Ch. IV.] THE QUEEN'S BIETHDAY. 69 



four impromptu guests to an already full table ; but undis- 

 guised interest and curiosity seized upon the opportunity, 

 and they accepted the invitation without hesitation. Mr. 

 Gregory, the vice-consul, sat with them and acted as inter- 

 preter ; and as they had their own attendants they fared as 

 well as they could desire. They seemed to appreciate the 

 champagne and other beverages of an English dinner, and 

 did full justice to the viands, even using knives and forks. 

 Dinner ended, and some speeches following, they were politely 

 listened to ; and when at length it was announced that the 

 curtain was about to be drawn up, they still kept their seats. 

 The play was " Therese," a tragedy of course, for sailors 

 always select something serious and lugubrious, the most 

 affecting parts being, of course, those where it was most 

 difficult to avoid hurting their feelings by a burst of laughter. 

 The Chiaese looked on to the end ; and even afterwards, 

 when some songs, sailors' hornpipes, &c., followed, they re- 

 mained politely attentive ; and it was only when one of the 

 Chinese servants was forced upon the stage to sing a stave 

 in the real falsetto, singsong, Chinese style, that they allowed 

 their gravity to forsake them, and fairly joined in the laugh 

 which the absurdity of the thing universally raised. Late 

 in the evening they rose to leave, with many expressions of 

 gratification, and three guns saluted them as they went 

 ashore in the captain's gig. 



The Tam-suy mandarin, whose name was Lim-ching-fang, 

 wished to have invited us to a return dinner ; but unfortu- 

 nately our plans did not admit of longer stay, and prepara- 

 tions were made the following day for taking the ship round 

 to Ke-lung. 



