CO CHIN CHIN A, 287 
shore, were entertained with a piibhc dinner. On then* side, 
some of the leading men daily visited the ships, where, not- 
withstanding the very little relish they seemed to feel for our 
cookery, they usually dined. They neither admired our beer 
nor our wine ; but their avidity for raw rum, brandy, or any 
kind of spirituous liquors, w^as so great that, after their first 
visit, it was found expedient not to leave the quantity to 
their discretion, as the wliole party went out of the ship in a 
state of complete intoxication. 
As none of the houses in the town were large enough 
for the accommodation of so numerous a party, the Go- 
vernor issued his directions for building a spacious shed, 
which, by the help of the ever ready and useful bamboo, 
was finished in the course of a few hours : the roof and the 
sides were covered with thick close mats. Within this shed 
was placed a row of little tables, with forms on each side, to 
which might sit down conveniently frpm. twenty to twenty- 
four persons. In China it is the custom to cover their little 
square tables so completely with dishes, or rather bowls, 
that no part of tlieir surfaces shall be seen ; but the Cochin- 
chinese seem to have improved on. the liberality of their 
liiohly polished neighbours,, by not merely covering the table, 
but by piling the bowls in rows, upon each other three or four 
in depth. I should suppose that we seldom sat down to a 
fewer number of bowls than two hundred, exclusive of the 
cups of rice which are handed- round to the guests in the 
place of bread ; rice being in this country, as well as in 
China and most of the Oriental nations', the staff of life. 
Of table linen, knives, forks, bottles and glasses, they make 
