March, 1873.] EMBASSY TO CHINA. 81 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 buildiug. 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 shiniug. In that camp nearly one hundred thousand men from the coun- tries of Cain, Khata, Mu-Chin, Qalinaq, 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. The distance from the hall of audience to the end of the buildings was 1,925 paces. All these edifices had been constructed of stones aud burnt bricks, the latter being made of China-earth ; there was carpeting which extended to a distance of nearly 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 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 cortege 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, aud 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 tho 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 ?]. Tho Emperor makes presents and liberates prisoners. That year, how¬ ever, the Khatdy 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 kiosk a gilded throne had been placed, and, the door being opened, the Emperor took his seat on the throne, and tho assembled multitude prostrated their heads to the ground. After that another throne was placed opposite to that of the Emperor, and his proclamation was placed thereon ; this document was taken up by two men, one of whom read it in a loud voice to the people ; but as it was in the Khatdy language, the ambassadors could not under¬ stand it: the contents were however as follows :— “This month three years have elapsed since the 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 kiosk, the musicians played until they arrived at the Yam, whence the proclamations are sent to various provinces. When the first quarter of the moon commenced to appear in Rabyl tho 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 Sultan Shah, the ambassador of Mirza Olugh Beg ; three to Sultdn Ahmad, the ambassador of Mirza Baysanqar; and three to Shady Khajah, the ambassador of the pros¬ perous sovereign [Shah Rokh] ; all of wbieh he then surrendered again to his own falconers to take care of till the time of departure. The next day he again sent for tho 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 A'rghddq, 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'rghddq 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 Rdby I the first (13tn March 1421), Sultdn Shdh and Bakhshy Malak were called, and each of them received eight ingots of silver,
