Sketch of the State of Society in China.--Manners, Customs, Sentiments, and Moral Character of the People.
_Condition of Women, a Criterion of the State of Society.--Degraded State of in China.--Domestic Manners unfavourable to Filial Affection.--Parental Authority.--Ill Effects of separating the Sexes.--Social Intercourse unknown, except for gaming. Their Worship solitary.--Feasts of New Year.--Propensity to gaming. Influence of the Laws seem to have destroyed the natural Character of the People.--Made them indifferent, or cruel.--Various Instances of this Remark in public and in private Life.--Remarks on Infanticide.--Perhaps less general than usually thought.--Character of Chinese in Foreign Countries.--Temper and Disposition of the Chinese. Merchants. Cuckoo-Clocks.--Conduct of a Prince of the Blood. Of the Prime Minister. Comparison of the Physical and Moral Characters of the Chinese and_ Mantchoo _Tartars. General Character of the Nation illustrated._ 138
Manners and Amusements of the Court--Reception of Embassadors.--Character and private Life of the Emperor--His Eunuchs and Women.
_General Character of the Court--Of the buildings about the Palace_--Lord Macartney's _Account of his Introduction--Of the Celebration of the Emperor's Anniversary Festival--Of a Puppet-Shew--Comedy and Pantomime--Wrestling--Conjuring and Fire-Works--Reception and Entertainment of the Dutch Embassadors from a Manuscript Journal--Observations on the State of the Chinese Stage--Extraordinary Scene in one of their Dramas--Gross and indelicate Exhibitions--Sketch of_ Kien-Long's _Life and Character--Kills his Son by an unlucky Blow--conceives himself immortal--Influence of the Eunuchs at the Tartar Conquest--their present State and Offices--Emperor's Wife, Queens, and Concubines--How disposed of at his Death._ 191
Language.--Literature, and the fine Arts.--Sciences.--Mechanics, and Medicine.
_Opinion of the Chinese Language being hieroglyphical erroneous.--Doctor Hager's mistakes.--Etymological Comparisons fallacious.--Examples of.--Nature of the Chinese written Character.--Difficulty and Ambiguity of.--Curious Mistake of an eminent Antiquarian.--Mode of acquiring the Character.--Oral Language.--Mantchoo Tartar Alphabet.--Chinese Literature.--Astronomy.--Chronology.--Cycle of sixty Years.--Geography.--Arithmetic.--Chemical Arts.--Cannon and Gunpowder.--Distillation.--Potteries.--Silk Manufactures.--Ivory.--Bamboo.--Paper.--Ink.--Printing.--Mechanics. --Music.--Painting.--Sculpture.--Architecture.--Hotel of the English Embassador in Pekin.--The Great Wall.--The Grand Canal.--Bridges.--Cemeteries.--Natural Philosophy.--Medicine.--Chinese Pharmacopoeia.--Quacks.--Contagious Fevers.--Small-pox.--Opthalmia. --Venereal Disease.--Midwifery.--Surgery.--Doctor Gregory's Opinion of their Medical Knowledge.--Sir William Jones's Opinion of their general Character._ 236