IXDO-CHTXA* 



101 



inrl isilin^ :t1t paying u pill-tax, and whose name* figure in the sche- 

 dules of taxation ; and the utm- inscribed, including day labourers, 

 the poor, mid nil living from hand to mouth. But the native admin- 

 i-tr tiii m appears to have been practically Mi a^ide in llWfi, when a 

 BeMdent ( h-ueral wilh almost absolute jurisdiction, was appointed to 

 control the civil and military affair* of Annam The Bttt p r^m 

 chosen to till tin* high office was the difttinguiflked French «nnr»f T 

 M. Paul Pert, meiiilter nf tin* Academy of SrLencr*. Soon after hi* 



arrival il. Uort h-m d it prn.-huuation t.. the | pU-. a--ming them of 



liis intention lo iillorii tlu-m every proteviioii in In- [unv.-r, but, giving 

 l-hcia indirectly to understand tluil the management of uil'.ur. ■ hnd 

 Ix-t-Ji transferred from tin' native tu the French authorities. JL Ifert 

 full a victim In the treacherous, (.■limine iti November IHS(>. 



The social] orpirii---iiii.il nf rln- nenple into two classes ho* been main 

 twined iii Fmich Cochin-China, which is umh r the iLdiiiinkttratioii of a 

 governor assi/tled by n Privy Council. Sua-"- tin- ireatv of 1 S-Sfl, L'atn- 

 boja ban been brought within the jurisdiction uf the French governor, 

 wuosu retidoouQQ is at .Sjiigmi. The king u-f that country, now a pensioner 

 of France, Yum lianlly aum-nde-reil nil hint rejpil function's, and at hi* death 

 Cunifwy.i will [jmhibSy Ik? met-gcil with Lowr Cochin- China In one colonial 

 aottWient, both districts forming part ol the same geographical area. 



Topography, — There are hut few hvrge towns in Annum, where- 

 the agricultural pnpnhiliou somewhat evenly distributed in riimt 

 villages and hamlets thickly scattered over all the arable lauds. 

 IliTi- lhe n» frlli cm eapmd //(kh»/ [ft^-wi), tir-: known u> T^fAvrr, 

 or the "Eastern Capita!,*' nlnnd« on the main navigable brum- 1 1 of 



the Koti-j-koi, near the heml of tin' delta, nod ubout in 1 1 ■ - - from 



the eoiL-t, Hanoi, ulso ealleil A>,-;/h\ was (lr>1 opened to the trade of 

 the world by a treaty concluded with France in lK74 t But the 

 expo-ration.- lliat through is an important t nub' route might be 

 opi-xied to Yunnan and Southern China along the Song-Kat neem 

 dnoiueil 1o disappoint merit* owing tu the numerous rapids obstructing 

 tin- mainland water- of that river. 1 turn -i i- well built with brick 

 or stiifie holies, marble pavement-, and a v«*t cil:idel n.-arly t'-mr 

 miles in circumference, built by French engineer* at the clo*e of the 

 hist century. The proper out port of Hanoi is Ilaijitntntf { li<ii}»>i><i), 

 also opcui'd to European trede in 1>*7-I, It *hind* nt the month of a 

 northern braneh of the Son^-koi delta, comminiieating by a navigubh! 

 clniiiri. ] wilii tin- ji.ijnilnus and ^trenjjjty fortified town of ffuhhuttutj 

 in the Thai-bifth delta. Near the rhttn-,- iV..o:ot li.- tin- !iii|i>o-i:mt 

 rtralegical po"t of Lim<jsdn{hcLiiQ'3lwft), memorable for a t-ie^nal defeat 



