I saw some junks of most extraordinary shape, having poops that hung far over the water, and provided with large windows and galleries, and covered in with a roof, like a house.

These vessels are often of immense size, and of a thousand tons' burden.

I also saw some Chinese men-of-war, flat, broad, and long, and mounting twenty or thirty cannons.

{93} Another object of interest was the mandarins' boats, with their painted sides, doors, and windows, their carved galleries, and pretty little silk flags, giving them the appearance of the most charming houses; but what delighted me most was the flower-boats, with their upper galleries ornamented with flowers, garlands, and arabesques.

A large apartment and a few cabinets, into which the interior is divided, are reached through doors and windows which have almost a Gothic appearance.