7,7 3

so till the ground, and facrifices on that hill /0 lea.

nem The emperor's apartments there have nothing
magnificent in them ; but the ceremony of plough-
ing it. a fdemn and curious one, and del:erns a par-
ticular defcription. The emperor tills under a finall
coveting of mat. When he has ploughed about half
an hour, he afcends . large alcove, from whence he
fees lite princes, great men, and mandarins, plough
M the fields, which are not covered with mats.
While the ezuperor is ploughing, a good number of
peafants fiqg ancient &tags on the importance of
ploughing. The emperor, princes, and great men,
are &erred in the habit of plough-men, and their
inftruments of hullaandry are very neat, and kept is
a magazine 'There are granaries for the grain pro-
duced by this tillage ; and it is carefully remarked,
that the grain from the emperor's tillage is much
Inner than that from the labour of others. From
this graM are made feveral cakes foe the varioos (i-
onic. to Heaven or Cbang ti. The emperor pre-
pares hirrifelf for this ceremony by fatting, prayers
to hearee, and a kind of retreat and thc intention
of it is to keep up a memorial of thole times, in
which the princes thcmfclves tilled the ground. This
ceremony is of the highell antiquity in China.
Over ugainfl the Sin oong tan is the Tien ran, or
BE of Heaven, ocar ten A in circuit. Every thing
here is magnificent. The emperor goes thither every
year at the winter folftice to facrifice to heaven. He
prepares lanolin" three days for this ceremony by
faAing, in a palace of Tiro ton, called the palace of
fafliog. The hill, on which the emperor facrifices,
is magnificently adorned. At the four avenues ale
beaus iful

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