INDOCHINA, 



97 



-culture and the preparation of cotton ; but the silk ami cotton fabrics 

 WQV8H wilb the raw material are much inferior to those of China, 

 Gold and silver work displaying litlle ta&te in \hi> design* in exten- 

 sively practised, and from the Europeans in the service of the B&thnB 

 princes during the lost century eome knowledge was. acquired of gun- 

 citKling, engineering, and tuvhitoulutv. 



In A i: 11 urn the chief imports are cotton wown goods, salt, dried fish* 

 tobacco, crockery, and all kiinl* of manufactured wares, token in exchange 

 for rice, opium, eojMMr, lin, dried fungi, tho edihlu lily, rnostty for I he 

 Chlneae markrt. To these must be nddcd pine, largely used for coUitis in 

 China, teak, and oilier durable timber, caglewood, and several other species 

 of fragrant wrwid?=, numerous drugs, and cinnutnem,, regarded hy the ( 'bincse 

 cis tEti! Burst in the World, "The (Uj-k.-v horns, bun**, hides, imd sinews nf 

 elrphnntfij, rhinoceroses, and deer arr also in great demand for medir-iunl 

 nurpow*. HmiRy ™ Kent iti considerable tptaiitilicjf to tho provinces of 

 fcwang-tung nml Kwang-si, whilst n. very Inr^e trade item is included 

 under the head of vnrieu.K reptiles, principally hiinktw, which are f n ■ 1 i i ■ ■ 1 

 wilh i*werful attdlotnal prcpo-tiea ' (Many, p, SO), 



While the export trade wilh China, Shun, Singapore, and Europe 

 is entirely monopolised by foreigner, the local lrulh> has been bill 

 little developed, owing partly to tin' indolence of the people, parlly 

 Iij the ubM'Ui'e of highways of roiiimiinirution. In Ttmkin inier- 

 ronr*.- i.- curried <>u mainly by wuier, jui ■ I in Cochin-China tin -re 

 in only one highway, running from the Tonkin frontier along the 

 coast through Hue" to the Mekhong delta But even litis i* kept 

 in had repair, and owing to the inWnee of bridges the rivers 

 intersecting its. tnmk have to Ik; forded or crossed in ferTy -boats* 

 Recently, however (1886), the French Government has invited con- 

 tracts for the construction of a railway, which it is proposer! to run 

 from Hanoi for twenty-two miles to Bac-Ninh, and thence through 

 the doltn to the "Seven Pagodas* 



In Caml»oj:i the chief industry is the capture and curing of fish round 

 the shores of Lake Tonle-snp anil neighbouring waters. After supplying 

 all the, local wants, Bulhcicnl of this commodity is left for a yearlv export 

 trade, valued at nearly £300,000. Kice and lish are thu staples" of food 

 amongst all the Annami.sf and Cainbojan populations. Sericulture also 

 - :<:. ' i.: !.;.■: l.ry, ami the Cambojaua liavo long 



been noted for the ttwllcnce of their cotton and silki n fabrics used in the 

 preparation of the InwjuH.i, which form the chief feature of the national 

 OMRnM. I'agodas, where all the children receive their education front 

 the Wizen, as in most other Buddhist countries, are very numerous in 

 Carnbnja. Hut none of these, modern structures can compare in Bute or 

 splendour wilh the grand monuments of ihe flourishing period of Catatajiut 

 history, whose ruins ore scattered over the plain* nml slopes Btrctehing 

 round thu western aud northern shore* of Lake Tonh'-sop. 



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