1845.] DIET. 67 



the Chinese, who may be generally noticed at the doors 

 of their houses, after sun-set, making every effort to wash 

 off the accumulation of the day. I never witnessed any 

 such attempt at extensive ablutions amongst any of the 

 island races, and when they have by chance exposed the 

 skin, it presented a coarseness which indicated frequent, 

 if not complete, exposure ; I am, therefore, strongly of 

 opinion that their customary garb is but scanty. This, 

 too, I assume to be one of the most important objections 

 to our visit ; the necessity of perpetual dress and watch- 

 fulness must be most irksome, and, probably, with their 

 limited means, expensive. The working-classes are inva- 

 riably in such a tattered, filthy state, that one naturally 

 avoids them, fearing the effects of contact. From frequent 

 intercourse, we found our attendants insensibly drop into 

 our habits, (and their own naturally), of wearing straw 

 hats ; and before leaving Loo-Choo, three varieties were 

 procured for me of very substantial manufacture. 



As we had not an opportunity of examining the display 

 in their market, or of ascertaining their general resources 

 for subsistence, we can only refer to such articles as came 

 immediately under our notice. I think, however, that from 

 my experience during my former visit in the ' Blossom ', 

 in 1827, coupled with the present, added to the frequent 

 display of the contents of their canteens, I may give a 

 tolerable guess as to their general travelling diet. I do 

 not on any occasion remember to have fallen in with meat ; 

 fowls, cut into small pieces, rice, hard-boiled eggs, the Sepia, 

 Octopus, varieties of shell fish, pickles, or rather vegetables 

 cured in salt, cut up small, and mixed together, predomi- 

 nated as the contents of one vessel ; sweetmeats and rice 



F "2 



