5° 6

Hamilton’s account of the east indies.

voyage to Canton, had flaid ten months after the Englifh (hipping was gone, and foundher big with child at his return. He fent for her relations and feafted them, and then, before them upbraided her for her difloyalty, and took a piece of heavy wood that theyufe in pounding rice, and gave her a blow on the head that killed her outright.

I heard of an inftance of the other at Canton. A rich merchant had a profligate foil,whom he fent abroad with a confiderable flock to employ in trade. In a few monthshe had confumed all the flock, and run in debt. He gave his creditors bills on hisfather, who anfwered them for his own credit. The fon came back, begged his father’spardon, and protefled, that for the future he would lead a virtuous life. The kindindulgent father entrufted him with a fecond flock, and he, in a fliort time, deflroyedthat alfo, and when his credit was gone returned to his father, who feemed to pafs byhis folly. But one day he made an entertainment for all his relations, and when theentertainment was over he began an apologue that came pretty near his own cafe withhis fon ; and afked their opinion what in juflice the fon ought to fuffer for abufing hisfather’s kindnefs, .and ruining his eflate. They did not know that he and his fon werethe perfons mentioned in the fable under borrowed names, unanimoufly agreed that thefon ought to be punifhed with death. On which the father took a knife and cut hisfon’s throat, before either the fon or his relations had the lead thought of it; and thenhe thanked them for paffing fo juft a fentence, for that he and his fon were the realperfons reprefented in the apologue.

If children grow incorrigible, and defpife the threats or admonitions of their parents,according to law, the parents are to complain of them to the magiftrate, and upon fullconviction, the magiftrate will feverely correct them. For if a fon break the eftablifhedlaws, the parent fuffers punifhment as well as the criminal fon, if he had not beforemade the magiftrate acquainted with his fon’s vices.

And if a parent is brought to poverty and want, and has not brought his fon up toforne calling, whereby he might get his living, the fon is not obliged to aflift his father,but otherwife he is.

In their marriages the bridegroom never fees his fpoufe till they are married, for thematch is made by matrons of both fides, and he is obliged to pay a fum of money to thebride’s relations before he can have her; and when all obftacles are removed, herrelations make a feaft for the bridegroom and his friends, and after that is over, fhe isbrought veiled into the dining-room, and he prefents her with fome jewel of fmallvalue, or fome pieces of ftlk fluffs, and a prieft facrifices a cock, by cutting his throat,and fprinkling fome of the blood on them both, and then they are married by law Jand he feldom marries another while fhe lives, except in cafe of barrennefs, and thenhe may take another, andfo on in cafe of failure in iffue, as far as four, but they cannotgo beyond that number, yet he may buy as many concubines as he pleafes, and thewives are ranked according to priority, and the concubines muft attend and fervethe wives. ,

The ladies drefs is very becoming. They wear fine linen breeches that reach to theancle, but they are covered with a petticoat handfomely platted, that reaches below theancle, and a gown that reaches midleg down, tied with a filken belt round their middle,and each fleeve fo large, that one would ferve to put their body in, and reaches almoftto the ground. They have a collar of embroidery handfomely cut, that comes roundtheir neck, and covers the neck of their gown, and reaches half way between the neckand fhoulder-bone. They have naturally a great deal of hair as black as jet, whichthey fet on wires fitted to their head, railed four or five inches, and covered with their