33 c 2 cook's first voyage dec. 



trines of Christianity passed for many ages in their 

 way to us, as the source of all the silly fables related 

 of the Romish saints, many of them not less ex- 

 travagant and absurd than this story of the White 

 King, and all of them the invention of the first 

 relater. 



The Bougis, Macassars, and Boetons, are so firmly 

 persuaded that they have relations of the crocodile 

 species in the rivers of their own country, that they 

 perform a periodical ceremony in remembrance of 

 them. Large parties of them go out in a boat, fur- 

 nished with great plenty of provisions, and all kinds 

 of music, and row backwards and forwards, in places 

 where crocodiles and alligators are most common, 

 singing and weeping by turns, each invoking his kin- 

 dred, till a crocodile appears, when the music 

 instantly stops, and provisions, betel, and tobacco, 

 are thrown into the water. By this civility to the 

 species, they hope to recommend themselves to their 

 relations at home ; and that it will be accepted in- 

 stead of offerings immediately to themselves, which it 

 is not in their power to pay. 



In the next rank to the Indians stand the Chinese, 

 who in this place are numerous, but possess very 

 little property; many of them live within the walls, 

 and keep shops. The fruit-sellers of Passar Pissang 

 have been mentioned already ; but others have a rich 

 show of European and Chinese goods: the far greater 

 part, however, live in a quarter by themselves, with- 

 out the walls, called Campang China. Many of 

 them are carpenters, joiners, smiths, taylors, slipper- 

 makers, dyers of cotton, and embroiderers ; main- 

 taining the character of industry that is universally 

 given of them : and some are scattered about the 

 country, where they cultivate gardens, sow rice and 

 sugar, and keep cattle and buffaloes, whose milk they 

 bring daily to town. 



There is nothing clean or dirty, honest or dis- 

 honest, provided there is not too much danger of a 



