488 ■ Voyage of the Novara. 



its infancy in China.* The company which was assembled 

 in the hospitable mansion of Ta-ki, to clo honour to the 

 members of the Novara Expedition, was not calculated to 

 impress them favourably with the scope of the Chinese 

 drama. The piece appointed consisted of events in the 

 ancient history of China, for which Chinese dramatic poets 

 have a special predilection, owing to the abundance of ma- 

 terial from which to choose, although the multitude seem to 

 have but little sympathy with it. Even our host, who spoke 

 the Canton-English, as it is called, could give us but little 

 explanation or enlightenment as to the plot, and contented 

 himself with repeatedly remarking that the piece related to 

 '' old, old times!" 



Notwithstanding the universal custom, according to which 

 women are not permitted to enter a theatre, so that even the 

 female characters have to be played by men dressed to repre- 

 sent the part, the majority of the present troupe were girls of 

 from 14 to 20 years of age, who, stained red or white, and 

 elegantly arrayed, appeared mostly in Mandarin dresses on 

 the stage. The most outrageously absurd of the scenes were 

 those most in favour with the numerous domestics who, be- 

 sides the invited guests, formed the audience. Thus, there 

 was a roar of laughter when a nurse entered with a child in 

 her arms, which had the face of an old soldier, with grey 

 beard, whiskers, and moustachios. They sang a long, rather 



* Vide Hue's Chinese Empire, Vol. I. 



