Sketch of the Geography of Cochin China. 35 



The breadth of the country bears no proportion to its 

 Ifcngth. Few of the provinces extend further than a degree 

 Irom eafl: to well, fome lefs than twenty miles: Donai, which 

 is properly a province of Cambodia, is much larger. 



The whole country is interfered by rivers, which, although 

 not large enough to admit of veflels of great burthen, \e.t 

 are exceedingly well calculated for promoting inland coin- 

 mcrce. 



The climate is healthy, the violent heat of the fummer 

 months being tempered by regular breezes from thefea. Sep- 

 tember, 06lober, and November, are thefeafon of the rains j 

 the low lands are then fuddeuly overflowed by iinmenfe tor- 

 rents of water which fall from the mountains. The inunda- 

 tions happen generally once a tortnitiht, and laft for three or 

 four days. In December, January, ami February, there are 

 frequently rains brought by cold northerly winds, which di- 

 ftinguifli this country with a winter diflerent from any other 

 in the eaft. The inundations have the fame efl'ect here as the 

 overflowings of the Nile in Eiivpt? and render the country 

 one of the moft fruitful in the world. In many parts the 

 land produces three crops of grain in the year. All the fruits 

 of India are found here in the greateft perfcftion, with many 

 of thofe of China. 



No country in the eaft produces richer or a greater variety 

 of articles proper for carrying on an advantageous commerce ; 

 cinnamon, pepper, cardemoms, filk, cotton, fugar, Agula 

 wood, Japan wood, ivory, &c. Gold is taken almoft pure 

 from the mines; and, before the troubles, great quantities 

 were brought from the hills in dull, and bartered bv the rude 

 inhabitants of them for rice, cloths, and iron. It was from 

 them alio the Agula and Calambae woods were procured, 

 with quantities of wax, honev, and ivory. 



The animals of Cochin China are bullocks, goats, fwinc, 

 buffaloes, elephants, camels, and horfes. In the woods aie 

 found the wild boar, tiiier, and rhinoceros, with jilenty of 

 deer; thi; poultry is excellent, and the fl(h cauuht on the 

 coaft abundant and delicious. The flelh of the elephant i-i 

 accounted a great dainty by the Cochin Chincfe. The breed- 

 ing of bullocks is little attended to; their flefli is not elleenied 

 as food, and thevare made no ufe of in tilling the laud, which 

 is performed by buffaloes. They are totally unacquainted 

 with tlie art of milking their cattle. 



'I'he aborigines of Cochin China arc called Moys, and a e 

 the people which inhabit the chain of mountains which fe- 

 parate it from Cambodia. To ihefe ftrong-hulds they were 



Vgi,. XV. No. /;7. D 'drivLii 



