Sketch of the Geogrijphj of Cachlu China. 37 



being wider and cheaper, would foon indyce them to adopt 

 the ufe of them. The demand for opium, already in fome 

 meafure become a neceflary of life to the Chinefe, would in- 

 creafe in proportion to the facility of procuring it. The im- 

 portation of it, no longer confined to Canton, but carried by 

 the junks to every fea-port in the country, would fprcad the 

 dqmand for this drug to the remoteft parts of the empire. 



But what infpires the moil flattering hopes from an ella- 

 blifhment in this country is it? rich gold mines, celebrated 

 for ages as producing the richeft ore^ fo pure, that the fimple 

 ailion of fire is faid to be fufFicient to refine it. I omitted no 

 opportunity of making inquiries refpe6ting this valuable ar- 

 ticle, and was told that mines were formed in different parts 

 of the northern provinces, and particularly in Hue, where 

 the ore lay fo near the furface of the earth that it was dug up 

 with little labour. Under the direction of a ikilful nietal- 

 lurgift, what might not be expected from fuch a fource ! 



Great as the commercial advantages are, the political ones 

 refulting from a fettlement in Cochin China would be fcarce 

 inferior. Turon Bay would i)ot only aflord a. fecure. retreat 

 to our Indiamen in cafe of lofing their paffage to China, but 

 froni thence we might alfo intercept the fleets of any hoftile 

 ppwerj either going to or returning from that country. We 

 Ihould become formidable neighbours to the Dutch and to 

 the Spaniards, and, in the event of a war with either of ihem, 

 attack, with advantage, their moft valuable fettlements. 



Should the company be induced to form a fettlement in 

 Cochin China, it ijiay be cflc.'(?t;ed on principles ftriAIy juft, 

 and at a fmall expenfe. Several of the royal family, bcfides 

 the mandarins who v.'ere in Bengal, with many officers of the 

 late government, urged me to ufe my endeavours with the 

 government of Bengal to induce it to afiyrd them afllflancc, 

 proniifing a powerful fupport whenever we fliould heartily 

 join in their caufe. Tq rellorc their lawful fovereign to the; 

 throne, would be now a meafure fo populfir, that the fince- . 

 rity of their offers cannot be doubted. To relieve an unhappy 

 people, groaning under the weight of the moll cruel opprd- 

 lion, would be an a«A worthy of the Britidi nation, fifty 

 European infantry, half that number of artillery, and two 

 hundred fepoys, would be fufficient for this and every other 

 purpofe. The natives of Cochin China are infinitely below 

 the inhabitants of Hinduftan in military knowledge; I have, 

 however, no doubt that a bodv of them, well difciplined and 

 regularly paid, would prove as faithful to us, and contrihute 

 as much to the fccuritv of any poflcllions which we might 

 acc;uire to the eaflward, as the fepoys do to our territories in 

 D ^ India. 



