One of his dishes was beef, which the
Chinese all dislike, though Mr. Anson was not apprised of it; this seems
to be derived from the Indian superstition,* which for some ages past has
made a great progress in China. However, his guests did not entirely
fast, for the three mandarins completely finished the white part of four
large fowls. But they were extremely embarrassed with their knives and
forks, and were quite incapable of making use of them, so that, after
some fruitless attempts to help themselves, which were sufficiently
awkward, one of the attendants was obliged to cut their meat in small
pieces for them. But whatever difficulty they might have in complying
with the European manner of eating, they seemed not to be novices in
drinking. The Commodore excused himself in this part of the
entertainment, under the pretence of illness; but there being another
gentleman present, of a florid and jovial complexion, the chief mandarin
clapped him on the shoulder, and told him by the interpreter that
certainly he could not plead sickness, and therefore insisted on his
bearing him company; and that gentleman perceiving that after they had
despatched four or five bottles of Frontiniac, the mandarin still
continued unruffled, he ordered a bottle of citron-water to be brought
up, which the Chinese seemed much to relish; and this being near finished
they arose from table, in appearance cool and uninfluenced by what they
had drunk. And the Commodore, having, according to custom, made the
mandarin a present, they all departed in the same vessels that brought
them.
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