72 ENGLISH NAMES ON SHOP DOORS. [Cuar. V. 
the advice and instruction of the soldiers and sailors 
to whom they had applied on the subject. There 
were “ Stultz, tailor, from London ;” “ Buckmaster, 
tailor to the army and navy ;” ‘‘ Dominie Dobbs, the 
grocer ;” “ Squire Sam, porcelain merchant ;” and 
the number of tradesmen “to Her Majesty” was 
very great, among whom one was “Tailor to Her 
Most Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria and His 
Royal Highness Prince Albert, by appointment,” 
and below the name was a single word, which I 
could not make out for some few seconds,— 
Uniformsofalldescriptions. Certificates from their 
customers were also in great request, and many of 
these were most laughable performances. The 
poor Chinese were never quite at their ease about 
these certificates, as they were so often hoaxed 
by the donors, and consequently were continually 
showing them to other customers and asking “ what 
thing that paper talkie; can do, eh?” The answer 
was probably in this strain— “Oh, yes, Foke, 
this can do, only a little alteration, more better.” 
Poor Fokei runs and brings a pen, the little altera- 
tion is made, and it is needless to add that the 
thing is ten times more ridiculous than it was 
before. 
Almost all the natives who come in contact with 
the English understand a little of the language ; and 
as they have also a smattering of Portuguese, Malay, 
and Bengalese, they soon mix them up all together, 
and draw out of the whole a new tongue, whic 
the most accomplished linguist would have very 
