Hamilton’s account of the east indies. 505

called for him to try his fkill on the Englilhman. The Tartar was a lufty man, and thefailor fhort, but well fet. The Tartar promifed an eafy conqueft; and to the combatthey went. The Tartars ufe to kick high at the guts, and the firft time he kicked, thefailor had him on his back. The Tartar was much afhamed of the foil he had received,and at the failor again, but Jack foon tripped up his heels again. He defired then tohave a fair bout of boxing without tripping, which Jack agreed to, and battered theTartar’s face and bread: fo with his head, that he was forced to yield to Old England.The mandereen was fo pleafed with the bravery and dexterity of the feaman, that hemade him a prefent of 10 tayels of filver.

In the punifhment of crimes there are laws made to proportion the puniihmentaccording to the notoriety or quality of the crime. For faults not capital they ufe thebamboo and whip, or a pair of wooden flocks, or a wooden collar, being fome boardsfixed together, with a hole in the middle for the head to go through. It is generallyabout five feet fquare, and between fixty and eighty pounds weight, that they areobliged to carry a confiderable way in the day, and fleep in it at night, fitting withthat continual weight on their fhoulders, becaufe there is no lying down ; which punifh-ment lafls as long as the judge determines in his fentence. Some they lay in theflocks by the neck, laid flat on their back in the open fun, with their face continuallytowards it while it fliines, and this lafls for one, two, or three days, as the judge thinksfit to order.

Traitors, murderers, and pirates, are carried to Nankin to be tried and punifhed,except a fpecial order from the Emperor carry cuflom out of her road. Thofe goalsin Nankin are only cleared of malefactors once in three years. In thofe prifons theylive, in great mifery, and often wifh for death before it comes.

Every one of thofe fort of criminals has particular prifons belonging to fuch crimes,and when the judge receives the Emperor ’s orders to reprieve fuch a number, the judgehas it in his power to fave whom he pleafes of that number fpecified, and the reft areimmediately put to death, as faft as they can difpatch them with the fword and axe.I have been credibly informed, that 30,000 have been executed in one month, and halfthat number reprieved.

When the Emperor gives fpecial order for the puniihment of piracy or murder, thedelinquent is tied to a flake, and an executioner cuts the fkin of his forehead roundfrom ear to ear, and pulls it over his eyes, and then delivers him to the friends andrelations of thofe that had buffered injuries by him, and they have the pleafure of tor-turing him as they pleafe. 1 have heard of fome who have been tortured three daysand nights before they expired. Others have had a brick or ftone cloke built roundthem clofe to their bodies, by the fide of an highway, and a guard fet over them, whocommanded all paffengers to fpit on their heads as they paffed by, and they are generallymuch longer dying than the others.

Parents have the power of the life and death of their children till they marry, andthen that power ceafes. Hufbands have the fame power of their wives, if they areconvifted of adultery. I knew an inftance of the latter in Amoy by a Chinefe, that"Went a voyage to Fort St. George, and from thence to England. He had a good agree-able young woman to his wife, and he pretended when he returned, to make his wifeufe the freedom of England, in bringing his wife into Englifhmen’s company when theycame to his houfe, and made her eat at table, or drink tea with them, but not when anyChinefe ftrangers were in his houfe. However, fhe did not know how to behave her-felf prudently in that ftate of freedom, but was debauched by feveral j and he going a

vox., viii. 3 T voyage