^1 Sketch of rbe Ge-ogT^yphyofCochhi dhha. 



^'ilious iriipoda and ex.iftions : ihefe, under various pretenCicd, 



arc annually iucrcafihg, and in procefs of linie may become 



infupportable. It is an opinion, latterly grown current, that 



the Chincfe are dcfirous of totally cxcluduig all Europeans 



^■from their country. May we not hazard a conjefture, that 



•j^ Hie vexations they oblige 'them to fuflcr are the premeditated 



^'Tchemes.of this politic people to eftcdt it? Were fuch an 



^ event to happenj the want of a'fcttlement to the eaftward 



,. would be feverely felt; the Chincfe would export their own 



^.commodities,^ arid Java or the Philippines, as the neareil 



^joorts, would become the marts for them. As there is no 



"reafon to fuppofe that our inability to procure them from the 



■ lii-(t land would' hinder their confumption, we muft buy them 



^, cither from the Dutch or from the Spaniards. A fettlement 



^|in Cochin China will give us a fuperior advantage to either, 



t'othas its fituation is nearer, and the Chincfe are more ac- 



cultomed to refort thiihcr : at all events there is reafon to 



fuppofe it will enable us to procure the commodities of China 



at a much more rcafonable rale than now purchafed by our 



f'ailors at Canton, and certainly on Icfs hu;niliating terms to 



I the nation at large. Colonies of Chincfe have from lime to 



time emigrated from the parent country,- and fixed their abode 



in diH'erent parts of Cochin China. Thefe have their corrc- 



fpondcnce in every fea-jwrt of the empire. Through their 



means, teas, china ware, and the various other articles, the 



objects of our cbnmierce with China, micrht be imported in 



junks to our own feltlements, equally good in quality, and 



cheaper, as the Chinefc are exempted from the exorbitant 



duties levied on foreigners. Some of the bell workmen might 



be encouraged to fettle in Cochin China, and, imderdireftion, 



manvJfc -tories carried to as- great a degree of perfeclion us iu 



China itfelf. 



The intercourfc between Japan and Cochin China might 



,he renewed, and wc might participate in a trade for many 



years monopolized bv the Dutch, An advantageous trade 



"inight be carried on with the Philippine iflands, and Madras 



and Bengal goods introduced amongft them, bv means of 



the junks, for the confumption of Spanilli America. The 



: Siamefe and Cambodians would bring the produce of their 



rqfpe&ive countries, and barter or fell them for fuch articles 



,. as they wanted from Cochin China. Amongft" them it is 



' probable a fal.- miizht be found for quantities of Bengal cloths. 



The lower cilafs of people in Cochin China are, for the nioft 



part, clothed in cangas, a coarfe cotton clolh brought from 



China ; but the preference, which I had an opportunity of 



obfcrving, they gave to Bengal cloths, on account of their 



beinff 



