ornamented, they have fedans, with wooden lattices, carved and gilt, and (Short
(pokes, which make anaukward appearance to aftranger: and, for their children,
they have a fort of oblong fquare box, with a lattice at the (ides, and a roof faih-
icned like the eaves of a houfe j this has a fpoke at each end,' and'is carried by two
men on their fhouíders, and the child within fits all along on the bottom of it.
Their manner of living is pretty mtich the fame in all feafons of the year. They
rifé asfoon as it is light, and drink tea or coffee; then tranfadt their TmftneTs, either
within or without doors, till nine o’clock in the morning, at which, time it is too hot
to be in the open air j and they negotiate bufinefs, or divert themfelves otherwife,
withindoors, till about noon, and then dine; After dinner, they ftrip themfelves
of every thing, except a pair of drawers and a (Short cotton 'gown, and go to bed.
vAt four or five o’clock in the afternoon, they rife again, drink tea, and, if they have
'no bufinefs to tranfadt, as there are po public places of diverfion, they take an airin»
in their carriages f come home, fup, and go to bed again about eleven at night.
Thofe born here o f European parents, who ’are not many and áre ofami¿ed breed,
generally follow the Malay cuftoms.d :
The inhabitants are moft'y Chinefe, and theft number is very'great both in town
and country. The China town, which is On the fouth fide of the city, is pretty large,
but meanly built, as the better fort of Chinefe live within the city. The greater number
of ihopkeepers are Chinefe j they make ¿11 the arrack and fugar’; nor'cáii any
perfon hold an arrack-houfe without having it under the name of fome Chinefei
They alfo cultivate all the variety of garden0-(luff With which Batavia is furniihed i
and of them there are filver-fmiths, pewterers, carpenters, joiners, mafons, calkers,'
barbers, hawkers, dealers, an,d chapmen. There is not any trade, however mean
and fervile, which they do not follow : and, though the Dutch have laid them under
many reftridtions, yet they find means to ácqüiré a " comfortable fubfiftence, and
often accumulate wealth. The Dutch nave impofed a poll-tax on them of adubá-
toon, or fix (hillings and eight pence, a'’mon th . -
The Chinefe in and about Batavia have a fallow complexion, black eyes, and tolerable
good nofes, but they pluck their beards up by the roots, and make, upon the
whole, a very effeminate appearance.
I
They form two fedts, and keep moftly to their own cuftoms. One of them wears
all their own hair ; and the other, which is by far the moil: numerous, (haves all the
head except the crown. Thefe different modes arife from a peculiar religious
tenet held amongft them. When a rich man has a child, and thinks he can
maintain it, independent of any fervile employment, he fuffers the hair on its head
to grow, which is wound up, tied upon the crown, and ornamented with a gold
bodkin or two, and it mufl never afterwards be (haven ; thefe are of high rank
amongft them. The other children have their heads fhaven nine months after
'their birth, and on every ninth day afterwards, till they attain a certain age j and
then they are at liberty either to wear it growing or have it ihaved : the lock of
-hair, left on the crown of fome of their heads, grows to a great length, reaching
down to their pofteriors. 'Their drefs is excellently adapted to a hot climate, being
generally white taffety, or callico ; and confifts of a pair of trowfers, over which
they wear a frock with wide ileeves, which buttons before : apurfe, wrought with
filk, hangs beneath the upper garment j and a pair of Chinefe pampouches completes
their drefs. The bid men fometimes wear a fort of white boots, that reach up to
their knees j and they always carry a fan in their hands, to (hade their he.ads from the
fun. Their ufual falutation is, Adda bai kb, hew do you do, Jir% and they are very
courteous in their addrefs and behaviour, efpecially to Britons, whofe generofity, I
fuppofe,they have often experienced. The hawkers, amongft them, who outdo the
Jews in low artifice, will aik twenty dollars for a thing, and take one } and have
acquired, even among themfelves, the ehara&er of great cheats.
Before the rebellion in 1740, the Chinefe were intirely governed by two of their
own nation, who were judgesin all cafes, and fat in council. At prefent, they have
a captain and two lieutenants, one of .whorii fits-every forenoon, with a jury of
twelve, in a hall they have for that purpofe, to hear and make up fuits and quarrels,
which happen amongft them, if poffible, beforethey go before a Dutch court of
judicature} and this the Chinefe muft do, if they defign to live in harmony with
their community. To the faid hall they all repair, the three firft days of the month,
to pay their head-money} 'at which time there is a Dutch enfign hoifted on a ftaif
before the gate.
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