‘The First Appearance of This Celebrated Capital’; or, What Mr. Barrow Saw in the Land of the Chinaman
‘The First Appearance of This Celebrated Capital’; or, What Mr. Barrow Saw in the Land of the Chinaman
This chapter may be regarded as a test case for generic mutation through the stages of letter, archive, and published narrative; and for travelogue as diplomacy, with specific political consequences, a high degree of cultural visibility, and an editing out of the highly collaborative nature of the endeavour (the legation was over 3000-strong). The displayed quote from Samuel Holmes' journal contains several conundrums for travel writers that are addressed in this chapter. Of the writers considered, Aeneas Anderson, more so than George Staunton and John Barrow, relies heavily on the conventions of travel writing, dutifully recording times, dates, locations and other common elements. All of the travelers shared a great expectation for the Macartney embassy, and in particular they were excited to see the Chinese capital.
Keywords: John Barrow, George Staunton, Aeneas Anderson, China, travel writing, Macartney embassy
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