EASTERN OllOtrLIAEMlV. 



mines also occur in the Cochin-Chinese coast range, und hero tbo 

 mountain streams aire washed for gohh Carboniferous liiriestivmy 

 prevail in the central provinces, when? coal >of a good ijuality Ilea in 

 some places close to the airfare. In Curnhojii occur mine* of gold, 

 argrntiferuus t^ad ami •••■ppvr. I • . - - L < L - - - :r. -n * -re* in gri-al abundant-, 

 which have been worked for ages by some of the mni -civil iwd Kn v 

 tribes in the reghm Ut tlu- north -on^t of Lake TonU— up. 



Speaking of the great mineral resources of Tonkin, General \V. Mesm-y 

 remark* : "That country is the centre of vast deposits of coal, in addition 

 to which the ordinary as well m the previous metals are there abundant, 

 I know of no h->* than seventeen districts in which there urc nourishing 

 gotd-fieldx. Silver and eop|>er nmriug iM-inijiy a greal deal of nal iv« und 

 < 'Lmicsc labour. The l'hine*e are the propriitors of most of tLe larger and 

 rnoro produrtivc mines ; but the output of metal by mine* Wtfrftp tt ttottly 

 worked i a j order to » void payment of the usual royaltie* is very enn-ddvrnUi', 

 , , . Nearly the whole of these well-known mineral deposits are, worked hy 

 purely ITIiiut-sf.' companies, most of the shareholders Wing t'',iiit<ii!i-v,-, many 

 of whom realise handsome fortune* from their mining speculations. BlOft 

 ni the lin ii I'jut.lnyed in the mine* are Hwang-si miners* who of tHmzn ■ :iej 

 work only isj IheiY own primitive way, which reminds one of n fieiiuenuch* 

 in^' ii]. Mm- i-url'.x i- .-I Mi.- "I'-m.d " l. 7W/* , wi;/, Hnti«koti^, bS*l. p. i J D- 



Since the reduction of Tonkin French botanist* have been study- 

 ing it* Horn, and the eol lections already forwarded by them to Paris 

 show MiiLi i in Mi- upland* iln- vegetation i* of an extremely rich and 

 diversified character. Both here and in CYichin-t'liiua most of the 

 wild fauna ha* given place on tbe plain* tn a great variety of i-ulii- 

 vated plants such a? entton, Biignr, rice, indigo, popper, cinnamon, 

 pulse, and tropical fruits, besides tbe areea and cocoa-nut pah ilk, 

 tea inferior to Hint of China, and traij a dye-wiHid which yields an 

 excellent emerald green. The forests covering the eastern slopes of 

 the hill> ■■1'iihini -. v« r. l I uilu-r dye-woods, teak, ebony, and many 

 other valuable plants. 



Still more rieb in economic products ia Comboja, when- the rich allu- 

 vial plains yii'td abundant crops "f cotton, itidigu, toh.ieco, rice, scheme, 

 ri'pl.iivil ..ii lln-iijil.L3jd.-i hy laeam! "i! i- M ii.il' In ■ :.:iiO;i-pi-ii.li.t, v:»:iil!.i r 

 eftrdamotxifl of printe quality, bodies numuroUM eahinei uud dye-woods. 

 Other produeis or thia favoured lt-yion aru mw xilk t ivory, jerked buAale 



and elepbnut fileat, hidtn ami honiM of the 1 iLlII'il L- .. ox, aad rliiiiin-'-n ■> ; 

 lastly Jinh, i^f which Mil- On -at bdo- fi»nits an iiii-\h.iustihh- n.-si.Tvnir, 



Trade and Indu&triea^— The Annauiese j\re above jlII an agri- 

 .jollnnil pii.p|r.di-vitti[ig tn-arly tlsi-ir wlnde um-rgy tu the eultivaiinn 

 of the jioil, juid leaving the pursuit* nf commerce and tbe arts mainly 

 in the bands of tbe Chinese and other foreigners. On tbe slopes 

 overlooking tbe pliuna to tin; uhuoI field operKtions are added aeri* 



