A CHINESE DINNER. 395 



be borne in mind that this was the worst season of the year, 

 when the wild-fowl had departed. Birds of all kinds were 

 breeding, and the ground covered with standing crops. 



Shortly after our return from this most interesting ex- 

 cursion, my friend, wishing to show me a Chinese entertain- 

 ment in the native style, procured an invitation for me, 

 through the medium of his comprador, to a dinner given by 

 a merchant in the city connected with the European hongs. 



The table was spread in the centre of a light and airy 

 apartment, the cornices and panels of which were prettily 

 gilded, painted, and decorated with pictures, mirrors, and 

 paper lanterns. The party, with the exception of my Mend, 

 consisted of twelve richly -dressed and long-tailed celestials, 

 and the board was covered with an infinity of small dishes 

 or saucers, each containing some particular condiment in 

 homoeopathic proportions. Before each guest was laid a 

 saucer, a small cup, and a pair of chop-sticks (we had clan- 

 destinely brought each a tea-spoon and small fork in our 

 pockets, not being by any means au fait to this peculiar 

 method of feeding, and which nothing but the ingenuity of 

 a Chinese could have adapted to this purpose eating peas 

 with a two-pronged fork is child's play to it), and small 

 pewter jugs, containing samchou spirit made from rice 

 diluted, and drank warm, were placed near each cover. 

 Birds'-nest soup, of a thick glutinous substance, was first 

 sewed in small cups,and of which the Chinese partook by 

 holding the cup to their mouths, and assisting the disposal of 

 the contents by their chop-sticks. 



Although possessed with certain feelings of repugnance for 

 this far-famed delicacy, I boldly plunged my spoon into my 

 cup, and found the mixture by no means unpalatable. 

 Boiled rice was freely used on a separate plate, as an accom- 

 paniment to almost everything indeed seemed to occupy the 

 place of bread. To describe the contents of anything like 



