710 



COCHINCHINA, 



ted rank OTff ike nation* of Aiia. During the hort in- 

 tn rl f peace- w l.i. I, lie K.i<> been permitted tu enjoy , be hu 

 Uboured, by thr wisest institution*, to promote the peace- 

 ful at well at tl> .irt* among hit subjects. 1 Ic IIM 

 >r*ged igricult*. uUcluri-sof rvery dcnomi- 

 hasestabiuh'-ii j/Jilic schools in every part of 

 hit duminioni ; hr hae cauird a regular turvry to be made 

 whole sea coast, and buoys and land mtrk to be 

 <! in tin- dingrrous placet; be liai opened i 

 and erected inviting furnace*. With * view to tin- mi- 

 litary improvement of bit country, lie employed the I.. .in- 

 ful Adran to translate iut i tin- Chinese language, a sys- 

 tem of European tactic* for tin- regulation uf liii army ; 

 and ;>: , f tu tin .! .1 iii.ii mi- with nidi 



. . that, in I SOI), hr had act" 



fleet of no less than 1'AX) vetkcl*, several of them ol btt* 

 ropean construction, and the whole trained to mauiruvrc 

 by tignal*. according to the inotl appioved mrtliod* of 

 modern times, lie it very desirous to ha* c th attift- 

 ancc of European ofiiccrs, and men of ecici . c, in the dif- 

 ierent departments of hi* government ; ami ii.. himself 

 no mean knowledge of many of our ui>eful arts. To ship- 

 building in particular, he has applied himself with such 

 l>er*cvcring industry, that he is taid to have purchased a 

 Portuguese vessel, for the express purpose of taking it 

 in pieces, plank by plank, with his own hand*, fitting in 

 a new piece of similar form and dimensions, till tin- whole 

 had been completely renovated. While he pays a icru- 

 jmlous regard to the maxim* of Confucius, he < . 

 dtclari-i his great veneration for the doctrines of Chris- 

 tianity, and tolerates it and all other religions. 



The following is Mr Barrow's account of tbc daily life 

 of thiicxtraordinary personage, who in 1807 was in die 5 1st 

 year of his age. " To enable him tin IK-HIT to attend to 

 til- concerns of his government, bis mode of life is rcgula- 

 ud liy a fixed plan. At tut in the morning he rises from 

 his couch, and goe* into the cold bath. At seven he- has 

 hi* levee of mandarins : all the letter* are read which have 

 been received in the course ol the preceding day, of 

 i hit order* are munti d by the respective sccreta- 

 nc*. He then proceed* to tin- nuval arsenal, examine* 

 tin- work* that have been performed in hi* absence, rows 

 in his barge round the harbour, inspecting his ship* of 

 war. He pays particular attention 10 the ordnance de- 

 partment ; and in the founder)', which is erected within 

 the arsenal, cannon are cast ol all dimension*. About 

 twelve or one he takes hi* breakfast in the dock-yard, 

 which consists of a little boiled rice and dried fish. At 

 two he retires to his apartment and sleeps till five, when 

 he again rise*, give* audience to the naval and military 

 qfioeri, the head* of tribunals, or public departments, 

 and apptoves, rejects, or amends whatever they may have 

 to prujio'if. These affairs of itate generally employ his 

 attention till miduj'ht, alter which he retires to lux private 

 iijiartmentt, to make such notes and memorandums as the 

 uccurrcnccs of the day may have suggested. He then 

 lake* a light supper, pa-.be* an hiuir with tun family, and 

 -en two and three in the morning retires to his bed ; 

 taking in thit manner at two intervals, about six hour* of 

 rct in the four'ind-twcuty." 



Hit fiicrs, a* stated by captain Bariisy, were in the 

 year 1 BOO as follow* : 



Army. . Mm. 



Si Kjuadron* of buHalo 'cavalry ' 



Hi tuttahons of elephants (200 beasts) H.OOO 



'0 battalion* of artillery 1 5,000 



19,000 



Brought forward 

 25 regiment* of ISOO.each trained in tlv-Eu ~ 



.111 manner 



Infantry with matchlocks, sabre*. &c. train 

 the ancient manner or tin? country 

 I* regularly trained in European tactic* 



ffl.OOO Cochin. 



80,000 ,- 



>00 



I'd 



Land force* 1 1 



Artificer* in the naval arounil .... r<)UO 

 ii'.cnd and borne on thrl ofwy. 



snips iu the harbour j 



Attached t ! tin- European built vess . . 



Attached to the junks l< 



Attached to the 100 row gall< y* . WiOO ,,8OO 



Total KtM.hOo 



The Japanese i* the only current money in Cochin .Money. 

 china, and i* paid and received by wi 'ight. The i. 

 of the country is of cupper, as lar^e ;u <u 

 counters, of a round figure,. and has a hole in the middle-, 

 by which it may be strung in the same manner as L. 



Cochinchina i* extremely well hi lusted for cnmm< 

 It lies in the direct line of our navigation to China, and ^ 

 in the immediate vicinity of the islands in the Indian Ar- "" 

 i liiprl.igo ; and the cnininodions luirboirrj formed on it* 

 coasts, particularly at Turon, all'urd a safe retreat for ships 

 of any burden in the most tempestuous seasons. It tur- 

 niahcs many article* of great value in the Chinese market, 

 and might open a ready market for many of our manu- 

 facture*, lieside* a variety of valuable icmtcd v. 

 it* forest* C" ie stoic of teak, and other 



timber for ship-building, of which our supply in other 

 i . .i.! t i In- both scanty and precarious ; 

 and its fertile valhcs yield abundance of rice, sugar, pep- 

 per, silk, cot ton, and other vegetable productions. Among 

 the articles of luxury, which are at all time* in demand 

 by the Chinese, may be enumerated the areca nut, c. 

 moms, ginger, and other spice* ; the next* already descri- 

 bed ; the bichon <lu Mar, or sea sings, in coirmi 



;e called hr/nui ; the fins of sharks ; and nui.y 

 productiom of a gelatinous quality, both animal* 

 and vegetables. A rich gold mine has, it is said, hi < n 

 opened near Hue, the northern i-pittl, and gold dust ha* 

 been brought at dillennt periods from the mountains. 

 Silver mines uUo have bren discovered, and the silver is 

 now brought tu m.nk-t in bars about five inches long, 

 and in value about eleven Spanish dollars. These arli- 

 cles, so valuable in Chin.'., i!n,;lit be taken by u in ex- 

 change fur our various manufacture* in iron and sieel ; 

 our woollens, cotton*, and mutihns ; our naval (tore* ; 

 our opium, and other drug* ; all of which have at v;:, 

 time* been disposed of in Cochinchina at an advance of 

 .'JO per cent, and their value paid in ingots <'f nlver. liy 

 a trade ol that kind, were there a British factory esta- 

 blished at Turon, as much lit be saved to Great 

 Ilrilain, or to our settlement* in India, as the value of 

 the commodities might amount to in China ; and if the 

 Chinese government shall ever carry into effect a threat- 

 ening which they have often held out, of exclinln 

 i tii. i finiii tin n port s, our trade n, 



i. till be i.un.il and perhaps with greatei advantage, 



by mean* of Chinese junk* bringing cargoes of tea and 

 Kilks and other article* to Cochnu luna, and thus avoid- 

 ing the exorbitant duties levied at Canton on f 

 *el. In this manner too, an advantageous tiade mij;lit 

 be opened up to the numerous islands lm-h h 

 in tbc Indian and Chinese sea*, tome of which have of lutr 



