ly well spoken of, as being good fathers,
sons, husbands, and friends. They carry on every art and traffic, and
engross nearly all the house and ship building in Batavia, though they
pay enormous annual duties to the Company on their industry and trade.
Among other duties, they pay for being allowed to let their nails grow
long, especially that of the little finger, as it is a proof that they
do not work for their living. The twisted tail, which they wear
extremely long, often down to their knees, pays in proportion to its
length. It is measured every year at a fixed time. To cut off the tail
of a Chinaman, or to pare his nails, is looked upon as a most severe
punishment. Their dress consists of large trousers, and round coats,
which reach to the middle of the thighs. It is either of black or very
bright sky-blue. White is worn for mourning; and when for a very near
relative, the collar has a rent in it. They have a custom of keeping
their dead for some days in the house, which, in such a warm climate,
frequently causes bad fevers. A Chinese house, where a death has
happened, is known by a white cloth hung in lieu of the door.

This information, through Newman's help, I picked up during our visits
on shore. The ship had been at anchor about a week, when we again went
on shore, and had walked on for an hour or so, when, a little beyond
Fort Ansol, we found ourselves in front of a Chinese temple, standing in
a grove of cocoa-nut trees by the side of a rivulet, among very pretty
scenery. The building was about twenty feet long, and twelve wide. The
entrance was through a railing into a small area, and then into a hall,
at the end of which was the sanctuary. In the middle of the hall, just
within the door, was an altar, on which red wax tapers were burning.
There was also an image of a lion, richly gilt. At the end of the hall
was a picture of an old man and a woman, with crowns on their heads, and
about two feet high. They were, I suppose, Josi and his wife. While we
were there, several people came in, and prostrating themselves before
the picture, knocked their heads continually against the ground. At
last a man came in to consult the idols by divination. He had in his
hand two small longitudinal pieces of wood, flat on one side, and round
on the other. Holding these pieces of wood, with the flat sides toward
each other, he let them fall on the ground. As they fell, with the flat
or round side up, so he