728 COCHIN 
more convenient or effeftual than thofe which are. In 
purifying fugar, after the grofs iyrup had been drained 
from it, and it was become already granulated and folid, 
they fometimes piaced it in layers of about one inch in 
thicknefs and ten in diameter, under layers of equal di- 
tnenfions of the herbaceous trunk of the plantain-tree; 
the watery juices exfuding from which, and filtrating 
through the fugar, carried down with them all the drols 
which had been boiled up with it, leading the pure fugar 
cryftallizgd and white. It was the-n very light and almolt 
ns porous as a honey-comb. When diffolved, it left no 
fediment at the bottom. This method appears, certainly, 
to be an improvement on the ufual mode, elfewhere, 
which confifts in pouring the fugar, as foon as granu¬ 
lated, into vefiels of the form of inverted cones, and 
placing a layer of wet earth upon the upper furface of 
the fugar. That upper furface is, thus, indeed, much 
purified ; but never fo perfectly as in the Cochin-chinefe 
method. The grain of the fugar is more broken, and 
the inverted point of the loaf always retains more drofs 
than does its bafe, to which the filtrating liquid had been 
more immediately applied. It is not very probable, that 
the management of the lugar-cane and its juices, by the 
Cochin-chinefe, is much more tedious, difficult, or ex- 
penfive, than what is purfued elfewhere; becaule the fu¬ 
gar made by them, and brought to the open market¬ 
places in the neighbourhood of the manufacture, was fold 
at prices confiderably inferior to what are demanded in 
any other part of the world, where that commodity is 
produced. 
Though thefe people poffefifed not, fcientifically, the 
art of reducing the metallic ore into the metal, they had 
attained the praflice of making very good iron, as well a« 
of manufacturing it afterwards, into match-locks, fpears, 
and other weapons. Their earthen-ware was very neat. 
Their dexterity appeared in every operation they under¬ 
took. It was applied, indeed, fometimes to improper 
purpofes. Many of them made little ceremony of appro¬ 
priating, privately, to themfelves, whatever fuited them 
in the pofftlfion of another; nor were they much difcon- 
certed by detection. They were liberal in their turn ; 
and in inftances, too, where few others are difpofed to 
generofity. Wives and daughters were faid to be tranf- 
ferred on ealy terms, and with little fcruple. All affairs 
of gallantry leemed, indeed, to be treated by them very 
lightly. Thefe obfervations mult, however, be confidered 
as applicable, principally, to the more numerous, but 
lower dalles of the people; and'among them, to thofe 
who were fo fituated as to have moll intercourfe with 
flrangers; while the upper orders were more comprehen- 
five in their injultice, and more exclufive in their enjoy¬ 
ments ; exercifing their power over the weaker fex, in 
confining their many wives, and over the people in a va¬ 
riety of oppreffions, which neither the inferior was em¬ 
boldened to refill, by depending upon his right; nor the 
fup.erior deterred from continuing, by a conlcioufnefs of 
doing wrong; as if no principle of religion, or maxim of 
morality, had befn inculcated among them in fupport 
of juftice, or for putting any limit to authority. Sub¬ 
ordination was flrongly marked by prollrations and other 
exterior aCls of abjeCt humiliation to thofe in power. 
Though a great inequality of conditions tends, in fome 
inftances, to the cultivation of fuch of the fine arts as 
happen td be efteemed, beeaufe it provides means for 
their encouragement, there did not appear among the 
Cochin-chinele, that the gentlemen of the embafly could 
difcern, the lead traces of painting of of fculpture; but 
they had made fome proficiency in liiulic. The ambafla- 
dor was induced to accept of an entertainment, given on 
Ihore on the 4th of June, 1793, being his Britannic ma- 
jelly’s birth-day. On this occafion a grand dinner was 
provided ; after which a play Was performed. The piece 
appeared to be a kind of biltorical opera, in which were 
the recitative, the air, and the chorus, as regular as upon 
the Italian ilage. Some of the female performers were by 
• china. 
no means defpicable fingers. They all obferved time ac« 
curately, not only with their voices, but every joint of 
their hands and feet was obedient to the regular move¬ 
ment of the inllruments. Both their firing and wind-in- 
ftruments were very rude, but formed on the fame prin¬ 
ciples, and with a view to produce the fame effefl, as 
thofe of Europe. Such, however, is the force of habit 
and national attachment, that the performance of the 
muficians, in the lervice of the ambaffador, which was 
very grateful to the European ear, was not much reliftied 
by the Cochin-chinefe. The building, in which the am- 
baflador was received, appeared to have been ere£led oa 
the occafion. The inlide was hung with printed cotton 
of Britilh manufacture ; and the foldiers, attending upon 
the governor of the diftrifl, who gave the entertainment, 
had outfide veils of dark red cloth, which likewife ap¬ 
peared to have come from England. The Portuguele of 
Macao, who chiefly carry on whatever trade is Itill fub- 
filting in the ports of Cochin-china, buy up the refule 
goods of the Canton market, which they dilpofe of here 
to great advantage, though they lometimes are made to 
luffer many impoiitions from the governing people of the 
country. 
The Cochin chinefe foldiery were generally armed, be- 
fides fabres, with pikes of valt length, ornamented with, 
taflels of hair dyed red, which colour no fubje' 61 , except 
in the fervice, or by the order, of the fovereign, was al¬ 
lowed to ule in drefs or equipage. The amb.iffador’s 
guard, which attended his excellency on Ihore, befides 
firing a falute in honour of the day, went through leve- 
ral military evolutions, to the admiration, not only of the 
furrounding multitude, but of the native troops. Not- 
withftanding the decreafe of poi ulation throughout the 
country, in the courfe of a long civil war, the number of 
men in arms was faid to be itill conliderab.e. At Hue- 
foo, the capital of the kingdom, about forty miles to the 
northward of Turon, thirty thoufand men were reported 
to be kept in garrilon, and regularly exerciled with mufi- 
kets apd match-locks every day. Their generals relied 
much alfo upon the ufe of elephants trained for war. 
With this view figures of foldiers are placed in lanks be¬ 
fore the war-elephants, who are taught to attack them 
with great fury, feizing them with their trunks, tolling 
fome of them in the air, and trampling others under their 
feet. The elephant, however, like mod other animals 
who fubfill entirely on vegetable food, is naturally gen¬ 
tle, except where pains are taken to train them to afts of 
violence, or when provoked by great perlbnal injury. 
The keeper of this huge animal in Cochin-china is gene¬ 
rally a boy, who rides upon his neck and governs him 
with eafe; and the nice touch and contractile power of 
the lips of his flexile probofcis, render it, in lome in¬ 
ftances, equal to the human fingers in adroitnefs. 
Cochin-china is among the few places where elephants 
ferve for food. They are confidered as a perfect dainty 
there. When the king, or any of his viceroys in the pro¬ 
vinces, has one of thefe animals (laughtfered for his table, 
pieces of it are dillributed about to perfons of rank, as 
gratifying marks of favour. Buffalo is preferred to other 
beef. Milk is not ufed as food ; nor is the milking of 
any animal cultomary in the country. Yet the people 
have been driven to great diftrefs for fuftenance, during 
the famine which the deftroying armies of contending 
tyrants had frequently occasioned ; and human flelh is 
laid to have been, fometimes, fold in the open markets of 
the capital. 
The neighbouringTong-quinefe had taken, atone time s 
the advantage of the rebellion in Cochin-china, and in¬ 
vaded the northern provinces, in which the capital is 
fituated, and, during the Ihort period of their polfelfion, 
they plundered whatever valuables they could find ; and, 
in particular, as much of the precious metals as they 
could dilcover. A great proportion of what then efcaped 
has been fent lince to China, in return for the neceliaries 
of life lupplied by the junks from thence, the wretched 
4 inhabitants 
