474 
VOYAGE TO THE 
CHAP, aware that their politeness prevented them from sending away any 
dish as long as we could be prevailed upon to partake of it — a feeling 
May. which induced them continually to press us to eat, and offer us part 
of every dish on the end of their chopsticks. The next course induced 
us to regret that we had not made the tasting more a matter of form, 
for it consisted of several good dishes, such as roast pork, hashed fowls, 
and vermicelli pudding, &c. After these were removed they brought 
basins of rice, but seeing we would eat no more, they ordered the whole 
to be taken away. 
During the whole time we were closely plied with sackee in small 
opaque wine glasses, which held about a thimblefull, and were com- 
pelled to follow the example of our host and turn our glasses down ; 
but as this spirit was of a very ardent nature, 1 begged to be allowed 
to substitute port and madeira, which was readily granted, and we be- 
came more on a footing with our hosts, who seemed to think that hos- 
pitality consisted in making every person take more than they liked, 
and argued that as they had been intoxicated on board, we ought to 
become so on shore. 
After dinner was removed, Jeeraa favoured us with two songs, 
which were very passable, and much to the taste of the Loo Chooans, 
who seemed to enjoy them very much. Nothing could exceed the 
politeness and hospitality of the mandarin throughout, who begged 
that dinner might be sent off to one of the officers, whose health would 
not permit him to risk a wetting, and that all the boats’ crews might be 
allowed to come to the house and partake of the feast. Though there 
was a little ceremony in receiving and seating us, yet that almost im- 
mediately wore off, and Ching-oong-choo to make every person at his 
ease took off* his hatchee-matchee, and with the rest of the mandarins 
sat without it. By this piece of politeness we discovered that his hair 
was secured on the top of the head by a gold hair pin, called kamesache, 
the first and the only one we saw made of that precious metal. 
We afterwards took a short walk in the garden, when I was sur- 
prised to find An-yah and Shtafacoo in the dress and hatchee-matchee 
of mandarins of the second class : whether this w^as intended as a trick, 
or, following Madera’s example, they preferred making their first 
