412 DESCRIPTION OF BATAVIA CHAP, xvn 



crying by turns, each invoking his relation. In this manner 

 they go on till they are fortunate enough to see, or fancy at 

 least that they see, one, when their music at once stops, and 

 they throw overboard provisions, betel, tobacco, etc., imagin- 

 ing, I suppose, that their civility to the species will induce 

 their kindred at home to think well of them, though unable 

 to pay their proper offerings. 



Next come (the Chinese, who in this place are very 

 numerous, but seem to be people of small substance. Many 

 of them live within the walls, and keep shops, some few of 

 which are furnished with a pretty rich show of European 

 as well as Chinese goods ; but by far the greater number 

 live in a quarter by themselves, without the walls, called 

 Campon China. Besides these, there are others scattered 

 everywhere about the country, where they cultivate gardens, 

 sow rice and sugar, or keep cattle and buffaloes, whose milk 

 they bring daily to town. JSTor are the inhabitants of the 

 town and Campon China less industrious : you see among 

 them carpenters, joiners, smiths, tailors, slipper-makers, dyers 

 of cottons, embroiderers, etc. ; in short, the general character 

 of industry given to them by all authors who have written 

 on them is well exemplified here, although the more genteel 

 of their customs cannot, on account of the want of rich 

 and well-born people, be found among them : those can be 

 shown in China alone ; here nothing can be found but the 

 native disposition of the lowest class of people. There is 

 nothing, be it of what nature it will, clean or dirty, honest 

 or dishonest (provided there is not too much danger of a 

 halter), which a Chinese will not readily do for money. 

 They work diligently and laboriously, and, loth to lose sight 

 of their main point, money getting, no sooner do they leave 

 off work than they begin to game, either with cards, dice, 

 or some one of the thousand games they have, which are 

 unknown to us in Europe. In this manner they spend their 

 lives, working and gaming, scarcely allowing themselves time 

 for the necessary refreshments of food and sleep ; in short, 

 it is as extraordinary a sight to see a Chinaman idle as it 

 is to see a Dutchman or Indian at work. 



