C O C FI I N 
inhabitants being often compelled to that refource, as 
their cultivated lands were laid wafte, and their manu¬ 
factories deftroyed. Before thefe calamitous events, gold 
was particularly plentiful in the country. Gold dull.was 
found in the rivers, and their mines abounded in. the 
richeft ore, fo pure as to require only the fnnple aCtion 
of fire to extraCl it. Much of it was tiled in decorations 
of drefs and furniture. The hilts and fcabbards of their 
fwords were frequently ornamented with plates of beaten 
gold. Payments were made in it to foreign merchants, 
in ingots, each weighing about four ounces. Mines of 
filt er were formerly-l'o"little worked, that it was imported 
from abroad and exchanged for gold, upon terms of con- 
fiderable advantage to the importers. More mines of 
filver have, however, lately been difcovered ; or a lefs 
expenfive method of refining it has been praCtifed. It is 
become- the principal medium of exchange for merchan¬ 
dize from abroad, and-is paid in ingots of very pure me¬ 
tal, each weighing about twelve ounces. Before the 
troubles in Cochin-china, great quantities of gold were 
brought from the hills in dull, and bartered by their rude 
inhabitants for rice, cotton, cloth, and iron. It was from 
them, alio, that the fweet-fcented aguila or eagle-wood, 
fo valued in the Ealt, was brought, as well as quantities 
of pepper, wax, honey, and ivory; but the communica¬ 
tion between thofe hills and the low lands have, in a great 
meafure, been cut off for feveral years pall. The latter 
chiefly produce rice, areca-nut, betel-leaf, tobacco, cin¬ 
namon, filk, cotton, and, above all, fugar, which may 
be confidered as the principal ftaple commodity of the 
country. 
The original inhabitants of Cochin-china bad retired 
to the chain of mountains bordering upon it to'the well- 
ward, and thole'which feparate it from Cambodia, when 
the anceitors of the prefent poffeflors of the plains invaded 
the country from China, in like manner as the ancient 
Britons, when attacked from Italy and Germany, betook 
themfelves to the mountains of 'Wales. The mountaineers 
of Cochin-china are reprefented as a rude and -favage 
people, differing by their coarfe features and black com¬ 
plexions, as much as in their manners, from the well¬ 
locking and lefs dark complexioned lowlanders, who 
were confidered as a courteous, affable, and inoffenfive 
race, before the lubverfion of the ancient government, 
and mutual violence and treachery had loofened every 
principle of lociety, and roufed the pafiions of avarice 
and ambition, which the convulfions of the country gave 
too many opportunities of indulging. The ancient fim- 
plicity of manners ftill,- however, fubfilted among the 
cultivators of the foil. The countenances of the pea- 
fants were, for the molt part, lively and intelligent. The 
women, who were more numerous than the men, were 
actively employed in works of hulbandry. Their cabins 
were dean, and fuffkiently commodious for a people whom 
the climate enables to ljoend, out of doors, molt of the 
time not allotted to repofe. 
Office, which is the raoft general obje6t of cultivation, 
befides that fpecies which requires to be fown in'lands 
that are afterwards inundated, there is another known in 
Cochin-china, called fometimes mountain rice, which 
thrives in dry light foils moftly on the fides of hills, and 
opened by the fpade; nor dees it require more moifture 
thaw the ufual rains and dews fupply, neither of which 
is frequent at the feafon of its vegetation. Rice is of Hill 
more importance to this people here than bread is to 
Europeans, as the former require, with that grain, a very 
trifling relifh of fpices, oil, or animal food. Their prin¬ 
cipal indulgence is in fpirituous liquors, tobacco, areca- 
nut, and betel-leaf; of the two laft articles, mixed with 
a little pafie of lime and yvater, they are extravagantly 
food. Thefe ingredients are obtained at eafy rates, being 
produced upon the Ipot. Perfons of both fexes, and'of 
ail ranks, chew the areca-nut with betel, and fmoke to¬ 
bacco. A filken bag, lufpended from the girdle, con- 
Vol. IV. No. 233. 
-CHINA, 729 
taining thofe ingredients in feparate divifions, conffitute* 
a neceffary part of drefs. 
The cultom of fmoking, to which the men are more, ad¬ 
dicted than the women, affords a fort of occupation that 
prevents the irkfomenefs of total ina&ion, without re¬ 
quiring- exertion, or occafioni'ng fatigue. It is, therefore, 
often preferred to more ufeful, but laborious, employ¬ 
ment ; and, except occafional efforts, made under parti¬ 
cular circumftanc-es, indolence was prevalent among the 
men ; while the women were afliduoufly employed in do- 
meltic occupations, or In the labours of agriculture. In 
towns they ferve frequently as agents or brokers to mer¬ 
chants from foreign countries, and live with them at the 
fame time qs their concubines ; and, in both refpeits, 
they are remarkable for their fidelity. Concubinage is 
fuppofed to be no dilhonourand, in this inltance, there 
feems to be lefs difference in the morals of the two fexes 
than in Europe. The exterior difference between the 
fexes appears alio lefs glaring r for the dreffes of both are 
nearly of the tame form. They confift of loofe robes, 
with finall collars round the neck, and folding over the 
breaft, with large long Reeves, covering the hands. Peo¬ 
ple of rank, elpecially the ladies, wear feveral of thefb 
gowns, one over the othdr. The undermolt reaches the 
.ground ; the fucceeding ones are each fhorter than that 
immediately under it. They are often of different co¬ 
lours, the difplay of which makes a gaudy appearance as 
the wearer walks along. Linen is not known amonglt 
them. They have, next the fkin, veils and trowfers of 
flight filk or cotton. Turbans are frequently worn by 
the men; and hats, fometimes, by the women, but never 
caps. The molt richly dreffed of either fex'ule no (hoes. 
. In the drefs of the Europeans nothing attra£ted more 
the attention or admiration of the Cochin-chinefe than 
manufa£tured ornaments of poliihed Heel. Steel-hilted 
fwords were valtly coveted by the military men. This 
clafs hold the firit rank in the country. Next come the 
judges ; but the'abufe of power in the former is not 
greater than in the latter; and-among the feveral haid- 
lhips, fuffered by all claffes, are the bad practices in the 
eftablilhments intended for the' adminiltration of jultice. 
Caufes are tried, indeed, with much formality, and an 
apparent defire to find out the truth, in order to a fair 
decifion ; yet, in fail, a favourable decree is generally 
purchafed by a bribe. Prefents are accepted by the 
judge from both parties; but the richeft is molt likely to 
be liiccefsful. 
Confidering Cochin-china in a general view, it muff be 
allowed to be excellently well adapted to commerce. Its 
vicinity to China, Tong-quin, Japan, Cambodia, Siam, 
the Philippines, Borneo, Sumatra, and Malacca, renders 
the intercourfe with alf thefe countries Ihort and eafy. 
The commodious harbours with which the coalt is inter- 
felted, and. particularly that of Turon, afford a fafe re¬ 
treat for (hips of any burden, during the molt tempef- 
tuous feafons of the year. The country is alio fuppofed 
to be healthy, the violent’heat of the fummer months 
being tempered by regular breezes from the fea. Sep¬ 
tember, October, and November, are the feafon of rains. 
The lowlands are then frequently and fudderily over¬ 
flowed by immenfe torrents of water, which defeend from 
the mountains. The inundations take place, generally, 
once a fortnight, and laft for two or three days at a time. 
Thefe inundations happening about the full and change 
of the moon, feem to indicate the influence of that fatel- 
lite in the determination of their periods. In December, 
January, and February, there are alfo frequent rains, 
brought by coid northerly, winds, which diltinguifli this 
country, by having a winter, from molt others lo near to 
the equator. 
The inundations have the fame effeil here as the pe¬ 
riodical overflowings of the Nile, and render this country 
one of the moft fruitful of the globe. In many parts the 
laud produces three crops of grain in the year. Its molt 
2 2 i valuable 
