(Chaudhuri iii)

Why create an embassy to china?

The East India Company, which would cover the cost for the entire embassy venture, feared the embassy because the Commutation Act of 1784 had already greatly improved trade relations between Britain and China (Hevia #).  They had something to lose should Chinese officials interpret the embassy’s creation as an act of imperialism, an offence that could greatly worsen trade relations.  However, economic interests were not the reason for the embassy because in the later half of the 18^th-century the public sphere of Britain perceived diplomacy and commerce essentially as separate but equal. Under Macartney’s plans, Britain’s true goal was to establish equal sovereignty between Britain and China, but Britain did not quite know how to do this.  It is important to note that in the 18^th-century an embassy was not the same thing it is today.  In Macartney’s day an embassy was essentially a court abroad, a group of people, not a plot of land, representative of one nation on another nations soil.  Macartney’s embassy would follow the royal court of China.  George III, King of Great Britain supported the embassy because he thought that if someone in his court has the emperor’s ear and an inside look at the emperor’s court he would have the upper hand in world politics.  He wanted dominance. 

The Journal

            When Lord George Macartney returned from China, he published his journal of the embassy.  Scholars argue that while Macartney intends his journal as a historical record of the first British Embassy to China it may be read more as a work of fiction, a travel narrative, because of the enormous amount of commentary he includes (Hevia 90).  The journal covers the conception of the embassy to its return to the isle.  Perhaps the best way to look at this is to examine a series of quotations from his journal, most pertaining to Macartney’s meeting with the emperor.

(Bickers cover)

(Hevia 88)

(Hevia 89)

On Macartney’s Interpretation of the Great Wall of China

“The wall is built of bluish coloured brick not burnt but dried in the sun, and raised upon a stone foundation, and as measured from the ground on the side next to Tartary, it is twenty-six feet high in the perpendicular.  The stone foundation is formed of two courses of granite equal to twenty-four inches or two feet.  From thence it the parapet including the cordon which is six inches are nineteen feet four inches, the parapet is four feet eight inches.  From the stone foundation to the cordon are fifty-eight rows of bricks and above the cordon are fourteen rows; and each row, allowing for the interstices of the mortar and the insertion of the cordon may be calculated at the rate of four inches per brick.  Thus then fifty-eight and fourteen bricks equal to seventy-two give two hundred and eighty-eight inches, or twenty-four feet, which together with the stone foundation make twenty six feet”  (Hevia 87). 

This passage reads as though Macartney is conducting an archaeological dig, as though the civilization of China is already dead.  Further more, his science is poor, for in a later note the reader finds that the Chinese indeed fire the bricks for the wall (Hevia 87).  Its strength comes from the science of the Chinese, not their luck. Also, other members of the embassy published their own journals with much greater detail and accuracy.  His presumption that the bricks are primitively sun dried reveals what he thinks about the Chinese, and since he takes the trouble to publish his journal, shows England his personal views of China.  In many ways this is a fictional ethnography of the Chinese. 

Also the point of studying the wall, both by him and the scientists he brings along specifically for this purpose, is partially to claim the wall for Britain.  By dissecting the structure of the wall and publishing it in his journal for all to see he is expressing that he knows the secrets of the Chinese, that Britain can dominate the foreign science. 

In his revisions of his own journal he does not bring all of the details of the wall together.  His astonishment that the Chinese are smart enough to figure out how to fire bricks is kept separate from their knowledge of engineering and design, the measurements, to deconstruct a perception that the ancient Chinese have a stronghold on science.  Divide and conquer their sciences and Britain can divide and conquer the people.

On Being Observed

“Every circumstance concerning us and every word that falls from our lips is minutely reported and remembered…We have indeed been very narrowly watched, ad all our customs, habits and proceeding, even of the most trivial nature, observed with an inquisitiveness and jealousy which surpassed all that we had read of in the history of China.  But we endeavored to always put the best face upon everything, and to preserve a perfect serenity of countenance upon all occasions” (Hevia 94).

     This is a very strong comment against the Chinese, even hypocritical because Macartney knows that King George III plans on pumping him for information when he returns, that he himself even serves in a certain capacity as a spy.  The Chinese are doing the same thing that the representatives of Britain are doing, but Macartney views the identical behavior as cunning and malicious among the Chinese.

            Often while Macartney tries to maintain an equal level of sovereign respect for China as he has for Britain, he outwardly and inadvertently denigrates the Chinese.  The word Jealousy here is key.  Why should China be jealous of Britain?  This is his own assumption, not a trait of the Chinese.  China has a rich history, far greater than Britain’s, and an isolated contemporary culture that meets the needs of the nation.  China has no reason to be jealous of Britain, whom it sees as an invader.

            Toward the conclusion of the 18^th-century Britain becomes disenchanted with Chinosierie, or the Chinese style so popular for nearly a century, peaking in the 1750’s.  Perhaps Macartney has such high expectations of China before his embassy sets sail that he too becomes disillusioned with the style he once popularized as a member of the Literary Club and proponent of the embassy.

(Bickers ii)

On Receiving Chinese Gifts

On September 14, 1793, Lord George Macartney, bedecked in his finest attire, walks directly up to the throne of the emperor, and presents him with a jewl-encrusted box, a gift from George III, King of Great Britain.  The emperor takes the box, places it on a pillow and hands Macartney back a jade scepter, called ruyi.  Hevia notes Macartney’s response to the gift is that, it did not “appear in itself to be of any great value” (Hevia 2).

“Several dwarfs or little men not twelve inches high…an elephant not larger than a cat, and a horse the size of a mouse; a singing bird as big as a hen, that feeds upon Charcoal, and Devours usually fifty pounds per day; and lastly, an enchanted pillow, on which whoever lays his head immediately falls asleep, and if he dreams Canton, Formosa, or Europe, is instantly transported thither without the fatigue of travel” (Hevia 90).

            These passages are astonishingly disrespectful of the Chinese court, to say the least.  He portrays the courtiers in fairy tale imagery, using language that evokes childhood memories of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.  These are caricatures of high ranking officials, not intended in a humorous or benign way.  This passage bears no resemblance to the accurate history Macartney claims to record.  He composes pure fiction.  He has too closely intertwined the folklore that inspired the embassy with the reality of the events.   

            Also, Macartney completely underestimates the significance of the gifts.  The material value of the ruyi is not so important as its intrinsic value; it is an ancient symbol of peace for the Chinese.  The value of the ruyi is trust; trust that Macartney proves he hasn’t earned.  It seems that Macartney is disappointed that China isn’t the magical kingdom of which he read, and he is taking out is anger of disappointment on the Chinese rather than on his own imagination. 

On Chinese Perception of Britain

October 13, 1793

“They receive us with the highest distinction, show us every external mark of favor and regard, send the first Minister (Heshen) himself to attend us as a cicerone for two days together through their palaces and gardens; entertain us with the choicest amusements, and express themselves greatly pleased with so splendid an embassy, commend our conduct and cajole us with compliments,  Yet, in less than a couple months, they plainly discover that they with us gone, refuse our requests without reserve or compliance, precipitate our departure, and dismiss us dissatisfied; yet no sooner have we taken leave of them then we find ourselves treated with more studied attention, more marked distinction, and less constraint than before.  I must endeavor to unravel this mystery if I can.  Perhaps they have given way to impressions which they could not resist, but are ashamed to confess; perhaps they begin to find their mistake, and wish to make amends (Hevia 114).

In this passage Macartney goes on the offensive believing the Chinese to feel out of sight out of mind about the British.  He is putting words in the mouths of the Chinese.  Why does Macartney assume it is the Chinese who have something to confess, or that it is they who have something to be ashamed of?  He does not consider that he may have done something to offend the Chinese, something like turn up his nose at the Chinese gifts.  Or perhaps Lord Macartney is not at the center of their thoughts; perhaps they simply have more pressing matters.  He takes this a personal affront; although, Macartney does not present himself to the Chinese as a person.  He presents himself as the ambassador, the leader of the embassy, completely and entirely representative of Britain, yet he still expects to be treated as an individual.  At any rate, Macartney only considers his feeling in the post meeting relationship and give not thought to the well being of the Chinese court.

(Hevia ii)

Trade

 Obviously, trade between Britain and China is not equal.  Britain is far more reliant on China.  Maintaining a healthy relation with China is essential for Britain because it's economy is so entwined with the east.  China maintains isolation even once it begins to trade with the west.  It does not allow its economic health to depend on the whim of  a foreign power as Britain does. 

          This could explain why Macartney is so concerned in his journal about the continuing relationship with China.  China can afford to cut off contact with the west, while Macartney must go home and answer to the king, parliment, the East India Company, and financially harmed citizens, that would be the entire population of Britain should Macartney jeopardize the relation ship.  The mission is not about commerce, but the embassy certainly has the potential to affect it.

Macartney's Library 1786

Du Halde

Liebnitz

Anson's Voyages

Cook's Voyages

Samuel Johnson

John Locke