S2 t r a v e l s i n c h i n a .
remony which is ufed in giving a folemn pledge among thé
common people o f China, namely, by wringing off the head o f
a cock. Captain Mackintoih told me that having onee occafion
to place great confidence in the mafter o f a Chinefe veffel, and
doubting left he might betray it, the man felt himfelf confi-
derably hurt, and faid he would give him fufficient proof that
he was to be trailed. He immediately procured a cock, and,
falling down on both knees, wrung off his head ; then holding
up his hands towards heaven, he made ufe o f thefe wordst
« I f I a6t otherwife than as I have faid, do thou, o tien, (Hea-
“ ven) deal with me as I have dealt with this cock I”
I have fince been informed, from the beft authority, that
whenever, in the courfe o f the concerns o f the Britiih Eaft
India Company with the merchants o f China, it may be necef-
fary to adminifter an oath to a Chinefe, the fame ceremony
is gone through o f wringing off the head o f a cOck, which is:
b y them confidered in a very ferious light, a fort of incantation,
whofe effeits upon their minds are not unlike thofe produced
b y fuppofed magic fpells, once common in,-,our own country,
b y which the vulgar were perfuaded that the Devil was to be
made to appear before them. In a Chinefe court o f juftice an
©ath is never adminiftered. In a late affair, where a Chinefe
was killed by a feaman o f a BritiOv man o f war,: and the Captain
was about to adminifter an oath to two o f his peopfe
whom he produced as evidences in a Chinefe court o f juftice*
the chief judge was fo ihocked, that he ordered the court to«
be inftantly cleared.
The Cingalefe are unqueftionably o f Chinefe origin. Thofe
who are acquainted with the Chinefe manners and character,
Will immediately perceive the very clofe refemblance, on reading
Mr. Boyd’s relation o f his embaffy to the King o f Candy.
Sin-quo, kingdom o f Sin, (from whence Sina, or China,) are
Chinefe words ; the termination is European. So alfo is the
name o f the ifland Chinefe, See-lan, See-long, or See-lung, the
Weftern Dragon, in conformity to an invariable cuftom o f
afiigning the name o f feme animal to every mountain.
Having no intention, however, to inveftigate minutely the
extent o f Chinefe navigation and commerce in ancient times,
but rather to confine my obfervations to their prefent ftate,
I return from this digreffion, in order to proceed on o u e
voyage.
One o f the fmall brigs, attending the expedition, was dispatched
without lofs o f time to the port o f Chu-San, to take
on board the pilots that, agreeable to the order contained in
the Imperial edi£t, were expeited to be found in readinefs to
embark. In feme o f the paffageS, formed by the numerous
¡Hands, the currents ran with amazing rapidity, appearing
more like the impetuous torrents o f rivers, fwelled-
b y rains, than branches o f the great ocean. T h e depth too
o f thefe narrow paffages Was fo great as to make it difficult,
dangerous, and frequently impoflible, for Ihips to anchor in
the event o f a calm in'which cafe they muft neceffarily drive
at the mercy o f the ftream, As we approached, in the Clarence
brig, the high rocky point o f the continent called Kee-too,
3 which.