47 
and relations in China; these people are 
addicted to Gaining and amoaking Opium, 
and are immoderately fond of seeing Plays 
acted, after the maimer of their country; 
though the audiences, on these occasions, 
are extremely numerous, the utmost order, 
silence, and regularity is observed. Their 
Plays frequently require two or three days 
for the representation, and embrace a 
period of many years. These Performances 
are very noisy, the termination of each 
Scene and Act being marked by the firing 
of numerous Crackers; and the sounds of 
their music, the most discordant. To every 
person but themselves, these Plays, after 
half an hour, become tiresome in the 
greatest degree. During their Holidays, 
w hich continue a month, no consideration 
will induce a Chinaman to work; in this 
period, the savings of a year are frequent ly 
dissipated in a few hours. They are, in 
general, a quiet industrious People, and 
1*1 ^ 
