LETTER XXXVIII. 



WONBERS OF TRAVEL — SCIENTIFIC NOUENCLATVKE, 



There are many things -whioli really astonish me in the 

 accounts which have been given to me by a traveller who has 

 been in China. Among them, in the Chinese language, the 

 same word y6, which at Canton means two, at Pekin signifies 

 no more than one. 



You may think how much I was surprised to learn that 

 there are men who shave their heads, preserving only a little 

 bunch of hair, whilst I see here the streets full of people, 

 who only shave their chins, leaving tufts of beard above or 

 below the mouth, or upon their cheeks; in the same manner 

 that I was astonished to hear that Indian women pierce their 

 noses in order to suspend jewels from them, whilst our women 

 have a practice, from superior civilization, no doubt, of 

 piercing their ears for the same purpose. 



He told me that the emperor was dressed in yellow, which 

 appeared veiy singular to me who have been accustomed tc 

 see the king dressed in blue, green, or red. 



