Succeed in taking my place among
the small number of Europeans who are acquainted with that
remarkable country, not from books alone, but from actual
observation; I never believed that I should really behold the
Chinese, with their shaven heads, long tails, and small, ugly,
narrow eyes, the exact counterparts of the representations of them
which we have in Europe.
We had hardly anchored, before a number of Chinese clambered up on
deck, while others remained in their boats, offering for sale a
variety of beautifully made articles, with fruit and cakes, laid out
in great order, so as to form in a few seconds a regular market
round the vessel. Some of them began praising their wares in broken
English; but on the whole, they did not drive a very flourishing
business, as the crew merely bought a few cigars, and a little
fruit.
Captain Jurianse hired a boat, and we immediately went on shore,
where each person on landing had to pay half a Spanish dollar (2s.)
to the mandarin: I subsequently heard that this imposition was
shortly afterwards abolished. We proceeded to the house of one of
the Portuguese merchants established there, passing through a large
portion of the town on our way thither.
