As it would have given offence, and impeded, if not wholly destroyed the object of the mission, to have refused the present, it was immediately accepted with thanks; and the officers, who brought it off, were informed, that a salute of thirteen guns would be fired in honour of the king, as the present was said to have come from him. The feast was brought on the board in handsomely varnished and gilded cases; to all outward appearance, it was very neat and cleanly; but we could not divest ourselves of the idea, that it was cooked in the uncleanly vessels we had seen on shore, and that it had come in contact with the filthy paws, dirty nails, and heads filled with vermin, which we had seen on shore: we, therefore, barely tasted of one article, the confectionary. A complimentary toast was drunk to the emperor, in a glass of their favourite rice wine. The mandarin, who came to present the feast, was dressed in a robe of ceremony, of very stout, light blue, flowered silk. He was invited to partake of the feast, but politely excused himself, saying, “I dare not partake of a feast presented by the emperor.” He was therefore furnished with other refreshments. The feast was arranged in the cabin, by a servant sent with it, assisted by several others: it was served up in China, and consisted of fifty-one articles, (exclusive of fruits,) arranged in the following order: At the head was placed an entire tortoise, jellied on the outside, and filled with rice, &c.; then followed a leg of fresh boiled pork; two roasted ducks; one roasted fowl; a deep saucer of roasted pork, cut in square pieces; and three stewed pigeons in a bowl, with sauce. The preceding seven articles were arranged from the head to the foot of the table, in the centre, and were flanked with seventeen bowls, each containing a different article. One contained stewed eels, whether of the hedge or ditch, I am not able to determine; another was filled with stewed mullet. One had within it a piece of stewed fish, with sauce; a fourth held fish pickle, or the essence of balachang, emitting a most unsavoury smell. Seven of the bowls were covered with yellow paper, and ten with red: they contained chow-chow, or mixed meats, deers’ sinews--which latter were particularly recommended. The name and contents of each article were inscribed in Chinese characters, on its cover. The remaining portion of the dishes, consisted of two bowls of boiled ducks’ eggs, and one of fowls; one of boiled crabs; three of red, yellow, and white rice; two of sausages; three of rice pilau; one of stewed fowl; one of shrimps; one of bitter cucumbers; two of sponge-cake; and the rest were forced-meat pasties and confectionary. They were cooked with ground-nut oil, or the fat of fresh pork; and were, generally, very insipid, and totally without seasoning.