48 



PHYSICAL HISTORY OF MAN. 



not agreeable to European taste. Female characters were personated 

 by men singing in 'falsetto.' The male characters wore masks; 

 these were always much broader than the face of the wearer, and 

 often resembled the Chinese as conventionally depicted by themselves, 

 not such as I have found the people in nature. There was always a 

 full orchestra, and I confess being pleased with the music; notwith- 

 standing the predominance of gongs, which has procured for the 

 Chinese the reputation of being a ' noisy people.' The feats of 

 ' tumliling^ exceeded everything of the kind I have elsewhere wit- 

 nessed. 



Among other fantastic exhibitions, a masked demon, seeming ready 

 to devour the bystanders, was led through the streets; and although 

 it was mid-day, made a really formidable appearance. At first, this 

 appeared the very original of Humboldt's " Mexican priest, in the act 

 of swallowing a human victim;" and my companion, who also recol- 

 lected the figure, observed that " he was thinking of the same circum- 

 stance." On referring, however, to the book, a few days afterwards, 

 we found only a general resemblance, more apparent in the profile. 

 On the front view, the Chinese mask more resembled the head of the 

 lion, (an animal foreign to China, and an emblem of Buddhism) ; while 

 tails of various quadrupeds were hanging over the shoulders of the 

 wearer. Some further connexion, may possibly be established be- 

 tween China and Mexico, through the use of grotesque masks by the 

 maritime tribes of Northwest America. 



The temple was to me a very interesting object; for it is impossible 

 in a picture, to do justice to Chinese architecture. Amid the endless 

 details of fanciful carved work, there was nothing uncouth ; and on 

 receding, the more delicate sculptures disappeared gradually, leaving 

 a finished and pleasing general effect at all distances. In the outline, 

 and especially in the form of the roof, I thought I could, equally as 

 in the Malay architecture, distinguish the Feejeean style. I remarked 

 in the interior of the building, a difference from other Oriental forms 

 of worship, in the apparent absence of a sanctuary. 



I visited likewise one of the ^junks' at anchor in the harbour; and 

 found occasion to dissent from the common opinion, condemning the 

 construction of these vessels. Pipes were offered by diff'erent persons 

 on board, as we passed along; and in one instance cigars, by a man 

 who invited us into his apartment, and spoke some Spanish words, 

 which of course he had acquired at Manila. The cables were of 

 rattan ; and such must be extremely strong, besides possessing some 



