aware that their politeness prevented them from sending away any
dish as long as we could be prevailed upon to partake of it—a feeling
which induced them continually to press us to eat, and offer us part
of every dish on the end of their chopsticks. The next course induced
us to regret that we had not made the tasting more a matter of form,
for it consisted of several good dishes, such as roast pork, hashed fowls,
and vermicelli pudding, &c. After these were removed they brought
basins of rice, but seeing we would eat no more, they ordered the rvhole
to be taken away.
During the wdiole time we were closely plied with sackee in small
opaque wine glasses, which held about a thimblefull, and were compelled
to follow the example of our host and turn our glasses down ;
but as this spirit was of a very ardent nature, 1 begged to be allowed
to substitute port and madeira, which was readily granted, and we became
more on a footing with our hosts, who seemed to think that bos-
pitality consisted in making every person take more than they liked,
and argued that as they had been intoxicated on board, we ought to
become so on shore.
After dinner was removed, Jeema favoured us with two songs,
which were very passable, and much to the taste of the Loo Chooans,
who seemed to enjoy them very much. Nothing could exceed the
politeness and hospitality of the mandarin throughout, who begged
that dinner might be sent off'to one of the officers, whose health would
not permit him to risk a wetting, and that all the boats’ crews might be
allowed to come to the house and partake of the feast. Though there
was a little ceremony in receiving and seating us, yet that almost immediately
wore off, and Ching-oong-choo to make every person at his
ease took off his hatchee-matchee, and with the rest of the mandarins
sat without it. By this piece of politeness w'e discovered that his hair
was secured on the top of the head by a gold hair pin, called kamesache,
the first and the only one we saw made of that precious metal.
AVe afterwards took a short walk in the garden, when 1 was surprised
to find An-yah and Shtafacoo in the dress and hatchce-matcbee
of mandarins of the second class: whether this was intended as a trick,
or, following Madera’s ■ example, they preferred making their first
i i
WilIJJIp M'
acquaintance in disguise, is not very clear; but as they both possessed a « iai>
great deal of influence, and were much respected by the lower orders of
the inhabitants, it was probably tbeir proper dress.
May,
1827.
As soon as Ching-oong-choo permitted us, we took our leave, and
were accompanied to the boat by a great crowd of persons, who opened
a passage as we proceeded, and were officiously anxious to be useful
in some way or other; and we then parted with Jeema and tbe rest
amidst the greetings and salutations of hundreds of voices.
On the 21st, one of the officers made an excursion to the southward
of Abbey Point, and was attended as usual by a concourse of boys
and young men, who were extremely polite and respectful. They used
every artifice and persuasion to deter him from proceeding, said they were
tired, tempted him with tsha, and declared that they were hungry, but
he ingeniously silenced the latter complaint by offering his guide a piece
of bread which he had in his basket. It was thankfully accepted, but
with a smile at the artifice having failed. At a village called A seemee
he surprised two females standing at a well filbng their pitchers; they
scrutinized him for some time, and then ran off to their homes.
The village contained about fifty bouses ; and was almost hid
from view by a screen of trees, among which were recognised tbe acacia,
tbe porou of tbe South Seas, and the hibiscus rosa sinensis, but tbe
greater part of the others appeared to be new; they formed a lively
green wood, and gave the village an agreeable aspect. In one of the
cottages a boy of about six years of age was seated at a machine
made of bamboo resembling a small Scotch muckle wheel, spinning some
very fine cotton into a small thread. Though so young, he appeared
to be quite an adept at his business, and was not the least embarrassed
at the approach of tbe strangers. A quantity of thread ready spun
lay in the bouse; there was a loom close by, and some newly manufactured
cloth, which appeared to have been recently dyed, was extended
to dry outside tbe house. Near this cottage there W'ere broken
parts of a mill, which indicated the use of those machines, and circular
marks on the earth, showing that this one bad been worked by cattle.
About a mile and a half to tbe southward of Abbey Point, near a steep
w'ooded eminence, which we christened AA"ood Point, there was another