868 
however, from an intermixture with 
the Malays of Malacca and the 
Hindoos of the upper and eastern 
regions of Hindostan, the traces of 
the Chinese character are in many 
respects nearly obliterated. ‘he 
Cochin¢hinese of Turon, notwith- 
standing the loose manners of the 
women which | shal! presently have 
occasion to notice, and the tendency 
which all revolutions in governments 
have to change, im a greater or less 
degree, the character of the pedple, 
have preserved in most respects a 
close reseniblance to their original, 
though in some points they differ 
from it very widely. They per- 
fectly agree, for instance, in the 
etiquette observed in marriage and 
funeral processions and ceremonies, 
in the greater part of religious super- 
stilions, in the offerings usually pre- 
sented to idols, in the consultation 
of oracles, and in the universal pro- 
pensity of inquiring into futurity by 
the casting of lots; in charming 
away diseases; in the articles of 
diet and the mode of preparing 
them ; in the nature of most of their 
public entertainments and amuse- 
ments; in the construction and 
devices of fire-works; in instru. 
ments of music, games of chance, 
cock-fighting and — quail-fighting. 
The spoken tanguage of Cochin. 
china, though on the same principle, 
is so much changed from the original 
as to be nearly, if not wholly, unin- 
telligible to a Chinese; but the 
written character is precisely the 
‘same. All the temples which fell 
under our observation were very 
humble buildings; and we saw no 
specimens either of the heavy curved 
roofs, or of the towering pagodas, 
so frequently met with in China ; 
but it seems there are, in many 
parts ef the country, monasteries 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1806. 
that are amply endowed, whose | 
buildings are extensive and enclosed 
with walls for their better security. 
The houses in general near Turon- 
bay consisted only of four mud 
walls, covered with thatch ; and such 
as are situated on low grounds, in 
the neighbourhood of rivers, are 
usually raised upon four posts of 
wood, or pillars of stone, to keep 
out vermin as well as inundations. 
The dress of the Cochinchinese 
has undergone not only am citera. — 
tion, but a very considerable 
abridgment. They wear neither 
thick shoes, nor quilted stockings, 
nor clumsy sattin boots, nor petti- 
coats stuifed with wadding; but 
always go barelegged and generally 
barefooted. Their long black hair, 
like that of the Malays, .is usually 
twisted into a knot, and fixed on the 
crown of the head. ‘This, indeed, 
is the ancient mode in which the 
Chinese wore their hair, until the 
‘Tartars, on the conquest of the 
country, compelled them to submit 
to the ignominy of shaving the whole 
head except a little lock of hair 
behind. 
On the precepts of Confucius is 
grounded the moral system for the 
regulation of the conduct in_ this 
country as well as in China. Here, 
however, to the exterior forms of 
morality very little regard seems to 
be paid. In China these precepts 
are gaudily displayed in golden cha- 
racters in every house, in the streets 
and public places; but here they 
are seldom seen and never heard. 
Were they, indeed, repeated in their 
original language, (and they will 
scarcely bear a translation,) they 
would not be understood. Their 
conduct, in general, seems to be 
as little influenced by the solemn 
precepts ef religion as by those of 
morality. 
i 
