COCHINCHINA. 301 
inquiring into futurity by the casting of lots ; in cliarming 
away diseases ; in the articles of diet and the mode of prepar- 
ing them ; in the nature of most of their public entertainments 
and amusements ; in the construction and devices of fnc- 
works ; in instruments of music, games of chance, cock-fight- 
ing and quail-fighting. The spoken language of Cochinchina, 
though on the same principle, is so much changed from the 
original as to be nearly, if not wholl}^, unintelligible to a 
Chinese ; but the written character is precisely the same. 
All the temples which fell xmder our observation were very 
humble buildings ; and we saw no specimens either of the 
heavy curved roofs, or of the towering pagodas, so fre- ' 
quently met with in China ; but it seems there are, in many 
parts of the country, monasteries that are amply endowed, 
whose buildino-s are extensive and enclosed with walls for 
their better securit}^ The houses in general near Turon bay 
consisted only of four mud walls, covered with thatch ; and 
such as are situated on low grounds, in the neighbourhood of 
rivers, are usually raised upon four posts of wood, or pillars 
of s-tone, to keep out vermin as well as inundations. 
The dress of the Cochinchinese has undergone not only an 
alteration, but a very considerable abridgment. They wear 
neither thick shoes, nor quilted stockings, nor clumsy sattin 
boots, nor petticoats stuffed with wadding ; but always go 
barelegged and generally barefooted. Their long black 
hair, like that of the Malays, is usually twisted into a knot 
and fixed on the crown of the head. This, indeed, is the 
ancient mode in which the Chinese wore their liair, until the 
