,190 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1817. 



all events there is reason to sup- 

 pose it will enable us to procure 

 the commoflities of China at a 

 much more I'easonable rate than 

 now purchased by our factors at 

 Canton, and certainly on less hu- 

 miliating terms to the nation. 

 Large colonies of Chinese have 

 from time to time emigrated from 

 the parent coimtry and fixed their 

 abode in different parts of Cochin 

 China ; these have their corre- 

 spondents in every seaport of the 

 empire ; through their means, 

 teas, China ware, and the various 

 other articles, the objects of our 

 commerce with China, might be 

 imported in junks to our own set- 

 tlements, equally good in quality, 

 and cheaper, as the Chinese are 

 exempted from the exoibitant 

 duties levied on foreigners. Some 

 of the best workmen might be 

 encouraged to settle in Cochin 

 China, and under their direction 

 manufactories carried to as great 

 a degree of perfection as in China 

 itself. 



The intercourse between Japan 

 and Cochin China might be re- 

 newed, and we might participate 

 in a trade for many years mono- 

 polized by the Dutch. 



An advantageous trade might 

 be carried on with the Philippine 

 Islands, and Madras and Bengal 

 goods introduced amongst them 

 by means of the junks for the 

 consumption of Spanish America. 



The Siamese and Cambodians 

 would bring the produce of their 

 respective covmtries and barter or 

 sell them for such articles as they 

 wanted from Cochin China. 

 Amongst them it is probable a 

 vent might be found for quanti- 

 ties of Bengal cloths. 



The lower class of people in Co- 



chin China are, for the mo&t part, 

 clothed in canvass, a coarse cotton 

 cloth brought from China ; but 

 the preference which 1 had oppor- 

 tunity of observing they gave to 

 Bengal cloths^ on account of their 

 being wider and cheaper, would 

 soon induce them to adopt the use 

 of them. 



The demand for opium, al- 

 ready, in some measure, become a 

 necessary of life to the Chinese, 

 would increase in proportion to 

 the facility of procuring it. The 

 importation of it no longer con- 

 fined to Canton, but carried by 

 the junks in every seaport in the 

 country, would spread the de- 

 mand of this drug to the remotest 

 parts of the empire. 



But what inspires the most flat- 

 tering hopes from an establish- 

 ment in this country is its rich 

 gold mines ; celebrated for ages 

 as producing the richest ore, so 

 pure that the simple action of fire 

 is said to be sufficient to refine it ; 

 I omitted no opportunity of mak- 

 ing inquiries respecting this va- 

 luable article, and was informed 

 that mines were formed in dif- 

 ferent parts of the northern pro- 

 vinces, particularly in Hue, where 

 the ore lay so near the surface of 

 the earth that it was dug up with 

 little labour. Under the direction 

 of a skilful metallurgist, what 

 might not be expected from such 

 a source ' 



Great as the commercial advan- 

 tages are, the political ones re- 

 sulting from a settlement in Cochin 

 China would be scarce inferior. 

 Turon Bay would not only afford 

 a secure retreat to our Indiamen 

 in case of their losing their pas- 

 sage to China ; but from thence 

 we might also intercept the fleets 



of 



