Holograph diary recording Macartney's embassy to China between September 11, 1792 and January 15, 1794. The first volume narrates his journey to China; embarking on board a man-of-war from London, he lists the members of his train; describes his stop in Madeira, where he dines with the governor, visits the gardens, and attends a ball. He then stops at Tenerife, where he learns of "barbarities committed by the blacks" in St. Domingo; and continues with stops at St. Iago; Rio de Janeiro; and the islands of Amsterdam and St. Paul. Throughout, he provides summaries of the island's history, inhabitants, agriculture, and interesting flora and fauna. The volume concludes with two essays on trade and commerce, one on avarice and the other explaining differences of custom and manners between Chinese and Europeans which cause difficulties in conducting trade. This latter treatise is preceded by a petition by "Tong-Foo and Buble-me-qua" asking for aid in recovering debts owed them by English merchants and The second volume begins with a brief summary of the journey from England, but focuses primarily on his time in China. He describes, in detail, the reception he receives from the local dignitaries upon his arrival in China; the activities and machinations of the court and courtiers; the architecture; social life and customs; missionary work in China; British foreign relations with China; and especially his own opinions concerning cultural differences in negotiating with various members of the court. The volume concludes with his opinion on how to preserve the diplomatic ground lately gained in China. At the beginning of the first manuscript is an inscription, "This journal was written by Lord Macartney on board the Lion merely for his own amusement and to pass away some tedious hours of a very long sea voyage."
Description:
In English., Watermark on paper: 1803., Marbled endpapers in vol. 1., and Binding: vol. 1: full vellum. Vol. 2: half vellum; back board is covered with marbled paper. Written on spine of vol. 2: Embassy to China.
Subject (Geographic):
Amsterdam Island (Terres australes et antarctiques françaises), China, Great Britain., Great Britain, China., Madeira Islands, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Saint Paul Island (Indian Ocean), and Tenerife (Canary Islands)
Subject (Name):
Macartney, George Macartney, Earl, 1737-1806.
Subject (Topic):
Diplomatic and consular service, British, Travelers' writings, English, Commerce, Court and courtiers, Description and travel, Foreign relations, Politics and government, and Social life and customs
Title from caption below image. Title continues from previous plate in series., Attributed to Richard Doyle., Publication information from cover and advertisement to the series., Plate numbered '13' in upper left corner from: The brother to the moon's visit to the court of Queen Vic., and On same sheet, verso: The body guard of the Sister to the Moon.
Two Asian figures, a woman and a girl, stand facing each other beneath tall bamboo plants; they wear traditional attire, perhaps that of China
Description:
Title from local card catalog record., Unsigned; artist unidentified., Date supplied by cataloger., Image partially cut out of sheet; the blank parts of the sheet have been trimmed away from the top half of the octagonal decorative border, and from around the figures and bamboo plants., Laid in at page 377 in Horace Walpole's copy of Matthew Prior's Poems on several occasions., and Temporary local subject terms: ?China: Social life and customs.
