424 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1817. 



I 



of a chesnut colour, and some- 

 times striped, or spotted blue and 

 white. 



There are nine ranks of gran- 

 dees, or public officers, distin- 

 guished by their caps ; of which 

 we observed four. — The highest 

 noticed was worn by a member 

 of the royal family, which was 

 of a pink colour, with bright yel- 

 low lozenges. — The next in dignity 

 was the purple ; then plaAn yel- 

 low ; and thc; red seemed to be the 

 lowest. 



On the female attire we could 

 make Vjut little observation. — The 

 highest ranks are said to wear (and 

 some indeed were seen with) sim- 

 ply a loose flowing robe, without 

 any sash; the hair eitlier hanging 

 loose over the shoulders, or tied 

 up over the left side of the head, 

 tlie ends falling down again. The 

 lower orders seemed to have petti- 

 coats scarcely deeper than a High- 

 lander's kilt, with a short, but 

 loose habit above. One lady, who 

 very freqviently promenaded at the 

 nearest village, in front of the 

 ships, api)eared to have her robe 

 riciily embroidered. 



The island of Lewchew itself is 

 situate in the happiest climate of 

 the globe. — Refreshed by the sea- 

 breezes, which, from its geogra- 

 phical position, blow over it at 

 every period of the year, it is free 

 from the extremes of heat and 

 cold, which oppiess many other 

 countries ; whilst from the gene- 

 ral configuration of the land, 

 being more adapted to the pro- 

 duction of rivers and streamlets 

 than of bogs or marshes, one 

 great source of disease in the 

 warmer latitudes has no existence : 

 and the people seemed to enjoy 

 robust health : for we observed 



no diseased objects, nor beggars 

 of any description, among them. 



The verdant lawns and roman- 

 tic scenery of Tinian and Juan 

 Fernandez, so well described in 

 Anson's Voyage, are here display- 

 ed in higher perfection, and on a 

 much more magnificent scale ; for 

 cultivation is added to the most 

 enchanting beauties of nature. 

 From a commanding height above 

 the ships, the view is, in all di- 

 rections, picturesque and delight- 

 ful. On one hand are seen the 

 distant islands, rising from a 

 wide expanse of ocean, whilst the 

 clearness of the water enables the 

 eye to trace all the coral reefs, 

 which protect the anchorage im- 

 mediately below. To the south is 

 the city of Napafoo, the vessels at 

 anchor in the harbour, with their 

 streamers flying ; and in the in- 

 termediate space appear numerous 

 hamlets scattered about on thebanks 

 of the rivers, which meander in the 

 valley beneath ; the eye being, in 

 every direction, charmed by the 

 varied hues of the luxuriant foli- 

 age around their habitations — 

 Turning to the east, the houses 

 of Kint-ching, the capital city, 

 built in their peculiar style, are 

 observed, opening from among 

 the lofty trees which surround 

 and shade them, rising one above 

 another in gentle ascent to the 

 summit of a hill, which is crowned 

 by the king's palace : the inter- 

 vening grounds between Napafoo 

 and Kint-ching, a distance of 

 some miles, being ornamented by 

 a continuation of villas and coun- 

 try houses. To the north, as far 

 as the eye can reach, the highe;: 

 land is covered with extensive 

 forests. 



About half a mile fron\ this 

 Eminence, 



