182 VOYAGE TO THE 



country that we know of; though we met several men 

 working in the fields who were in rags, and nearly 

 naked. The most striking peculiarity of the people 

 is the excessive politeness of even the lowest classes 

 of inhabitants : on no account would they willingly do 

 any thing disagreeable to a stranger, and when com- 

 pelled, by higher authorities than themselves, to pur- 

 sue a certain line of conduct, they did it in the man- 

 ner that was the least likely to give offence ; and it 

 was quite laughable to notice the fertility of their in- 

 vention in order to obtain this end, which was seldom 

 gained without a sad sacrifice of integrity. Their re- 

 luctance to receive remuneration for their trouble, or 

 for the provisions which they supply to foreigners, is 

 equally remarkable. Captain Broughton and Captain 

 Hall have noticed their conduct in this respect. In the 

 case of a whale ship which put into Napa-keang in 

 1826, and received nearly two dozen bullocks and 

 other supplies, the only remuneration they would re- 

 ceive was a map of the world. And in our own 

 instance (though we managed by making presents to 

 the mandarins and to the people to prevent their being 

 losers by their generosity), An-yah's reply to my 

 question, whether we should pay for the supplies we 

 received in money or goods ? was, " Mandarin give 

 you plenty, no want pay." But with all this politeness, 

 as is the case with the Chinese, they cannot be said to 

 be a polished people. 



Our means of judging of their education were very 

 limited : a few only of the lower orders could read the 

 Chinese characters, and still fewer were acquainted 

 with the Chinese pronunciation ; even among the 

 better classes there were some who were ianorant of 

 both. Schools appear to have been established in 



