DETAILS RESPECTING COCHIN CHINA. 
51 
The King of Cochin China is himself tributary to the Emperor 
of China, from whom he receives investiture when he ascends the 
throne; and he is obliged to send him an embassy with presents 
at least once every three years. 
POSITION AND GEOGRAPHICAL DIVISIONS OP COCHIN 
CHINA. 
This country extends from Pulo Ubi in 8° 25’ to 2 5 ° lati¬ 
tude, north. Its breadth is from five to six leagues. Tongking is 
much larger. It begins at the river called Souh Giang, about 
17° 15' north. It is divided into fourteen prefectures, the names 
of which are as follows, beginning from the south.—- 
Nge an,—Thanh Ndi,—Thanh Ngoai,—Hung hoa,—Nam Thu- 
ong,—Nam ha,—Hat dong,—Kinh bac,—Son Tay,—Cao bang,— 
Lang bac,—Thai nguyen,—Tueyen Quang, and Yen Quang. 
There are in Tongking only two towns properly so called, Kc 
cho or Bai thanh (the town of the north): the former capital of 
the kingdom: and Vi huang, a petty commercial town. They some¬ 
times call the chief place of each prefecture, a town ; but impro¬ 
perly, because there are generally so few inhabitants, that it is 
more a village than a town. 
Cochin China properly so called is divided into fifteen prefectures. 
It may also be considered as divided by nature into three portions, 
which form Upper, Middle, and Lower Cochin China. Upper Co¬ 
chin China, Which is in the north, comprises three prefectures. 
The first, Quang Binh, is close to Tongking. The second is 
Quang Tri, and the third Thua Thuen, in which Hue the capital 
of the whole kingdom is situated. This town is built almost in 
the European style. It was surrounded by strong fortifications un¬ 
der King Gia Long by French officers. 
The portion called u Middle Cochin China” comprises six pre¬ 
fectures : Quang Nam, in which is the fine port of Touron : Quang 
Ngai, a sterile province : Binh Benh, one of the finest and most 
renowned provinces of the whole kingdom : Phu yen, a province 
rather rich : Rhon hoa, or Nhia Trang, a hilly and fertile country: 
and Binh Thuan, a very large province, which comprises the old 
kingdom of Ciampa : it is barren, and not much inhabited in pro¬ 
portion to its xetent, and has many wild animals of all kinds, such 
