66 MACAO. [1843 



acquainted on my first visit to Singapore in the ' Sulphur'; 

 the latter had now arrived in the ' Cleopatra ', and after 

 exchanging frigates with Admiral Cecil, would return to 

 France. 



" Both Hong-Kong ", says Mr. Adams, " and Singa- 

 pore offer great variety of costume to the notice of the 

 traveller, but no place in the course of our wanderings, 

 amused me so much as the strange and populous city of 

 Macao ; particularly on account of the endless succession 

 of oriental figures that are there continually passing 

 before the eye. For example, the intelligent Parsee with 

 high-crowned cap and snowy robes, contrasts with the 

 sable garments and odd-shaped hat of the demure and 

 sanctified Catholic Priest ; the swarthy son of Portugal, 

 with haughty step, and dark flashing eye, with the Brah- 

 min, mild, observant, and serene; the wealthy British 

 Merchant, with the influential Mandarin ; the respectable 

 monied Armenian, in his picturesque and splendid dress, 

 with the French officer and English sailor ; while Portu- 

 guese damsels, gliding along to mass, with lustrous 

 expressive eyes, and drapery thrown gracefully over the 

 head and shoulders, complete the attractive picture. In 

 every quarter of the city, swarms of narrowed-eyed Chinese, 

 acute, cunning, and industrious, eager to barter, greedy 

 for gain, are importunate, impudent, but always good- 

 natured. Some of these worthies, may be seen sitting 

 in groups, in the middle of the squares, quietly pursuing 

 their various occupations. Here may be seen the grave 

 empiric, busily engaged in gently beating or tapping the 

 head or breast of a patient, afflicted perhaps with some 

 grievous malady ; and there, you will notice the operations 



