404 



ASPECT OF THE POPULATION. 



but it got dark too soon to see much. The town 

 seemed very extensive, and its suburbs still more so. 

 We drove up one road and down another for several 

 miles, under avenues of trees, with native villages or 

 kampongs on each side of us, iuterrupted here and 

 there by the country-houses and grounds of Euro- 

 peans. Many of these latter seemed pretty spacious, 

 and all were thrown open, and lighted up with many 

 lamps. In front of these houses were parties of 

 ladies and gentlemen sitting in verandahs and por- 

 ticos, taking tea or wine, smoking or playing 

 cards, and chatting. We met one or two carriages 

 of ladies, seemingly in full dress, without bonnets 

 or any head-dress, driving about in the cool of the 

 evening. We crossed the river, which now seemed 

 rapid and winding, and had several wooden bridges 

 over it, and after driving down some dark roads, 

 overshadowed by trees, in which brilliant fire-flies 

 were flitting about, entered the town again by the 

 Chinese quarter. Here we found grotesque-looking 

 houses, lit up with large paper lanterns, of gaudy 

 colours, with Chinese inscriptions or monsters upon 

 them, and long rows of Chinese characters up and 

 down the door-posts, or over the windows. Large 

 arched gateways seemed to lead into some of the 

 streets, probably particular quarters. Crowds of 

 people swarmed along the streets, and strange cries 

 and a babel of languages resounded in our ears, 

 and every variety of eastern dress flitted about us, 

 from the half-naked coolie to the well -clothed 

 Chinese, in a loose white jacket like a dressing- 



