In the late Ming dynasty, it is said that the salt merchants of Yangzhou graced their great halls with mechanical nudes. The export porcelain of Guangzhou is adorned with grossly distorted depictions of the crucifixion and naked missionaries chasing peasant girls. Who knows, then, what clever tricks Chambers 'rich business acquaintances in Guangzhou might have wanted to show off when trying to impress the Westerner?
如果再衡諸晚明揚州鹽商，能在大廳裡操縱裸體機關美人；廣州外銷瓷器彩繪上，荒腔走板的耶穌與強盜，奇形怪狀的裸身教士追逐村婦…，錢柏斯的廣東富商朋友，會在園林中「秀」什麼奇技淫巧，給泰西人士開開眼界，誰又知道？