10 



doDe eaLing, or rise from sleep, wtieu the atteitdaiiLs presume 

 10 inform Lhem, The tower of the ^ ^ church is very 

 highj and theaound of its bell may be heard in all quartftis. 

 It striken both day and night [ after miditiglit and mid-day, 

 they commenee reckoning one o'clock^ which goes on till 

 twelve in both cases. Just after the noontide, at two o'clock, 

 ihe inhabitanti of every house shut up their doors and go to 

 sleep ; when no pasaeogera are to be seea in the streets ; thua 

 one day is as another day, and one year as anotlier. I must 

 say, thai thia vveBteru region is a very pleaaiani place, but 

 a man muit have no parents at. home, ba destiiufe of bre- 

 ihreti, and have no family anileties upon him, and tbea 

 he may all his life long be a most happy fellow in auch quar- 

 ters. While China haa its del ightf, however, these are ac- 

 companied hy politeness, rectitude, a nd a sense of shame, so 

 that they can be indulged in unreservedly ; but the pba- 

 Burca of iheae western regions are enjoyed without knowing 

 what lort of things politeness, recUtude, and shame-faced* 

 ness ar© : Ihua ertravagance is carried lo il3 utmost leoglh, 

 and luits gratified without restraini, just aa inclination 

 prompts. 



Here follow some remarks of a friend of the author'e, na- 

 med W Lim-yaw4oo, dated midsummer, 1708. 



*' Ravished by the perusal of this record of charming pro- 

 spects and easy manneiB, genial climate and blooming ver- 

 dare, a man wisliea himself one of the fjj genii, that he might 

 transpn his |l| ^spirit to the spot ; but then he rami be with- 

 out (jarenta at fiome, and be destitute of brethren abroad^ before 

 he can fully enjoy himself there. 



" 1 have heard that I "Jc )@ Ong-ta^i.bae, (our author) 

 when at S^^tJ^ Sum- jiia.lang, was enierlainedjn tlie house 

 of the Kap-pit-tan, where bra dress and food were elegant and 

 complete, with scores of female atteiidaiUs around him; and 

 yet he would not be one of ihoiJe most happy jieople, because 

 Ong ha\!anold mother at horne, wlinni he lonj^'ed to see; 

 wherefore he looked upon alias a dream of the aouibern 



