738 Note on the Geography of Cochin China. [Sept. 



who has made the tour of his lihrary,) I will venture to throw some 

 light on what he has regarded as so obscure, and to prove that this 

 country hitherto so unknown is now become familiar to many. " This 

 country/' says he, "once comprehended with Tong- king under the 

 general name of Anam, was separated from it about 600 years ago, 

 for the first king named, Tien Vuong, who was also the first 

 conqueror" in 1569, held the government until 1614, first as prefect or 

 governor, then as king. " We are ignorant," says the same author, 

 " under what particular name the natives then designated or now 

 designate the country. That of Anam is too extensive a term ;" — thus, 

 according to our author's notions it is too extensive ; but he favors us 

 with no proof in support of his opinion. Ask a Cochin Chinese 

 whence he is ; he will reply, ' I am of the kingdom of An nam' These 

 two words signify the ' peace of the south ;' — an, peace ; nam, south. 

 Some sovereigns of the country have endeavoured from superstitious 

 motives to change this name to Nam vidt, Dai vielt, Vi£t nam ; but these 

 names, employed only in their edicts or in the laws of the realm, are 

 not in vogue among the people, who always call themselves * children 

 of the country of An nam.' It is true that a stranger may sometimes 

 hear natives in lieu of An nam pronounce the word Ai nam or En nam ; 

 which is thus explained. Superstition, and a pretended respect for 

 some of their parents' relations or ancestors forbid their pronouncing 

 Certain names. Thus for example, if you ask a Cochin Chinese whose 

 father bears the name of An, whence he comes ? — He will tell you, 

 from Ai nam. 



The name of An nam, which we translate in Europe by that of 

 Cochin China, is the real name of the country. It is also that which 

 is employed uniformly in Chinese books to designate it, although our 

 geographer pretends, that the Japanese gave it the name of Cotchin- 

 Djina, ' country to the west of China / and that Europeans thence 

 came to employ the same term. I believe on the contrary that the 

 origin of the name of Cochin China is rather to be sought in the two 

 words China, and Cochin. The Portuguese who came first to the 

 Indies having fancied some resemblance between the coast of An nam 

 and that of Cochin on the Malabar side of India, and connecting this 

 with its proximity to China, gave it the joint name of Cochin China, 

 that is, the Chinese Cochin. 



Here again arises another question ; what are the limits of this 

 country ? '• La nature des lieux, 1'extension de la nation et celle 

 du language European bornent le nom de Cochin Chine, ou si Ton 

 veut d'Anam meridional a la cote qui s'elend depuis le Tong-king jus- 

 qu' a Ciampa, sur 110 lieues de long; et 10 a 25 del arge. Nous 



