MISCELLANIES. 



591 



of any hostile jiower, either going 

 to or returning from that coun- 

 try : we shoukl become forniiiiable 

 neigiibours to the Dutch and to 

 the Spaniards, and in the event of 

 a war with either of them, attack 

 with advantage their most valuable 

 settlements. In short, all the ar- 

 guments in favour of a settlement 

 at Balambangan may with much 

 more propriety be urged for one 

 in Cochin China 



Should any thing that has 

 been said, appear sufficiently well- 

 grounded to induce the Company 

 to form a settlement in Cochin 

 China, it may be effected on prin- 

 ciples strictly just and at a small 

 expense. Several of the royal 

 family, besides the Mandarines 

 who were in Bengal, with many 

 officers of the late government, 

 lU'ged me to use my ende;ivours 

 with the government of Bengal to 

 induce it to afford them assistance, 

 promising a powerful support 

 whenever we should heartily en- 

 gage in their cause : to restore 

 their lawful sovereign to the 

 throne, would be now a measure 

 so popular, that the sincerity of 

 their offers cannot be doubted. 

 To relieve an iinhappy people 

 groaning imder the weight of tiie 

 most cruel oppression would be 

 an act worthy the himianity of 

 the British nation. Fifty Euro- 

 pean infantry, half that number 

 of artillery, and two hundred sea- 

 poys, would be sufficient for this 

 and every other puipose. The 

 natives of Cochin China are infi- 



nitely below the inhabitants of 

 Hindustan in military knowledge ; 

 I have however no doubt that a 

 body of them well disciplined and 

 regularly paid, would prove as 

 faithful to us, and contiibute as 

 much to the security of any pos- 

 sessions which we might acquire 

 to the eastward, as the sepoys do 

 to our territories in India. In 

 case of any distant expeditions, 

 they would be found superior ; 

 being entirely free from all reli- 

 gious prejudices, and having no 

 objection to the sea. 



While Cochin China remains in 

 its present distracted state, a fa- 

 vourable opening is presented to 

 the first European nation tiiat 

 may attempt to obtain a footing 

 in the coimtry. Three years ago, 

 the French sent a frigate to Turon 

 Bay, and from the pains taken 

 to be informed of the produce and 

 political state of the country, 

 there is strong reason to conclude 

 some such design was in agitation. 

 Since that period, the accurate 

 accounts Mr. Chevalier must have 

 received of Padre Loreiro during 

 his residence with him at Chan- 

 dernagore, added to the loss of all 

 their settlements in India, will 

 most probably induce them to re- 

 sume it. If they do not, some 

 other power may adopt the scheme. 

 Should the Company therefore en- 

 tertain a design of making an es- 

 tablishment in Cochin China, no 

 time should be lost in carrying it 

 into execution. 177S. 



POETRY. 



