866 
circumstances would admit: and 
thus, by his misplaced zeal, a good 
Cochinchinese cntertainment was 
entirely marred by a bad Portuguese 
dinner. 
A trifling circumstance occurred 
on our first entering the building, 
which was rather embarassing to the 
Cochinchinese officers. These peo- 
ple who, on most occasions, adopt 
the Chinese customs, had prepared 
a yellow skreen of silk, bearing, in 
large painted characters, the name 
of the young adventurer at Hueé. 
Whether they took it for granted, 
or were so told by Manuel Duomé, 
that the English, as a matter of 
course, would make the usual pro. 
stratious to this shade of majesty, 
we did not inquire, but it was very 
evident they expected it; for when 
the general commanding at Turon, 
and who sat cross-legged on a bench 
as proxy for his master, observed 
that, having made our bow, we filed 
off and took our seats regardless of 
the yellow skreen, he appeared to 
be greatly disconcerted, and could 
hardly be said to recover himself the 
remainder of the day. His disap- 
pointment in missing the nine pros- 
trations seemed to operate on his 
mind as if he had been sunk so many 
degrees in the estimation of his 
brother officers. He took little 
notice when the rank and station 
were explained, though at his own 
desice, which each of us held in the 
embassy, until the Chinese interpre- 
ter announced captaiu Parish of the 
artillery as the *¢ overseer of the 
great guns,” upon which his at. 
tention was suddenly roused, and 
he seemed the whole day toregard 
this officer as a very formidable 
and a dangerous man. 
In the farther division of the buil. 
ging a party of comedians was en- 
2 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1806. 
gaged in the midst of an historical — 
drama When we entered; but on 
our beiig seated they broke off and 
coming: forward, made before us 
that obeisance of nine genufiexions 
and prostrations, which we had been 
so very uncivil to omit to the Man. 
darin and his painted skreen of 
silk; after which they returned to — 
their labours, keeping up an inces- — 
sant noise and bustle during our 
stay. The heat of the day, the 
thermometer in the shade standing 
at 81° in the open air, and at least 
ten degrees higher in the building, 
the crowds that thronged in to see 
the strangers, the horrible crash of 
the gongs, kettle-drums, rattles, 
trumpets, and squalling flutes, were 
so stunning and oppressive, that 
nothing but the novelty of the scene 
could possibly have detained us for 
amoment, The most entertaining 
as well as the least noisy part of the 
theatrical exhibition was a sort of 
interlude, performed by three young 
women, for the amusement, it would 
seem, of the principal actress, who 
Sat as a spectator in the dress and 
character of some ancient queen ; 
whilst an eld eunuch, very whimsi- 
cally dressed, played his 
tricks like a scaramouch or buffoon 
in a harlequin entertainment. The 
dialogue in this part differed entirely © 
from the queralous and nearly 
monotwnous recitative of the Chi- 
nese, being light and comic, and 
occasionally interrupted by cheer- 
ful airs, which generally concluded 
with a common chorus. These airs, 
rude and unpolished as they were, 
appeared to be regular composi- 
tions, and were sung in exactly mea- 
sured time. One in particular at- 
tracted vur attention, whose slow 
melancholy movement breathed that 
kind of plaintiwe softness so peculiar 
te 
antic - 
