part of the entertainment, he would be able to suit our taste
in these respects better than the Cochinchinese; and under
this impression, to do him justice, he had spared neither
trouble nor expence in making his dinner as complete as circumstances
would admit: and thus, by his misplaced zeal, a
good Cochinchinese entertainment was entirely marred by a
bad Portugueze dinner.
A trifling circumstance occurred on our first entering the
building, which was rather embarrassing to the Cochinchinese
officers. These people who, on most occasions, adopt the
Chinese customs, had prepared a yellow skreen of silk, bearing
in large painted characters the name of the young adventurer
at Hue. Whether they took it for granted, or were so
told by Manuel Duome, that the English, as a matter of
course, would make vthe usual prostrations to this shade of
Majesty, we did not inquire, but it was very evident they expected
i t ; for when the General commanding at Turon, and
who sat cross-legged on a bench as proxy for his master, observed
that, having made our bow, we filed off and took our
seats regardless of the yellow skreen, he appeared to be
greatly disconcerted, and could hardly be said to recover himself
the remainder of the day. His disappointment in missino’
the nine prostrations seemed to operate on his mind as if he
had been sunk so many degrees in the estimation of his
brother officers. He took little notice when the rank and
station were explained, though at his own desire, which each
of us held in the embassy, until the Chinese interpreter announced
Captain Parish of the Artillery as the “ overseer of
“ the great guns;” upon which his attention was suddenly
roused, and he seemed the whole day to regard this officer as
a very formidable and a dangerous man.
In the farther division of the building a party of comedians
was engaged in the midst of an historical drama when we erf-
tered; but on our being seated they broke off and, coming
forward, made before us that obeisance, of nine genuflexions
and prostrations, which we had been so very uncivil to oufit
to the Mandarin and his painted skreen of silk; after which
they returned to their labours, keeping up an incessant noise
„ and bustle during our stay. The heat of the day,, the thermometer
in the shade standing at 81° in the open air, and
at least ten degrees higher in the building, the crowds that
thronged in to see the strangers, the horrible crash of the
gongs, kettle drums,, rattles, trumpets, and squalling flutes,
were so stunning and oppressive, that nothing but the novelty
of the scene could possibly have detained us for a moment.
The most entertaining as well as the least noisy part of the
theatrical exhibition was. a sort of interlude, performed by
three young women, for the amusement, it would seem, of
the principal actress, who sat as a spectator in the dress and
character of some-ancient Queen ; whilst an old'eunuch, very
whimsically dressed, played' his antic tricks like a scaramouch
or buffoon in a Harlequin entertainment. The dialogue in
this part differed entirely from the querulous and nearly
monotonous recitative of- the Chinese, being light and comic;
and occasionally interrupted by cheerful airs, which generally
concluded with a common chorus. These airs, rude and unpolished
as they were-, appeared to b e regular compositions,
and were sung in exactly measured time. One in particular