MARCH, 1873.]
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
camp, and that no one was to put on white clothes, which are among them the sign of mourning. During the night of the 28th the Emperor despatch ed a man to convey the ambassadors to the new camp, which was an empty building. That night the inhabitants had lit in their shops and houses so many candles, lamps, and torches, that one would have said the sun was shining. In that camp nearly one hundred thousand men from the coun tries of Chin, Khatá, Má-Chin, Qalmáq, Tibbet, and others had congregated; the Emperor gave a banquet to his amirs, and the ambassadors were seated without the throne-hall.
There were about
200,000 men present who bore arms, and boys per formed all sorts of extraordinary games and dances.
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ever, the Khatáy astrologers had ascertained that
the house of the Emperor would be in danger of conflagration, and on that account no orders for
illumination had been issued, nevertheless the amirs met according to ancient custom, and the Emperor gave them a banquet and made them presents.
On the 13th Ssafar (Feb. 17th) an imperial mes senger arrived and took the ambassadors to the gate of the first palace, where more than 100,000 people were assembled.
At the door of the first kiösk a
gilded throne had been placed, and, the door being opened, the Emperor took his seat on the throne, and the assembled multitude prostrated their heads to the ground.
After that another throne was
The distance from the hall of audience to the end of
placed opposite to that of the Emperor, and his proclamation was placed thereon; this document
the buildings was 1,925 paces. All these edifices had been constructed of stones and burnt bricks,
a loud voice to the people ; but as it was in the
was taken up by two men, one of whom read it in
the latter being made of China-earth; there was carpeting which extended to a distance of nearly
Khatáy language, the ambassadors could not under
300 cubits. In stone-cutting, carpentry, and paint ing the artizans of that country have no equals. In fine, the banquet was terminated about mid-day, and the people went to their houses. On the 9th of the month Ssafar (Feb. 13th), horses were brought in the morning and the ambassadors were mounted on them. Every year there are some
“This month three years have elapsed since the
days on which the Emperor eats no animal food, and does not come out from his retirement, neither is any man or woman admitted to his presence. He spends his time in an apartment which contains no idol, and says that he is worshipping the God of heaven. On the day when the ambassadors were taken out, the Emperor had come forth from his retirement, and his procession to the Harem was as
follows:–The elephants were fully caparisoned and marched in pairs before the golden Sedan-chair in
which he sat, the standards of seven colours, and troops to the amount of 50,000, accompanied the cortégé as a van and rear-guard. Another Sedan chair was carried on the backs of men, and such a music was made as cannot be described in words, so that, in spite of the extraordinary crowd, no other sounds except those of musical instruments could be heard ; and after the Emperor with that pomp and solemnity had made his entrance into the Harem, the people returned to their own homes. At that season the feast of lanterns takes place, when for seven nights and days in the interior of the Emperor's palace a wooden ball is suspended from which numberless chandeliers branch out, so that it appears to be a mountain of emeralds; thousands of lamps are suspended from cords, and mice are prepared of naphtha, so that when a lamp is kindled the mouse runs along those ropes and lights every lamp it touches, so that in a single moment all the lamps from the top to the bottom of the ball are kindled. At that time the people light many lamps in their shops and houses, and do not condemn any one during those seven days [the courts of justice closed ?]. The Emperor makes presents and liberates prisoners. That year, how
stand it: the contents were however as follows:–
Emperor's feast of lanterns, and another feast of lanterns has arrived. All culprits receive amnesty, except homicides. No ambassador is to go any where.” After this document had been read, some thing nicely enclosed in a golden capsule was affixed to it by means of a cord of yellow silk ; which was also wrapped round it and served to lower it down, whereon an umbrella was held over it, and, whilst the people marched out with it from the kiösk, the musicians played until they arrived at the Yám, whence the proclamations are sent to various provinces. When the first quarter of the moon commenced to appear in Ráby the first, the Emperor kept fal cons in readiness and again sent for the ambassa dors. On that occasion he said:—“I shall give falcons to him who has brought fine horses for me.”
Then he gave three falcons to Sultân Sháh, the ambassador of Mirza Olugh Beg; three to Sultán
Ahmad, the ambassador of Mirzā Bāysanqar ; and three to Shády Khájah, the ambassador of the pros perous sovereign [Sháh Rokh]; all of which he then surrendered again to his own falconers to take care of till the time of departure. The next day he again sent for the ambassadors and said —“An army
is marching to the frontier and you may also ac company it, and thus reach your country.” Turn ing to Arghdāq, the ambassador of Syurghatmesh, he said:—“I have no more falcons, and even if
I had some, I would give none to thee, because thou hast allowed thyself to be robbed of the gifts the king had sent me; and it is likely thou would'st be robbed this time also.” A'rghdāq replied:—“If your Majesty will graciously bestow a falcon upon me, no one shall be able to take it away from your
servant.” The Emperor said:—“Then remain here till two other falcons arrive, and I shall give them to thee.”
On the 8th of the month Ráby the first (13th March
1421), Sultân Sháh and Bakhshy Malak were called, and each of them received eight ingots of silver,