160 VOYAGE FROM IXDIA TO SIAM AND MALACCA* 



left bank of which a great number of the king-'s boats are 

 sheltered. A very small arm of the river surrounds the former 

 French town; there are fewer houses built outside it^ wall, and 

 they are only inhabited by Cochin-Chinese. 



The principal river, which affords many means of existence 

 to the people, and which divides the two parts of the town, 

 changes its course first from east to north-west, but at the 

 beginning of the Portuguese town it turns with a curve towards 

 the north and continues in this direction for some time after it 

 has passed the suburbs. 



The stream at the eastern extremity of the town is about 500 

 feet wide ; it is narrowest at the beginning of the former French 

 fortress, but widens again and is twice as wide in the curve, 

 after which it grows almost immediately narrow again. Its depth 

 at the place where our ship lay at anchor was about thirteen 

 fathoms. In popular opininon this stream is said to come from 

 Tartary ; it is certain that it passes the kingdoms of Leo and 

 Barman, and that at times Chinese boats from the inner part of 

 the country come down with its current. In spring, or in the 

 month of February, it causes an inundation in these parts, and 

 the water then assumes a red colour, which however only lasts 

 for a few days. 



The water is always turbid here, because of the mud which 

 settles at the bottom of any vessel when kept there overnight. 

 It contains little salt, but if taken from the river, it gives diarrhoea 

 and the Indian dysentery to any stranger. At the time of inun- 

 dation the water is said to be salt here, and even higher up the river. 



One can only perceive the effects of tide in this stream once 

 in every twenty-four hours, the difference between high and low 

 tide at the time of inundation being one fathom and the current 

 at that time is said to be very rapid. The water abounds with 

 all kinds of good fish. 



The trade of this place principally consists of export of 

 sappan wood, aloes wood, or agaUochum, and an inferior kind 

 called May Crisena, this latter being a tribute which the inhabi- 

 tants of the provinces of Ischanthebuhn, Cambodia and Concao, 

 have to pay to this king. Furthermore they export tusks of 

 elephants, gutta, and salt. Formerly gold and silver could be 

 bought here with great profit, but since the war this trade has 

 sunk considerably. Gold is said to have been found in large 



