Mav,
1827.
lli
CHAP. mated to me that he thought it was a disagreeable practice to use a
3 3 3 haiidkercbief and carry it about all day, and thouglit it would be better
for us to adopt their custom of having a number of square pieces of
paper in our pockets for this purpose, any one of whicli could be
thrown away when it had been used. I did not at first think be was
in earnest, and when I observed my guests pocket these pieces of paper,
I sent for some handkerchiefs, but they declined using tlieni, saying
paper was much better.
A V h i l e w e w e r e a t d i n n e r a l a r g e j u n k w b i c b w e h a d o b s e r v e d
t a k i n g i n a c a r g o t h e d a y b e f o r e i v a s t o w e d o u t o f t b e h a r b o u r b y
a n i m m e n s e n u m b e r o f b o a t s , m a k i n g t h e s h o r e s e c h o w i t h h e r d e e p -
t o n e d g o n g . S h e g r o u n d e d o f f t h e e n t r a n c e o f t h e h a r b o u r , b u t w a s
s o o n g o t o f f , a n d p l a c e d o u t s i d e t b e r e e f s . A m o r e u n w i e l d y a r k
s c a r c e l y e v e r p u t t o s e a , a n d w h e n s h e r o l l e d , h e r m a s t s b e n t t o t h a t
d e g r e e t h a t t h e p e o p l e o n h e r d e c k s e e m e d t o b e i n i m m i n e n t d a n g e r
o f t b e i r l i v e s . S h e w a s d e c o r a t e d w i t h f l a g s o f a l l s o r t s a n d s i z e s ;
a t t h e f o r e t h e r e w a s h o i s t e d t h e w h i t e f l a g o f t h e e m p e r o r ; a t t h e
m a i n , t h e L o o C h o o c o l o u r s , a t r i a n g u l a r f l a g , r e d a n d y e l l o w , w d t h a
w h i t e b a l l i n i t , d e n o t i n g , I b e l i e v e , a t r i b u t a r y s t a t e ; t h e r e w e r e b e s
i d e s s e v e r a l o t h e r s , a n d a g r e a t m a n y m a n d a r i n s ’ f l a g s u p o n s t a f f s a l o n g
t h e s t e r n . C h i n g - o o n g - c h o o s a i d s h e w a s t h e j u n k w i t h t r i b u t e w h i c h
w a s s e n t e v e r y s e c o n d y e a r f r o m L o o C l i o o t o F o c h i e n . H e r c a r g o b e f
o r e i t w a s s t o w e d w a s p l a c e d u p o n t h e w ' h a r f i n s q u a r e p i l e s , w i t h s m a l l
f l a g s u p o n s t i c k s , s t u c k h e r e a n d t h e r e u p o n t h e b a l e s o f g o o d s w h i c h
w e r e a p p a r e n t l y d o n e u p i n s t r a w m a t t i n g , f o r i t w a s o n l y w i t h o u r
t e l e s c o p e s t h a t w e w e r e a l l o w ' e d t o s e e t h i s .
A f t e r d i n n e r w a s o v e r , t h e m a n d a r i n w e n t o n s h o r e a n d b e g g e d t o
h a v e t h e p l e a s u r e o f o u r c o m p a n y t o d i n n e r a t P o t s o o n g t h e n e x t d a y ;
b u t t h e r e s t o f t h e c o m p a n y o b t a i n e d p e r m i s s i o n t o s t a y a n d e n j o y a
l i t t l e m o r e s a c k e e , a f t e r w h i c h t h e y p o c k e t e d t h e r e m a i n s o f t h e d e s s e r t
a s u s u a l , a n d a s a t o k e n o f t h e i r f r i e n d s h i p , t h e y e a c h t h r e w d o w n t h e i r
p i p e a n d t o b a c c o - p o u c h a n d b e g g e d m y a c c e p t a n c e o f t h e m , b u t a s I
k n e w t h e s e a r t i c l e s w e r e v a l u a b l e i n L o o C h o o , a n d c o n s c i o u s t h a t w i t h
s o m e o f t h e m i t w a s o n l y a m a t t e r o f f o r m , I d e c l i n e d a c c e p t i n g t h e m .
T h e n e x t d a y i t r a i n e d h e a v i l y , b u t A n - y a h c a m e o f f t o k e e p u s