386 
SINGAPORE. 
is richly decorated with silk hangings, and banners with many inscrip¬ 
tions, and illuminated with coloured lamps. The stage, which was by 
no means of large size, was occupied 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 
harmonious 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 understand¬ 
ing, and this was the fighting. The tw r o 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: which¬ 
ever it was, it was mingled W’ith still vaulting 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 consequence, they made a five¬ 
fold racket. 
