488 



than three separate times, and repeat his invitati- 

 on in persoii at each meeting as a proof of his 

 sincerity, a tolerably severe task when the gnesta 

 amount, as tliey often do, to 70 or 80 people* 

 Their dinners usually take place about seven in 

 the evening, and consist of a great variety of 

 made dishes. They have no objection to the use 

 of wine or mall liquors, though few indulge in 

 them on account of the expence. Several littJe 

 teapi»ts are placed on the tables for the conveni- 

 ence of tlie guests, although they frequently con- 

 tain a stronger beverage than tea. 1 one evening 

 took particular notice of a Chinaman whose inces- 

 sant pledges to his neighbors induced me to con- 

 ceive that his tea must be greatly to his hking, 

 and, on pouring a Httie of it out into a teacup^ 

 discovered that the 6ne straw colored tea was 

 nothing less than arrack, without one drop of 

 " allaying Tiber" in it. 



The guests however, never get quarrelsome, 

 their time and attention being too exclusively 

 directed to the repast to enable them to notice 

 any thing else, the master of the house being the 

 only one who does nut eat , as it is his office Ui go 

 from table to table to see that his gue&ts want for 

 nothing. All the upper garments of ihe latter 

 are taken off and suspended on 'pegs round the 

 wall in order that they may not incumber thcin 

 in the act of feasting, whilst in an outer room the 

 Malacca band, as it is termed, consisting of five 

 Portuguese performers on European instruments, 

 blends its harmony with the more plaintive notes 

 of Malayan music, boUi being ever and anon 

 overpowered by the deafening crashes of the Chi- 



