the reception of fuch as are left in the streets. The miffionaries, to their credit, have a private establishment for fuch expofed infants as fall in their way; and of fuch perfons the greatest part of the Chinese Chriftians confift.

The females are cleanly and modeft in their drefs and manners. Their eyes are black and very fmall. Their hair is jetty, and neatly tied up in a knot on the crown of the head, adorned with artificial flowers, in a very becoming ftyle. Those who are not much expofed to the weather have delicate complexions. The ufe of paint, however, is frequently called in to heighten their natural charms.

Ladies of diftin&tion are feldom permitted to appear abroad, except to vifit their nearest relations, and then they are carried in close chairs, attended by their fervants. Indeed, the artificial fmallness of their feet renders walking irkfome; but the Tartar females, refiding in China, feem to have no inclination to conform to the custom of cramping the feet of their children, which, except from the cruel policy of rendering women more domeftic from neceffity, can neither be commended nor accounted for.

The Chinese are of a middle fize and flender make, but very active. In their general intercourfe with each other, they are honeft and juft. It muft, however, be acknowledged, that not a few of them, who trade with the Europeans, are addicted to knavery, and expert in all the arts of cheating. This, however, only proves that they have been corrupted by the examples we have fet them, and that they are willing to fhew themfelves as great proficients in roguery as ourselves.

From

From the beft information I could procure, they are divided into feveral religious fects, among which that of the Theifts is the moft rational and refpectable. They worship one God, whom they call Tien, and pay no religious homage to idols. This fect has fubfifted for many ages before Christianity was known; and is ftill embraced by the emperor, the grandees, and the literati. The common people in general are idolaters. The few Jews and Turks, refiding here, are fuppofed to have entered China with the western Tartars, about fix or feven hundred years ago. The Christians, at prefent, are computed to amount to one hundred thousand of both fexes.

I had feveral opportunities of converfing with their phyficians. They generally prepare and adminifter their own prescriptions, and are very little acquainted with the medical principles of the Europeans. Their chief ftudy is the virtue of plants, which they apply on all occafions, and often with fuccefs. They feel the patient's pulfe very attentively, but feldom practise phlebotomy, even in high fevers.

They compare a fever to a boiling pot, and chufe rather to remove the fire than diminish the quantity of liquor it contains, which would only make it boil the fafter. Bathing and cupping, however, are much practifed; and they apply fire in fome cafes, particularly for pains in the joints and gouty diforders. On fuch occafions they use a lighted match, compofed of the downy fubftance of mugwort, which, making a fcar, either entirely removes, or confiderably mitigates the pain*.

*As the gout is the opprobrium medicorum, might not this practice be tried in Europe, where the complaint is fo frequent.

Ginfeng

Ginfeng is in high eftimation for its phyfical virtues, and is gathered by people appointed by the emperor himself. It is valued at the rate of about twenty-five pounds fterling the pound weight;' yet I could never learn what specific qualities this plant poffeffed; only that it was of univerfal ufe. Indeed it may be a good restorative; but if it really has any extraordinary virtues, I never could difcover them, after repeated experiments.

The Chinese language is compofed chiefly of monofyllables, and feems to be eafily acquired, at least as much of it as is neceffary for converfation. The difficulty, however, of learning their characters is very great; though moft common tradesmen know enough to read and write what belongs to their particular calling.

On the 2d of March, we fent off our heavy baggage early in the morning; and about noon left Pekin, accompanied by feveral Chinese gentlemen, who were to return with M. de Lange, whom his czarith majefty had appointed his agent at the court of Pekin.

On the 4th, this gentleman and our Chinese friends left us; and we continued our journey, almoft by the fame route as before, and every where met with the fame attention and hospitality. A repetition of common incidents would afford little amusement.

It may, however, be pleafing to the philanthropift to remark, that I have heard fome of the people, who inhabit the immenfe track, called Siberia; and which is generally painted in the most unfavourable colours, as a country and climate, that, God, who placed them in this country, knew what was beft for them, and that they were fatisfied with their lot." Indeed, many

parts

parts of Tartary and Siberia, through which we paffed, are naturally rich and fertile; and I think there are few places where a man might spend his life more comfortably, provided he enjoyed fecurity, and the fociety of his friends.

JOURNAL

OF AN

EMBASSY TO MEQUINEZ,

THE CAPITAL OF MOROCCO,

BY MR. WINDUS,

A CENTLEMAN IN THE AMBASSADOR'S SUIT.

THE

HIS embaffy orginated from a defire of confolidating a peace with the Emperor of Morocco, and obtaining the release of the English, who were in captivity in his dominions. The court of Morocco is not often vifited, and a defcription of the occurrences which presented themselves to Mr. Windus, will be read with an intereft proportionate to the infrequency of the opportunities of retracing his steps.

The Honourable Charles Steward, being appointed ambaffador to the court of Mequinez, landed with his retinue in the Bay of Tetuan, on the 6th of May 1720, about nine in the morning, where, to follow the narrative of our author, we found a fufficient number of tents pitched for our accommodation, and among them a handfome and large one for the use of the ambassador.

At our firft entertainment, they brought plenty of cufcufu, fowls, and a fheep roafted whole upon a great