COCHIN-CHINA. 



COCHIN-CHINA. 



September The mountain* interrupt the cloud* brought by the 

 south-west uionsoon, uid accordingly the dry aea*on prevails in that 

 period : the north-out monsoon bring* min. The wet ineinn w U in 

 at the end of October and continue* until March. In the greatest 

 ummer-heat the thermometer never rue* above 103*; in the 

 great*** cold it never (all* below 57*. In the countrie* on the shore* 

 of the Bay of Tonkin the *outh-we*t monsoon bring* the rain, and 

 the wet aaaion begin* in May and terminate* in August The heat 

 i* occasionally very excessive, and the cold in December, January, 

 and February very aharp : the weather i* often rendered unpleaaant 

 by heavy fog*, a* in Lower Bengal. Typhon* and hurricane* rage 

 with the utmost fury in the Gulf of Tonkin and on the adjacent 

 coast*. They are commonly accompanied with heavy and incessant 

 rain*. The country generally seems to have a very healthy climate 

 for European* a* well a* for native*. 



The iron mine* of Tonkin are about six day*' journey from Cachao, 

 and the gold and (ilver mine* about twelve day*' journey, both in a 

 wectern direction. The mine* are worked by Chinese. Cochin- 

 China U said to hare tin, which however i* not worked. Rice, the 

 principal article of food, is very extensively cultivated in the plains 

 uf Tonkin and Camboja. Indian corn, earth nut* (Aracku hypogaa), 

 and the Caitcolctliu batata*, are also cultivated. The sugar-cane i* 

 extensively cultivated on the coait south of 16. The true cinnamon 

 (Laura* Cinamom*m) i* probably indigenous ; and though ita bark 

 i* much thicker than that of Ceylon, it is preferred by the Chinese. 



Cotton is cultivated everywhere, and exported to China. Silk U in 

 Tonkin and Cochin-China a general object of attention with the 

 peasantry. Tea, of a coarse kind, grown in the neighbourhood of the 

 capital Hue", U called Hud tea. 



The population of Cochin-China ha* been variously estimated at 

 from about 5 millions to 22 millions, but no reliable statement has 

 been given on this point 



The natives call the eastern part of their country Auani. They 

 belong to the same race as the Chinese and Mongols. Their language 

 i* monosyllabic, and the signification of the word* is, in a great 

 measure, regulated by their accentuation. But the Anameee language 

 is totally different from the Chinese language. The Chinese character* 

 are only o*ed in printing ; for common purposes they use others. 

 The inhabitants of Camboja, who call themselves Hammer, constitute 

 a different nation ; they extend on both side* of the river Maekhaun 

 to 15" N. lat In manners, laws, religion, and state of civilisation, 

 they bear a nearer resemblance to the Siamese than to the inhabitants 

 of Cochin-China Proper. 



On the mountain range live two independent nations. The Loye or 

 Loi extend from Cape James at least as far a* 16 N. Ut They once 

 extended to the coast, and occupied all Chiampa, or Tsiompa (the 

 district between Cape Avarella and Cape Jama*), but having been 

 expelled from it, they retired into the mountain fastnesses. The 

 Loye* are a large muscular and well-formed tribe, with reddish 

 complexions, slightly flattened nose*, and long black hair. A shirt 

 and trowsers with a kind of petticoat, occasionally faced with silk, form 

 their costume. Their language differ* essentially both from the 

 Anamose and Cambojan. To the north of 15 N. lat. the interior 

 district* of the mountain range are occupied by another nation, called 

 Moi, which extend* over a tract of country lying between Laos and 

 Cochin-China, about 120 miles in length, and from 20 to 30 miles in 

 breadth. The inhabitant* of this district are said to be uncivilised 

 but inoffensive. The government of their king, who holds his petty 

 court at Feneri, is very oppressive, and some crime is always sure to 

 be brought home to whoever is guilty of possessing any supenor degree 

 of riches. The people generally are in a state of semi-slavery. Their 

 only covering is a cloth wrapped around their middle. The chief 

 production* of this part of the country are a little cotton, indigo, and 

 inferior silk. An extensive fishery is carried on along the coast. 



The government of Cochin-china i* described a* a hereditary mili- 

 tary deepotion. Its administrative authority is in the hands of six 

 mandarin*, and a mandarin of the first or military class is placed over 

 *oh province. The standing army consist* of about 40,000 men, 

 badde* the royal guard*, and 800 elephant* for war service. The 

 naval force include, about 200 gun boat*, 100 galley*, and 600 vessels 

 of nall.r six. The political division coincide* nearly with the 

 historical division of the country. A nun, or the eastern portion, is 

 divided into two provinces Tonkin the northern, and Cochin-China 

 the southern. The boundary-line between them, at about !' N. lat, 

 is (Marly the same line which separated the ancient kingdom of Tonkin 

 from Cochin-China. That portion of Camboja which ha* been united 



*, T ^SL OOQ>P ?^ 60 ' U ** moirt northern portion of 

 Anam, or the plain which extends on both rides of tho river Sonir-oa, 

 and i* bounded by the mountain range, within on all tide*. Itpro- 

 doee* and export* rice, cotton, and silk to a Urge extent It* moun- 

 tain* abound in gold, *Uver, and iron. The capital, Cacliao, or Kai- 

 dug, called by the native* aleo lUathan, i* a large town with 160.000 

 inhabitant*, rituated on the bank* of the 8ong-ca, about 80 or ltd mile* 

 from th* Ma. It* commerce, especially with China, U considerable. 

 //ee i* on the same river, about 16 mile* lower down; the largest 

 junks com* up to this place. 



2. Cochin-Cbina Proper comprehend* the coast from about 19* 



N. lat, to the neighbourhood of Cape James. The native." 

 it by the name of Doug-traoiug or Pang-bung (that is, the inter 

 central country); and they call Tonkin Uaug-ngoai (the external 

 country). It* principal product* are sugar, silk, cinnamon, carda- 

 moms, pepper, Ac. The harbour* along this coast are numerous, safe, 

 and spacioun ; there it a considerable number of small town*. Th* 

 capital is //<<, the metropolis of the whole country, a populous town 

 with extensive fortifications, erected about 85 years ago after European 

 model*. The works are about five miles in circumference. The town 

 of Hud i* intersected with canals, which beside* affording facilities 

 for conveying merchandise, are used by the inhabitants for bathing in. 

 Every family keeps a covered boat, which is usually adorned with a 

 carved and gilded head. The canal* when traversed by these boats, 

 which are painted with vivid colour*, present an animated scene. The 

 best and most frequented harbour is Tvuran or 11 an ; the house* in 

 this town have a neat appearance, and considerable traffic i* carried 

 on. The spacious bay contain* good anchorage for ship*. The hill* 

 around the town are low and covered with bushee, interspened with 

 little rude altar*, erected by the fishermen who frequent the bay, on 

 which to offer rice or burn odoriferous woods as a propitiation or 

 thanksgiving to their deities. The house* in the town are low, built 

 chiefly with bamboo, and thatched with rice-straw or rushes. Both 

 men and women wear long-sleeved gowns reaching to the feet They 

 wear caps and turbans but no shoes. The feet, and particularly the 

 toes, are much used in working at boat-building and other occupations. 

 To the south of Tourau i* the town of faifo, with from 6000 to titiuU 

 inhabitants, mostly Chinese, who carry on an active trade with China. 

 The large towns of Qui-nbon, Phu-yen, and Nhatrang are not visited 

 by Europeans. 



3. Camboja extends over nearly the whole of the ancient kingdom of 

 Camboja, one province of it, Batabang, having been united with Siam 

 about 1809. On this occasion one of the claimants of the throne of Cam- 

 boja applied to the Cochin-Chinese for help against the Siamese ; but 

 before the armies of Siam and Cochin-China met in battle it was agreed 

 to divide the country into two portions. The Siamese retained Bata- 

 bang province, and the remainder waa united to Cochin-China or 

 Anam. The Chinese name of this country is Kan-phu-tche, from 

 which Camboja is derived. As far as this country is known, it is a 

 level, formed by the alluvia of ita large rivers, and very fertile and 

 well cultivated. Its principal commercial productions are rice, areca- 

 nuts, betel, spices, gamboge, sandal-wood, aapan-wood, and ivory. 

 There are several iron mines. Elephants and buffaloes are numerous. 

 Deer abound in the forests, and horned cattle in the plains. There are 

 large numbers of hogs, wild and tame ; goats, hare*, cranes, and all 

 kinds of poultry. Sai-yun, situated on the Sai-gun Kiver, about 60 

 miles from its mouth, may be considered as its capital, being the seat 

 of the provincial government Sai-gun consist* of one street running 

 along the brow of a hill to preserve it from the annual inundations of 

 the river. Sai-gun is situated near the site of the metropolis of the 

 ancient Thimc. It is said that extensive marble ruins have been found 

 to the north-west of the modern city. Two Arabian travellers, who 

 visited Camboja in the 9th century, report that the finest muslins in 

 the world were manufactured there, and that tho people wore garment* 

 woveu BO fine that they might be drawn through a moderate sued 

 ring, fonlaipret, or Camboja, on the Maekhaun, was anciently the 

 capital, and a considerable town when visited by the Dutch in the 17th 

 century. Panompeng, or Catompe, was at a later period the capital, 

 and is still the residence of the nominal king of Camboja ; it is in a 

 populous and well-cultivated country. Kang-kao, or Kiang-tong, 

 about 2 miles from the mouth of the Kang-kao Kiver, which form* a 

 shallow port, has some commerce with Singapore and the countries 

 inhabited by the Malays. A Urge part of its export* to Singapore 

 consist* of mat*. 



The Cochin-Chinese have made some progress in most of the arts 

 of civilised life. Barrow says that they excel in naval architecture, 

 and that their row-galleys for pleasure are remarkably fine vessels. 

 They manufacture lacker-ware, coarse cotton and silk cloth, articles of 

 filigree work, earthenware, and vessels of cast-iron. Fire-arms are 

 largely imported from Europe. 



Since the establishment of Singapore an intercourse has been estab- 

 lished with that colony, carried on chiefly by Chinese merchants. The 

 exports to Singapore in 1844 amounted to 177,606 dollars; the 

 import* from Singapore were 229,413 dollars. The commerce with 

 China is in a great measure limited to the harbours of Cacbao, Faifo, 

 and Sai-gun, in Cochin-China, and to Canton, Am .v, Fu tchrou-foo, 

 and Ning-po, in China. Numerous junks are employed in this traffic. 

 They export from Cochin-China rice, cotton, silk, t-nglc-wond, and 

 spices ; they import tea, the finer kinds of cotton and silk goods, and 

 china; also opium, and English broadcloth. From Singapore are 

 imported iron, fire-arms, opium, catechu, and terra japonica. Some 

 commercial intercourse i* also maintained between Faifo and Sai-gun, 

 and liang-kok, the capital of Siam. The junks engaged in this trade 

 convey to Bang-kok silk, worked and raw, mattings for sails, Ac., and 

 take iii return iron, tobacco, opium, and some European goods. Among 

 the articles exported from Cochin-China are edible birds' -nests and 

 pearls. The king, it is said, monopolises the legal trade, which is 

 carried on by mean* of several large vessels, sailing between Cochin- 

 China and British India, Batavia, and Canton. 



