98 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



abundant, but not nearly so varied or refined as at 

 the dinner given to the mandarin. Instead of sitting 

 clown, A Shui went about between the tables, pressing 

 his friends to eat ; and not a little wine was disposed of 

 after the viands had vanished. The game of "morra" 

 (micare digitis) was commenced ; and as the forfeit 

 Avas to drain a cup of fsow, the fun soon became fast 

 and furious. One old fat gentleman incautiously 

 challenged me to drink against him, cup by cup, no 

 heeltaps being allowed ; but a Chinaman has no 

 chance at that game with a foreigner at all accustomed 

 to "tiger's milk," as the Chinese call some of the 

 more potent liquids of the West, so my fat friend 

 very soon became entirely obfuscated. I left him 

 gazing in a state of helpless idiocy at the painting of 

 a devil on the wall ; and when I looked into the room 

 an hour or two after, he seemed not to have stirred, 

 and was still engaged in the same profitable occupation. 

 If I was not mistaken, some of his relatives took 

 advantage of his helpless state to " improve the occa- 

 sion," to the younger members of the vast family of 

 Wong. 



As a general rule the Chinese are now very little 

 given to the use of intoxicating drinks, though it is 

 said they sinned a good deal more in that way before 

 opium-smoking became general Curiously enough, 

 their poets, like those of most other countries, have 

 been celebrated for their love of inebriation. " The 

 bard," says one Chinese proverb, "prides himself on 



