7 26 COCHIN 
caftle, appearing to be infulated ; and not unlike, though 
much larger, the rock of Dunbarton caftle, rifing per¬ 
pendicularly from the Clyde, in Scotland. A few miles 
to the northward of this Cochin-chinefe pile of rocks, is 
a bold and elevated promontory, furmounted by two 
peaks, one much higher than the other. To a ftranger, 
the entrance into Turon bay would appear'to lie between 
the mafs of rocks firft mentioned, and this elevated pro-- 
montory; but thefe objects are joined, in faft, by a low 
and narrow ifthmus. The entrance to the bay is round 
the north-eafternmoft point of this peninfular promon¬ 
tory, which was now called, by the fquadron, Lion Point ; 
not only in compliment to his majelcy’s (hip, but on ac¬ 
count of fofne faint or fancied refemblance, which a rocky 
bluff, jutting from the point, bears to a lion couchant, when 
feen at a little diftance. 
The Cochin-chinefe fitherman, by way of defcribing 
where the Hindooftan ought to anchor, bent his left arm 
to reprelent the mountains which overlooked the bay, and 
dropped down the fore-finger of his right hand, to mark 
the relative proper fpot for anchoring; but tornadoes, or 
fudden fqualls of wind from different points, and accom¬ 
panied by lightning and thunder, drove the flrips again 
to fea 5 nor were they able, fafely, to come to an anchor, 
within the bay, till the 26th of May. The old Cochin- 
chinefe was now difmifled, with a compenfation for his 
/right, as well as for his fervices. When he was carried 
to the ftiore, he jumped from the boat almoft with the 
alertnefs of youth, and, haftening away, came never af¬ 
terwards near the fliips. Sir Erafmus Gower “ moored 
the Lion in feven fathoms water, the north-weft point of 
the bay bearing north-eaft by north, an iftand in the 
mouth of the bay, north, the watering-place on the pen- 
infula, eaft by north; Campello ifle, which is feen over 
the ifthmus, ibuth-eaft by eaft, a river on which the town 
of Turon is fituated, fouth-fouth-eaft half eaft. The pen- 
infula bore fome refemblance to Gibraltar, which name 
was henceforward given to it by the fquadron. The 
channel into the bay is round the north-eaft end of Gi¬ 
braltar, having a large lump of an ifland to the north. 
All the coaft is lafe to approach, Ihoaling the water gra¬ 
dually from twenty to feven fathoms.” 
The Lion was fcarcely at anchor, before an officer from 
{bore came on-board, for the purpofe of learning every 
particular relative to the fquadron, the appearance of 
which, it feenrs, had fpread alarm. Ships like the Lion 
and Hindooftan were feldom feen there. Befides thefe, and 
the Jackall and Clarence which attended them, a fifth 
veil'd loon followed into Turon bay. She was under Ge- 
noefe colours; but, chiefly, manned by Englilhmen. She 
had found the lquadron in the Itraits of Sunda, and kept 
company with it afterwards. The whole appeared par¬ 
ticularly formidable to the people on ffiore, from a caufe 
which the commander of a veil'd in the bay explained. 
He mentioned that Turon, with a confiderable part of 
the kingdom of Cochin-china, was then fubjeft to a young 
prince, nephew of an nfurper, whofe antagonift, the de- 
fcendant of the former fovereigns of the country, was Hill 
in polfellion of lome of the fouthern diltri&s of the king¬ 
dom, and was in daily hope of l'uch fuccours, from Eu¬ 
rope, as might enable him to recoverall the poffeffions of 
his anceftors. His family had, occafionally, ffiewn kind- 
nefs to European miffionaries, and tolerated the exercife 
of the Chriftian religion among their fubjefts. The prin¬ 
cipal of thofe miffionaries, who had been dignified with 
the title of bilhop by his holinefs the pope, was after¬ 
wards fent by his Cochin-chinefe majefty as his ambafl'a- 
ffor to the court of France, where an uncommon degree 
pf intereft was taken in the young prince of Cochin- 
china, whom the bilhop had conduced to Europe with 
him. Succour was promifed for the re-eftablilhment of 
his houle; and, in cale of fuccefs, benefit would, no 
doubt, have accrued to the commerce of the French. 
Meal'll res were in preparation for fending out effectual 
aid, when the extraordinary revolution in France put an 
-CHINA. 
end to the expedition, and deprived the monarch who 
had ordered it, of the power of affifting either himfelf or 
others.' Some individuals, however, from France did join 
the legitimate king of Cochin-china, and gave hopes of 
further affiftance. Thefe hopes were often repeated by 
way of encouragement to his partifans ; and his enemies, 
in pofleffion of Turon bay, began to be apprehenfive left 
the fquadron now at anchor in it, ffiould, in faff, be 
come with holtile intentions againft them. 
But a communication was foon opened between the 
officer who came on-board, and the Chinefe interpreters. 
The neutral and pacific difpofition of the fquadron was 
announced, its general objefl declared, and a requeft 
made for the fupply of its immediate wants. For the firft 
two or three days very little was obtained. Few boats 
approached the lhips with provifions for fale, though it 
be ufual to do fo, in great numbers, in molt harbours. 
The market on ffioi'e was very fcantiiy fupplied; and ex¬ 
travagant prices demanded for every article. It was ob¬ 
vious that the governing magiftrate of the place, who, it 
feems, had inftantly difpatcheda meffenger to the capital, 
with an account of the arrival of the fquadron, and for 
inftruffions how to aft, had, in the mean time, checked 
the fale of all provifions. But a perfon of rank foon 
arrived at Turon, who delivered very liandfome compli¬ 
ments from his mailer to lord Macartney. He came in a 
large decked galley, of a light and {harp conftruflion, 
formed for quick failing. The rowers, who were very 
numerous, rowed in an ereft pofture, and pulhed the oars 
from them, making Ihort and frequent ftrokes. A Hate 
cabin was erefted, on the middle of the deck, painted in 
lively colours; each end of the galley was decorated with 
ftreamers of different colours and figures. The Hate ca¬ 
bin was, on the outfide, furrounded with fpears, and va¬ 
rious enfigns of authority. The principal officer, who 
came in her, was dreffed in loofe robes of filk, had the 
polilhed manners of cultivated fociety, and was attended 
by a Chinefe interpreter. His galley was followed by 
nine boats, calculated for carrying burdens, and full of 
rice and other provifions, animal and vegetable, as pre- 
lents, for the ufe of the paflengers and crews. From that 
moment the markets were plentifully fupplied, and the 
prices reafonable. The governor of the diftri£t came, alfo, 
on-board to pay his refpedts, invited the ambaffador and 
his fuite a-fhore, and propofed to keep an open table for 
them conftantly. Every mark of attention was ffiewn 
henceforward ; and every effort made to cultivate the bell 
underllanding with the lquadron. 
Overtures were made to lord Macartney for the pur- 
chafe of arms and ammunition; and it was eafy to per¬ 
ceive that any affiltance given to the caufe of the prince, 
then reigning at Turon, as well as at the capital and 
northern parts of the kingdom, would have been willingly 
purcbal'ed on any terms. His lituation, indeed, was very 
far from being lecure. Befides the province of Donai, or 
fouthern part of Cochin-china, which had reverted to the 
ancient family of its fovereigns, Qmn-nong, or the mid¬ 
dle province of the kingdom, was in the hands of the late 
ufurper of the whole. He had entrulfed to his younger 
brother the care of his conqueffs to the northward ; but 
the latter availed himfelf of his command, firff to invade 
the neighbouring kingdom of Tong-quin, with complete 
fuccefs, notwithltanding the afliftance given to the latter 
by the Chinefe, and then declared liimlelf fovereign both 
of Tong-quin and Cochin-china, intending to wreft, for 
his own ule, from his elder brother, whatever the latter 
Hill poffefi’ed of that kingdom, as well as whatever part 
had been recovered by the lawful fovereign. This new 
ufurper was an able warrior, and had formed vaft projects 
of conqueft, even of fome Chinefe provinces; he was one 
of thofe politicians to whom all means are equally eligible 
that can contribute to their luccefles. He died in the 
niidll of them in September, 1792. Of his fons lie left 
the eldeft, who was illegitimate, in the government of 
Tong-quin. The youngeft, who was his legitimate off- 
fpring 
