312 COCHINCHINA. 
of the Sim at one season, and the heavy rains at the other. 
There appeared to be no Avant in the market of either cotton 
or silk stuffs for clothing ; and the country produced a great 
variety and abundance of articles, which contribute to the 
sustenance of the multitude, as well as to the luxuries of the 
higher orders of the people. Almost every kind of domestic 
animal, except sheep, appeared to be plentiful. They had 
small horned cattle, short legged hogs, kids, and great 
abundance of ducks and fowls. They eat dogs as in China, 
and frogs are a common article of food. The sea as well as 
the land is a never-failing source of sustenance to multitudes 
who dwell on the coast. Beside a great variety of good fish, 
they eat at least three different species of the Balistes, and as 
many of the genus Chatodon ; one of the latter of which, 
with its purple and yellow bandages and ocellated fin, is 
a very beautiful fish. The net is in common use, and so are 
wicker baskets, made like the wire mouse- trap, into which 
fish running to the bait are prevented from getting out again ; 
and we observed them taking vast quantities of flying fish, 
by letting down into the sea deep earthen jars with narrow 
necks, baited Avith pork or the offals of fish. Most of the 
genera of marine worms, belonging to that class which by 
naturahsts is distinguished under the name of Mollusca^ 
are used as articles of food by the Cochinchinese ; as, for 
instance, various species of the Medusa, Holothuria, Actinia, 
Ascidia and Doris; some of which, as the BicJies de Mer, 
usually called Trepan, (a species either of Holothiiria or Ac- 
tinia^ is caught and prepared as an article of luxury and 
commerce. All the gelatinous substances derived from the 
sea, whether animal or vegetable, are considered by them 
