346 CO CHINCH IN A. 
who are in any shape connected with the concerns of trade. 
However honourable a merchant may be in his deahngs, he 
cannot be responsible for the good conduct of a whole ship's 
company ; nor, with the cargo which he transfers to the 
management of another, can he transfer at the same time 
character and principle. But independent of the frauds and 
tricks that are too frequently connected with trade, there is 
something in a commercial intercourse which is inconsistent 
with diplomatic agency. There is every reason to believe 
that all those employed on Mr. Hastings' mission con- 
ducted themselves with a proper degree of forbearance and 
circumspection ; yet, having called at different ports on the 
coast of Cochinchina, and traded with difterent parties then 
struggling for the government of the country, they were sus- 
pected by all of them, and were unfortunately drawn into 
actual hostilities with the riding power at if/yi, where they 
had a narrow escape from having their vessel seized, and 
themselves in all probability put to death ; and although they 
were obliged to leave behind them unsold a part of their 
merchandize, they contrived to bring away a large sum of 
specie or bullion in ingots of silver. An interesting narrative 
of the whole transaction is published in the Asiatic Annual 
Register for the year 1801. 
The second and last attempt to open a public intercourse 
with Cochinchina was made about two years ago, when, 
i'vom representations communicated to the Directors of the 
East India Company of the advantages which might be de- 
rived from a connection with this country, and of the fa- 
vourable disposition of its present Sovereign towards the 
