taking my friends below, to intimate to the servants, that
these gentlemen were going to dine with me, so that when
we reached the cabin, three plates were laid in addition. They
had probably not expected to find dinner ready for them on
board, for they expressed surprise at these preparations
having been made, and would not sit down for some time.
When the covers were removed, they became silent, and
looked on either hand for directions how to proceed. On
being helped to soup, they did not stir till they saw us take
spoons, in the management of which they shewed but little
awkwardness. The knife and fork gave them more trouble,
but they set seriously about acquiring a knowledge of their
use, and, in a short time, found no difficulty.
Their grave propriety on this occasion is the more
worthy of remark, from its standing in some measure
opposed to pur own behaviour under similar circumstances:
for instance, when we first tried to eat with their chopsticks
: on that occasion there was a sort of giggling embarrassment
shewn by some of us, a contempt as it were of
ourselves, fof condescending to employ an effort to acquire
the use of a thing apparently so unimportant. Their diminutive
cups and odd dishes, too, sometimes excited mirth
amongst us. Our Loo-choo friends, however, never committed
themselves in this way; a difference of manners, which
may arise from their looking upon us as their superiors, and
vice versh; but even admitting this, which we were sufficiently
disposed to do, it is certainly no excuse for us.
On this occasion Jeeroo and his friends had evidently
made up their minds to find every thing quite new, for all
three made a slight involuntary exclamation when one of
the covers was lifted up, and shewed a dish of their own
sweet potatoes. They ate of every thing, using a great
deal of salt, with the fineness and whiteness of which they
were -much pleased. A tart, however, being pu t on the
table, they all objected a t first to touching it; they would
not say why: they were a t length prevailed upon to taste
it, which they had no sooner done, than they exclaimed that
it was “ masa! masa!” (good! good!) It-was made of Scotch
marmalade, and Jeeroo, in recommending it to his friends,
told them it was “ injfissa, amasa,” (bitter, sweet), a union
which they appeared not to have met with before. They
drank wine with us, bu t said they feared it would make
them tipsy; upon which we shewed them our mode of
mixing it with water, which was evidently new to them, for
they relished it so much in this form, that they were in a
fair way of running unconsciously into the very excess
which they dreaded. As soon as the cloth was removed,
they rose, and went to walk about the ship : on our