706 



COC II INCH IN A. 



The numerous little islands, whicli lie along the coatt 

 s ^ of this country, afford an article of luxury in very great 



~ ' demand in China, called the Trepan or Bickot da mer, 

 which it specie! of tea (lug. Van quantities of thii 

 little animal are alto collected on the northern coast .of 

 New Holland, and carried to the Chinese market. Cap. 

 tmin Flinders, who was tent out on a voyage of discove- 

 ry to that coait, learned that not less than sixty vessels 

 made an annual voyage regularly for the sole purpose of 

 collecting these marine productions, during the prece- 

 ding twenty years. After being detached from the 

 rock*, they are opened, washed in fresh water, and boil- 

 ed, then dried in the srr.oke of green wood, in nearly 

 the same manner a* our red herrings are prepared. In 

 the same islands, running parallel with the coasts of Cochin- 

 . china, and known in the charts by the name if ihe 7V 



nether valuable article of export is f r.iul, namely, those 

 celebrated nests made by a small bird about the size of 

 our swallow, and cemented with a kind of gum, the 

 different layers of which may be separated in the same 

 manner as the coats of an onion. When this gum hat 

 been dissolved in warm water, it is u*cd for seasoning 

 fish, and dishes of variouskinds; to saucer it also communi- 

 cates an exquisite taste, and hence it becomes a valuable 

 art'cle in the Chinese market. These islands also abound 

 with turtle*, of so delicate a flavour, that, in order to ob- 

 tain them, the inhabitants of this and the neighbouring 

 countries fight desperate battles. 



Origin. Until a few centuries after the Christian zra, Cochin- 



china formed a part of the Chinese empire ; and the ge- 

 neral features of the natives, particularly in the northern 

 provinces, their customs, their written language, their 

 religious opinions and ceremonies, still indicate their Chi- 

 nese origin. They also, in many respects, resemble the 

 Tung-quinese, with whom they have a common origin, 

 and from whom they differ very little in their mode of life. 

 Although it is the tendency of all revolutions to change 

 the character and manners of a people, and although 

 that observation in many respects holds true, with re- 

 gard to the difference betwixt the present, and the for- 

 mer manners and customs of the Cochinchinese, yet, in 

 their diet and superstition?, their marriages and funeral 

 ceremonies, their games, music, and entertainment.', and 

 in the greater part of their ordinary life, they exactly 

 resemble the people from whom they have been separa- 

 ted. Instead, therefore, of entering into a minute de- 

 scription of these, we shall refer the reader to the article 

 CHINA, and confine our observations to those manners 

 and custom?, which may be termed peculiar to this 

 country. 



Appear- The general appearance of the Cochinchinese is by no 



net of the means engaging to the eye of a stranger. The women 

 ua-iv;. have no pretensions to beauty ; but, unlike the morose 

 and secluded Chinese, they do what they can to compen- 

 sate for the want of personal charms by a lively and cheer- 

 ful temper. Both sexes have coarse features, and dark 

 complexions ; and their universal custom of chewing 

 areca, or betel, by reddening the lips and blackening the 

 teeth, gives them a disgusting appearance. They are, 

 however, represented as gentle, hospitable, enterprising, 

 and industrious. Few crimes are to be to'ind among 

 them : robbery and murder are unknown. A stranger 

 is every where received with the most eager curiosity, 

 but at the same time with the greatest benevolence and 

 hospitality. 



The dreis of this people has undergone a considerable 

 change from that of the Chine*. Indeed the drett of 

 the men differs very little from that of the women, beiiij 

 chiefly confined to a jacket aud a pair of trowsen ; an 



Drcx. 



both sexi s go bare-legged, and generally bare-footed i 

 but the women in the higher ranks wear a kind of sandal* 

 or loose dippers. Their long black hair, like that of 

 the Malays, is usually twisted into a knot, and fixed on 

 the crown of the head. This is the ancient mode in 

 which the Chinee wore their hair, until the Tartars, 

 on the ct.i que>t of the country, compelled them to the 

 ignominy ot > having the whole head, except a little lock 

 of hair behind. Short hair is therefore now accounted 

 a mark of vulgarity, and even of degeneracy. A loot* 

 cotton frock, of a brown or blue colour, reaching down 

 to the middle of the thigh, and a pair of wide black 

 nankeen trowsers, compose the usual clothing of the wo- 

 men. When they wish to appear better dressed, they 

 put on three or four frocks at once, of different colours 

 and lengths, the shortest being uppermost. Some wear 

 handkerchiefs tied round the head, in the shape of a tur- 

 ban ; others have hate, or caps, of various materials, for 

 protecting their faces against the rays of the sun ; and 

 for the same purpose they use umbrellas made oi China- 

 paper, or of the leaves of palms, and sometimes fans made 

 of feathers. Their children, till the age of eight or nine 

 years, have no clothing, and yet appear uncommonly stout 

 and healthy. 



The following account of a public dinner given to c,,,. omi 

 the officers of 'British ships, and other gentlemen who a ,,d m jn- 

 composcd an embassy to this country, may serve to il- ners. 

 lustrate the manners of the inhabitant*. As none of 

 the houses in the town were large enough for the ac- 

 commodation of so numerous a party, the Governor issued 

 his directions for building a spacious shed, which, by 

 the help of the ever-ready and useful bamboo, was 

 finished in the course of a few hours : the roof and 

 the sides were covered with thick close mats. Within 

 this shed was placed a row of little tables, with forms 

 on each side, to which might sit down conveniently from 

 twenty to twenty-four persons. In China it is the cus- 

 tom to cover these little square tables so completely with 

 dishes, or rather bowels, that no part of their surfaces 

 shall be seen ; but the Cochinchinese seem to have im- 

 proved upon the liberality of their highly polished neigh- 

 bours, by not merely covering the table, but by piling the 

 bowls in rowi upon each other three or four in depth. 

 Of table linen, knives, forks, bottles, and glasses they 

 make no use ; but before each person is laid a spoon of 

 potters ware, and a pair of porcupine quills or small 

 sticks of bamboo, of rose or sandal wood, sometimes tip- 

 ped with silver or tooianagiic, of the same kind in every 

 respect as those used by the Chiucfe, and known to the 

 English under the name of chop-sticks. The contents 

 of the bowls are preparations of beef, pork, fowls, and 

 hah, cut into small pieces, mixed with vegetables, and 

 dressed in soups and gravies, variously seasoned, and 

 composed ot various materials. We had nothing roast- 

 ed, nor prepared in the dry way. Neither wine nor spi- 

 rits, nor fermented liquors of any kind, nor even water, 

 were served round during the time of eating ; but when 

 di.mer was over, Chinese seau-c/ioo was handed about in 

 huh porcelain cups." Barrow's I'oyage to Cocliincltntu, 

 \>. ^87. 



In this, as in all other countries where civili/.ation has r>jr r;l( ] 4 

 made but little progress, the females are doomed to the turn of the 

 must laborious occupations. They may be seen standing rnn.ik-cha- 

 from morning to night, in the mid->t of pools of water racier. 

 up to the knees, occupied in transplanting rice. They 

 undertake the labours of tillage, and the various employ- 

 ments ot agriculture ; while those who live in the sea- 

 ports, beside* the management of their domestic con- 

 cerns, undertake the Bupcrintendance of the various bran- 



