121 
NARRATU£E op the right revd. le vevre. 
great Mandarin of the Province. We were distant from him two 
days’ journey by the river: we were ourselves soon sent to the capi¬ 
tal of this Province, called “ Gia dink”. It is the most considerable 
Province of this portion known under the name of Lower Cochin 
China or “Dong Noi”. Here is the town of Lai Gou, formerly 
built a little in the European style; but it was destroyed when taken 
by the rebels in 1835 : it has been rebuilt, but most wretchedly. It 
seems that the great Mandarin of the Province was not an enemy to 
the Christian religion, and that our arrest caused him more grief than 
pleasure. He had often been at Singapore and Batavia, and seen 
there the Europeans living in a grand style and conceived a high idea of 
them. He was one of those Pilatcs of whom Cochin China is full: 
when missionaries are delivered over to them, they judge and con¬ 
demn them, wlnlst at the same time acknowledging and proclaiming 
their innocence. They always have in their minds: “ If thou wilt let 
him go, thou are not the friend of Caesar.” As to the king, he is a 
Pharaoh who fears lest Christians multiply themselves in his kingdom, 
and that in case of war with European powers, they join his enemies. 
In consequence he does not spare them his vexations. In regard to 
missionaries he says: if we leave them quiet and free, all will go af¬ 
ter them and embrace their religion; then the Europeans will come 
and take possession of our country, as they have done in other places. 
“ Et venient Romani et toilent nostrum locum et gentem.” Ming 
Menh added as Caiphas: it is better to put them to death than to see 
all the nation perish: “ Expedit ut unus homo moriatur et non fcota 
gens pereat.” His son and successor, more timorous, fears lest the 
death of a missionary, being known to the Princes of Europe, may 
hasten his ruin; he does not then put them to death ; but he vents 
his anger upon his subjects, who introduce them into the country or 
conceal them. He still lets the severe edicts issued against Europeans 
subsist and he would that people should think that he mitigates them 
only through an effort of his royal clemency. These brief observa¬ 
tions will be of some use in explaining the conduct of the Mandarin^ 
and of the king on our trial. I continue my narration. 
I must say to the praise of the great Mandarin of “ Gift dinh” that 
lie treated us as leniently as he could. As soon as he learnt that our 
boat was arrested, be sent his Seeretraries to take in writing our de- 
ehvatiojie to dispatch them to the king. This spared us the trouble 
of appearing before his tribunal and of being obliged to answer a mul¬ 
titude of intricate questions and of suffering the tortures these ques¬ 
tions usually draw after them, Yve declared that we came from Sin- 
