SINGAPORE. 409 



pied by a table and two chairs. The dialogue was in a kind of 

 recitative, with an accompaniment performed by beating with two 

 small sticks on the bottom of a copper kettle of the shape of a coffee- 

 pot. The person who performed this duty appeared to direct all the 

 spectacle, as prompter and leader of the orchestra. The other 

 musical instruments were the gong, cymbals, and a kind of hautboy, 

 the holes of which are not arranged with any view to produce harmo- 

 nious sounds. The dresses of the actors were very rich, and the 

 females were represented by young men or boys. The male charac- 

 ters were for the most part masked, but not the female ; the former 

 generally had long black and white beards. The principal part of 

 the performance seemed to consist in attitudinizing, and appeared 

 to interest the audience, as it did us, although according to our ideas, 

 it was not suited to the words or sentiment : for instance, during a 

 pathetic part, whilst the actor was shedding tears, he would suddenly 

 throw up one leg, and almost kick himself on the nose ! The acting, 

 upon the whole, was, to our notions, in a mock-heroic style ; but this 

 might have arisen from our not being able to comprehend the mean- 

 ing, for the other spectators seemed greatly interested. There was 

 something, however, which there was no difficulty in our under- 

 standing, and this was the fighting. The two combatants draw their 

 swords or handle their spears, and begin turning round poking at 

 each other without closing, when suddenly one runs off; the other, 

 after having evidently informed the audience that he is the victor, 

 then makes his exit, accompanied with a most tremendous noise from 

 both the music and audience. After the performance had closed, it 

 was with difficulty that I could determine whether it had been 

 comedy or tragedy : whichever it was, it was mingled with still vault- 

 ing somersets, cart-wheel motions, and casting themselves about, 

 indifferent as to what part they fell on, in modes which I may truly 

 say I had never seen surpassed, either in muscular action or agility. 



Several small processions were seen passing through the streets, 

 consisting of about fifteen persons, all of whom carried banners, 

 with inscriptions in golden characters, and were preceded by the 

 usual music. I was told that they were celebrating a marriage ; 

 but although I followed for the purpose of observing them, and made 

 many inquiries, I could not ascertain any thing about the manner of 

 conducting the ceremonies. It seemed to be a kind of walking 

 advertisement; and when they passed any Chinese house of conse- 

 quence, they made a five-fold racket. 



VOL. v. 103 



