MISCELLANIES. 



589 



gold and silver bullion. Had we 

 been paid for all we sold, the sum 

 would have been much more con- 

 siderable. Tlie Rumbold, the year 

 before, also brought bullion to a 

 considerable amoimt. This money 

 was received on account of sales 

 of Bengal and Madras cloths, 

 opium, iron, copper, lead, hard- 

 ware, and glass. Some inquiries 

 Avere made for broad cloth, but 

 we unfortunately had none. These 

 are matters of a trifling nature. 

 In the sequel I hope to fix the 

 attention to many of greater im- 

 portance. 



The situation of Cochin China 

 is excellently well adopted to com- 

 merce. Its vicinity to China, 

 Tonquin, Japan, Conibodia, Siam, 

 the Malay coast, the Philippines, 

 Borneo, the Moluccas, &c. renders 

 the intercourse with all these 

 countries short and easy. The 

 commodious harbours found on 

 the coast, particularly that of 

 Turon, afford a safe letreat for 

 ship* of any burden, during the 

 most tempestuous seasons of the 

 year. 



The nations of Europe, having 

 hitherto found it impossible to 

 provide cargoes sufficiently valua- 

 ble to barter for the commodities 

 of China, are obliged to make up 

 the deficiency by sending thither 

 immense quantities of bullion, by 

 which means it l>as, for a nuuibcr 

 of years past, drained the eastern 

 and western worlds of their specie. 

 The number of junks annually 

 resorting to Cochin China plainly 

 proves how much the productions 

 of it are in demand among the 

 Chinese. These ])ro(!uctions, liad 

 we a setth'ment and a confii'med 

 influence in the country, migiit 

 with case be brought to center 



with us, purchased with the staples 

 of India and of Eurojie ; Turon 

 would become the emporium for 

 them, where our ships bound to 

 Canton, from whence it is only 

 five days sail, might call and re- 

 ceive them. The quantity pro- 

 curable it is impossible to deter- 

 mine ; whatever it might be, it 

 would prove a saving of so much 

 specie to Great Britain or India, 

 as the value of the commodities 

 an^ounted to in China; in a few 

 years there is eveiy reason to be- 

 lieve, a very considerable invest- 

 ment might be provided. 



Our trade to China has ever 

 been burthened with enormous 

 imposts and exactions ; these, 

 under various pretences, are an- 

 nually increasing, and in process 

 of time may become insupportable. 

 It ii an opinion latterly grown 

 current that the Chinese are de- 

 sirous of totally excluding all Eu- 

 ropeans from their country : may 

 we not hazard a conjecture, that 

 the vexations they oblige them to 

 suffer are the premeditated schemes 

 of this politic people to effect It ? 

 ^^'ere such an e\cnt to happen, 

 the want of a settlement to the 

 eastward would be severely felt. 

 The Chinese would export tiieir 

 ov.n commodities, and Java or 

 the Philippines, as the nearest 

 ports, would become the marts 

 for them. As there is no reason 

 to siippose that our inability to 

 procure them from the first hand 

 would hinder their consumption, 

 we must buy them either from the 

 Diitcli or from the Spaniards. A 

 settlement in Cochin China will 

 give us a superior advantage to 

 either, both as its situation is 

 nearer, and the Chinese are more 

 accustomed to resort thither ; in 



all 



