ACCOUNT OF BOOKS. 



971 



from time to time, have emigrated 

 to the Pliillipiiie islands, Bata- 

 Tia, Pulo Piiiaiig, and other parts of 

 our East Indian settlements. In those 

 places they are not less remarkable 

 for their peaceable and industrious 

 habits. To the Dutch, in Batavia, 

 they are masons, carpenters, tailors, 

 shoemakers, shopkeepers, bankers, 

 and, in short, every thing. Ijido- 

 lence and luxury are there arrived 

 to such a height, that, without the 

 assistance of the Chinese, the Dutch 

 would literally be in danger of starv- 

 ing. Yet the infamous government 

 of that place, in the year 1741, 

 caused to be massacred, in cold 

 blood, many thousands of these 

 harmless people, who olfered no re- 

 sistance ; neither Momcn nor chil- 

 dren escaped the fury of these 

 blood hounds. 



" In these places it appears, also, 

 that their quickness at invention is 

 not surpassed by accuracy of imita- 

 tion, lor which they have always 

 been accounted remarkabh' expert 

 in their owu country. Man is, by 

 nature, a hoarding animal ; and his 

 endeavours to accumulate proj)erty 

 will be in proportion to the security 

 \ and stability which the laws allord 

 for the possession and enjoyment 

 of that property. In China, tlie 

 laws regarding })roperty are insuffi- 

 cient to give it that security : hence 

 the talent of invention is there sel- 

 dom exercised beyond suggesting the 

 means of providing for the first ne- 

 cessities and the most pressing wants. 

 A man, indeed, is afraid here to be 

 considered as wealthy, well know- 

 ing that some of the rapacious offi- 

 cers of (he state would find legal 

 reasons to extort his riches from 

 him. 



" The exterior deportment of 

 every class iu Chiua is uncommonly 



3 



decent, and all their manners mild 

 and engaging ; but even these 

 among persons of any rank arc con- 

 sidered as objedts worthy the inter- 

 ference of the legislature; hence it 

 follows, that they are ceremonious 

 without sincerity, studious of the 

 forms only of politeness, witJiout 

 either the ease or elegance of good 

 breeding. An inferior makes a 

 sham attempt to fall on his knees 

 before his superior, and the latter - 

 ali'ects a slight motion to raise him. 

 A common salutation has its mode 

 prescribed by the court of ceremo- 

 nies; and any neglect or default of 

 a plebeian towards his superior is 

 punishable by corporal chaslrse- 

 ment, and in men in o^ice by de- 

 gradation or suspension. In mak- 

 ing thus the exterior aad public 

 manners of the people a concern of 

 the legislature, society in many re- 

 spects Avas considerably benefited. 

 Between equals, and among the 

 lower orders of people, abusive lan- 

 guage is very unusual, and they sel- 

 dom proceed to blows. If a quar- 

 rel should be carried to this extre- 

 mity, the contest is rarely attended 

 with more serious consequences than 

 the loss of the long lock of hair 

 growing from the crown of the 

 head, or the rent of their clothes. 

 The a6t of drawing a sword, or 

 presenting a pistol, is sufficient to 

 frighten a common Chinese into 

 convulsions ; and their warriors 

 shew but few symptoms of bravery. 

 The Chinese may certainly be con- 

 sidered among the most timid ])eo- 

 ple on the face of the earth ; they 

 seem to possess neither personal 

 courage, nor the least presence of 

 mind in dangers or difficultie« ; con- 

 se(juences that are derived probably 

 from the infiuenee of the moral over 

 the physical character. Vet there 



is. 



