th small eyes, and short flat noses. They
do not cut their hair, as all in China are obliged to do since the
Tartars conquered the country; and whenever any one comes to Batavia
from China, he immediately suffers his hair to grow, as a token
of freedom, dressing it with the utmost care; their priests only
excepted, whose heads are all close shaven.

The Chinese go always bare headed, carrying an umbrella in their hands
to keep off the sun; and they suffer their nails to grow immoderately
long, which gives them prodigious dexterity in slight of hand, an art
of considerable importance as they use it. Their dress here differs
materially from what they wear in their own country, their cotton
robes being very ample, and their sleeves very wide. Below this they
have a kind of breeches reaching to their ancles, having a kind
of little slippers on their feet instead of shoes, and never wear
stockings. Their women, who are very brisk, lively, impudent, and
debauched, wear very long cotton robes. In general, the Chinese have
no distinction of meats, but eat without ceremony of any animal that
comes to hand, be it even dog, cat, or rat, or what it may. They are
amazingly fond of shows and entertainments. Their feast of the new
year, which they celebrate in the beginning of March, commonly lasts
a whole month; during which they do nothing but divert themselves,
chiefly in dancing, which they do in a strange manner, running round
about to the sound of gongs, flutes, and trumpets, which do not form a
very agreeable concert. They use the same music at their comedies,
or theatrical diversions, of which they are extremely fond: These
comedies consist of a strange mixture of drama, opera, and pantomime,
as they sometimes sing, sometimes speak, and at other times the whole
business of the scene consists in gesture. They have none but _women_
players,[1] who are brought up to this employment from their infancy;
but many of them act male parts, using proper disguises for the
purpose. Whenever they act a comedy, the city receives fifty crowns
for a licence. They erect the theatre in the street, in front of the
house of him who is at the expence of the play, the subject of
which always turns on the exploits of their ancient heroes, or the
austerities of their old saints.

[Footnote 1: This may possibly have been the case at this time in
Batavia; but we are assured by recent travellers in China, that they
have there none but _men_ players, t