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



the dynasty Dinh erected another town in a place more to the west, 

 called Hoa lu. It served but a few years as a residence of the Tongking 

 kings. After 40 or 50 years they abandoned it and now the traces of 

 its existence are hardly to be discovered. The first king of the dy- 

 nasty Ly, who mounted the throne in 1010 re-established the town of 

 Thanh and changed its name to that of Thanh long thdnh, or city of 

 the yellow dragon, because of a pretended vision that this prince had 

 on the great river. Although Tongking is watered by a great number 

 of rivers and streams, the most remarkable is that to which is given 

 the name of Tdng-ca P, or great river. I may remark here that none of 

 the rivers of Cochin China has any distinctive name applicable to its 

 whole course. The natives employ the general term of Song, river, 

 adding thereto the name of the principal place by which it passes : so 

 that the river changes its name continually, and the name employed 

 applies directly to the portion of its course intended to be alluded to. 

 The great river of Tongking has its sources in the mountains of China. 

 It runs north-west to south-east, traversing the provinces of Tuyin 

 Quang, of the west, the royal town, and the province of the south, at 

 the foot of which it discharges itself through several channels into the 

 sea at the bottom of the gulf of Tongking, About 50 years ago 

 vessels used to mount the river as high as Hi£n or He"am, about 25 

 leagues from the sea, where the French and English had formerly a 

 factory ; but now the mouth of the river is obstructed by shoals which 

 no longer permit vessels to enter. The large native barques even 

 find difficulty now in entering*. 



I have observed, for the sake of perspicuity, that the number of pre- 

 fectures exceeded that of the provinces, because certain provinces 

 were subdivided into several districts. The word province is called 

 XH* in Cochin Chinese, and prefecture Trdn. Although the number of 

 prefectures has not increased and the provinces remain in statu quo, 

 some changes have been made in the mode of administration in 1833. 

 Minh Mang, well versed in Chinese literature, seeks always to equal 

 if he cannot surpass his model, the Chinese emperor. Minh Mang then 

 has united two prefectures under the inspection of one superior man- 

 darin. The prefecture in which the latter resides is called Tinh, or 

 ' chief place of the provinces.' This first commander bears the name of 

 ThSng doe. The prefecture which is attached to the ' head-quarters' 

 of the province is called Sanh, and the civil prefect bears the title of 

 Ong b6 chdnh : he is assisted by a prefect or criminal judge who is 

 called An sdt. 



* The English office was very pleasantly situated to the north of the town of 

 Ketcho* on the banks of the river, that of the Dutch was originally close to it. 



