been less pure, he would have been more fortunate at the moment, though his memory would now be less revered.

On the gentlemen of Bombay, who commenced the subscription being proposed, Mr Forbes Mitchell returned thanks in their name, in an impressive speech.

In proposing the memory of the Scottish bards, Sir James Mackintosh said, he felt a pride in stating, that Buchanan and Thomson, as well as Burns, were inspired by liberty.

Sir James Mackintosh, before proposing the following toast, observed, that the present festival was without example in the history of the worlda large body of gentlemen were that day assembled to celebrate the memory of an illustrious peasant. He then proposed the health of one of the children of Burns, who honoured them with his presence that day.

Mr Robert Burns, in a speech every way worthy of the son of such a father, returned his thanks for the honour done him. In confirmation of the observation of Sir James Mackintosh, that Burns was not an uneducated man, he described the library of the poet, which he said contained in it Chaucer, Spenser, Milton, Dryden, Pope, Goldsmith, Tasso, Voltaire, Moliere, Boileau, Rousseau, and the immortal Shakespeare. It contained also those Scotch poets, who had a more immediate influence on the direction which his poetical talents took. He was perfectly acquainted with the six Books of Euclid-wa -was master of land surveying. He concluded with offering up his warmest thanks to two distinguished living poets, for the honours paid by them to the memory of his father, the poet, who had painted in such glowing colours the deeds of our heroic ancestors, and the bard of Green Erin, who had awaked from its long silence the harp of the bards of his native country, and who stood forth the steadfast advocate of civil and religious liberty.

Mr Walter Scott was then proposed, and afterwards Mr George Crabb and the bards of Scotland.

Mr Crabb returned thanks in a neat speech.

Sir James Mackintosh then proposed the great national poet of Ireland-that nation of Europe among whom eloquence and wit were most spontaneous.

Mr Moore, in returning thanks, observed, that Burns was one whose very errors were like one of his own mountain streams that sparkles whilst it strays, and is graceful even in its meanders.

Mr Forbes Mitchell, as treasurer, announced that the subscriptions of that day amounted to L. 256 and the aggregate subscriptions to L. 1076,— and observed, that three times that sum would do the business.

Some admirable songs of the poet were sung with great effect by Mr Broadhurst and others in the course of the evening.