is a Chinese boat without a keel, looking almost like a trough; they are made of different dimensions, but are mostly covered. These boats are as long as sloops, but broader, almost like a baking trough; and have at the end one or more decks of bamboo sticks: the cover or roof is made of bamboo sticks, arched over in the shape of a grater; and may be raised or lowered at pleasure: the sides are made of boards, with little holes, with shutters instead of windows: the boards are fastened on both sides to posts, which have notches like steps on the inside, that the roof may be let down, and rest on them: on both ends of the deck are commonly two little doors, at least there is one at the hindmost end. A fine white smooth carpet spread up as far as the boards makes the floor, which in the middle consists of loose boards; but this carpet is only made use of to sleep on. As these boats greatly differ from ours in shape, they are likewise rowed in a different manner: for two rows, posting themselves at the back end of the sampan, work it forwards very readily by the motion of two oars; and can almost turn the vessel just as they please: the oars, which are covered with a little hollow quadrangular iron, are laid on iron swivels, which are fastened in the sides of the sampan: at the iron the oars are pierced, which makes them look a little bent: in common, a rower sits before with a short oar; but this he is forced to lay aside when he comes near the city, on account of the great throng of sampans; and this inconvenience has confirmed the Chinese in their old way of rowing. Instead of pitch, they make use of a cement like our putty, which we call chinam, but the Chinese call it kiang. Some authors say that this cement is made of lime and a resin exuding from the tree tong yea, and bamboo ockam.

Besides a couple of chairs, they have the following furniture: two oblong tables or boards on which some Chinese characters are drawn; a lanthorn for the night-time, and a pot to boil rice in. They have also a little cover for their household god, decorated with gilt paper and other ornaments: before him stands a pot filled with ashes, into which the tapers are put before the idol. The candles are nothing else than bamboo chips, to the upper end of which saw-dust of sandal-wood is stuck on with gum. These tapers are everywhere lighted before the idols in the pagodas, and before the doors in the streets; and, in large cities, occasion a smoke very pernicious to the eyes. Before this idol stands some surfo, or Chinese brandy, water, &c. We ought to try whether the Chinese would not like to use juniper-wood instead of sandal-wood; which latter comes from Suratte, and has almost the same smell with juniper.