T O N Q U 1 N. 71 



'* The fix firft kings, founders of this monarchy, governed 

 « the nation as a father governs his family ; they eftabliihed the 

 " laws of nature alone ; they themfelves paid the firft obedience 

 <* to them. Chiefs of an immenfe family of laborers, they 

 " gave the firft example of labor ; they honored and encouraged 

 " agriculture, as the moft ufeful and honorable employment of 

 " mankind. They required from their fubjedls only a fmall 

 ** annual free-gift to defray the expence of their defenfive war 

 *' againft their Tonquinefe enemies." 



Off the coaft oi Cochin-China are the ParacelSy z v^{^ tradt TheParaceu; 

 of rocki, reefs, fand-banks, and fmall ifles, extending from 

 north to fouth from Lat. 12* 10' N. to 16° 45' N. two hun- 

 dred and feventy-fix miles in length, and fixty in breadth. To 

 the north-eaft of the northern end is a group of fmall reefs and 

 rocks, called the Triangles, and again a little to the fouth-eaft of 

 that is a great irregularly fliaped fhoal, called the Macclesfield 

 •fhoal. Between thefeand the iile of Hainan, belonging to China, 

 is clear and deep water. That ifland lies to the north, about one 

 ■hundred and thirty miles from the neareft extremity of the Pa- 

 racels ; the interval is the common palTage of our fliips bound 

 for China ; they fail between the coaft of Cochin-Cbina and the 

 Paracels, till they get fight of the Campellos ifles in Lat. 16° 10'. 

 From thence they crofs over towards Hainan, which is ftronolv 

 marked by feveral very high and craggy mountains, forefights 

 of the general nature of the great empire. 



Tinhoja is the next point navigators make for, a fmall but 

 lofty ifle not remote from Hainan, and from thence is a diredl 

 and clear courfe to the iflands of Sanciam ; a little beyond 



which 



