TONQUIK 



the Anam langaEge, lays Dr. Leyieii, ii fiinpie, origiaal, 

 and moDofj-liabic. It hzs little affinity to ^e MEadarin 

 or conrt langnage of Chinz, to tliat of Canton, to the co- 

 pious pol-nVIkbic and inflected Jzpznrfe, or to any other 

 of the Indo-Chiaefe kngiiageE. Barrow, in his voyage to 

 Cochin-china, feems to confider it as a derrvatrre from the 

 Chiaefe ; but Dr. Leyden perceJTes no fimianty between 

 theChinefe and Anain,iinkfs that they are balk awmfyllabic 

 lano-iiag-es, and that the fignincatioii of terms is regulated, 

 IB a great meafure, bx their accentnation. But though the 

 {ane rrjcMiDfyllables occur, and though they are alfo accen- 

 tuated frequently in a firnilaT manaer, yet even in this cafe, 

 the to-Lincatioii of thefe monofyllables is for tbe inofi part 

 totaliv different. In the fyntas or conirnciion of the two 

 larc-uzges, there is alfo a very great difference. The 

 A rsTT. laiiguage has neither genders, numbers, nor cafes, 

 Hioods, terfes, nor conjugations ; all which are fupplied by 

 the 'jfe of particles and the justapoStion of words, as in the 

 other nonofyHabic iangoages. The fame word hat often 

 tie f;g:ii£cation of both a noun and a verb, and its particu- 

 lar nfe, in fnch a -cafe, is to be deterroined by the cooteit, 

 asd the collocation of words in the fentence. The principles 

 •f collocation in fentences are equally fimple as in the other 

 aionofyilabic languages ; many infiances of which are fpe- 

 cified by Dr.X.eydeii. The accents in the Anam tongue 

 are of fuch indifpeLlable utility, that they have been very 

 pioperly termed the foul of the language, while the pnmary 

 monofyllables, varied by accent, have been made to repre- 

 fect its body- The Anam fiyle is fometiaes highly bold 

 ■sd figurative, and attains a degree of animation which k 

 ■ot very common among the Indo-Chinefe nations of the 

 continent. The ancient code of Tonquin laws pofleffed 

 oreat celebrity, and was highlv venerated previous to the 

 conqneft of that country by the Cochin-chinefe. It is re- 

 prefeDted bv-the ndiEonary Le Roy, as compofed in the 

 moft elevated ftyle of Chinefe, and full of uncommon modes 

 of esprefuon. He aKo mentions, that it was printed with 

 an Anam tranflation, compoied by an ancierrt Tonquin Man- 

 darin. The reHgion of the Anam nation is a modification 

 c£ the Budd'hifi iVftem, nearly refembHng that which pre- 

 vails in China. Many local and peculiar fnperflitions, how- 

 ever, are blended with it, fuch as the worship of the dog 

 aud tiger, to^the firft of which human excrement, and to 

 the fecond, human flefli is offered. Traces of this worfliip 

 are found among the mouBtaineers on the borders of India, 

 ac weD as in the proper Indo-Chinefe countries. There the 

 tiger is worihipped br the Hajin tribe, in the vicimty of 

 the Garrows or Garadas. 



The Qaau-to, an anrieBt race, as the name Sgnifies, who 

 inhabit Kaubang, or the mountainous range which drrides 

 the Anam countries from China, regard themfelves as the 

 original inhabrtants of Tonquin and Cochin-china, and con- 

 fido- the Anam as a Chmefe colony. The Quan-t6 have a 

 pecttliar langTia^-e, and write with a ftyle, on the leaves of a 

 plant, termed m Anam " jiwa." The Moi aad Moong 

 are alfo mountaineer tribes, who fpeak languages different 

 from tie Anam ; but it is hitherto unknown, whether they 

 are original racet, or only branches of the Qnau-t6. Afiatic 

 R-fearches, voL x. 



Mairiac^e is contrafted without priefl or ceremcfcy, the 

 confent of the parents forming the only ceremony. The 

 bu&and max repudiate or fell his wife, but the wiie cannot 

 leave her hufhand without his confent. The right of pri- 

 mot^eniture predominales, and daughters denve imle benefit 

 from the effate of their father. Polygamy is common ; 

 divorces are rare : children are not espofed as in China. 

 The inhsmsBity of creditor* equals that of aacjent Rojne, 



I of rdxarj rendos d»t 



and I'b'* 



which is tfait of fnmiBg Ibme pa i oo to dszdi at iIk 1m- 



ginning of a new year, and with t>iic view they jk^m <fcr 

 fowls and fniit which are brought to market : esam^Bt 

 of this horrid practice, which, it is thought, wil teamc 

 them good fortune, are frequent, but tie psBaAoBBat is ikc 

 The chief amuffmmts are plays, daeces, asd €oA4uitbmg. 

 The general food is rice, and puKe is alio in leqariL Tte 

 nefts of a fpedes of fwallow are alfo held ho^ ^««9 asaa 

 China, in great efi.eein. X^ rinpf ^sj^k. s Aiiiiui Ikum a 

 kind of coarfe tea, bat amaJi s sSIb matdk ^ i i^ 



The climate of Tonquin is mtwarflUL. FraBtfeianadi 

 of September till March, it is te^^oste and bedbibj ; in Ja- 

 nuary and February the weather is cold, b^ u miair m iaammar 

 ice is feen, and hail is very rare ; the teanjaeraffiiBe of tSe ar 

 becomes rather infalubrious in the moeahs df April, Mar, and 

 .Tune, which is the feafon of fogs and heavj nms ; aad Me* 

 heat is felt in July and Auguff. la the flat coamliy, tmi 

 on part of the mountains, the wiii& re^iibtfy Umt fac 

 months from the N. and fix from tie S., the £nft liM^iuiMU E 

 in November. Among the rcaiaciet of thas caoHtry, the 

 moS grievous is a kisd of leprofy, which devernrs the ex- 

 tremitSes of the hands and feet. The fuoaial ceresDa- 

 nies reieirtle thole of China : pieces of goiid or flier, or 

 fmaH pearls, are pat into the mouths of tie dead, ihat tkr 

 may not enter poor i^tc another w^orld. Their rc^non re- 

 fembles that of the Chinefe, but the ie& of Foo is aeoii. 

 regarded. Every town or village has a tuteSary geBHB. 

 SometimeB the fuppofed genii are t3e ; " ' "" " " 



dogs, cats, oxen, fiih : but more :" 

 deferred well of their country. The i 

 addick-d to magic The foences, £be Aafe in ( 

 chieSy fought in the wriduge of Caa&admB and has coh- 

 mentators ; the principal branches being BMBsSty, i mu*^ m la - 

 tics, phyfic^ aiid aib-onamy, -KJa^ die hilnry andiaracf tfte 

 country. Knowledge is higMy c^scimed : aod idke aaoB flf 

 letters are regarded as the fofc -nobiHtv in 'Ac 

 All the offices and digniries -of the ftate are t'bp ] 

 of Hterary merit. Printing is known here,- as in 

 but painting and fcclpture are in a low £ate. Tic dndf 

 trade is with China, which fupphes Tonquin with fiip ■ 

 porcelain, filks, and painted haens, prepared fugars, ' 

 and bailey, fiour, kitchen utesak, inin, i ^pii"'^ ifeot i 

 wax, cotton, glafs, and tors. firraatgnrg j-tiMM i i ft »«Bi Tl— - 

 quin vamiih, filk raw or wrought, tAadtf ftrav SnffiE^-liBaB- 

 trfii] clodi refembHng hnen, rnade oi -wt hmk. «f lattm, dX- 

 ferent works of mother of pearl, ebonv, ivory, tattaXe- 

 fiiell, cinnamon, copper, cotton, and leveral ashsT artides. 

 Calamine is alfo exported from Tonquia by the Dutch jhJ 

 carried to Japan, where it is mfed in the ■mmmfj.flaM. «f 

 brafs. The interior commerce of Toaqna is « 

 confifripg chirfy of fruits of different kinds, fiHr ; 

 cloths, with thafe made of the inner bark of dhe 

 bearing mulberry. The cinnamon, doW cnihiiaae^ ' 

 be valuable. The trees that prodaoe «i«e vacOt 

 juice refemKhrig turpentine, and the qnandty ■it 

 by inciSons. Sugar might form a confideiaSale atls^ af 

 the people knew how to prepare it. Fqssr, nade e£ ^*^ 

 bamboo, mulberry, elm, cotton-tree, and iS iai& ei ' 

 and fappy woods, is a confiderable article. Sak 

 from the fea, is a commoditv of great demasd in !t^ i 

 rior of the country. T4ie troops of Tonqton aamaMt ]o 

 about 140,000, of "which abotii 800D or 1 0,000 are cartlrT. 

 Elephants were formerlv ufed in war, but tie kavuhaSiaB «f 

 fire-arms has diminifhed their number. Sauce ^^<^ icwoBiBaaB 

 in Cochin-chiiia, when the Chova rendered ianfr*^ inde- 



fCBdczi 



