On the 9th day of the 1st month (20th February), the Emperor of China went in person to the Temple of Heaverat Peking to pray for the harvest this year with the usual ceremonies.
The day before, His Majesty passed in the Hall of Abstinence in prayer, fasting and meditation.
On the 19th February, at the fifth drum (the fifth watch, before daylight) the Tai Chang Sze, (a high bureau entrusted with the arrangement of such ceremonials), placed a yellow table (the Imperial colour) in the Hall of Great Harmony, the T'ai-liwo Tien; South of the Emperor's seat was placed an Incense burner shaped like a small pavilion, and in another similar erect tion, east of the left-hand pillars, stood a scroll on which a sentence of prayer was painted in the choicest calligraphy. To the west of the right-hand pillars of the building, stood yet another pavilion to contain the mounted rolls of silk which were painted with similar inscriptions. The Tsan Li Long and the Tuli Cheech Kwan, (whom we might call the Masters of Rites" and readers of Prayers") stood respectfully waiting outside the gate of the Hall of Great Harmony, holding in front of them the silken scrolls in baskets and the incense in bronze censers, The Chief of the T'ai Ch'ang, the ceremonial bureau already mentioned, called Mr. Mayers the Court of Sacrificial Worship, accompanied by other officers of the bureau, were waiting inside the Hall: and, when the time arrived, he proceeded, with the Imperial Astronomer, to the Gate of Pure Heaven (a palace gate called the K'ion T'sing Mun), to announce to the Emperor that it was two quarters of the Hour of the Hare (i.e. 6.30 a.m), and His Majesty issued from the above named gate riding in sedan chair, pasted through the back left gate and thus to the Hall of Great Harmony, where his sedan chair was deposited at the Northern steps, and he entered the building and stood in front of the Left Pillars, facing the West.
Four officials' of the Han Lin Yuan, (or Imperial Academy of Literature) were standing outside the right hand door of the building, fa The Readers of Prayers now issued from the Inner Cabinet, holding in front of them, respectfully elevated, prayers written on scrolls of paper, and entered the middle gate of the Halt of Great Harmony, and the silken scrolls and incense were borne after them into the Hall. In front of them were borne a pair of incense-burners, The Masters of Rites, ten in number, conducted them, preceding them, and mounted the Central Steps as far as to the Vermilion Dais. The Readers of Prayers, those who bore the prayer-scrolls, and the bearers of silken scrolls and incense having entered the central gate of the Hall, reverently laid down their burdens one by one on the Yellow Table, and retired after three Kowtows(knocking heads on ground, prostrations).
he Chief of the Court of Sacrifice (T'ai Ch'ang) opened a prayer-scroll, and the Masters of Rites spread a cushion on the ground. The Emperor advanced in front of the Yellow Table, and reverentially i spected the objects lying on it, after which he performed the genuflection called "once kneel and thrice pried teehee up his position again, standing as before. The Chief of the Court of Sacrifice, rolled up the prayer scroll again, and the cushion on which the Eny just knelt was removed.
The lers of Prayers now advanced to the Yellow Table, and make three Kowtows. The fully take from the table and bene aloft, the prayer-scrolls, the silken scrolls, and the incense, which they deposit
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.