Employ Whampoa. — His excellent An^angements. 169 



tionably the most extensive in this line in Singapore, and 

 fui-nishes a striking example of what Chinese industry, econo- 

 my, and perseverance are capable of. Immense quantities of 

 provisions and ship-stores are accumulated in his extensive 

 warehouses, so that he can supply orders to any extent in an 

 incredibly short space of time. Within two days, Wham- 

 poa had completely victualled the ship for six months, 

 besides supplying her from the adjoining stream with 100 

 tons of good water, which was brought alongside in boats 

 specially constructed for the purpose, and thence pumped 

 through hose into the iron water-tanks in the hold, an opera- 

 tion which in any European port would have taken thrice the 

 time required here. Moreover all the articles supplied by 

 Whampoa were of the best quality, and proportionally 

 moderate in price. He employs none but Chinese, with long 

 tails, and black silk apparel. All the books are kept in the 

 Chinese language, and even the additions and subtractions 

 are not made in the European method, but by the Chinese 

 counting board, that is, by shifting a number of wooden beads 

 or rings, which run in different rows, and have a variet}^ of 

 values. This reckoning-board consists of an oblong frame, 

 divided in its length by a partition into unequal divisions, 

 in the larger of which are hung'five, in the smaller two, beads 

 upon metal cross wires. Each wire with the seven beads 

 running upon it constitutes a single row, and in each such 

 row, a single bead of the smaller division is equal in value to 

 the five corresponding beads in the larger compartment ; 



