66 WANT OF CLEANLINESS. [1845 



red than those worn by the other authorities, or secretaries, 

 who are also entitled to this distinction ; those only 

 wearing purple or yellow are entitled to high rank. The 

 remark, that the same written character, of the Chinese, 

 is understood in Korea, Japan, Loo-Choo, or China, 

 although different in expression of sounds, ceases to 

 become a subject for speculation if we consider the 

 Chinese language as merely an elaborate painting. The 

 language of flowers is fully understood throughout the 

 East, however great may be the variation in the oral ex- 

 pressions made use of to represent the same idea. Two 

 cases, clearly in point, will illustrate these remarks, as to 

 the Chinese court dialect. Our interpreter was unable 

 to converse viva voce, with any of the people we met, ex- 

 cepting the learned in his language, and yet neither party 

 was at a loss to make themselves understood by the in- 

 tervention of paper and ink. The use, therefore, of the 

 Chinese written character at Loo-Choo, cannot be assumed 

 as involving the question of the subjection of these Islands 

 to China, any more than the numerous French terms in 

 our public courts, or records, would imply our depen- 

 dence upon that power. 



At the periods of the visits of foreigners, the superior 

 classes, alone, are probably better dressed, and are per- 

 mitted to mix with the strangers ; but having had some ex- 

 perience in these matters, having almost lived with the 

 people of the Meia-co-shimas for six weeks, having travelled 

 into the interior of Loo-Choo, and taken the people un- 

 awares, in their customary habits, having closely watched 

 the Koreans, Japanese, &c., I am not disposed to accord to 

 any of them the characters of neatness, cleanliness, or 

 purity of morals. I believe them to be less cleanly than 



