I
A
VOYAGE
TO
COCHIN CHINA.
LONDON:
Printed by A. & R.Spottiswoode,
New-Street-Square.
VOYAGE
TO
COCHIN CHINA.
BY
JOHN WHITE,
LIEUTENANT IN THE UNITED STATES NAVY.
Prodesse quam conspici.
LONDON:
PRINTED FOR
LONGMAN, HURST, REES, ORME, BROWN, AND GREEN,
PATERNOSTER-ROW.
1824.
JPS557
GIFT OB 1
ADVERTISEMENT.
1 His volume was not originally intended for pub-
lication, but written as a Memoir to be deposited
in the archives of the " East India Marine Society
of Salem." Some of the author's friends, how-
ever, who had read the manuscript, (among whom
was the Hon. John Pickering, who kindly as-
sisted him with advice) conceived it of sufficient
general interest to be published, and it is accord-
ingly submitted, " with all its imperfections upon
its head."
In regard to style, grammatical accuracy, and
mode of arrangement, he requests his readers to
bear in mind, that this is not a book written by
a professed scholar, but the production of an un-
lettered seaman. In the course of the work, he
has endeavoured to account for the discrepancy
between his own humble though faithful narrative
and descriptions, and the vague and disjointed ac-
counts of -some former writers, by which the Co-
chin Chinese character is so differently represented.
He does not, however, pretend to make any in-
vidious comparisons, but to show, that from our
general non-intercourse with that remote and se-
A 3
VI
eluded country, few correct accounts of it have
been published, and those at a period considerably
remote from the present era ; since which its na-
tional character has been debased by the increasing
despotism of the government.
Deceived by the flattering accounts of this re-
puted el dorado, (however correct they may once
have been) several adventurers have been induced
to risk voyages there ; one of which was from Sa-
lem, as early as the year 1803 * ; but they were all
totally unsuccessful ; and it is presumed that no
American ever prosecuted any important commer-
cial speculation in the country, previous to the joint
adventure of the brig Franklin and ship Marmion.
At least it is very certain, that they were the first
American ships that ever ascended the Don-nai
river, and displayed the stars and stripes before the
city of Saigon.
* The Ship Fame, Captain Jeremiah Briggs.
CONTENTS.
CHAP. I.
PACK
Leave the Land. Snow Storm. Attacked by a Por-
tuguese Ship. Arrival at, and Description of, St. Salva-
dor. Passage to Batavia. AbrolhosBank Descrip-
tion of, and Remarks on, Tristan d'Acunha. Jonathan
Lambert Passage of the Cape. Arrival at Batavia - 1
CHAP. II.
Departure from Batavia. Straits of Banka. Attacked
by Pirates. Arrival at, and Description of Mintow.
Island of Banka. Description of Pirate Proas. Com-
merce of Banka . 12
CHAP. III.
Palamban its Commerce. Palambese War with the
Dutch. Departure from Mintow. Monsoons. Cur-
rents. Pulo Condore. Cambodia. Cape St. James.
Arrival at Vung-tau - 25
CHAP. IV.
First Interview with the Cochin Chinese. Their Dress,
Manners, &c. Ludicrous Conduct of the Chief.
Arrival at Canjeo. Visit on Shore, Pagoda - -33
CHAP. V.
Mandarin's Visit on Board. Local Descriptions. Fishing
Weirs. Native Vessels. Subsequent Visits of Man-
darins. Roguery of the Natives. Sinmese Junks.
Faithless and Mysterious Conduct of the Chiefs.
Departure from Canjeo - - - - 52
Vlll
CHAP. VI.
PAGE
Description of the Coast of Cochin China. Pulo Ciecer
de Mer. Trading and Fishing Vessels. Pulo Canton.
Arrival at Cham-Callao. Departure from Cham-
Callao. Arrival at Turon Interview with the Chiefs.
Description of Turon and Bay. Departure from
Turon Bay. Historical and Geographical Description
of Cochin China. Bishop Adran - 72
CHAP. VII.
Passage to the Philippine Islands. Paracels. Arrival at
Cavite. Description of Cavite. Arrival at Manilla
Luconia. Coral Ledges and Shoals. Zoophytes.
New created Islands. Description of Manilla - - 95
CHAP. VIII.
Island of Lu9onia, and City of Manilla. Description con-
tinued. Geography. Topography. Geology. Re-
ligion. Manners and Customs. Discovery and Settle-
ment of the Philippine Islands. Galleons - - 112
CHAP. IX.
Philippine Company. Charters Revenue of the Islands.
Imports and Exports. Populations. Productions.
Locusts. Earthquakes. Health. Ilmado. An Ex-
ecution - - 129
CHAP. X.
Animals. Reptiles. Vegetable Productions. Naval
Architecture. Ignorance of the Lu9onians respecting
Cochin China. Arrival of the Marmion. Monsoons
and Seasons. Imposing Ceremonies Dramatic Re-
presentations. Murder. Sensual Indulgences. De-
parture from Manilla - 147
17
IX
CHAP. XI.
FACE
Passage across the China Sea. Arrival at Vung-tau.
Canjeo. Local Anecdotes. Pagoda. Roguery and
Chicanery of the Natives. Permission from Chiefs at
Canjeo to proceed up the River. Permission from the
Governor of Saigon to proceed to the City - 167
CHAP. XII.
Progress up the River of Don-nai. Visit from Officers of
Government. The Seven Months. Features of the
Country. IFish Concert, Ladrones. Remarks on the
River. CoralL edge. Alligators. Hydrostatic Pheno-
menon. Violent Squall. Arrival at the City of Saigon 185
CHAP. XIII.
Visit to the Shore. A Native Dwelling. Arrival of the
Marmion. Female Merchants. Local Scenery and
Descriptions. Preparations to visit the Authorities,
on Shore. Presents - 201
CHAP. XIV.
Landing at Saigon and Progress through the City. Royal
Palace. Citadel. Reception by the acting Governor.
Topographical Description of Saigon and its Envi-
rons. Elephants. Abundance in the Bazars. Fruits.
Rudeness of the Natives - 218
CHAP. XV.
Population of Saigon Style of building. Missionaries.
Christians. Cemetery Naval Arsenal. Gigantic
Timber. War Gallies. Founderies. Topographical
Descriptions. New River. Ceremony of measuring
the Ships. Debauchery of the Natives. Extortion.
Exactions, Letter to the King's Admiral. Presents
PAGE
to the King. His anti-commercial and Despotic Cha-
racter - 232
CHAP. XVI.
Productions of the Country. Wild Beasts. Remarkable
Anecdote of a Tygress. Money. Coins. Weights
and Measures. Manufactures. Chinese Population.
Ruinous Policy of the King. Royal City of Hue.
Regal Succession. Fears of the Christians - 24-8
CHAP. XVII.
Dress of the Inhabitants of Saigon. Female Costume, Ha-
bits, &c. Physical Courage of the Natives. Armour,
&c. Inundations. Residence on Shore. Rapacity of
the Merchants. Delusive Conduct of the acting Go-
vernor. Padre Antonio. Bishop Adran. Pagoda.
Religion and Superstition. Viceroy. Government.
Crimes and Punishments. Population. Chinese Com-
mercial Agents. Native Duplicity. Visit from the
acting Governor. His Conduct - 268
CHAP. XVIII.
Perplexing Coin Vexatious and flagitious Conduct of the
Government Officers. A Serpent. Stoned by the Na-
tives. Return to the Ships. Unsuccessful Stratagem.
Filthy Food of the Natives. Diseases. Funeral
Ceremonies. Music Sculpture. Painting. Dra-
matic Exhibitions. Padre Joseph. Arrival of the Vice-
roy. Presentation. Presents. Humiliating Obei-
sance of Inferiors. Kaleidoscope. Punishment of De-
linquent Soldiers - 289
CHAP. XIX.
Letter from Monsieur Vannier. Aqua Ardiente, a great
Rogue. Reptiles. Meteorological Remarks. Aerial
Temperature Mandarin of Letters Visits on Board
XI
Visit the Viceroy. An Entertainment. Favourable Im-
pressions made by the Viceroy's Manners. Domingo, a
Native Christian. Bezoar Stone. Cautery. Mode
of Travelling. Fires. Games Athletic Exercises.
Poisoning. Viceroy's Wives. Diabolical Machina-
tions of Linguists and Government Officers. Cambo-
dian Ambassador. Fleet of Gallies. Viceroy's Galley. 309
CHAP. XX.
Visit from a Lady of Rank. Contract for Cargoes, and
Permission from Government to take them. New Diffi-
culties. Commence taking Cargo. More Villany.
A Pirate Galley. Macao Ship robbed in 1804. Aqua
Ardiente's rascality. Additional Preparations for de-
fence. Narrative of an Attack on an English Ship, and
her narrow Escape. King's proposed Contract for Car-
goes to be brought him Fears of Father Joseph for
the Christians 330
CHAP. XXI.
Finish taking Cargo. A discovery. Preparations for
departure. Final Settlement, and Payment of Sagou-
etes, and other Impositions. Take leave of the Vice-
roy. Royal Seals. Regal Palace. Departure from
Saigon. Canjeo. Vung-tau. Departure from Vung-
tau. Arrival at Batavia. Mode of preserving Health
of Seamen. Departure from Batavia Touch at the
Isle of France. Arrival of the Ship Marmion. De-
parture from the Isle of France. Passage of the Cape.
A Hurricane. Arrival in the United States - 348
VOYAGE TO COCHIN-CHINA.
CHAPTER I.
Leave the Land. Snow Storm. Attacked by a Portuguese ship.
Arrival at, and description of, Saint Salvador. Passage to
Batavia. Abrolhos Bank. Description of, and remarks on,
Tristan d"Acunha. Jonathan Lambert. Passage of the Cape.
Arrival at Batavia.
ON SATURDAY the 2d day of January 1819 we
sailed from Salem, and the next day had a severe
gale, with snow, from the north-east. On the 4th of
February crossed the Equator. On the 9th of the
same month, in the afternoon, being in latitude of
5 50' south, and longitude 29 2(X west, two sail of
vessels were descried ahead, standing in the same
direction with ourselves. We took little further
notice of this incident, (as at this time of general
peace the whole navigation of the world was in
motion,) than to observe that we were approaching
them rapidly, which excited a consequent emotion
of exultation at the superiority of our sailing.
B
At sunset we had approached so near as to see
their hulls, which indicated a prospect of soon
passing them. The evening, being pleasant, was
passed on deck in conversation relative to past
events, and in speculations on the future ; resources
which seamen are often fain to adopt to relieve the
tedium and monotony of a voyage.
At 11 o'clock the two vessels, which had been
obscured from our view by the darkness of the
evening, were now perceived to be quite near.
We saw that they were large ships, and that our
course would lead us between them, and quite near
the windward one ; on our near approach to which,
on passing, and just while we were about to hail
her, her crew poured, or intended probably to pour
into us, the contents of their two stern chase guns.
We were much surprised at this, and hailed them,
demanding their reason for firing at us ; but so
great was the confusion of voices on board the
stranger, that we could not be heard. We were
rapidly passing them, and, as we ranged along,
were successively saluted with five more guns,
charged with grape, as we found by the shot which
came on board, without however doing the least
damage. We found by their language that they
were Portuguese, and concluded that they mistook
us for a Patriot privateer ; and by the small report
of their guns, and imbecility of the fire, it was
apparent that they must have been a long time
charged, or their powder bad; perhaps both. As
we had not deviated from our course during this
rencontre, had reduced no sail, and sailed much
faster than our uncivil neighbour, we were soon
out of his reach, and little further notice was
taken of the affair by us, than occasionally regret-
ting that our own guns had not been mounted at
the time, which we conceived would have effec-
tually prevented him from having all the exercise
on his side. As we were at peace with all the
world, it had not been considered necessary to take
them on deck till we approached the straits of
Sunda, and they were at this moment silently
reclining on the ballast below.
On the llth February, in lat. 11 4' south, and
long. 31 35' west, our main mast was discovered
to be badly sprung, and it was deemed unsafe to
proceed on our voyage without repairing it ; as it
could not well be done at sea, we determined to
repair immediately to St. Salvador, in the Bay ot
All Saints, which was our nearest port, where we
arrived on the 15th.
The city of Bahia, or St. Salvador, is situated
on a peninsula, which bounds, on the south side,
the picturesque, safe, and capacious Bay of All
Saints, and is said to contain one hundred thousand
inhabitants, thirty thousand of which are white,
and the residue negroes and mulattoes. It is di-
vided into the upper and lower towns, the latter of
which is occupied by mechanics, traders, and the
lower classes of the people ; it is at the foot of a
precipitous hill, skirts the harbour, and is mean
and dirty. Here are situated the counting-houses
4
and stores of the Brazil Company, and of the mer-
chants who reside in the upper town, (which is on
the summit of the hill,) in handsome villas, com-
manding extensive prospects of the sea, the neigh-
bouring coasts, and the circumjacent country, with the
picturesque bay, crowded with vessels of all nations,
spread, like a map, at their feet. The upper town,
which is approached by zig-zag roads on the face
of the precipice, is tolerably regularly built. On
each side of the great square are situated the
palaces of the governor and the archbishop, with
many superb public buildings, and the splendid
mansions of the nobility and opulent gentry. The
streets are well paved, and the churches, built of
the most costly materials, are crowded with deco-
rations of immense value, the voluntary contri-
butions of superstitious devotees and zealous
fanatics.
The climate is healthy, the air salubrious and
balmy, the soil kind and productive, and the com-
forts and necessaries of life abundant. The princi-
pal articles of export are gold and silver, jewellery,
precious stones, sugar, rum, coffee, hides, jerked
bee cocoa, dye-woods, and tobacco ; the latter is
a monopoly of the crown, and is said to produce a
great revenue.
Timber for ship-building is here found in great
abundance, and of very superior qualities, and the
science of naval architecture has been carried to
as great a degree of perfection as in any part of
the world; the artists of Bahia having produced
some as fine and complete models of maritime
beauty, in their Brazil ships, as any country can
boast. Their articles of import from the United
States, with which a brisk trade has of late years
been carried on, are principally dried and pickled
fish, flour, butter, cheese, lumber, cabinet work,
carriages, shoes, hats, &c. From Europe, besides
some of the above articles, they receive woollen,
cotton, linen, and silk stuffs, cutlery and fire-arms,
wines, brandy, and various fancy articles.
A coasting trade is pursued with the neighbour-
ing provinces, and they have established a lucrative
commerce with the East Indies. Most of the fruits
which are produced within the tropics are found in
the market, and a particular kind of orange, of
large size and delicious flavour, without seeds, is
here only indigenous. All Portuguese vessels,
sailing from St. Salvador to Rio de Janeiro, are
obliged to take with them a quantity of this fruit
for the use of the royal family.
The inhabitants, like the Portuguese in general,
are great bigots, and not very favourably disposed
towards protestants ; but the American and English
residents, of which latter there are many, form a
very agreeable society among themselves. The
thermometer in the shade, at noon, ranged from
83 to 86 of Fahrenheit during our stay here.
The latitude of Cape St. Salvador, the extreme
point of the peninsula, (on which is situated Fort
Cabo, commanding the entrance between it and
the island of Taporica or Itaparica, which bounds
B 3
6
the west side of the channel,) is 12 58' south, and
the longitude 38 13' west. From the Cape an ex-
tensive bank of coral projects out to the south and
south-east : its extreme outer verge being a little
more than two miles from the land, it is said not to
have less than four fathoms of water on it, though
by the ripplings caused by the rapidity of the
tide over it, a stranger would suppose it to be
much shoaler. There is little or no variation of
the compass here. On the 22d, having completed
our repairs, and laid in a fresh stock of water and
provisions, we sailed from St. Salvador.
On the 25th we crossed the Abrolhos bank, our
approach to which was indicated by the temper-
ature of the water, and our arrival on it by the
lead. Our shoalest water was 21 fathoms ; coarse
grey and yellow sand, broken shells and coral.
On the 12th of March we saw and passed the
island of Tristan d'Acunha, through many shoals
of kelp and other marine plants. This island, from
recent circumstances, has acquired some celebrity,
and excited no small degree of interest ; and this
it was, of which, in the year 1811, Jonathan Lam-
bert of Salem took formal possession, issued a pro-
clamation indicative of his right to the soil, and
invited navigators of all nations, whose route might
lie near the island, to touch at his settlement for
the refreshments needed on a long passage, and
which, he anticipated, his industry would draw from
the earth, and the adjacent sea ; and he signified
his readiness to receive in payment whatever might
be most convenient for his visitors to part with,
that could be any way useful to him in his solitary
abode. For the purpose of being able to fulfil his
engagements, he took with him to the island various
implements of husbandry, seeds of the most useful
culinary plants which grow in the United States,
and, touching at South America, he there procured
seeds, scions, &c. of many tropical plants, the fruits
of which, he hoped, would not only be a very
agreeable acquisition to his little colony for food,
but would furnish an abundant supply to ships
which might visit his establishment. He was also
furnished with a variety of fishing apparatus, for
which he found great use ; for in no part of the
world are fish in greater plenty, of more delicious
flavour, or taken with greater facility, than at this
island. The shores abound in seals, sea-lions, sea-
elephants, and other amphibious animals ; and the
cliffs and precipices are the resorts of innumerable
flights of aquatic fowls, such as albatrosses, pen-
guins, pintados, silver-wings, cape-hens, and various
other kinds, which abound in the antarctic regions ;
in the interior, wild hogs and goats are found.
The spot on which Lambert fixed his residence was
the largest of a group of three islands, named
Tristan d' Acunha, after the Portuguese discoverer ;
the other two are situated six or seven leagues
south-westerly, and are called respectively Night-
ingale and Inaccessible. They are all very high,
mountainous, and rugged ; and the appearances
of deep chasms, abrupt precipices, and various sub-
B 4
stance^ scattered about, which bear indisputable
marks of the action of fire, indubitably indicate the
volcanic origin of these islands.
Tristan d* Acunha, excepting the peak, is clothed
with verdure, and some trees of considerable size
grow in the vallies ; the other islands of this group
are barren, and present a very inhospitable aspect;
a few stinted shrubs are seen in some places, cling-
ing to the sides of the deep fissures through which
the mountain torrents rush during occasional rains,
or the melting of the winter snows, which at times
crown the rugged peaks of these alpine islands.
The island of Tristan d'Acunha affords abund-
ance of good fresh water; the bay, or indentation
called the road, though scarcely deserving that
name, is situated on the north side of it, having
deep water very near the shore, with a bottom of
slimy black sand, and the bank of soundings is very
precipitous, by which vessels are in danger of
drifting from the anchorage with an off-shore wind,
and with a sudden gale on shore, (which is not un-
frequent,) the hazard of shipwreck would be im-
minent. These reasons should deter vessels from
anchoring, and induce them to lie by while their
boats are on shore.
A beautiful cascade of limpid water rushes from
the mountains, and falls into a large basin near the
landing place, from whence there is an outlet to
the sea, through which it escapes over a bed of
polished pebbles, and mingles with the ocean. In
watering, boats lie near the beach, and through a
hose receive the water from this stream, without
removing the casks. Some difficulty is experienced
in approaching the shore by means of the vast
quantities of kelp, or trumpet- weed, of immense
size, which extend a considerable distance into the
sea, and no small effort is necessary to overcome
the resistance presented by this obstacle.
Lambert and his associates had resided here
nearly two years, and already had their industry
been crowned with great success : they had col-
lected a number of the skins of seals, sea lions, &c.
and a considerable quantity of oil, from the same
animals. The soil, congenial to the growth of the
various kinds of plants, which they had naturalized
there, had begun to reward their toils with a plen-
tiful crop of roots, fruits, and pulse, and they were
made happy in the fruition of their hopes, and in
the flattering prospects of future independence,
which were spread before them.
In the midst of the enlivening feelings which
pervaded their minds on the success of their under-
taking, a melancholy incident took place, which
rent asunder the bonds of this little society, and
spread desolation over their domains. This was
no less than the death of Lambert, the soul of their
enterprize ; he is reported to have been drowned,
while on a visit to one of the adjacent islands.
Disheartened by this unfortunate occurrence, by
which they were deprived of an intelligent leader,
and distrusting their own powers to prosecute their
original designs to a favourable issue, they shortly
10 ,
after this event quitted the island in a ship which
touched there ; and in 1814 their huts were found
falling to the ground, their enclosures in ruins, and
every part of this once flourishing establishment
marked with the devastations of time and neglect.
Tristan d'Acunha has since that period excited
some attention, from the circumstance of its occu-
pation in 1816 by a company of British troops
from the Cape of Good Hope, as an outpost of the
army of surveillance stationed at St. Helena, the
rugged and gloomy prison of Napoleon Bonaparte ;
but this garrison was soon withdrawn, for the most
obvious reasons, and which it is astonishing had not
previously occurred to the projectors of this mea-
sure, and prevented its adoption. The most pro-
minent reasons were, (among many others,) that the
island of Tristan d'Acunha could in no way faci-
litate the escape of Bonaparte from St. Helena,
and that the anchorage was so bad that no vessels
could lie there in safety, which latter objection
was most painfully exemplified to them, in the
shipwreck, and total loss of a sloop of war, with
nearly all her crew, on the island, a short time pre-
vious to its abandonment by them. The latitude
of the peak of Tristan d'Acunha is given at 37 6'
south, and longitude 11 44' west: more recent
observations give the longitude of the cascade at
12 2' west ; and the latter, by that most able and
intelligent navigator Horsburgh, is considered to be
correct. The variation of the compass is about
10 westerly.
11
We had the usual winds and weather experienced
in passing the Cape of Good Hope, and in running
up our Easting, which we did in the latitude of
about 40 south. April 14th, we passed the islands
of St. Paul's and Amsterdam, without seeing them
however, the weather being very hazy ; and on the
4th of May, in the morning, we saw Java head, at
noon entered the straits of Sunda, and on the 9th
anchored in Batavia roads.
CHAPTER II.
Departure from Batavia. Straits of Banka. Attacked by Pi-
rates. Arrival at, and description of, Mintow. Island of
Banka. Description of Pirate Proas. Commerce of Banka.
HAVING replenished our stock of water and fresh
provisions, and despatched some business which had
called us to this place, we sailed on the 18th, and
pursued our course for the ultimate destination of
our outward voyage. On the 22d, having crossed
the Java sea, we saw the island of Lucepera, at the
southern entrance of the straits of Banka, and on
the following day we entered those straits. The
weather, which had been very sultry since our leav-
ing Batavia, had now become almost intolerable
from the great heat; so that the heavy squalls of rain
which we experienced every night, although ac-
companied with terrific thunder and lightning,
were welcomed by us, for the refreshing coolness
which attended them.
At 11 o'clock A.M. on the 24th, being abreast
of Fourth Point, and contiguous to the mouth of
the Palamban river, which falls into the straits of
Banka, from the island of Sumatra, we discovered
three large proas, as the Malay vessels are called,
13
in the offing, standing for us, and as it was nearly
calm, they, with the assistance of their oars, soon
approached sufficiently near for us to discover that
they were full of men, and had each two banks of
oars, with a barricade built across their forecastles,
above a man's height, and projecting out several
feet beyond the gunwale, or top of the vessel, on
each side, in the centre of which was a round per-
foration or embrasure, through which projected the
muzzle of a large cannon. One of these vessels
was larger than the others, wore a long pendant of
blue and white longitudinal stripes, and acted a$
commodore, and they each wore a flag of a blue or
dark green ground, with a white border at the mast,
and on the upper and lower edges, but none at the
fly. We counted on one side of this boat thirty-
seven oars, and presuming both sides equal, she
was propelled by seventy-four oars ; the other two,
we thought, were about one quarter part less,
giving them in the aggregate one hundred and
eighty-five oars. These formidable and hostile ap-
pearances immediately designated them to us as a
squadron of those piratical proas, which infest,
more or less, all these straits between the Indian
and Pacific oceans and the China sea, who are al-
ways on the watch for small or defenceless vessels,
and who, emboldened by some late successes, have
ventured to attack even men of war ; and so serious
have been their depredations upon the commerce
of the East, of late years, and so shocking to
14
humanity their savage cruelty to their prisoners,
(massacreing immediately all the Lascars, or native
sailors on board the captured vessels, and putting
to death, with the most lingering and agonizing
tortures, all the Europeans or whites,) that mer-
chant vessels seldom navigate singly those seas,
but associate together for mutual protection
against these barbarians, who are principally Ma-
lays. As their intention was evidently to attack
us, preparations were made to repel them. It
being nearly calm, they possessed a great advantage
over us by means of their oars in point of ma-
noeuvring, and kept their heads or barricadoes con-
stantly presented to us : they approached with a
great appearance of resolution till nearly within
range of our guns, when they began to slacken and
kept aloof, probably for the purpose of recon-
noitring. With a view of ascertaining their dis-
tance from us, we gave them a shot from a six
pounder, which fell somewhat short of them ;
immediately, as if electrified by this salute, every
oar was set briskly to work, and they made di-
rectly for us, with every appearance of determined
courage, tossing up the water with their oars,
which moved without the least regularity, and
assumed the appearance of the legs of a centipede
in rapid motion. They were permitted to ap-
proach within fair reach of our guns, when a
broadside was given them of three six pounders.
The shot of one passed over them, that of another
15
dropped just under the quarter of 'the largest, and
the third, striking the water a few yards short of her,
bounded over her barricado, and was lost to our
view. A great confusion was caused on board the
the squadron by this specimen of our gunnery, and
two smaller vessels pulled along side of the commo-
dore, where they lay for some time. We had now
drifted by the current into shoal water, upon a sand
that lies at some distance from the Sumatra side of
the straits, when fortunately a breeze sprung up in
the eastern quarter, and we were compelled to make
a tack to the southward, to clear the shoal. A body
of dark and dense clouds had been collecting for
several hours, in the south, and now had ap-
proached quite near us, in the shape of a squall.
Our course to avoid the shoal, before mentioned,
had led us about three miles to the southward of
the enemy, w r ho were still lying inactive, and we
could perceive that the commodore had his mast
down. The squall now came down upon us with
a fresh breeze ; we immediately made all sail in our
course, which was within a short distance of the
pirates; on our approach to them, we prepared to
give them another broadside with grape, langrage,
and double round, but they thought proper to re-
tire as we passed. Being unwilling to have charged
our guns to no purpose, we could not resist the im-
pulse which their piratical conduct had produced,
and with a view to put our security beyond all
question, to give them one more broadside, the
shot striking round them like hail.
16
The trucks of our gun carriages had been
of a species of wood which grows in the island of
Sumatra, and was chosen for that purpose on ac-
count of its great hardness ; but another essential
quality, that of being tough, and not liable to split,
had been overlooked in the selection, for which
omission we were on this occasion considerable suf-
ferers. One of our guns had already become useless,
in consequence of the brittle qualities of the trucks,
and two of the others were much injured ; and our
pleasure was by no means enhanced, on perceiving
our enemies, who we afterwards found had been
repairing damages, make all sail in pursuit, and
keep up a constant fire upon us, which we returned,
till our guns were all dismounted and lay on deck.
Their shot, however, did us no kind of injury, being
spent short of us.
Being now deprived of our artillery, and in case
of calm having no means of defence but our small
arms, which would have availed us little against
such overwhelming numbers, we determined to
steer for Mintow, a Dutch settlement in the island
of Banka, then in sight, where we arrived in the
evening, followed by our still troublesome pursuers,
to within a short distance of the anchorage.
On the following morning we went on shore,
and while landing were met by a peon or servant,
who had been dispatched by the Master attendant
to escort us to his office, where we, according to
custom, made our report of our vessel, cargo and
destination. After satisfying him in these respects,
17
he directed an attendant to go with us and point
out the house of the resident, by whom we were
received with great civility ; and when he was
informed of our reasons for touching at the settle-
ment, he immediately gave orders to have us sup-
plied with powder and shot from the public
magazines, as we had expended a great proportion
of our original stock in the action with the pirates ;
and he supplied us from his own go-downs, as store
houses are called in India, with a sufficient quantity
of wood, (of which we had none proper on board,)
suitable for gun trucks. But on examination it was
found that no shot could be spared us ; they how-
ever supplied us with four blocks of tin, which we
cut up for langrage.
On relating the action which we had the pre-
ceding day, and describing the pirate proas to the
resident, he immediately recognised in them three
armed vessels full of men, from the island of Lingin,
a few leagues to the northward, who had a few days
previous cut a vessel out of the roads in the night,
directly under the guns of the fort; and he congra-
tulated us on our escape from them, as they were
well armed, and had taken from the prize just men-
tioned a considerable quantity of opium, with
which they constantly kept themselves in a state of
inebriety. He assured us that the guns we had seen
on board them were brass eighteen pounders, that
their crews were all armed with pikes, or spears, and
javelins, and that they had several European mus^
kets taken out of the prizes which had had the mis-
fortune to fall into their hands, and in the use of
18
which they had become very expert. He pointed
out to us a small trading brig lying on the beach,
which had belonged to a Chinese at Sincapoor, and
which had been captured off the Nanka Islands, in
Banka Straits, a few leagues to the eastward, by
these very boats, and retaken a few days before by
two Dutch gun boats, which had also captured one
of their proas (now lying on the beach near the
Chinese brig), the crew of which had fought with
great desperation, nor did they yield till every man
of them had been desperately wounded, and even
then, while lying on deck, and incapable of stand-
ing, thrusting with their spears, and darting their
javelins at their victors, by which some of the
Dutch sailors were killed, and many others badly
wounded, several of the latter of which had since
died of their hurts, from the malignity of the poison
with which the weapons of the pirates had been
imbued.
The resident also informed us that the captured
proa was about fifty-five feet long, and had twenty-
eight oars of a side on two banks. Her gun, which
had been dismounted and lay on the shore, was an
English brass eighteen pounder, with a sliding car-
riage, and that her barricade was composed of
blocks of hewn timber, ten inches square, placed
horizontally on each other, and secured together by
trenails, about six feet high, projecting six feet out-
side the gunwale on each side, and the front of it
covered with plates of iron. Her crew s of which
only eighteen survived out of about an hundred,
had added to the natural ferocity of their temper,
19
by a free use of opium, combined with the juice of a
root called bang ; these stimulants, when associated
with their Mahometan persuasion of the doctrine
of predestination, render them totally exempt from
fear, produce the most ungovernable rage and des-
peration, and stimulate them to deeds of the most
savage and diabolical barbarity.
On our return to the beach, for the purpose of
going on board, we found the landing covered
with soldiers, in fatigue uniform, who had just
landed from a Dutch merchant ship from Batavia,
then in the road ; we found that they had arrived
but the day before, consisted of two companies of
one hundred men each, and were a detachment of
a body of four thousand troops recently sent out
from Holland to occupy the island of Banka, pre-
paratory to a meditated descent on Palamban, on
the opposite coast of Sumatra, a Dutch factory
and fort which had been recently wrested from
their hands by the reigning sultaun. They were
fine-looking men, and appeared to be in high spirits.
On arriving on board, we found that our carpen-
ter was rendered unfit for duty by a fall into the
hold ; and at this time the accident was peculiarly
unfortunate. Stimulated, however, by necessity, all
hands were immediately set to work upon the wood
which had been procured on shore, and before sun-
set on the following day the united efforts of the
officers and crew had produced a set of tolerable
trucks for our guns, and they were mounted and
put in order for use.
In the afternoon a canoe with fish came along
c 2
20
side, of which we purchased a sufficiency for the
ship's company at a reasonable rate. Our steward,
who spoke the Malay language, learnt from the old
man in the canoe, that he had been boarded in the
offing a few hours since by the three proas who had
attacked us on the preceding day ; and he was told
by them that they had two men killed and one
wounded on board the commodore, besides con-
derable damage done their vessel, by the shot
which had passed over their barricade, after striking
the water, and that they were waiting in the offing
to intercept us when we should again come out.
On our enquiring in what direction from us he had
left them, and at what distance, the fisherman
pointed to the south-west, and on looking that way
we discovered three proas with their sails down,
which from the main top we ascertained were
armed, and no doubt was entertained of their being
the vessels in question.
The thermometer at noon stood at 80, and in
the afternoon we had a squall from the south-west
with heavy rain.
The situation of the town of Mintow is romantic
and picturesque. Monopin hill, a high mountain,
with a peak, conspicuous at a great distance, and
an excellent landmark for the northern entrance
of the straits of Banka, stands a few miles north
of the town, which is near the south-western ex-
tremity of Banka island, (called Mintow point,) on
which was formerly a fort belonging to, and garri-
soned by the sultaun of Palamban. Two leagues
eastward of the point is a valley running from the
21
sea, north-eastward, diagonally with the shore, and
formed by Monopin hill on the north-west side,
and a bold promontory, nearly horizontal on the
top, and perpendicular, or nearly so, towards the
straits, and from the base of which a beach runs
out, about an eighth of a mile at low water on the
south-east side. In this valley, embowered with
trees, is situated the town of Mintow, containing
about two thousand inhabitants, a large proportion
of which are Chinese ; the residue are Malays and
half-casts, being the offspring of the Dutch inha-
bitants with the Malay and Chinese women. The
principal subsistence of the inhabitants is drawn
from the productions of the sea and the soil, with
which they supply the garrison, and from a con-
traband trade in tin with the English country
vessels, as they are called, and with their neigh-
bours, the Linginese.
On the elevated plain, or table land, before men-
tioned, and which is approached by an oblique path
from the valley, planted on each side with majestic
trees, are situated the house of the resident, the
quarters of the officers, the barracks, depots for
military stores, and other public buildings, in a neat
Dutch style; and on a platform on the verge of the
plain overlooking the strait, and commanding the
harbour, a tier of field artillery is planted, making
quite a formidable battery.
The landing, which is at the entrance of the val-
ley, is tolerably commodious at high water, by
means of a causeway of stakes and bamboes ; but
when the water recedes, it leaves the causeway
c 3
upwards of a furlong, and as the water is shoal
a long distance from thence towards the road or
harbour, the landing is very troublesome, both on
account of the distance of the boat from the
beach, and by the quality of the ground from
thence to dry land.
Opposite Mintow town, at about three and a
half miles distance from the landing, and extend-
ing eastward about eight miles, commences Min-
tow bank, a reef of hard sand, with very shoal
water at the eastern extremity, where it is com-
posed of rocks and sand, dry at low water, and
there about four and a half miles from the coast
of Banka. At a small distance from the western
end of the bank is a dangerous shoal, called Corang
Hodgee. The best channel in and out of the road
lies between these two, though occasionally others
are used. When we ran in, Monopin hill was
brought to bear north-north-east quarter east. We
then steered directly for it, crossed Mintow bank
in six fathoms water, deepened to eleven fathoms
inside, and then gradually shoaled to our anchorage
in five and a half fathoms ; from which position
Mintow point bore west by south ; the point to
the eastward of the road, east-south-east; Monopin
hill, north by east quarter east, and the fort or
battery, north by east half east.
The island of Banka is high, and broken, of
rather a barren appearance, though some of the
valleys are fruitful. It is of an irregular oblong
form, extending more than forty leagues north-
west and south-east, and generally about ten
23
leagues broad. It is situated opposite to a part of
the north-east coast of Sumatra, and forms with it
the straits of Banka, which are more than one
hundred miles in length in a winding course, and
from three to seven leagues broad ; it is surrounded
with shoals in a greater or less degree on every
side, though the north east quarter is the most
dangerous, where coral reefs extend far out into
the sea, and many detached dangers are scattered
about in every direction, rendering the navigation
of this part of the coast very perilous. The coast
is inhabited by Malays, who are mostly employed
in collecting biches de mer and birds' nests for the
China market, in committing depredations upon the
unprotected commerce of the Chinese colonists in
the neighbourhood, and in lurking about among
the shoals in the adjacent straits of Banka, Gasper,
and Billiton, watching to take advantage of vessels
which pass through these several straits on their
entrance to, and return from, the China sea ; here,
embarrassed by the numerous reefs, and frequently
striking on them, they become an easy prey
to these barbarians, who on these occasions
assemble together in great numbers.
The only article of export from Banka is tin,
of which about eighty thousand Chinese picul (of
one hundred and thirty-three pounds each) have
been produced, though since the war with the
sultaun of Palamban, the quantity has been some-
what reduced. The mines are worked by Chinese,
for account of the Dutch East India company,
c4
24
who monopolise this article, the greatest part of
which is exported to Batavia, where it is sold at
about fifteen dollars per picul, and the greater
part of it finds its way to the China market, and
most of the residue to Europe. It is said that
there are mines of gold and silver on the island,
but they have never been worked. At the tin
districts of Yre-Mass, in the north part of the
island, and at Marawan in the north-east, the smug-
gling trade for that article has been carried on to a
great extent ; the articles most coveted in return,
by the merchants who furnish it, being opium,
piece goods, and above all, Spanish dollars : but
the vigilance of the government has of late greatly
reduced that trade. Banka was formerly subject
to the native government of Palamban, but shortly
after the * accidental discovery of the valuable tin
mines upon it in 1710 the Dutch obtained per-
mission to establish a factory and erect a fort, for
the ostensible purpose of protecting and extending
the sultaun's trade, who, with the Dutch resident,
lived at Palamban city, in the large river, on the
opposite or Sumatra side of the straits, which place
had been added to the Dutch conquests in India
in the year 1660. But little advantage accrued to
the sultaun from the occupation of Mintow by the
Dutch, for they contrived to force him into a con-
tract to supply the Dutch East India company
with tin, at a very low rate, by which the latter
reaped immense profits.
* By the burning of a house.
CHAPTER III.
Palamban, its Commerce. Palambanese war with the Dutch.
Departure from Mintow. Monsoons. Currents. Pulo
Condore. Cambodia. Cape Saint James. Arrival at
Vung-tau.
PALAMBAN river is the largest in Sumatra, and
empties itself into the sea by several channels at
the northern entrance of Banka strait ; it is navi-
gable for merchant vessels quite up to the city,
and men of war have occasionally, with much diffi-
culty, ascended it. Palamban is fourteen leagues
from the mouth of the river, and occupying both
banks, extends several miles in length. The prin-
cipal articles of export here are tin, black pepper
of an inferior quality, rattans, rough diamonds and
gold dust : their imports are similar to those of
Banka. At the time of the occupation of Batavia
by the British in 1811, the Dutch settlements at
Palamban and Mintow also submitted to their arms,
and remained in their possession till the late peace,
when they were given up to their former occupants,
the Dutch; From its local situation, no difficulty
was experienced in the re-occupation and firm pos-
session of Mintow by the latter, when evacuated
by the English ; it was not so at Palamban. Dis-
gusted at the monopolising policy of the Dutch
and suffering, as they had, from their former rapa-
26
city, the Palambanese had determined not to admit
the Hollanders into their country, on their former
footing. They were however not prepared, on
the first return of their ancient neighbours, to
repel them by force ; they therefore temporised with
them, while every effort was made to put them-
selves in a posture to prevent their again becom-
ing permanent inhabitants : nor were they long in
preparing for this event.
The present sultaun, a man of an enlightened
mind, and prompt in his measures, of extensive
views, ardently loving his country, and pursuing a
liberal policy in his intercourse with strangers, soon
procured a large supply of military stores, repaired
his forts, secured a large park of artillery, collected
several thousand stands of arms, and improved the
discipline of his troops. A pretext was not diffi-
cult to find for quarrelling with the Dutch. Their
extortions were the primary and grand object of
complaint; the Hollanders recriminated, and the
flame which had been long kindling burst forth
with great fury. The Dutch, greatly inferior to
their enemies in point of numbers, were driven into
their fort, and there held in close blockade. They
however found means to elude the vigilance of
their besiegers, and despatched messengers to the
colonial government at Batavia, with an account
of their unpleasant situation ; an expedition, con-
sisting of a frigate and some smaller vessels, was
immediately sent to the relief of the garrison,
which was so closely invested by the sultaun that
14
27
they were fain to retreat on board their ships with
great loss of lives and treasure, pursued by the
victorious Malays, who annoyed them excessively
in their retreat, and their ships were literally per-
forated in every part like a target. The news of
this defeat soon reached Batavia, and occasioned
great concern in that colony.
The commercial fabric of the Dutch in the East
had recently received many rude shocks from the
several revolts of the natives, and successive at-
tacks of the English, and was evidently tottering
on its foundation, and verging towards ruin. A
vigorous effort was necessary to arrest its progress,
and the effort was now to be made.
The English, with an eye to future advantages,
while in possession of the Dutch colonies, had pre-
served a most humane and liberal policy towards the
natives, which formed a strong contrast to the rigo-
rous treatment which they had received from the
Dutch, and produced a spirit of insubordination
and resistance, on the re-establishment of the
government of the latter. The sultaun of Palamban
was the first to commence hostilities : this prince
had long seen and deplored the great disadvantages
under which his country laboured, from the mono-
polising power of Holland ; his local situation gave
him great facilities for hostile operations against a
foreign enemy, and his expansive mind, fertile in
expedients and firm in its purposes, seized the
moment most auspicious to his views.
The Dutch East India company were aware of
28
the pernicious effects which would follow their ex-
pulsion from Palamban, not only from the loss of
that place, but from the natural consequences
which would follow, and that the natives of the
other colonies, emulating the example of the Pa-
lambanese, would throw off the yoke, and drive the
intruders from their respective countries. Depre-
cating this state of affairs, and trembling for the
fate of their empire in the East, a very formidable
expedition was now in preparation to make one
great and vigorous effort for the recovery of ,Pa-
lamban. A line of battle ship, several frigates and
smaller vessels, floating batteries, &c. were to ren-
dezvous at Mintow, where a large body of Euro-
pean troops was collected ; while a formidable
army was prepared to land at Lampoon, on the
east side of the island of Sumatra, in Sunda strait,
which were to co-operate with the river expedition,
and make a joint and simultaneous attack upon the
city. This was the state of affairs at the time of
our compulsory visit to Mintow.
On the evening of the 26th, at eight o'clock,
having repaired our damages, we sailed from Min-
tow road, in company with an English brig, bound
to Sincapour ; and as the night was dark and rainy,
with a fresh and favourable breeze, we were at
daylight next morning clear of the straits, when
we parted company, and steered our respective
courses. At about one o'clock in the afternoon,
the wind having veered to the westward, and being
near the Seven Islands, and not able to pass to wind-
29
ward of them, we determined to endeavour to pass
between them, which would afford us a long stretch
to the northward, and save much time ; we accord-
ingly ran between the westernmost island and the
one next to it, in mid-channel, and on a bar which,
from the colour of the water, appeared to extend
quite across from one island to the other, had for
a few casts of the lead seven and a half fathoms,
which was the shoalest water we found.
On the 28th we passed the small islands of Pulo
Toty and Pulo Docan, and the next day passed St.
Julian's island. On the 30th, in the afternoon, we
had a violent squall from the west-south-west, and
on the following morning found we had passed
Victory island, and in the course of the day we
successively descried the White rock, Saddle island,
and Pulo Domar, with the Anambas group on our
right, and the lofty mountains on the islands of
Pulo Aor, Pulo Pisang, and Pulo Timoan on our left.
The current, which had been setting strong to
the eastward since our leaving the Seven Islands,
now began to take a new direction, and run north-
erly ; this easterly current, and the light westerly
winds which had attended us since our entrance
into the China sea, had considerably retarded our
passage, and rendered the time tedious and irksome.
We had expected ere we had proceeded thus far
to the north of the equator to have fallen in with
the south west monsoon, which generally com-
mences in this part of the China sea early in May,
but we attained the latitude of nearly 5 south
30
before we had any indications of this semiannual
wind, and it was then so faint as scarcely to enable
us to stem the current which had now again
changed its direction, and ran very strong to the
east-north-east; and it was only on the 4th of
June that we descried the Redang islands.
On the 5th, the breeze had increased to a pleasant
gale from south-south-east, and on the same day we
made the island of Pulo Oby, which lies a few
leagues from the south-east point of Cambodia : on
the 6th the island of Pulo Condore was descried,
with its lofty summits towering to the clouds.
The English had formerly a fort and factory
on this island, to facilitate their intercourse with
China and the neighbouring coast of Cambodia,
which in the year 1705 were destroyed, and all the
English massacred by the Macassar soldiers in
their employ, who composed a chief part of the
garrison; since which time no attempt has been
made by any European power to establish a colony
there, nor indeed would any advantage arise from
such an establishment, as the island is very un-
healthy and unproductive, abounding in noxious
reptiles, and affording no good fresh water, although
it possesses an excellent harbour, and a fine land-
locked basin, fit for careening. There are a few
miserable inhabitants on the island, governed by a
mandarin, tributary to the king of Cochin-China.
But should all these inconveniences be waived, in
favour of the commercial advantages which invited
the English to settle there in consequence of the
31
vicinity of Cambodia river, the adventurer would
be disappointed, as the king of Cochin-China, since
the conquest of Cambodia, has interdicted all direct
commerce between foreigners and that country,
and the city of Saigon on the Don-nai river has
been made the emporium of Cambodia and all the
southern provinces of Cochin-China ; and, (as will
be shown hereafter,) in the present state of the
kingdom, no commercial operations can be expected
to result in a manner to warrant further trials;
consequently, the neighbourhood of Pulo Condore
to this latter river is of no advantage to it in a
commercial point of view, and the occupation by
the English of Pulo Penang and Sincapour ren-
ders the island of little value, as a station for the
China trade.
We had fine pleasant weather, with a good breeze
from the south, and kept along the coast of Cambo-
dia in about ten fathoms water ; and at day-light
saw the land bearing from north-north-west to
north, at about three leagues distance ; this coast
is very low, and in many places cannot be seen
more than two leagues from the deck of a mer-
chant vessel. A mud flat commences at Cambodia
point, and gradually increases in breadth from the
land, till it terminates at the mouth of the Don-nai
river, where it extends into the sea about four
leagues ; it is not safe to come under five fathoms
in sailing along this coast, or in rounding the elbow
of the bank, in proceeding to the river.
At 11 A. M. on the 7th we descried Cape St.
32
James, bearing north-north-east. This promontory
is the commencement of a chain of mountains
which extend along the coast to the north as far
as the gulf of Tonquin, and, being the first high
land seen in coming from the south, is an excellent
mark for the entrance of Don-nai river, on the
north side of which it is situated. We steered di-
rectly for the cape, keeping in from nine to twelve
fathoms of water, tih 1 within one mile of it, we
then hauled to the westward, steering in a parallel
direction with the land till we opened a small pic-
turesque semilunar bay, situated at the foot of the
mountain, at the bottom of which was a grove of
cocoa-nut trees, where was situated the village of
Vung-tau, from which the bay takes its name. We
here anchored in five fathoms of water, one mile
from the village, at 6 o'clock in the evening. This
bay is about two and a half miles from the extreme
point of the cape, and here, the channel somewhat
less than two miles wide, is bounded on the south
side by the flat before mentioned, consisting of a
mixture of mud and sand, the joint alluvial deposits
of the several branches of the Cambodia and Don-
nai rivers. It is not considered very safe in the
south-west monsoon, though the ground is good,
but in the opposite season it is an excellent har-
bour.
33
CHAP. IV.
First Interview 'with the Cochin Chinese. Their Dress, Man-
ners, fyc. Ludicrous Conduct of the Chief. Arrival at Can-
jeo. Visit on Shore. Pagoda.
ON the following morning, June 8th, our boat was
dispatched to the village, with an officer to demand
a pilot. On the boat's approach to the shore, a
trumpet was sounded in the grove, and we could
perceive a considerable bustle among the inhabi-
tants. On the officer's landing, he was immediately
surrounded and escorted to the house, or rather hut
of the chief, who was a military mandarin, com-
manding on that station. The officer was hospitably
entertained, and treated with tea and sweet-meats.
There happened to be, among the soldiers, one who
had, during the intercourse of the Portuguese of
Macao with Cochin China, picked up a few words
of the barbarou sdialect of the descendants of thead-
venturers who were transported to the east by Vasco
de Gama, Diego Lopez Saqueira, Diego Mendez,
Albuquerque, and other navigators and conquerors,
after the discovery of the passage round the Cape
of Good Hope into the Indian Ocean, and who
have spread themselves over great part of Asia.
Through this medium, the officer, who was himself
a Portuguese by birth, contrived to inform the
D
34
mandarin that we were in want of a pilot to conduct
us up to the city of Saigon, for the purpose of trad-
ing, but was totally unsuccessful in his endeavours
to make him understand of what nation we were, or
what language we spoke; he however, by signs, di-
rected the officer to return on board, and bring a
list of the ship's company, number of guns, cargo
and draft of water ; on delivery of which a pilot
would be furnished.
On the return of the officer with his report, we
immediately prepared to comply with the requisi-
tions of the chief. In a short time we were in-
formed, by the officer of the deck, that a large boat,
full of men, was approaching round the west point
of the bay ; we immediately repaired on deck, and
perceived that the stranger had his masts and yards
decorated with pendants, and a formidable display
of spears ornamented with tufts of hair, died red,
attached to the staves; it was consequently thought
proper, for the double purposes of safety and cere-
mony, to have the crew drawn up on the quarter
and main decks, with muskets, pikes, &c. ready for
their reception.
When scarcely within hail, they began to vocife-
rate very loudly, repeating the word " Olan," and
approaching with much caution ; encouraged, how-
ever, by our amicable deportment and conciliating
gestures, they ventured to come alongside. The
chiefs, of which there were three, at our solicit-
ations came on deck, and expressed by their actions
not a little curiosity, though the sight of a large
35
vessel did not seem to be a novelty to them ; and our
surprize was somewhat excited to observe, that one
of them seemed to be " at home" on board. We
afterwards learnt that this chief had been to Macao
in a Portuguese brig some years before, and re-
tained a few words of the language, but spoken
with such an uncouth accent, that they were totally
useless as a medium of oral communication ; and
their native language sounded so harsh and unin-
telligible to our unpractised ears, that we despaired
of coming to an understanding by that means. We
were consequently obliged to have recourse to our
tekgraphic dictionary of signs, by means of which
we learned, that the oldest chief was commander
of a military district, which embraced all the coun-
try, including the several outlets of the Don-nai
river ; that he resided at Canjeo, a village about
seven miles to the westward, and situated on tire
island of Dong-Thrang, which is the first land on
the south side of the entrance, and that we must
there wait for the permission of the viceroy, or go-
vernor, to approach the city ; consequently, having
ascertained that the subordinate chiefs were ac-
quainted with the navigation of the river, we weighed
anchor, and proceeded up to Canjeo, where we ar-
rived and moored at 2 P.M. on the same day.
On this our first interview with the natives of the
country, we were much surprised to find their man-
ners so different from what we had been led to expect
from the accounts we had had of them, and could
only reconcile the discordance by a supposition
D 2
3?
that the inhabitants of the coast, being remote from
the example of the more polished residents of the
cities, must of course fee less civilized ; but as we
became more acquainted, and their characters were
proportionably developed, we were convinced that
the Cochin Chinese were in many respects but lit-
tle removed from a state of deplorable barbarism.
The military chief was a withered, grey-headed
old man, possessing however a great deal of viva-
city, tinctured with a leaven of savage childish-
ness, which in spite of his affectation of great state
and ceremony, would constantly break out, and
afford us infinite amusement. He had several at-
tendants, who were perfectly subservient and
promptly obedient to all his orders, yet we ob-
served that on all other occasions the greatest fa-
miliarity subsisted between them. One of the
attendants carried a huge umbrella, with which he
followed the old man to all parts of the ship, where
his curiosity or caprice led him, and when invited
into the cabin, he would not descend without the
umbrella, so tenacious was he of every circumstance
of state and appearance. Another attendant was
a handsome boy of about fifteen years of age, who
carried in two blue silk bags connected with a piece
of cotton cloth, and thrown over his shoulder, the
areka nut, betal leaf, chunam and tobacco, of
which they chew immense quantities ; and so uni-
versal is this custom among them, that I never saw
a man of any rank or respectability without one of
these attendants. They also smoke segars made of
37
cut tobacco, rolled in paper wrappers, like the Portu-
guese, from whom probably they adopted this cus-
tom. Another servant carried his fan; and our
risibility was not a little excited on seeing the old
fellow strutting about the deck, peeping into the
cook's coppers, embracing the sailors on the fore-
castle, dancing, grinning, and playing many other
antic tricks, followed by the whole train of fan-
ners, umbrella bearers, and chunam boys, (for the
attendants of the other chiefs had joined in the
procession,) with the most grave deportment and
solemn visages, performing their several functions.
The dress of the chiefs consisted of a very short
and coarse cotton shirt, which had been originally
white ; trowsers of black crape, very wide, without
waistbands, and secured round the waist by a sash
of crimson silk; a tunic of black or blue silk, the
lapel folding over the breast and buttoning on the
opposite shoulder, which, as well as the shirt, had a
very low collar, buttoned close round the neck,
and reaching nearly to the knees ; coarse wooden
sandals ; a turban of black crape, surmounted by a
hat made of palm leaves, in the form of a very ob-
tuse cone ; a ring for the insertion of the head
underneath, and secured under the chin with a
string. The style of the dress of the attendants
was similar to that of the mandarin, but of much
coarser materials.
In person the Cochin Chinese are perhaps some-
what smaller than their neighbours the Malays, and
of the same colour, though generally not so well
D 3
38
formed; their constant habit of chewing areka
imparts to their mouths a most disgusting ap-
pearance ; and, what is very remarkable, they
never wash their faces and hands, or bodies ; for
in all other parts of the East frequent ablutions
have been thought so indispensable to health and
purity, that it is enjoined by their priests as a reli-
gious rite, and most scrupulously adhered to, both
from duty and inclination.
The habit of the higher classes, in permitting
their nails to grow to an enormous length, cannot
be supposed to conduce to cleanliness or comfort ;
and it is remarkable with what unwearied pains
they cultivate them, as a person bearing this badge
is supposed not to be obliged to perform any
manual labour, and the longer the nails, the more
respectability do they confer on the wearer.
Their garments are seldom taken off by night or
by day, after having been first assumed, excepting
in cases of ceremony, when they are temporarily
superseded by other dresses, till rotten by time
and filth, when they are permitted to fall off of
themselves. These dirty habits engender vast
swarms of vermin, and render their bodies highly
offensive to more than one sense ; and the epithet
frowzy, which has been applied to the Chinese, is
exemplified in these people in the most emphatic
sense.
After having visited every part of the ship, the
old mandarin began to court my favour, with the
most unyielding pertinacity, hugging me round
17
39
the neck, attempting to thrust his dirty betel nut
into my mouth from his own, and leaping upon me
like a dog, by which I was nearly suffocated.
I finally succeeded in extricating myself from the
ardour of his caresses, and getting to the wind-
ward side of him, which I maintained, notwith-
standing his reiterated efforts to dislodge me. At
first we could not account for this sudden and
violent fit of unsolicited friendship, but in a short
time the mystery was completely unravelled.
Misled as we had been by the accounts which
we had had of this country, and totally unac-
quainted with the real character of the people,
we had taken no precaution to keep any articles
out of their sight, which it would have been im-
proper or inconvenient for us to part with ; and
on this occasion we suffered severely by our igno-
rance. One of the inferior chiefs intimated a
wish to descend to the cabin, which was granted.
No sooner had we entered it, than, pointing to the
looking glass, he gave us to understand that he
must have that for the old chief; being some-
what surprised at the demand, we smiled, and,
endeavouring to divert his attention, presented
him a bottle of brandy and a glass to help him-
self, which he did not hesitate to do most abun-
dantly ; and then, giving us to understand that
he considered the vessels as a present, passed them
to his attendants, who, after swallowing the liquor,
deposited them under their robes. The mandarin
then renewed his solicitations, nor was there a
D 4
40
single article in sight that he did not demand,
and in a manner to impress us with an idea that a
refusal would give great umbrage to the chief on
deck. Our curtains, glass-ware, wearing apparel,
arms, ammunition, spy-glasses, and cabin furni-
ture, were successively the objects of his cupidity.
We had, however, determined to be very limited
in our donations; at the same time keeping in
view the importance of conciliating these people,
and gaining their good will, on our first entrance
into their country ; he was therefore presented
with a shirt, a handkerchief, and a pair of shoes
for himself, with an intimation that nothing more
would be bestowed ; on which he went on deck,
in a very ill mood. We followed him shortly, and
found the aspect of affairs materially changed ;
from an excess of gaiety and good humour, old
Heo (for that we discovered was his name) had
fallen into very ill humour, and scarcely deigned
to speak. We had discovered their insatiable love
of spirits, and with a view to conciliate them, we or-
dered a large case bottle full to be brought, which
was dispatched with great avidity ; still the lowering
frown sat on their brows ; and, finding us inflexi-
ble, the chief made signs that we could not pro-
ceed, and ordered his boat alongside for the pur-
pose of leaving us, signifying, at the same time,
that if we persisted in ascending the river, our
heads would be the forfeit, and intimated that we
must return to sea. Being now within two or three
miles of the village of Canjeo, and fearing that
41
our persisting in a refusal of their demands would
induce them to put their threat of leaving us into
execution, it was thought expedient to yield in
some measure to their rapacity. A treaty was accord-
ingly set on foot, and we were fain to purchase
peace and good will at the expense of a pair of
pistols to the old chief, with twenty-five pistol car-
tridges, twelve flints, one six-pound cartridge of
powder, two pair of shoes, a shirt, six bottles of
wine, three of rum, and three of French cordials,
a cut-glass tumbler, two wine-glasses, and a
Dutch cheese. To the other chiefs we gave
each a shirt, a pair of shoes, a tumbler, and wine-
glass, and a small quantity of powder. Nor were
his attendants neglected in the general amnesty,
and each of them received some trifling article of
clothing, as a propitiatory offering.
Old Heo was now in high spirits again, and, in
the wantonness of his benevoknce, took off his old
blue silk robe, with which he very graciously in-
vested me ; at the same time shrugging his
shoulders, and intimating that he was cold. I
took the hint, and sent for a white jacket, which
I assisted him in putting on ; at this attention he
appeared highly gratified. A demand was now
made for some refreshments, and we spread before
them some biscuit, cold beef, ham, brandy-fruits,
and cheese. Of the biscuit and cheese they ate
voraciously, seasoning their repast with bumpers
of raw spirit ; the other viands they did not seem
to relish 5 neither did the brandy-fruits suit their
palates, till it was hinted to them that they
would produce the same effects as the rum, on
which they swallowed them with great gout ; nor
were they disappointed in the effects which we
had promised them would be produced by their
debauch, and by the time we had anchored oppoite
the village, they were in a state of great hilarity.
It was now proposed by the chiefs, that our
guns should be drawn, and that the commander
should accompany them on shore. We refused
to comply with their first proposition, giving them
to understand, that it was contrary to our custom,
while in a strange country ; and when they found
we were resolute in our determination, they ceased
to press it any further. I however prepared to
accompany them to the village ; and taking with
me Mr. Bessel, a young gentleman who acted in
the capacity of clerk, after leaving directions with
the commanding officer for his guidance, embarked
in one of the chief's boats, in company with our
late guests, and in a few minutes landed at
the village of Canjeo, which is situate on the east
side of a creek, about a furlong from its con-
fluence with the Don-nai river. By this time the
mandarins had become tolerably sober.
On our approach to the shore, our olfactory
nerves were saluted with " the rankest compound
of villainous smells that ever offended nostril;"
and the natives of the place, consisting principally
of men, women, children, swine,, and mangy
dogs, equally filthy and miserable in appearance,
43
lined the muddy banks of this Stygian stream to
welcome our landing. With this escort we pro-
ceeded immediately to the house of the chief,
through several defiles, strewed with rotten fish,
old bones, and various other nauseous objects,
among the fortuitous assemblage of huts, fish-pots,
old boats, pig-styes, &c. which surrounded us in
every direction; and, in order that no circum-
stance of ceremony should be omitted, to honour
their new guests, a most harmonious concert was im-
mediately struck up by the swarm of little filthy chil-
dren, in a state of perfect nudity, (which formed part
of our procession,) in which they were joined by their
parents, and the swine and dogs before mentioned.
The house of the chief stood at a little distance
from the compact part of the village, and was
somewhat larger, and in better style, than the huts
we had passed in our approach to it. We were
detained a few minutes on the outside of the pal-
ing which enclosed the dwelling, to allow the
chief, who had preceded us, time to prepare for
our reception. In a few minutes it was intimated
to us that we might enter. Here I feel myself
incompetent to do justice to the scene which en-
sued : my descriptive powers are totally inade-
quate to the task ofpourtraying the ceremony of our
reception ; and nothing but the pencil of a Hogarth
or a Teniers could convey an adequate idea of the
original. So irresistibly ludicrous was the scene,
that it was with the utmost difficulty we could
keep our risible muscles in subjection.
44
The apartment into which we were ushered was
about twenty-five feet square, and this we found
was the usual hall of audience ; the floor was com-
posed of a mixture of sand and clay, which, by con-
stant attrition, had become very compact and solid ;
the walls were decorated with rusty swords, shields,
match-locks, gongs, and spears. On each side of the
entrance was an enormous bass drum, called in the
East, a Tom-Tom, mounted on a clumsy wooden
frame, and struck with a bamboo, at stated periods,
by a soldier on guard ; but what method they had
of measuring their time we could not ascertain.
On a raised platform, at the right hand, were
seated two miserable looking objects, undergoing
the punishment of the caungue, or yoke : this punish-
ment is inflicted by placing over the culprit's neck,
and resting on his shoulders, two pieces of large-sized
bamboo, about ten feet long each, and secured pa-
rallel to each other, by two strong wooden bars,
which pass on each side of the neck, embracing it
very closely, (not, however, so as to prevent its be-
ing turned round,) and give the criminal the ap-
pearance of carrying a ladder on his shoulders.
Directly back of this platform was an entrance in-
to another apartment, devoted to domestic purposes,
before which hung a coarse screen, or blind, of split
bamboo, resembling those used in Bengal, not how-
ever so thick and closely woven as to hide from our
view the women, children, and pigs behind it, who
were amicably partaking together of the contents
of a huge wooden tray, which was placed in the mid-
45
die of a floor, composed of small sticks, or wattles,
laid transversely, over rough trunks of trees,
and secured by small cords, made of a kind of flax.
At the back part of the hall, in a recess, was placed
a large wainscot of heavy wood- work, on which was
carved, in high relief, a group of non-descript
figures, which must have cost the wildest and most
prolific imagination no small effort to invent. On
each side of the recess, in gaudy water colours,
were displayed several paintings of prodigious
monsters, " chimeras dire, 5 ' and many other hetero-
geneous productions ; and in the centre stood a
table, on which was placed a censer of brass, a
bason of the same metal, filled nearly to the top
with ashes, in which were stuck a great number of
matches (the ends of all which had been burnt)
and a little bronze Jos, or God. And in front of
the posts or pillars on each side were suspended
long narrow scrolls or columns of coloured paper,
with various characters of their language upon
them, from top to bottom, painted in black.
I could not, on examining the whole assemblage
of objects in this part of the room, divest myself of
the idea, that the most rigid devotee might worship
the group, without fear of infringing the decalogue.
The roof of the apartment, which was also that
of the house, was decorated with " smoke-dried
banners," in every stage of decay. But whether
they were placed there merely as decorations, or
were the opima spolia of their enemies, we could
not determine.
46
Directly in front of the altar, as we afterwards
found it to be, and contiguous to it, was raised a
platform, about six feet square, and two feet from
the floor, covered with coarse grass mats. On the
platform were several square leather cushions,
painted red and stuffed with rice husks; and on
these was seated, in all the dignity of good beha-
viour, his head erect, his chest inflated, his arms
a-kimbo, and his legs crossed like a tailor's, a ve-
nerable looking object, with a thin grey beard,
which he was stroking most complacently ; on his
head was mounted a large white European felt hat,
exactly in the style of those worn among us by the
most broad-brimmed Quakers : he wore a robe of
black embossed silk, surmounted by a garment,
which I immediately recognized as the jacket that
I had presented to the old chief. On each side of
him were ranged several military officers and sol-
diers, in party-coloured uniform, who were anxiously
watching his countenance, and sedulously attentive
to all his motions. We were led up directly in
front of the throne, and received by this august
personage with great pomp, and a most gracious
inclination of the head. He then waved his hand
to wards two clumsy, antiquated chairs, placed on his
right hand, on which we seated ourselves. He then
addressed us in their language, not a word of which
could we understand; but the voice sounding fa-
miliar to us, on a nearer scrutiny we recognized our
recent merry guest, but now most dignified host, old
Heo!
47
The dusky appearance of the room, into which
the light had no access, but by the door where we
entered, and there in a great measure obstructed
by the projecting roof of the house, which extended
about six feet outside the walls, and descended so
low as to oblige us to stoop on passing under it; the
sombre hue of the walls and decorations, caused by
the smoke, with which we were much annoyed ; the
grave and solemn deportment of the mandarin ;
the grim and sable visages of the attendants j the
grotesque assemblage of monsters in the recess,
and the discordant noises of the human and brute
concert, with which we were still regaled, trans-
ported us in idea to other regions. Such a scene
must have been in the " mind's eye" of Milton,
when he wrote his animated and minute descrip-
tion of the court of Pandemonium.
Soon fatigued with this display of pomp and
magnificence, the old man descended from his state,
and giving way to his natural propensity for buf-
foonery, began strutting about the apartment,
surveying with great complacency his motley habi-
liments, and caUing on us by the most significant
' gestures to observe and admire him ; while his
whole frame was agitated and dilated with import-
ance ; his chest rapidly rising and falling, as he ex-
hibited himself before us. After having favoured us
a few moments with this condescending exhibition,
at which we were not backward in expressing our
admiration and delight, he gave some orders to his
attendants, and a rude table was set before us, on
48
which were placed a coarse china tea-equipage, a
large dish of boiled rice, together with a piece of
boiled fresh pork, very fat and oily, and another of
boiled yams. The old chief then began tearing the
food in piece-meal with his long claws, and thrust-
ing it into our mouths, between every thrust hold-
ing a large bowl of tea, made very sweet, to our lips,
with the most cruel perseverance, to the utter hazard
of suffocating us; till finally losing all patience at his
tormenting hospitality, and finding prayers and en-
treaties of no avail, I stepped back, and clapped my
hand on my dirk, darting at him at the same time
a frown of high displeasure ; on which he assumed
such a droll look of embarrassment, wonder, and
fear, as instantly subdued my anger, and threw me
into an ungovernable agony of laughter, in which
the old fellow joined with great glee. He however
desisted from any further importunity, and we were
permitted to help ourselves in our own way ; and
as we had been sufficiently gorged with fat pork,
and black rice, we tasted a few sweet meats, pre-
pared in different ways, mostly fried in pork grease,
all of which we found so filthy and unpalatable, that
we could not swallow them.
A bottle of rum, and another of cordial, (a part
of the pillage from our ship,) were now produced;
a glass of the latter of which we were glad to take,
as an antidote to the effects of our meal. The
old man now applied himself most vigorously to the
liquors, and in a few moments had dispatched the
cordial; he then opened the bottle of rum, and on
49
our refusal to partake with him, he applied it to his
own lips, and we were struck with admiration to see,
" How long, how deep, how zealously,
" The precious juice he quaff'd"
not, however, untinctured with a degree of appre-
hension of fatal effects from his debauch.
Perceiving that the mandarin would shortly be
unfit to transact business, I hastened to commu-
nicate my wishes of being supplied with a pilot,
and immediately ascending the river; which he
seemed to understand, and shaking his head, drew
his hand across his own throat, and then across
mine, as if to intimate, that we should both lose
our heads, if that request were complied with. I
then signified to him, that I would go up in my boat;
on this his signs were repeated. I then demanded
leave, but with no better success, to proceed to the
city in one of their boats. Perceiving my embar-
rassment at being thus foiled, and in answer to my
enquiring looks, he gave me to understand, that he
would transmit to Saigon an account of a strange
vessel being in the river, and demand permission for
her to come up to the city, and that an answer
would be returned in two days. He then gave
some orders to an officer in attendance, who im-
mediately retired, and, as I understood, for the
purpose of despatching a messenger to Saigon with
his communication. Having concluded this busi-
ness, and perceiving by the yawning visage, and
* glistening eye,' of our venerable host, that his.
E
50
potations had * ascended him into the brain/ we
arose to retire, and left him in a state of inebriety.
We were accompanied by the two inferior chiefs
before mentioned, who conducted us towards a tole-
rably neat-looking small wooden building, with a
tiled roof, at a, short distance, recently erected, and
not yet finished : on approaching it, we perceived
a man sitting on a stool in front, apparently super-
intending the work, attended by several others, who
showed him great marks of respect ; from which
circumstances we supposed he must be some great
personage ; nor were we wrong in our conjectures.
Our companions signified to us, that we should ap-
proach and salute him, which we did, by pulling off
our hats, and bowing to him ; he graciously con-
descended to return our civility, by a slight inclin-
ation of his head.; and we could see that his
vanity was much gratified by our obeisances. He
arose immediately, and, pointing to the new erec-
tion, invited us to walk in ; we found, on entering,
that it was a place of worship, decorated with rude
sculptures and paintings of monstrous animals,
and incongruous shapes, the hideous productions of
a fantastic and vulgar imagination.
We could not perceive that any sentiment of
awe, or religious feelings, pervaded the minds of
the natives, on our visit to this pagoda; on the
contrary, when we expressed our contempt of their
decorations and paraphernalia, they seemed to feel
the absurdity of them, and joined us heartily in the
laugh which the appearance of them excited. Our
51
new acquaintance now waved his hand towards the
door, and we walked with him to his own habit-
ation, at a few paces distant, where some sweet-
meats, &c. were placed before us, some of which
we tasted, but with no better relish than at the old
chiefs.
We collected by signs from this mandarin and
his officers, that he was the chief civil magistrate
of the place, and that in his person were concen-
trated the offices of municipal judge, collector of
customs, and postmaster. After remaining here a
few minutes, our demand for permission to proceed
up the river was renewed, and with the same ill
success as before ; the mandarin informed us, how-
ever, that he would prepare the despatch to be sent
to Saigon immediately, and minuted down the
number of men on board, armament, &c. which
items were to be inserted in the document, with an
assurance that in two days the messenger would
return. We now expressed a wish to take leave,
when we were informed that he intended to go on
board with us, and had sent orders to prepare a
boat for that purpose ; we immediately embarked,
and in a short time arrived on board.
CHAPTER V.
Madarins visit on board. Local descriptions. Fishing Weirs*
Native vessels. Subsequent visits of Mandarins. Roguery
of the natives. Siamese Junks. Faithless and mysterious con-
duct of the Chiefs. Departure from Canjeo.
were now somewhat better prepared for
their visits than at first, and had our movables
placed out of sight ; but the steward happening to
open the door of a store room, where part of our
arms were deposited, they no sooner caught the
eye of our visitor, than he entered the room, and
taking a musket from the stand where they were
arranged, passed it to an attendant to take up on
deck. In this design he was prevented, and an in-
ferior one offered him, as that which he had chosen
was one of our best pieces $ he then became very
surly, and we were again obliged to conciliate him
at the expense of the best musket, a yard of red
cloth, several bottles of sweet wine, shoes, ammu-
nition, &c. And here it may be well to observe,
that on this, and every other occasion of visits from
these people while we were in the country, their
demands were made in a most systematic manner,
the inferior chiefs playing the jackal for their su-
perior, who reciprocated the favour in the same
manner, after their wishes were gratified. In short,
we found them a set of sturdy beggars, never ex-
pressing any gratitude for the presents which they
received, or omitting any opportunity of taking
53
every advantage of us, or stealing whatever lay in
their way. At about seven o'clock in the evening
we had the pleasure of seeing this troublesome
fellow stagger into his boat, and take his departure
for the shore.
On the following morning it was discovered that
our binnacle glasses were stolen, the hand leads cut
from the lines and taken away, besides several
bunches of tin langrage, which were in the shot
lockers.
We had now an opportunity to look about, and
make our observations on the novelty of the seve-
ral objects which successively met our view, and on
the surrounding scenery. The river here is about
one mile wide, and has a depth of fourteen fathoms
in the channel, on the south side of which we lay,
in nine fathoms water, about one mile from the
village.
With the exception of the mountains of Baria,
before mentioned, which terminate to the south at
Cape St. James, the country in the neighbourhood
of the river is very low, frequently inundated by
the spring tides, clothed with almost impenetrable
wood, or what is termed in the East, jungle, and
infested with vast numbers of tigers and other
ferocious animals. The river, in its descent, has
forced a great number of channels, spreading and
meandering in various ramifications, forming se-
veral islands, similar in character and appear-
ance to the Gangetic delta, called the Sunder-
bunds.
On the flat, and as far as the eye could extend to
E 3
the south and east, were presented to view, fleets of
the country boats, employed in fishing among the
weirs, erected on all the shoalest parts ; and from the
appearance of the boats, on their return from these
piscatory excursions, it seemed that they had been
very successful. These weirs are constructed of
poles, driven into the ground a few inches apart, ex-
tending, generally, about a quarter of a mile in
length, and forming an obtuse angle, which projects
towards the sea, with an opening at the angle, of
about two feet wide, into a circular inclosure, outside
of the angular point, about forty feet in diameter,
composed of stakes placed equidistant in the ground,
closely interwoven with osiers, in the manner of
wicker work* On the recess of the tide, the fish
pass between the straight sides of the weir, through
the opening at the angle, into the circular inclosure,
and should any of them return, they are infallibly
taken in the seines, which are placed at the outer
extremities of the rows of stakes. Each of these
weirs is furnished with an erection about twenty feet
high, in the form of a gallows, and composed of
trunks of trees, on which they dry their nets ; being
very conspicuous, they are excellent beacons, to
warn the navigator of his approach to the shoals.
At a short distance from us were two Siamese
junks, navigated by Chinese, waiting for their chops
or passes, to proceed up the river ; one of these
was a vessel of about two hundred tons, the other
somewhat smaller, and so similar are they to the
Chinese vessels of that kind, that a description of
them is unnecessary.
55
Farther in shore was lying a fleet of about thirty
sail of the country vessels, which had touched
here to exhibit their passes to the custom house, and
pay certain tonnage dues, which are exacted from
all vessels passing this place. Many others, under
sail, were in sight, standing in different directions,
and these appearances of commercial activity filled
our minds with happy presages, and led us to an-
ticipate the most favourable result to our voyage j
it will ultimately be seen, how miserably disap-
pointed we were in our expectations.
Our admiration was much excited on an examin-
ation of their vessels, and on observing the very
dexterous manner in which they were managed.
They are of various capacities, from five to one
hundred tons, but in general they are of from
fifteen to thirty tons burthen. They are of great
length, sharp at both ends, projecting far out above,
giving their decks about one-third part greater
length than their keels, which are not deep ; and
it may be a subject of curiosity with nautical read-
ers for me to state further, that the rebate which
receives the garboard strake, being near the bottom
of it, gives it but a very slight degree of elevation
from the plank; this latter circumstance would
lead us to suppose, that they would not perform
well in working to windward ; but this is not the
case, for it is presumed that these vessels are equal,
if not superior, to any in the world in this respect.
Should it be asked, wherein this superiority con-
sists, a satisfactory answer may be difficult to be
found j our conclusions, however, were, that it might
56
be discovered in their great depth, which, according
to our ideas of naval architecture, is somewhat dis-
proportionate to the breadth below, and to the form
of their bottoms, which consist altogether of curve
lines, with little or no dead rising. They are fur-
nished with waist boards, extending fore and aft, ta-
pering gradually at each end, and rising rather above
a horizontal line amid ships, which gives them an
appearance of being hogged. Their frames are
much farther apart than those of our vessels, and
they have no ceilings ; they are secured together
with iron nails, the heads of which are made in a
peculiar form.
This mode of building, however, is not universal,
and our curiosity was greatly excited on seeing some
of them, (one a vessel of above fifty tons,) whose
bottoms were composed of basket work. On exa-
mination, we found, that they consisted of strips of
bamboo, about one and a quarter inch wide, and one-
eighth of an inch thick, very closely woven, in two
entire pieces, each of which completely covered one
section of the bottom below the wales. The timbers
of this description of vessels are nearer each other
than those of the other kind, and are so contrived
as to be taken apart, and replaced again, with very
little trouble, and no injury ; and, as they make but
one voyage in a year, always sailing with the favour-
able monsoon, after having discharged their cargoes,
they are taken to pieces, and secured from the vicis-
situdes of the weather. Their bottoms, as well as
those of the other sort, are covered outside to the
thickness of half an inch, with gul-gul, which is a
57
mixture of dammer, or pitch, oil, and chunam, or
lime, and when properly amalgamated, is very tena-
cious and elastic, completely impervious to the wa-
ter, and resists most admirably the encroachments of
worms. They possess a great degree of stability,
bearing a great press of sail, and are most excellent
sea boats ; they carry from one to three, very well
cut, and neatly made latteen sails, with the exception
of a few from the north, which carry lug-sails, and are
differently constructed, having square sterns, and their
hulls approach nearer to the form of those of Euro-
pean model. Their sails are of matting, and we ob-
served, that all the fishing boats had the clue pieces
of theirs coloured black. They use the wooden an-
chor, with one fluke, so common in the East. Their
shrouds and cables are mostly of rattan, and their
running rigging, ofcoiar, the well-known cordage,
made from the husk of the cocoa nut, or a coarse
and short kind of hemp of different colours.
The tide rises here about nine feet, on the full
and change of the moon, when it is high water at
eleven o'clock, and it runs pretty rapidly in the river.
The weather was mild, and the air temperate,
interrupted occasionally by squalls from the west-
ward, which, however, seldom blow very hard,
neither were they of long duration. The thermo-
meter, in the shade, ranged from 84 to 86 of
Fahrenheit, at noon. We had regular land and
sea breezes, the latter co-operating with the pre-
vailing monsoon, and inclining far southerly.
The latitude of Cape St. James, as given by
Dyot, a Frenchman, (formerly the naval com-
58
mander of 'the king of Cochin China, on this station,)
is 10 15' 48" north, and the longitude 104 45' 51"
east of the meridian of Paris, or 107 5' 5V east of
Greenwich, which agree with recent observations,
taken on shore, by Lieut. Ross of the Bombay
marine, who made the latitude 10 16' 41" north,
and longitude 107 45' 1" east, and our own ob-
servations agreed with these.
At about ten o'clock we received a visit from
Heo, who gave us an invitation to go on shore to a
feast, but as we were quite satisfied with our regale
.on the preceding day, it was thought best to
decline, which he did not seem to relish very well.
On this occasion, he presented us with a boiled
fowl, and some roasted pork, covered with a shining
varnish of molasses, some fresh fish of several
kinds, fruit, and yams. The dressed meats not
being relished by any on board, were given to the
hogs, but the fish and fruit being excellent, met
with a very different reception, the pine apples par-
ticularly, the flavour of which was finer than any
we had ever tasted. Though scarcely recovered
from the debauch of yesterday, the mandarin
made signs for liquor ; a small dram of which was
served out to each of them in a broken glass, with
an intimation, at the same time, that our stock of
that article was exhausted, which intimation was
received by them with incredulity and dissatis-
faction, as was manifest by their shaking of their
heads, assuming a most distrustful expression of
countenance, and talking in an under tone to each
other. Our assurances, however, did not deter them
from making their attack in a more vigorous man-
ner, and they commenced a siege in due form,
begging for money, and scarcely was there a single
article in sight but what they demanded, with the
most unblushing effrontery, many of which could
evidently be of no possible use to them ; finally,
being fatigued and tormented beyond measure by
their determined and unceasing importunity, we
made a signal to the old chief to descend with us
into the cabin, unattended by any of his followers,
which for some time he refused to consent to, but
his rapacity overpowering his dignity, he finally
acceded to our wishes. Our object, in taking this
step, was to endeavour to restore the old man to
good humour, by a private donation of a bottle of
liquor, and a yard of red cloth, which he accepted,
though with evident dissatisfaction, and secreted
them under his robe.
We now again introduced the subject of the des-
patch, which they had engaged to forward to the
city on the preceding day ; and we understood from
him that the promise had been performed, and that
in two days more we might expect an answer. He
now arose to return on deck, answering, very signi-
ficantly, our signs to keep his acquisition a secret
from his attendants.
It may be judged, that our surprize and vexation
were great, on seeing the old traitor, at the instant
he had arrived on deck, call his myrmidons about
him, produce his bottle, draw the cork, take a
hearty draught, and pass it round to them, who
despatched it in a moment ; he then looked round,
60
and laughing, made a motion for another bottle,
but being unsuccessful, and finding the joke had
produced an unpleasant effect upon us, he hurried
away, embracing us very affectionately on his de-
parture.
The boat in which they now visited us was
built in nearly the same form of their larger vessels,
about thirty feet long, with a loose deck of planks,
and a hut, or, what the sailors call, a hurricane
house, with an arched roof) very neatly woven of
bamboo, impervious to the water, and covered
about one-third of the length of the vessel, ex-
tending from the middle of the hull to within
about six feet from the stern. She was steered by
a long oar, and propelled by nine rowers, who per-
formed by pushing, in the manner of the Chinese.
Their oars were very long and elastic, and, as we
thought, much better proportioned than ours were.
The stern was adorned with spears, similar to
those before described, placed perpendicularly in
sockets made for their reception. Their labour
was cheered by a measured and monotonous reci-
tative, the words and meaning of which we sub-
sequently became acquainted with.
During the residue of this day we were per-
mitted to enjoy a degree of negative tranquillity,
unalloyed by the troublesome company of the na-
tives ; but our anxiety for the issue of our appli-
cations to trade was very great, and rendered the
time irksome and tedious ; and the approach of
night convinced us that the human inhabitants of
the country were not the only ones that were de-
61
termined to profit by our visit, for we were attacked
by innumerable musquetoes of astonishing size,
whose stings gave us excessive pain, and effectually
prevented our sleeping.
At about eleven o'clock P.M., the tide being
favourable, the largest Siamese junk, having re-
ceived her pass the preceding day, weighed anchor,
and stood up the river ; and it must be confessed,
that on this occasion our envy at their good fortune,
as we then supposed it, was not a little excited ;
while the cheerful chorus, and animated cadence
of the Chinese sailors, in weighing their anchor,
and making sail, appeared, most emphatically, to
express their pleasure and content.
The next morning, the llth June, brought with
it a message from the civil magistrate, informing
us that we should shortly be favoured with a visit ;
and accordingly, at about eleven o'clock, we saw
him leave the creek, and in a few minutes he was
alongside of us. The boat in which this chief
came was of about the same size as the one we
have described of the preceding day, but in some-
what better style, the roof of her house being
slightly concave, and supported on each side by
handsome round pillars of rose wood, between
which were sliding pannels, contrived so as to open
or shut at pleasure.
A repetition of their shameless and insolent con-
duct was now displayed, and nothing but the fear
of acting contrary to our own interests prevented
us from turning them out of the ship. We therefore
concealed the resentment and contempt with which
62
they had inspired us, and permitted them to drink
deep of the Lethean draught, which was to drown
all their cares, and was the object of their fondest
desires ; we considered, also, that the sooner they
were intoxicated, the sooner we should be rid of
their importunity. Nor were our hopes in this re-
spect defeated ; for in about half an hour they
took to their boat and pulled off, leaving a small
pig, and some fruit, which they had brought as a
present ; the mandarin assuring us, on his departure
that we should have our pass in two days ! As we
had now been here three days, and on our first
arrival had been promised our pass in two, we felt
somewhat chagrined at this declaration, and began
to doubt of their sincerity, and to suspect that they
were amusing us with promises which it was not
their inclination or intention to perform ; it was
however thought most expedient to arm ourselves
with patience, and wait the other two days, and in
the interim to narrowly watch their conduct.
The chief pressed us very w r armly to come on
shore and pay him another visit. A direct answer to
his request we waived for the present, as we found,
that each repetition of our mutual visits not only
drained us of our stores, but diminished our stock
of presents, with which we were furnished to pro-
pitiate these people, without reaping, to any degree
of certainty, the least advantage from our con-
strained liberality; and judging, in the event of
being successful in our applications, that, from the
experience we already had of the rapacious dispo-
sitions of these inferior chiefs, much larger drafts
63
/
from our funds would be made by those of a
superior order on our approach to the city, and
that their demands would increase in a ratio pro-
portionate to the different degrees of rank ; and it
will subsequently be perceived that this was actually
the case.
One of the country boats came alongside, this
morning, with a great variety of fresh fish, of which
we purchased a sufficiency for the ship's company
for a Spanish dollar, the only coin we had on board,
and for which we afterwards found we had paid
treble price. Among the fish were some fine
mullets, soals, and the largest shrimps and craw
fish we had ever seen. We observed two or three
sharks in the bottom of the boat, and on inci-
dentally asking the price, we found that they were
much more valuable, in their estimation, than the
other kinds. We took no pains to alter their opinion
in this respect, being content to eat those which
were esteemed best by us, at about two-thirds of
the price of shark.
The fisherman, on being offered the money, re-
fused to take it; but on our assuring him that it
was hat quan, (two quans,) he repeated the words,
and taking the piece, appeared quite pleased with
the exchange. We had learned the numerals in
their language during our intercourse with these
people, and we knew that the name quan was ap-
plied to an imaginary coin of about the value of
half a Spanish dollar.
In the afternoon the other junk went up the
64
river, and the large number of country vessels
passing us, up and down, gave great interest and
liveliness to the scene. Some of these approached
quite near, and appeared to view us with consi-
derable curiosity, not totally divested, as we ima-
gined, of awe and apprehension. At the turn of the
tide we prepared our lines, but could only take a
few small cat-fish near the bottom, and near the
surface some of a smaller kind of fish, with yellow
tails and fins.
The land to the north-westward of Cape St.
James stretches far into the northward, forming a
deep bay, with many shoals between it and Dai-
Jang point (near which we lay) : into this the
Gagn-jai, the Cai-mep, and other small rivers fall ;
and it is at Gagn-jai where vessels lying at Vung-
tau procure fresh water, the latter place affording
none. In the afternoon, we saw a large boat full
of armed men come out from Canjeo, propelled with
sails and oars, and steer in nearly a direction for us,
We were considerably surprised at this, and our
conjectures were various on the occasion ; finally,
it occurred to us, that she might be the bearer of
our despatch, or pass, which filled us with lively
joy : but our pleasure was soon damped, on seeing
her pass ahead of us, and stand over into the bay
before mentioned, in pursuit of a vessel under sail,
near the mouth of one of the rivers, and which
appeared to make great exertions to escape ; she
was however overtaken, boarded, and brought
over to Canjeo, with great marks of triumph on the
65
part of the victors. We could not ascertain the cha-
racter of the captured vessel, but supposed her to
be a smuggler.
In a short time after this, we saw the same boat
standing out of the creek, crowded with men, and
steering directly for us, and our ears were saluted
from the village with the sounds of gongs, tomtoms,
and the shouts of the inhabitants. Being at a loss
to conjecture the meaning of this, and feeling sus-
picious of these people, from their previous deport-
ment, all hands were called to quarters, and
preparations made to act on the defensive, in case
of need. As the breeze was fresh and favourable,
she was soon alongside ; and Heo, whose garb on
this occasion was considerably improved in ap-
pearance, and whose train was greatly augmented,
mounted on deck, and presented himself before us,
with great stateliness of mien and solemnity -of
visage, but on looking round, and seeing our war-
like attitude, he appeared to be somewhat em-
barrassed. Shortly, however, he regained his com-
posure ; and seeing me walk the quarter-deck in no
very pleasant mood, (for I now heartily despised
them,) he slipped his arm under mine, and took
several turns with me, measuring his steps with
great exactness, to keep time with me. Burning
with impatience and 'disappointment as I was, I
could not resist the temptation I had, to laugh
heartily at the strange conduct of this human
baboon. Signs were now made by him, that we
should go on shore to a great entertainment. Our
F
answer to which was, Where is our chop ? But he
evaded noticing our demand, and pointing to the
long boat, and then successively to the officers
and ship's company, signified that we should all go
on shore, if not to feast, at least (pointing to a
water-cask on deck) to get water. He was re-
peatedly assured, that we were in want of nothing
but permission to go up to Saigon, and that imme-
diately ; and we intimated, that if we did not receive
it on the next day, we would then hoist out the
launch, and proceed to the city in her, without
waiting his permission ; and we gave him to under-
stand, that we suspected they were merely amusing
us, and that we would inform the great mandarin
at Saigon how we had been treated by them, and
he would know how to punish them as they de-
served. He appeared considerably surprised at
this declaration, but, as if the subject were a dis-
agreeable one, he soon waived it in favour of a
new demand upon us to go on shore to a great
buffalo hunt, which was exemplified, at the chief's
instance, by one of the attendants, who first pointing
the fore-fingers of each hand up on each side of his
head, and then, getting on all fours, galloped round
the deck, pursued by the whole train in full cry, to
our no small amusement; the indulgence of our
mirth was however transient, and we soon re-
lapsed into our former ill humour and dissatis-
faction. Heo was now assailed by us with a new
proposition ; I demanded to embark immediately
with him in his boat, then alongside, and go up to
20
67
the city; on which he replied, that if we would
throw out the long boat, and go on shore with the
whole ship's company to day, to the hunt, that on
the morrow he would grant us permission to go up
the river in the vessel, and that it was not ne-
cessary to have leave for that purpose from the
authorities at Saigon ; struck with astonishment at
this declaration, we demanded of him to inform
us, if our arrival had been made known at the
city ; on which he tacitly acknowledged that it had
not, and assured us, that the option of granting or
refusing our demands was his, but he refused to
assign any cause for keeping us so long in ignorance
of his power in this respect.
A long debate then ensued on our going on shore
altogether, but seeing that their pertinacity exas-
perated us, they proposed that two of the ship's
company should remain on board, while the rest
were amusing themselves in hunting. The effect
produced by these demands not being congenial to
their wishes, they had recourse to another expe-
dient ; one of the boatmen, whom we had never
before seen, was brought forward, and who knew
a few Portuguese words. By him we were told*
that there was a Christian church on shore, and
that we were invited to attend a grand mass, to be
celebrated on that day, and that it was expected
that we should all attend. This information, so
grateful to our wishes, was received by us with
much pleasure ; as of course we presumed that
the officiating priest, at least, must be a man of
F 2
68
learning, and acquainted with some language which
we understood ; perhaps he might be an European !
Our impatience was now very great for our inter-
view with this person, who was to act, not merely
in the character of an interpreter between us, but
as a friend ; one whose prejudices and sympathies,
as an European, would incline him to our interests,
and whose influence, in his sacerdotal character, we
hoped would operate strongly in our favour. It
was proposed, that I should go immediately on
shore, for the purpose of seeing this person, and in-
teresting him in our behalf; and we were quite
elated with the prospect of a speedy removal of all
the obstructions between us and our wishes, and
giving loose to our feelings, we congratulated each
other on our good fortune. They now excused
themselves from this requisition, by stating that the
church * was at some distance, back of the village,
and that the late hour would preclude us from vi-
siting it that evening. Our expectations were some-
what damped by this declaration, but still we fondly
adhered to the idea of future success, overshadow-
ed, however, at intervals, by the clouds of hope de-
ferred. They now left us, with the promise of an
early visit on the following day.
When left to ourselves, our minds were naturally
led to a review of the several incidents of the last
few days ; and although the conduct of these
people throughout had been mysterious and unac-
countable, we were particularly at a loss to assign
* We subsequently ascertained that no such church existed.
69
a reason for their never having before made known
to us the fact of there being a Christian church in
our neighbourhood, nor of having brought with
them any one who was qualified, in the smallest
degree, to become the means of an easy communi-
cation between us. We then turned our thoughts
towards proceeding directly up the river with our
vessel, in defiance of these people ; but there were
so many prudential reasons against this plan, that
the idea of its adoption was soon dropped, and we
had no alternative but to wait for the next day's
visit from the mandarin.
At about ten o'clock on the following morning
our expected visitors made their appearance on
board, but without bringing any stranger with them,
or even the linguist who had been with them on
the preceding day. On making signs expressive of
our disappointment, their perceptions appeared al-
most totally to have failed them, and the manual
correspondence, which we had heretofore reduced
to a sort of system, had now become ineffectual,
from their seeming inability to comprehend its
figures. This sudden and unaccountable metamor-
phosis plunged us again into a maze of perplexity,
nor could all our ingenuity unravel this new mys-
tery. Dissatisfaction and mutual dislike of each
other were now evidently making great progress
in our minds, and our excitement became shortly
so great, as to restore us, in some measure, to the
use of our signs again, and they motioned that
we should draw the charges from our guns. Our
F 3
70
refusal to do it was given in a way to impress them
with a belief that .we expected soon to have a use
for them ; apparently undismayed, or not at all sur-
prised at this intimation, they pointed down the
hatchway, repeating the word Baak * with great
earnestness. Pretending not to notice them, we
made one more effort to draw the attention of the
chief to the subject of our pass ; but we could get
no answer but a shake of the head, and a motion
alternately across our respective throats.
We were aware that the king's residence was at
the city of Hue, at the northern extremity of the
kingdom, and now concluded that it was not in
the power of these people to permit us to proceed
up the Don-nai river ; and by way of enquiry, a
chart of the coast was produced ; and, on our
pointing out several of the principal places on the
coast, and repeating the names of Padaran, Nhia-
trang, Phuyen, Quinhone, Faifoe, and Hue, all of
which they perfectly understood, and to the latter
of which places we signified our intention of pro-
ceeding immediately, they very readily acquiesced,
and made signs that, on our return from thence,
with a proper document from the king, we might
proceed to Saigon, and without which we could
not.
We were reluctant to see them depart without
one more effort to attain our object of getting up
the river, without being obliged to proceed to Hue
* Money or silver.
71
to obtain the king's permission ; we therefore be-
gan to relax our brows, and model our counte-
nances into smiles ; and pressing them to remain
with us a while, we prepared for them a treat of
what we knew to be their favourites, at which they
were highly gratified ; but every attempt on our
part to introduce the subject of the pass was re->
pelled with obstinate silence on theirs, and as far-
ther delay was now considered useless, we (wishing
to avoid the appearance of parting in enmity)
shook them by the hand, and they left us in ap-
parent good humour.
As the tide was now unfavourable, and a fresh
sea breeze blowing in, we were under the necessity
of waiting for the land wind in the evening.
Towards the close of the day, we observed an
unusual number of boats, from different quarters,
enter the creek, and a great bustle was noticed on
shore ; and in the evening the confused noise of
gongs, tom-toms, and voices had encreased to a
considerable degree. We could not imagine the
cause of this din, unless it were to demonstrate their
joy at the capture of the boat before mentioned, as
their noisy expressions had commenced on her ar-
rival at the village, though now increased to a
great degree. On the commencement of the land
breeze, we weighed anchor, and stood out towards,
the Cape, and at daylight on the 13th we were
clear of the land, and shaped our course to the
northward.
F 4
CHAP. VI.
Description of the Coast of Cochin China.- Pulo Ciecer de Mer.
Trading and Jishing Vessels. Pulo Canton. Arrival at
Cham- Callao. Departure from Cham-Callao. Arrival at
Turon. Interview tvith the Chiefs Description of Turon
and Bay. Departure from Turon Bay. Historical and
Geographical Description of Cochin China. Bishop Adran.
1 HE chain of mountains from Cape St. James to
the gulf of Tonquin has been already mentioned;
it takes the direction of the coast, forming a na-
tural barrier, or rampart, against the encroach-
ments of the sea ; receding from the shore a few
leagues in several parts of the middle provinces,
imparting to the features of the country, in those
spaces, the most picturesque and fruitful appear-
ances, and affording sites for several towns and
villages ; and the various small rivers and indenta-
tions on the coast afford a great number of secure,
and several capacious harbours. In the interior,
and forming the western frontier of the country,
is a chain of mountains, clothed with large timber,
and abounding with numerous wild beasts ; the
intermediate country is champaign, fruitful, and
healthy, presenting some of the most beautiful
scenery in nature. The coast is bold, abounding
in great varieties of fish, and affords every facility
to the navigator, having good anchorage in every
pail (though near Cape Avarella, the easternmost
73
land of Cochin China, the soundings extend but a
short distance from the shore) ; and there is no
invisible danger on the coast, excepting Holland's
bank, which lies three or four leagues to the north-
west of the island of Pulo Ciecer de Mer, (between
which two there is a safe channel,) Britto's Bank,
(situated near the main land, on the same parallel
as Pulo Ciecer de Mer,) and a shoal bank, situated
between Pulo Ciecer de Terre and Cape Padaran,
but the latter is not in the way of ships navigating
along the coast.
On the 14th, at two o'clock A. M., we descried
the island of Pulo Ciecer de Mer, and at daylight
we had passed it. This island is of a moderate
height, nearly two leagues in length from north-
east to south-west, and has a hill at each extremity,
which circumstance gives it the appearance of two
islands when first discovered ; but, on a nearer ap-
proach, the intermediate land is perceived. It is
considered very valuable by the Cochin Chinese,
being fruitful, and the cliffs and precipices afford-
ing large quantities of the edible birds' nests, and
the surrounding sea producing biches de mer in
abundance, and great varieties of fish, some of
which are salted and dried, and the residue, by
some process, converted into a filthy, fetid, oily
liquid, and universally used by the natives as a
condiment to all kinds of food. It is said that
ambergris has been found here. With these ar-
ticles the islanders pay their annual tribute to the
king, furnish food for their families, and trade with
74
their neighbours on the continent : they are by far
the most industrious and enterprizing of the Co-
chin Chinese, and live in better style.
On this and the succeeding day we ranged
along the coast at a small distance, for the purpose
of having a distinct view of the land while passing;
and Cape Padaran, False Cape Avarella, Cam-
raigne harbour, and Nhiatrang city, successively
met our view.
In the afternoon, the sea breeze being very
fresh, we were much amused with the adroit ma-
nagement of the fishing boats, many of which we
passed ; and our admiration was excited, on ob-
serving these fine boats without decks, under short
sail, bounding over the waves, without shipping a
drop of water.
The next morning we passed the fine, fertile,
and well cultivated province of Phuyen. The range
of mountains in this place retiring several leagues
from the coast, while their elevated summits were
shrouded in fleecy clouds, presented fruitful plains
and vallies, with gently undulating hills, clothed
with the liveliest verdure, and opened to our sight
the most beautiful and extensive landscapes, which
were rendered more perfect by their contrast with
the brown and rugged sides of the distant moun-
tains ; and as if nature had determined that the
picture should be rendered complete by per-
spective, the condensed vapours, driven by the
breezes from the ocean against these alpine regions,
would occasionally disperse, and disclose to view
75
a nodding tower, or antiquated pagoda, perched
upon the highest pinnacle of these apparently in-
accessible cliffs. Many trading boats were standing
in various directions, and added interest to the ani-
mated scene. The Onamese, like the Chinese,
paint eyes on the bows of their vessels to denote
vigilance.
On the morning of the 17th we passed between
the island of Pulo Canton and the main, where the
channel is four leagues wide. This island, like
Pulo Ciecer de Mer, is valuable for the same pro-
ductions which abound at the latter. It is of mo-
derate height, inhabited, and affords good fresh
water, but is considered dangerous to approach
on the north, north-east, and south-east sides.
We ranged along the coast, during the whole of
the 17th June, at about four miles from the land,
and in the afternoon passed the island of False
Callao, and at six P. M. anchored in the harbour
of the island of Cham-Callao.
This harbour is situated on the south side of
the island, and appears to be tolerably safe in all
winds, being protected by several small islets, scat-
tered about in front of it It is inhabited, and
agriculture and the fisheries are here pursued with
diligence. A small village was situated in the bay,
to the northward of us, before which were an-
chored several of the country vessels. On our ap-
proach to the anchorage, a boat under sail came
out of the bay, and hailed us in their language,
which we did not undestand ; but from their signs,
76
in the knowledge of which we had become profi-
cients, in the Don-riai river, we understood that
we were to continue our course into the harbour.
The boat preceded us at a short distance ; and when
we had arrived within about one mile of the village,
being then in seven fathoms water, in obedience
to their signals we dropped anchor over a bottom
of mud and sand.
There were but two men in this boat, and after
we had anchored they came alongside with a great
deal of caution, and seemed to be impressed with
great awe and apprehension. We pointed to the
main land, and repeated the word Han-san, the na-
tive name of Turon to them, and intimated, that
after sleeping, and on the rising of the then declin-
ing sun, we intended to proceed to that place ; they
appeared to understand us, and pulled away for the
shore. In the evening we were again visited by
our new acquaintance, who brought us a quantity
of dried fish, of a most excellent quality, and some
pumpkins ; but they peremptorily refused to take
money, or any other compensation for this volun-
tary gift ; and it required some considerable solici-
tation on our part to induce them to taste a little
sweet wine, which we pressed upon them. They
shortly dropped astern, and anchored at a small
distance from us, where they passed the night. At
daylight the next morning they weighed anchor,
and came cautiously and silently alongside, and by
motions informed us, that it was time to depart ;
and as the intimation accorded with our wishes, we
77
were not long in weighing anchor and making sail ;
and, preceded by our pilot, we left the harbour,
and stood out between Cham-Callao and the islets
before mentioned, but by a different route from
the one by which we had entered. In this channel
we had at no time less than ten fathoms water; and
when we were off the western point of the large
island, and the passage was clear before us, they
waved in the direction of Turon bay, and hauled
their wind to leave us ; and when we held up
Spanish dollars, and used many gestures to induce
them to come alongside, and receive a compen-
sation for their services, they only shook their
heads, still pointing to Turon bay, and left us.
The strange conduct of these people, so different
from what we had been accustomed to at Don-nai,
gave rise to various conjectures in our minds ; the
predominant ones, however, were, that the islanders
were afraid of us, and had taken these measures to
get rid of our company in the most expeditious
and conciliating manner ; and several concurring
circumstances convinced us that the boat was
employed by, and acted under the orders of the
government of the island.
On our passage toward Turon bay we passed
the harbour and town of Faifoe, formerly the mart
of all the northern provinces, and previous to the
civil wars which agitated the country, (during
which it was destroyed,) visited by the Portuguese
from Macao, and by the Japanese, who carried on
a very brisk trade to this port. It is now fallen into
78
poverty and decay, and seldom or never visited but
by the craft of the country, and some few small
vessels from Tonquin.
Before the harbour, and situated on a low penin-
sula, is a large mass of brown marble rocks, re-
sembling at a distance a heap of architectural ruins ;
but whether placed there by nature or art we could
not determine.
At 10 A* M. we were abreast -of Cape Turon,
which is high and rugged, and is situated on the
extreme eastern point of a peninsula which bounds,
to the east and north-east, the bay and harbour of
Turon. On the point is situated a remarkable and
conspicuous rock, bearing a strong resemblance to
a lion couchant, apparently contemplating a leap
into the sea ; and what renders the illusion more
complete, the head at the seat of the eye is per-
forated quite through, and gives the aperture the
appearance of that organ in life. We proceeded
within about a mile of the shore, and at half past
one in the afternoon came to anchor in Turon bay,
in seven fathoms water, muddy ground. We fired
a salute of five guns, which was only answered by
the display of a tattered flag on one of the forts.
In a short time, and while we were preparing
to go on shore, we were visited by a boat from the
town, in which were three mandarins. On this oc-
casion our old difficulties occurred, from our in-
ability to make our wishes comprehended. We
were in this dilemma, when, after inviting them be-
low, one of them signed for pen and ink, which
79
being produced, and some paper handed him, he
wrote in Latin, " Quid interrogas ?" and, calling
up the remains of our acquirements in that lan-
guage, while schoolboys, we contrived to hold an
intelligible conversation with them through this
medium. We learnt that the king had left the
royal residence at Hue a few weeks previous, and
that he was at that moment at Toan-hoa, in the gulf
of Tonquin, extending his conquests in that quarter,
and that the time of his return was very uncertain.
They also informed us, that during the civil wars
the country had been devastated, and was now
slowly emerging from a state of poverty, in which
it had been plunged by the excesses of the hostile
troops. We also understood, that they shortly ex-
pected two French ships, the owners of which had
contracted, the preceding year, to furnish the king
with fire and side arms, clothing for his troops,
flints, and many fancy articles ; for which they were
to receive sugar and raw silk : and we gathered
from them, what we afterwards found verified, that
there was not enough of those articles in all the
northern provinces to load one of them.
Under these discouraging circumstances, and
being unwilling to waste any more time in our de-
lusive projects, we determined to weigh anchor and
proceed to Manilla, with the hope that we might
there find some person who was acquainted with
the Onam language, who would accompany us to
Saigon, (for that was still the place to which our
wishes pointed,) and that, through his means, we
80
might obtain permission to go up to that city.
Accordingly, after treating and dismissing our
visitors, (who gave us a fresh instance of the cha-
racter of the natives of this country, by begging
whatever they saw,) we weighed anchor with the
land breeze, and stood out of the bay.
The bay of Turon is one of the finest in the
world, and vessels which lie within Callao-hanne,
or Turon island, are completely sheltered from all
' winds, in an excellent harbour. A small branch
of a river, navigable for boats, falls into the south-
east part of the bay, and communicates with the
town of Faifoe. Two stone forts, regularly built,
under the inspection of French engineers, com-
mand the harbour and the passage to Faifoe
before mentioned, and would be an effectual pro-
tection to the town of Turon against a formidable
maritime force. Turon, once a populous city, is
now a mean and filthy town ; the bazars are, how-
ever, well stocked with pork, poultry, fish, vege-
tables, and fruit, which are procured at a reason-
able rate, and fresh water is easily obtained.
Should it be asked, where, and how, the officers
who visited us in Turon bay acquired their know-
ledge of the Latin language ? the reader is in-
formed, that shortly after the re-establishment
of the present regal government many French
missionaries flocked into the country ; and the
inhabitants, grateful to that nation for its instru-
mentality in the dispersion and overthrow of the
rebels, and being now heartily tired of war, readily
81
admitted its subjects to their friendship and confi-
dence 5 and the mild and unassuming manners sof
the Christian missionaries endeared them to the
natives, and procured them many proselytes, who
were instructed in the principles of Christianity,
through the medium of the Latin language ; and
of this number were two of the chiefs who came
on board of us at Turon.
The Tonquinese trading vessels, which visit Tu-
ron and Faifbe, have but one mast, and their sail
is extended by several bamboo sprits, running from
the luff to the leech, and is suspended by a yard at
the head, as represented in the plate ; their cargoes
from Tonquin generally consist of fire-wood, ship-
timber, iron, and large jars, capable of containing
from fifty to one hundred gallons ; for which ar-
ticles they receive sugar, salt, rice, &c.
The country of Onam *, or Cochin China, is in-
debted for its present population to an unsuccessful
rebellion of a Tonquinese prince against his sove-
reign, somewhat less than two centuries ago ; the
prince being totally routed, and pursued by the
victorious troops of the king of Tonquin, made his
escape with his adherents into Cochin China, which
was then inhabited by the Lois, or Laos, an igno-
rant and timid people, who, totally unacquainted
with the art of war, fled with precipitation on the
approach of these intruders to the mountains of
Tsiompa, and left the Tonquinese fugitives in quiet
* See Dr. Morrison's View of China," p. 80.
G
82
possession of their country. The fertility of the
soil, the great number of animals, fowls, and fish,
with which the woods, marshes, rivers, lakes, and
the neighbouring sea abounded, furnished them
most bounteously with the necessaries and com-
forts of life ; and their population increased in a
ratio proportionate to these means, and in a short
time they had spread themselves over all the north*
ern section of the country ; nor in fact was it many
years ere they had penetrated south as far as the
borders of Cambodia, where they built the city of
Saigon, and subsequently that of Don-nai, about
thirty miles to the northward of the former ; and
in somewhat less than forty years from the ingress
of the invaders, we find them in quiet possession
of the whole Onam country, or Cochin China
Proper ; and many successful inroads had been
made by them into Cambodia. This latter country,
however, was inhabited by a more courageous
and warlike people than the Lois, or aboriginal
occupants of Onam, and they for a long time suc-
cessfully resisted the yoke of their new and trouble-
some neighbours; and in their opposition they
were greatly facilitated by the nature of their
country, which being very low, covered with almost
impenetrable forests, and abounding with thick un-
derwood, or jungle, and intersected with innu-
merable rivers and creeks, afforded them sufficient
opportunities for displaying their skill in the art of
laying ambuscades, and in various other desultory
modes of warfare in use among barbarous nations,
83
and by which their invaders were greatly annoyed ;
nor were the Cambodians finally subdued by the
hostile arms of the Onamese until the reign of the
present sovereign, by which conquest Cambodia has
become an integral part of Cochin China, and, like
that country, it is now divided into provinces.
The whole country, in its present limits, ex-
tends from the latitude of 8 40' to 1? 0' north,
and from Cape Avarella, in longitude 109 24'
east, it extends from the coast about one hundred
and fifty miles westward. Its average breadth is,
however, about one hundred miles from east to
west. The kingdom is comprised in three divi-
sions ; viz. Don-nai, which is the southernmost,
comprehends all Cambodia, and extends northward
to about 12 of north latitude ; in this section are
situated the cities of Saigon and Don-nai. The
centre division lies between the latitudes of 12
and 15 north ; it is called Chang, and contains
the cities of Nhiatrang and Quin-hone. The di-
vision of Hue, which contains the royal city, or
residence of the monarch, called also Hue, or Hue-
foo, is the most northern, and is bounded to the
south by Chang, and to the north by the gulf
of Tonquin. These three sections, or divisions,
are subdivided into provinces, of whose names,
relative situations, and boundaries, we are not suf-
ficiently informed to describe.
The circumstances of a mild government, fertile
country, and a coast so well adapted to maritime
operations, in a short time rendered this kingdom
84
one of the most powerful in Eastern Asia, and pre-
vious to the middle of the eighteenth century it
had in point of enterprise, commerce, agriculture,
and national prosperity, arrived at its zenith.
The first six kings of this country, of the Tonquin-
ese race, were greatly beloved by their subjects,
whom they governed in the manner of the ancient
patriarchs, looking upon their people as their chil-
dren, and by their own example prompting them
to habits of simplicity, industry, and frugality.
But the subsequent discovery of the gold and
silver mines, and the easy and frequent communi-
cations which their commerce had opened with the
Chinese, were the means of introducing luxury and
effeminacy to the court of Onam, and of inflating
the minds of its sovereigns, in imitation of the
mighty monarchs of the celestial empire *; and their
courtiers, finding their interest in flattering them,
bestowed the blasphemous epithet of King of
Heaven upon their infatuated masters, who readily
adopted this arrogant title, and by edict its use
became general in their own country, and by cour-
tesy, in imitation of the slavish adoration paid to
other eastern potentates, was confirmed to them
by the politic diplomatists of tributary and less
powerful states, who occasionally visited the court.
It would be absurd to suppose that the King of
Heaven could be lodged and attended like the
common kings of the earth, and we find Vous-tsoi,
* China.
85
the immediate ancestor of the present sovereign,
inhabiting, according to the seasons, his winter,
summer, and autumnal palaces, and plunging into
the greatest luxury and excess. Even the gold
mines were not a sufficient resource against this
torrent of extravagance ; new taxes were levied,
new impositions devised, and these exactions were
" wrung from the hard hands of peasants," by force
and tyrannical oppression, as their contributions
had now ceased to be voluntary. The prince,
surrounded by flattering sycophants, who guarded
every avenue to the royal ear, was consequently
ignorant of the growing evils which his mal-
administration had produced ; and, with astonish-
ing infatuation, abandoned himself to his pleasures,
and his government to his insidious courtiers ;
who, taking advantage of exemption from punish-
ment, robbed the people, and plunged the nation
into an abyss of poverty and distress ; which catas-
trophe was hastened by a general corruption of
manners, communicated by the empoisoned streams
which flowed from the court and capital, and
spread their baneful influence over all ranks and
conditions of the people.
Notwithstanding the errors and defects of this
sovereign, he is represented as having been of a
mild disposition, and secretly attached to the sim-
ple and primitive manners of his ancestors ; fond
of his subjects, always calling them his children ;
friendly to the doctrines of Christianity, and treat-
ing its ministers with great respect and indulgence.
G 3
86
Le Poivre, an intelligent and pleasing French
writer, who visited Onam in a diplomatic character
about this time, and from whom we have quoted
the substance of the two preceding pages, most
prophetically pronounced the then approaching
fate of that kingdom. He says, " When corruption
shall have infested every rank, when the founda-
tions of agriculture, liberty, and property, already
attacked by the great, shall be overthrown ; when
the profession of the farmer shall become the most
contemptible, and the least lucrative, what must
be the fate of agriculture, fostering under its wings ?
what must be the fate of prince and people ? It
will resemble that of the nation who possessed the
country before them ; perhaps that of the savages
who yielded it to that nation, of whom there are
no remains, but the ruins of an immense wall, near
the capital, which appears to have been part of a
great city. It is of brick, and of a form very
different from what is to be seen in the other coun-
tries of Asia : no history, however, no tradition,
has preserved the memory of the builders. Upon
the whole, I conclude, from the general corrup-
tion which threatens the manners of the Cochin
Chinese, that agriculture is on the decline, and
that whatever efforts they may make to support it,
it has now passed its meridian, and must infallibly
degenerate."
A state of things, the natural consequence of the
errors of this reign, was now rapidly approaching ;
and the love of liberty, and hatred of oppression,
8?
which so universally pervades the human mind,
now exerted their influence, and asserted their
predominance in the hearts of the Onamese, and
produced a civil war, which for nearly thirty years
agitated the country, and was attended with va-
rious success, until the government was finally re-
established under the ancient monarchy, in the
person of the son of Vous-tsoi, who was crowned
by the name of Caung-shung, as his father had
been.
An account of this war, compiled from the most
authentic sources, will not be uninteresting to the
reader.*
In the year 1774, in the 35th year of the reign
of Caung-shung, the father of the present monarch,
a rebellion broke out in the city of Quin-hone, the
capital of the division of Chang, and was headed
by three brothers : the eldest, whose name was
Yinyac, was a wealthy merchant, who carried on
an extensive commerce with China and Japan.
Long-niang, the name of the second, was a general
officer, or war mandarin, of high rank and great
command ; and the third was a priest. Their
first care was to get possession of the person of the
king, which they effected, and put him to death,
with all the royal family who fell into their hands.
The city of Saigon, in the division of Don-nai, was
supposed to be favourable to the cause of the de-
posed sovereign ; an army was therefore marched
* Asiatic Researches, Barrow, Abbe Rochon, and the viceroy
and missionaries at Saigon.
G 4
88
against it, the walls were levelled with the ground,
and twenty thousand of its inhabitants put to the
sword. In their arrangements for the future go-
vernment of this extensive country, it was deter-
mined that Yinyac should possess the two divisions
of Chang and Don-nai ; Long-niang, that of Hue,
bordering on Tonquin ; and the youngest brother
was to be high-priest of all Cochin China.
Long-niang had scarcely set foot in his capital,
Hue, before he took occasion to quarrel with the
king of Tonquin, who was a tributary vassal to the
emperor of China. The king, abandoning his army
after the first engagement, fled to Pekin, to
demand the assistance of the emperor Kien-Long*,
who ordered an army of one hundred thousand
men to march against the Cochin Chinese. Long-
niang, by means of his spies, was fully apprised of
the movements of this immense army.
He sent out detachments to destroy the villages,
and lay waste the country through which it had
to pass ; and the Chinese army, before it had even
reached the frontier of Tonquin, was distressed
for want of provisions, and obliged to fall back.
The consequence of which was a treaty, and Long-
niang was recognised as king of Tonquin and
Cochin China, which were, in future, to be con-
sidered as tributary to the emperor of China.
At the period of the rebellion, there resided at
court a French missionary, of the name of Adran,
* According to Dr. Morrison, Keen-Long.
89
who called himself the " Apostolic Vicar of Cochin
China." Caung-shung held him in such great con-
sideration, as to place under his tuition his only
son, and heir to the throne. Adran, the prince,
his wife, and infant son, on the first burst of the
revolt, saw their only hope of safety was in flight ;
and by the assistance of Adran, they effected their
escape, and took refuge in a forest. As soon as
the enemy retired, the unfortunate fugitives made
the best of their way to Saigon, where the people
flocked to the standard of their legitimate sove-
reign, whom they crowned, under the name of
Caung-shung, as before mentioned. At this time,
there was in the port of Saigon, an armed vessel,
commanded by a Frenchman, seven Portuguese
merchantmen from Macao, and a number of Co-
chin Chinese junks and row-boats. These the
king purchased for the purpose of making an
attack on the usurper's fleet, in the harbour of
Quin-hone : this expedition failed ; the king re-
turned to Don-nai ; resistance was vain ; he col-
lected the remains of his family, and a few faithful
followers, embarked at Saigon, and proceeded to
Pulo Way, a small uninhabited island on the north
side of the Gulf of Siam, and contiguous to the
coast of Cambodia. Here, in a short time, he
was joined by about twelve hundred of his own
subjects capable of bearing arms. Caung-shung,
fearing an attack from the usurpers, embarked for
Siam, by the king of which country he was well
received ; and while there he received from his
90
friend Adran intelligence that the southern sec-
tion of the country was favourable to his cause ;
and at the solicitations of the missionary, he en-
trusted his son with him, who immediately em-
barked with his charge for Pondicherry, and from
thence sailed for Paris, where they arrived in the
year 1787.
The young prince was presented at court, and
treated with every mark of respect. In the course
of a few months, Adran concluded a treaty be-
tween Louis XVI. and the king of Cochin China,
in which the former engaged to lend Caung-shung
effectual assistance to restore him to the throne of
his ancestors.
Adrari was promoted to an epispopal see, under
the title of " Bishop of Cochin China," and ho-
noured with the appointment of " Ambassador ex-
traordinary and Plenipotentiary" to that court.
Matters being thus far concluded in Paris, Adran,
and his young charge set sail for Pondicherry in
the Medusa frigate.
He touched on his passage at Mauritius, where
he found lying a ship of fifty guns, seven frigates,
and some transports, and that the number of dis-
posable troops was between four and five thousand.
The ships were ordered to be equipped, and the
troops to hold themselves in readiness for embark-
ation, the moment that an advice-boat should
arrive from Pondicherry, which he meant to dis-
patch on his arrival there, with orders to that
effect.
91
Some untoward circumstances occurred, which
induced the governor-general to send a fast sailing
vessel from Pondicherry to the Mauritius, with
directions to suspend the armament until further
orders should be received from the court of Ver-
sailles ; and the Revolution, in the mean time,
breaking out in France, put a final stop to all their
proceedings.
The unforeseen events which had put an end to
the expedition, did not, however, deter the bishop
from his original design of re-establishing the law-
ful sovereign of Cochin China, if still living, or
the young prince, if his father should be dead, on
the throne of his ancestors. He had carried with
him from France several officers, who were to
have held appointments under the government.
With some of these as volunteers, the bishop and
prince embarked in a merchant ship, for Cape
St James, where they hoped to receive intelligence
of the king. Here they learned that the monarch
had been induced to venture a landing in his do-
minions : that all ranks, forgetting the errors of
the father, in their sympathy for the sufferings of
his son, had flocked with ardour to his standard,
and that he had marched without interruption to
Saigon, whose works of defence had been imme-
diately strengthened, and put in good order. This
favourable intelligence gave a spur to the exertions
of the bishop and the young prince, who joined
the king at Saigon, in 1790, and they were fol-
92
lowed by a vessel which had been taken up to
convey arms and ammunition.
The greater part of the first year was occupied
in fortifying Saigon, in recruiting and disciplining
the army, and in collecting and equipping a fleet.
In 1791j the usurper, Long-niang, died at Hue,
leaving behind him a son, about twelve years of
age, to succeed him in the government of Ton-
quin, and the northern parts of Cochin China.
The ratification of his title to the kingdom of
Tonquin, by the emperor of China, had been the
cause of hostilities between the two brothers. In
all their skirmishes Yinyac had been worsted, and
the limits of his country reduced. In 1792, the
king embarked with his fleet, which he had put
under the direction of two French officers, and
attacked that of Yinyac in the harbour of Quin-
hone, the greater part of which they captured or
destroyed. Yinyac did not long survive the de-
struction of his fleet, and his son Tai-saun* suc-
ceeded to the government.
Caung-shung, in 1796, resolved to attack the ca-
pital by land : the young usurper was enabled to
bring against him an army of one hundred thou-
sand men, but the king completely routed it, with
a very inferior force, and took possession of Quin-
hone, and the whole country as far as Turon bay.
* Tai-saun, or Ti-saun, as subsequently repeated to me by
the viceroy at Saigon.
93
The other young usurper at Hue still kept pos-
session of that city, and part of Tonquin ; till in
1802, Caung-shung, with a formidable armament,
dislodged him, and compelled him to retire into
Tonquin ; since which time the kingdom of Cochin
China has remained in quiet possession of the legi-
timate sovereign, with a large extension of territory
in the southern part of Tonquin, by which his fron-
tier on that side has been greatly extended, and a
large portion of the adjacent country rendered
tributary to that monarch.
The bishop Adran now became the oracle and
guide of the king. Under his auspices the country
was greatly improved ; and during a short peace,
previous to the final termination of the war, he es-
tablished a manufactory of saltpetre, opened roads,
cut canals, held out rewards for the propagation of
the silk worm, caused large tracts of land to be
cleared for the cultivation of the sugar-cane, estab-
lished manufactories for the preparation of pitch,
tar, rosin, &c. ; opened mines of iron, constructed
smelting furnaces, and founderies for cannon.
Adran translated into the Onarti language a system
of European military tactics, for the use of the
army. Naval arsenals were established, and a
large navy, principally consisting of gun-boats,
galleys, &c. was built and equipped. Under his
direction a reformation was effected in the system
of jurisprudence ; he abolished several species of
punishments that were disproportionate to the
94
crimes to which they were annexed ; he established
public schools, and compelled parents to send their
children to them at the age of four years ; he drew
up commercial regulations, built bridges, caused
buoys and sea marks to be laid down in all the
dangerous parts of the coast, and surveys to be
made of the principal bays and harbours. The
officers of the navy were instructed in naval
tactics by Frenchmen ; his army was divided into
regular regiments ; military schools were establish-
ed, and the officers taught the science of gunnery.
Unfortunately for the country, the death of Adran
occurred shortly after this ; and with him expired
many of the wholesome laws, institutions, and re-
gulations established by him.
CHAP. VII.
Passage to the Philippine Islands. Paracels. Arrival at Ca-
vift. Description of Cavite. Arrival at Manilla. Lupo-
nia. Coral Ledges and Shoals. Zoophytes. New created
Islands. Description of Manilla.
FROM the 18th to the 24th of June we were em-
ployed in working to the southward along the
coast, it having been determined to pass far to
windward of the group of islands and shoals called
the Paracels, which we thought would probably
ensure us a free wind to Manilla ; and at the latter
date having gained the latitude of 14 north, and
being then in sight of Quin-hone city, we took
a departure from the coast of Cochin China, and
shaped our course for Lu9onia. We had pleasant
weather and regular land and sea breezes along the
coast, with a strong current setting against us to
the north-west.
The Paracels, just mentioned, were formerly, and
indeed till very recently, dreaded by navigators,
being represented as one continued chain of low
islands, coral reefs, and sand banks, extending from
the latitude of 12 to that of 17 north, in a north-
north-east and south-south-west direction, forming
a fancied resemblance to the human foot (the toe
of which was the southernmost extremity), and ap-
proaching to within about sixteen leagues of the
96
coast "of Cochin China; in its widest part, in the
latitude of about 16 north, it was represented as
about thirty leagues over. This archipelago, once
so formidable from its great imaginary extent and
terrific character, is now ascertained to be a group
of islands and reefs, of no great extent, with good
and safe channels between most of them, and in
many places good anchorage. They lie between
the latitudes of 15 46', and 17 6' north; and from
longitude 111 12 1-2' to 112 42' east.
Early in the morning of the 25th, we passed over
an azure and fathomless sea, where, in the old
charts, are marked rocks and shoals in great pro-
fusion. The recent investigations, discoveries, and
surveys in these seas, by Lieutenants Ross and
Maughan, of the Bombay marine, in the surveying
ships, Discovery and Investigator, have been pro-
ductive of correct charts and useful information,
by which this navigation has been rendered much
less arduous and dangerous.
The monsoon, which we had anticipated would
at this season be regularly set in throughout the
China sea, became faint on the 26th, and the wind
veered to the eastward, in which quarter it con-
tinued until the 5th of July, when we made the
island of Mindoro, one of the Philippines ; but the
wind continuing in the eastern quarter, and very
light, with frequent intervals of calm, we did not
enter the bay of Manilla until the 9th, on which
day, at 8 o'clock in the morning, we passed the
island of Corregidor, which is situated in the
97
entrance of the bay, nearest to the northern shore :
between which two is the usual ship-channel, call-
ed Boca cJuca, although the passage between the
island and the opposite shore, named Boca grande,
is good and frequently used.
We were boarded by a barge from Corregidor,
in which was an officer attached to the marine
service of the Philippine islands, to enquire our
character, news, &c. ; which information, thus ob-
tained, was, as in all cases, when the weather per-
mits, transmitted by a line of telegraphs, distributed
along the southern shore of the bay, to Cavite ;
and from thence to Manilla.
The weather was fine, with a good breeze from
the south-west, and at noon we descried the spires
of the churches, and other prominent objects at
Cavite, emerging from the line of the eastern hori-
zon ; and as we approached rapidly, trees, towers,
and ships, and, finally, the town of Cavite, with the
ruinous bastions and tottering battlements of its
military works rose to our view in quick succes-
sion, in proportion to their respective elevations.
The whole line of coast, for several leagues on
each side of Cavite, was now visible ; and to the
left arose, in dark and melancholy grandeur, as
viewed through the medium of an atmosphere
pregnant with exhaled vapours, the lofty pinnacles
and massive towers of the imposing city of Manilla.
At two o'clock, afternoon, we anchored in the
harbour of Cavite, and were presently boarded by a
boat from the arsenal, in which was a health-officer,
H
98
another of the custom-house department, and the
director of the telegraph ; this trio, after receiving-
satisfactory answers to their respective enquiries,
in regard to our health, commercial character, and
views, and what news we had brought, which were
with great gravity committed to paper, gave us
free permission to land at Cavite, or to proceed to
Manilla, in any manner which might suit our in-
clinations or convenience ; recommending, how-
ever, a passage by water in the barge then along-
side, in which they had paid their visit; and when
the patron, or master of the boat, who was present,
declared that he was to proceed early on the fol-
lowing morning to Manilla, and would with plea-
sure call for el capitan, should he think proper to
adopt that mode of conveyance, his invitation was
accepted.
Cavite, which is the port of Manilla, contains
also the marine arsenal, and is the naval depot of
all the Spanish possessions in the East: it is situ-
ated on the eastern extremity of a low, bifurcated
peninsula, of a semilunar shape, which extends into
the sea, about three miles on the south-east side of
the great bay of Manilla, and terminates towards
the east. Between the two extremities or points
is the outer harbour of Cavite, where merchant
ships generally lie. It is tolerably safe, though
of no great capacity or depth, the deepest water
being four fathoms, and that only in the outer and
most exposed situations ; the general depth is from
fcwo to three and a half fathoms. The western
99
point, called Point Sanglay*, is composed of coarse
sand and broken coral, with a few stinted shrubs
scattered on its surface, and is constantly extending
itself into the sea by the accumulation of shells,
pebbles, broken coral, sand, and other substances,
thrown up by the waves; and the time is remem-
bered, by some of the inhabitants of Cavite, when it
did not reach its present limit by more than one
hundred fathoms. It is so low, that on approaching
the harbour from the westward, it is not perceived,
till quite near ; which circumstance would convey
to a stranger, unacquainted with the topographical
situation of Cavite, an idea that the vessels at an-
chor in the harbour were riding on an open coast,
without any shelter from the offing.
In the concavity, formed by the sweep of the
peninsula, on the south side, is the inner harbour
of Cavite, where the men of war, galleons, and
other vessels in the service of the government and
the Philippine company, are moored, and are
well sheltered from the oceanic winds. It pos-
sesses, however, no advantage, in point of depth
of water, over the outer harbour ; and the larger
vessels, while swinging at their moorings, fre-
quently sweep the bottom, which, however, being
composed of soft ooze, seldom occasions any
injury.
The castle of St, Philip, a regular, and once a
formidable fortress, defends the town, which is
* i. e. China point.
H 2
100
about three-fifths of a mile in length, and less than
a quarter of a mile wide, and is built chiefly of
wood, on account of the frequent recurrence of
earthquakes. The houses, almost universally, are
of two stories, wirh verandas round the upper one,
where the inhabitants dwell, the lower parts being
appropriated as stores, coach-houses, and other offi-
ces. There are few glazed windows in the houses,
a substitute for glass being found in a species of
semi-transparent pearl oyster-shell, similar to what
I have seen used in Arabia for the same purpose.
The churches are spacious, and in good style, but
bear marks of decayed grandeur : there are also
several convents, though thinly tenanted. The
marine hospital, both in regard to the building and
its government, seems to have suffered less by
neglect than any other establishment in the place.
The number of inhabitants in the town is about
four thousand, which is somewhat less than one
half of its population not half a century since. In
short, Cavite, once flourishing and populous, is
now the mere shadow of its former respectability.
The arsenal is on the south-eastern side of the
point on which the town is built, and overlooks the
inner harbour. It is constructed on an extensive
and excellent plan, and possesses great facilities for
building, repairing, and equipping the largest ships :
but the increasing poverty, apathy, and neglect of
the government, with the devastating hand of time,
have combined to stamp on every feature of this
once noble and magnificent establishment the rude
101
and melancholy characters of desolation and ap-
proaching ruin ; and the visitor, instead of being
saluted with the busy hum of industry, the cheerful
sounds of various implements of the mechanic arts,
and crowds of people employed in the several oc-
cupations of a dock-yard, finds himself ushered
into the cheerless abodes of silence, and the " de-
mon of ennui :" and the sallow and meagre visages
of the few half-payed, half-starved, and half-de-
jected officers, in tarnished uniform, who, like so
many spectres, flit by him, or meet his view, in
listless groups, exhibiting the most striking assem-
blages of half-subdued pride, profound gravity,
and forced resignation, proclaim, in a language the
most emphatic, these objects as the legitimate
vassals of the gloomy domain.
The country adjacent to Cavite is very fertile ;
and the neighbouring sea abounds in a great variety
of excellent fish : the bazars are consequently well
supplied with animal and vegetable food, and va-
rious kinds of the best fruit of India and China.
The air is mild and temperate generally; the
mean range of the thermometer at noon, for two
months, being 83 of Fahrenheit, from which it
but seldom varied three degrees, and never more
than five on either side.
Very early on the following morning, the barge
in which I was to proceed to Manilla came along-
side of us : it required but a few moments to
prepare for departure ; at sunrise we were half
way to Manilla ; and at eight o'clock I was seated
H 3
102
at breakfast in the family of Mr. Stuart, the Ame-
rican consul.
The island of Lu$onia is the largest and most
important of all the Philippines ; it is of an oblong,
obtuse angular form ; lying in the general direction
of south-south-east, and north-north-west, and the
angular point is on the west side. The northern
section is the broadest, being in the widest part
forty leagues over, from east to west, but its ave-
rage breadth is considerably less than this. The
fine bay of Manilla, thirty leagues in circum-
ference, is situated near the middle of the west
side of the island, and has good and clear anchor-
age in all parts of it, excepting on a coral ledge,
called the shoal of St. Nicholas, which is the only
invisible danger in the bay. The dangerous part
of it is, however, of small extent, and with proper
attention easily avoided ; the least water found on
it at present is eleven feet, but its summit is con-
stantly approaching the surface of the sea, as has
been ascertained by surveys made at different
periods by orders of government ; which circum-
stance seems to indicate the presence of zoophy-
tes, that compound of animal and vegetable life,
whose incessant and rapid labours, and, as we are
told by naturalists, whose polypus-like powers of
receiving perfect form and vitality into numberless
dismembered portions of their bodies, have long
excited much curiosity and admiration. These
small, compound animals, commence their oper-
ations at the bottom of the sea, and proceed up-
5
103
wards towards the surface, spreading themselves
in various ramifications ; the older members of
the mass become concrete, petrify, and form dan-
gerous shoals ; the superior portion of these little
colonists always being the last produced, in its
turn generates myriads of others, and so on, ad
infinitum, till they reach the surface of the ocean.
These coral reefs and shoals are found in most
parts of the world, within the tropics ; but the
waters of the eastern hemisphere seem to be pe-
culiarly congenial to their production, and, indeed,
there appear to be certain spaces or regions in
these seas which are their favourite haunts.
Among many others may be mentioned the Mo-
zambique channel, and that tract of ocean, from
the eastern coast of Africa, quite across to the
coast of Malabar, including the Mahe, Chagas,
Maldive, and Laccadive archipelagos ; the south-
eastern part of the China sea ; the Red sea ; the
eastern part of the Java sea, between Celebes and
Java ; the coasts of all the Sunda islands ; and
various places in the Pacific ocean. These shoals,
when they begin to emerge from the sea, are fre-
quented by aquatic fowls, whose feathers, and
other deposits, combined with the fortuitous land-
ing of drifts of wood, weeds, and various other
substances, from the adjacent lands, in the course
of time form superaqueous banks, of considerable
elevation ; and the broken fragments of coral,
thrown up by the waves, slowly, but constantly
increase their horizontal diameter. Cocoa nuts
H 4
104
are frequently seen floating upon the sea in these
regions, some of which are no doubt thrown upon
the shores of the new-created lands ; from which
accidental circumstance this fruit is there propa-
gated. Vagrant birds unconsciously deposit the
germs of various other productions of the vege-
table kingdom, which in due season spring up
and clothe their surfaces with verdure ; and the
natural accumulation of dead and putrid vege-
tation, serves to assist in the formation of a rich
and productive soil, and to increase the altitudes
of these new creations. As I have been always
much amused and interested by this subject, and
have had frequent opportunities, during many years'
experience, to observe and examine these shoals
in their various stages of subaqueous progress, and
subsequent emersion, I am convinced, that not
only many considerable islands, but extensive in-
sular groups, owe their existence to the above
origin,
The island of Lu9onia contains seventeen pro-
vinces or jurisdictions ; at the head of them we
find that of Manilla, in which is situated the ca-
pital of the same name : this city lies in 14 36'
north latitude, and 121 SI 1-2' east of the meri-
dian of Greenwich, and is built upon the eastern
border of the bay, upon a point of land formed by
the sea, on the south-west, and by the river Pasig
on the north, and is well situated for defence.
The climate is temperate, and the most healthy
of all the islands. The beauty of the surrounding
105
country, the pleasant river Pasig, which fertilises
the delightful meadows, through which it mean-
ders,- with a full proportion of other amenities,
render it one of the h'nest spots in the torrid zone.
The city is of no great extent, its circumference
being about two and one-eighth miles, its greatest
length from south-east to north-west is less than
three-fourths of a mile, and its extreme breadth
from north-east to south-west is a little more than
three-eighths of a mile, and contains somewhat less
than eleven thousand inhabitants. At the south-
east extremity is situated the citadel and fort of
Santiago. The fortifications are regular, and in a
tolerably good state ; the river Pasig bathes the
walls of the city on the north side, and communi-
cates with both ends of the fosse or moat, which
encloses it on the other sides. Manilla has six
gates ; that called Parian communicates with the
suburbs, at the junction of the river with the fosse
on the east side ; St. Lucia and Postiga are the
two corresponding gates on the south-west side,
and front the bay. Puerta Real is in the south-
east quarter, and opens on a fine extensive parade
ground, called the Campo de Bugumbayan ; Alma-
cenes and St. Domingo, the other two gates, open
towards the river, upon a sand flat, and overlook
the suburbs on its right bank. The sally-ports, or
gates of Parian, St. Lucia, Real, and Postiga, have
handsome arched bridges thrown over the fosse,
with piers and arches of hewn stone, which were
constructed in the years 1814, 1815, and 1816.
106
The communication between the city and the
north suburb, or Parian, is by means of an elegant
bridge over the Pasig, about four hundred and
twenty feet long, and twenty-two feet wide ; it
was first constructed in 1630, of wood- work, placed
on stone pillars; but was greatly improved and
strengthened in 1814, by stone piers; and the
superstructure, which is now entirely of that ma-
terial, rests upon ten elliptical arches, of various
diameters, lessening gradually from the two centre
ones, towards each side. This magnificent work
was built by order of the city council, under the
direction of Don Yldefonso de Arragon, colonel-
commandant of the " Royal Corps of Engineers."
The head of the bridge next the city is guarded by
a small fort, and corps de garde, from which point
commences the Ilmado, a pleasant and refreshing
walk, near the border of the fosse, and extends
quite round by the sea-shore to the confluence of
its western end with the river ; it is planted with
fine trees, arranged in an elegant and tasteful
manner.
From the Ilmado, a number of handsome raised
walks or causeways branch off in various directions,
and communicate with the neighbouring villages.
A fine road passes by the parade-ground of Bugum-
bayan, and extends near the sea-shore, quite to
the town of Cavite, on which the traveller is re-
galed with many fine views and beautiful land-
scapes.
The garrison of this place is said by the Spanish
107
inhabitants to be proportionate to the extent of the
fortifications, and sufficient for its defence, and
that of Cavite ; I am, however, far from coinciding
with this opinion. The troops, which are mostly
natives of the island, are generally well-clothed
and disciplined, and make a tolerable appearance.
All the necessary works for a garrisoned city are
within its walls ; extensive magazines were erected
in 1686, besides which are a hall of arms, or ar-
mory, a repository for powder, with bomb-proof
vaults, and commodious quarters and barracks for
the garrison. There is also a furnace and foundery
here, which, although their operations were sup-
pressed in 1805, is the most ancient in the Spanish
monarchy : this establishment was founded in 1584,
in the village of St. Anna, near Manilla ; to the
latter of which places it was transferred in 1590.
The first founder was a Pampango Indian, named
Pandapira. When the Spaniards first arrived at
Manilla in 1571, they found there a large foundery,
which was accidentally burnt, in consequence of
the combustibility of the building and effects,
which character applies to all the houses of that
period.
The buildings in the city, although not very
striking outside, have their interiors handsomely
finished, and they possess all those kinds of accom-
modation and convenience desirable in a warm
climate. The lower or basement stories are of
stone, and the superstructures of wood, on account
of earthquakes ; around these are either verandas,
J08
balconies, or abutting windows, with handsome
wrought-iron railings, which, being embellished with
various exotic and native plants, tastefully ar-
ranged, and exhaling a delicious odour, are the
favourite morning and evening lounges of the in-
habitants.
The city is divided into regular squares, and
great attention has been paid to the locations of
their churches, whose domes command, in every
direction, the most agreeable views and extensive
prospects. The great square is a regular qua-
drangle, measuring on each side two hundred and
eighty-four feet, and presents three noble edifices ;
the cathedral, the government-house, and the con-
sistorial palace.
The cathedral, or " Church of the Immaculate
Conception," situated on the south side of the
square, is a noble erection, and highly finished.
The government-house, or "Palace of the Governor-
general," occupies all the west side ; its style of
architecture is tolerable, and its extent great ; it
was enlarged and improved in 1690.
The Consistorial Palace stands on the east side
of the square, opposite the government-house : it
is spacious, and boasts a superior style of architec-
ture to the other edifices in the square. It was
begun in 1738, and was four years in building.
Next to these fabrics, the most worthy of notice
are, the church and convent of the Calzados*
* SandaJs.
109
Augustines, a magnificent temple, and the most
ancient in the city ; its arches and stalls are carved
in the most curious manner ; (this religious order
was the first which came to the island ;) the Fran-
ciscan church and convent, which is a handsome
building, and has within its precincts a well-pro-
portioned chapel for the Terceras, or third order
of St. Francis ; the Dominican and Augustine
churches and convents, and the church and royal
chapel of the Jesuits, which is handsome, strong,
and in a magnificent style of architecture ; its
erection and decorations cost one hundred and fifty
thousand dollars ; it was consecrated in 17#7 The
charitable order of the " Hospitallers of St. Juan
de Dios" had formerly an elegant church in this
city, which was thrown down and ruined by an
earthquake in 1728 ; they have at present a
chapel, to which is attached a spacious and airy
infirmary, or hospital.
There are, in different parts of the city, various
establishments, whose object is the education of
youth; among which we enumerate a patriotic
school for children founded and directed by the
citizens, under the protection and patronage of the
governor ; the "Royal and Pontifical University,"
where are taught the elements of civil and sacer-
dotal jurisprudence ; the " Royal College of St.
Joseph" is contiguous to the convent of the Jesuits,
which was erected previous to their expulsion.
There is also the " Royal College of St. John of
Lateran," for the education of male orphan children.
110
Other establishments, for the education of female
orphans, are also in the city ; the most ancient of
which is the " College of St. Potenciana," for the
orphans of Spanish soldiers ; and the " College of
St. Isabel," where girls are prepared for the monas-
teries. They are, however, not obliged to embrace
the monastic life when they leave the college, a
fund being provided for fitting them out in mar-
riage if they prefer it. The convent of St. Clara,
or Franciscan nuns, is celebrated for the austerity
and rigid observances of its members ; and we may
add the Beaterio, or religious house of St. Catha-
rine, of the same character as the former. There
are, besides these, several schools for the education
of the Indians and Mistezas, or Half-casts ; and
seminaries for the purpose of instructing youth as
missionaries to the neighbouring islands and king-
doms.
The constituted authorities for the government
of the islands reside in the capital, and consist of a
" Captain-general, and Governor of all the Philip-
pines," in whose person are united the functions of
viceroy, president of the royal audience, and of the
court of chancery, superintendant-general of re-
venue, director-general of the troops, and naval
commander- in- chief. Much greater authority is
delegated to him than to other viceroys or gover-
nors who represent the Spanish sovereign, in con-
sequence of the distance of his government from
the mother- country. He has power to receive,
treat with, and make presents to the ambassadors
Ill
of the neighbouring kingdoms, and to despatch
others to them ; and to make peace and declare
war in the name of the king, without waiting orders
from Spain. There is also a vice-governor, who at
the same time is Teniente de Rey, or king's lieu-
tenant, and u Sub-inspector-general" of all the ve-
teran troops and militia on the island. In the city
is also a "Sergeant-major," two adjutants, and a
" Captain of the Keys ;" and in the citadel of San-
tiago is a " Governor of the Castle," with his adju-
tant ; the former of whom also enjoys the privilege
of " Regidor" (or mayor) of Manilla. In this mili-
tary post there are also the quarters of the brigade
of Forzados, or galley-slaves, a set of desperadoes,
who, for various malefactions, principally murder,
are doomed, for certain periods, to the most igno-
minious slavery, being chained together in pairs,
and constantly kept at hard labour on highways,
bridges, walls, fortifications, and other public works:
they are perpetually under the surveillance of a
certain military corps, raised for that purpose, and
of tried fidelity. Among these unhappy wretches,
was pointed out to me a lad of sixteen years old,
who had murdered his two infant sisters, to obtain
a few trifling ornaments, of small value, with which
the natives are in the habit of decorating their
children.
A detachment of artillerists, and some other
troops, are quartered in the citadel. The royal
audience and chancery extend their jurisdiction and
authority to all the Philippine islands.
CHAP. VIII.
Island ofLuponia, and City of Manilla. Description continued-
Geography. Topography. Geology. Religion. Man-
ners and Customs. Discovery and Settlement of the Philippine
Islands. Galleons.
THE city of Manilla was founded on the 24th June,
1571. Within its immediate jurisdiction, and con-
tiguous to it, are fourteen pleasant villages, or
hamlets, (some of which are compounds of two
sections,) whose names are Binondo, Tondo, St.
Cruz, Quiapo and St. Sebastian, St. Miguel, Sam-
paloc, St. Anton and St. Francisco del Monte,
Pandocan, St. Fernando de dilao, St. Anna, Man-
daloya and St. Juan del Monte, St. Pedro Macati,
Hermita and Malate, and Passay. Binondo, the
first of these, though classed as a village, is larger
than Manilla within the walls, and is the mart and
commercial port of Lu9onia ; it is on the right bank
of the Pasig, opposite the city, and extends more
than a mile in length. The custom-house, maga-
zines, warehouses, and counting-rooms of the
merchants are in this place; and here many re-
spectable white inhabitants and opulent merchants
of all nations reside, and with the Chinese, Tagalis,
and Mistezas, compose the population ; which,
including the villages of Tondo and St. Cruz adjoin-
ing and considered as one town, called collectively
Parian, amounts to about fourteen thousand.
113
Many of the houses in this suburb may vie with
the best within the walls, in respect to external ap-
pearance, convenience, and internal elegance. In
point of situation, as regards health and conveni-
ence, Binondo possesses important advantages.
The high walls of the city, and the compact man-
ner in which it is built, prevent a free circulation
of air ; and to commercial people, the confinement
of a garrisoned city, where the gates being shut
at an early hour prevent all passing for a great
proportion of the time, and render them virtually
prisoners during that period, would be very un-
pleasant and detrimental. In short, Manilla, with-
in the walls, is rather a gloomy, cheerless place,
inhabited principally by haughty and austere patri-
cians, who maintain every appearance of state and
ceremony, amidst the solemn grandeur of papal
power and monastic observances. Parian, on the
contrary, is a lively, pleasant, airy place, and pos-
sesses no small degree of commercial activity, with
a good society.
The Pasig, at its mouth, is confined within two
handsome jetties, or causeways, of hewn stone,
which project nearly half a mile into the sea. On
the northern jetty-head is a light-house, and on the
other a small battery. A bar, or bank, is formed
on the outside of the entrance of the river, on
which the water is so shoal, that boats are fre-
quently impeded in their progress in and out, which
renders it very dangerous in a fresh gale from the
westward ; the waves, being impelled against the
i
rapid current of the river, impinge violently to-
gether on this bar, and cause the loss of many lives
by the upsetting of boats. The water is sufficiently
deep for ships of three hundred tons, inside the bar,
and quite up to the bridge ; but European built
vessels of that burden seldom attempt to enter
the river, on account of the difficulty of crossing
the bar ; inside of which, however, the river is
always navigable for boats, quite to its source,
which greatly facilitates internal trade.
In the north-east monsoon, from October to
April, which is the fine-weather season, ships lie at
anchor a short distance outside the bar, but in the
VendavaleSy or rainy monsoon, when the south-west
winds prevail, they take shelter at Cavite.
At the distance of about six leagues from Manilla
is a beautiful navigable lake, called the Laguna de
Bria, and is the source of the Pasig. It is nearly
thirty miles in length, extending across the island
to within about twenty miles of the eastern coast ;
its average breadth is about fifteen miles. In it are
several fine islands, which, with the borders of the
lake and the banks of the river, abound in the
most beautiful tropical scenery. On its south
side, near a village of the same name, are several
hot springs, called los Banos, which are said to be
medicinal.
The religion of the natives of this and the other
islands, who are under the immediate influence of
the Spaniards, is Christianity; this is, however,
but a small proportion of the population of the
115
whole group, which is said to amount to three
millions, of which Lu$onia contains nearly one
third; and it has been calculated that in this
island and Mindanao, where the principal part of
the Christians reside, there are one hundred thou-
sand, or about one-thirtieth part of the whole
population, of which Manilla and Parian contain
about thirteen thousand. The greater part of the
residue are Mahomedans, and Igorotes, or Pagans.
The natives of these islands are generally well
made, and bear strong marks of activity and mus-
cular vigour ; they are in general somewhat larger
than the Javanese, and bear some affinity in the
features of their faces to the Malays ; their noses
are, however, more prominent, and their cheek-
bones not so high, nor are their skins so dark.
Their hair is of a jet black, made glossy by the
constant application of cocoa-nut oil, as is the cus-
tom in all India, and drawn together and knotted
on top, in the manner of the Malays. The women
display great taste in the arrangement and decor-
ations of their hair, which they secure with silver or
gold bodkins, the heads of which are frequently
composed of precious stones.
In the mountains of the province of Bulacari, it
is said there is a race of diminutive men, called Itas
or Etas, the tallest of which seldom exceed the
height of five feet ; they are represented as being
very ugly, and it is believed that they are totally
without any religious ideas. I was told that they
were occasionally seen in the bazars of the in-
i 2
116
terior villages, purchasing cloths, trinkets, &c. for
which they pay in lumps of gold ore, which they
sometimes find in the mountains, where they live
in a savage state, and have but little intercourse
with their neighbours.
In the province of Camarines, at the south part
of the island, is situate the volcano of Albay, which
occasionally emits streams of lava, with cinders,
ashes, &c. ; and the convulsions occasioned by these
eruptions are frequently felt, not only in all parts
of Lu^onia, but in the neighbouring islands.
It is said that there are gold mines in this pro-
vince ; and in several parts of it are hot springs,
which possess a petrifying quality.
Many of the rivers, especially those on the east-
ern side of the island, are infested with large alli-
gators, very insidious and voracious ; and the river
Ilongotes, in the province of Pampanga, is remark-
able for the enormous size and extraordinary fero-
city of these animals, with which it abounds.
Some mines of tumbago, or pinchbeck, have been
discovered and worked in the middle provinces ;
and it is said that a silver mine in the Manilla dis-
trict has been privately worked and exhausted.
The geological character of all the islands is
said to be very interesting.
A very considerable proportion of the popu-
lation of Manilla, is composed of the Mistezas ; they
are the offspring of the intermarriages of the Spa-
niards with the native women, and these again
forming connections with the whites, or with the
117
native Indians, (the latter, however, less frequent,)
combine in stamping upon their descendants a
great variety of features and shades of colour : a
general resemblance is, however, to be traced, and,
waiving colour and manners, a Misteza could not
easily be mistaken for an Indian. This class of the
inhabitants is held in nearly the same estimation as
the whites. They are very cleanly in their per-
sons, and neat in their dress, which, among the
males, consists generally of a pair of cotton trow-
sers of various colours, as fancy dictates, and shoes
in the European manner, a frock or tunic, of
striped grass manufacture, worn outside the trow-
sers, in the manner of the Asiatic Armenians, (but
without the sash or girdle,) the collars of which
are tastefully embroidered, and thrown back on
their shoulders ; an European hat completes their
costume, which is light, cool, and airy, and after a
stranger has been a short time accustomed to see,
what he at first would call a p erversion of dress,
his prejudices subside, and he has no hesitation in
pronouncing it very proper and graceful. They
are remarkably fine-limbed, and well-built, the fe-
males especially, who are really models of the most
complete symmetry : their hair and eyes, which,
unlike their skins, seldom vary from the original
jet black of their native parents, bestow upon them
the primary characteristics of the brunette. This
people, unlike the generality of mixed colours in
the human race, have been improved by their in-
termixture ; they are more industrious and cleanly
i 3
118
than the Spaniards, possess more intelligence and
polish than the Indians, and are less malicious and
revengeful than either. The men are employed
mostly as writers, brokers, agents, and overseers ;
many of them hold lucrative offices under govern-
ment, and they not unfrequently arrive at wealth
and consideration. The women are also industri-
ous, and capable of great intellectual improve-
ment : they have a natural grace and ease in their
manner, and make excellent wives and mothers.
This character must not, however, be taken in an
unlimited sense, for we cannot expect this rule to
be without its exceptions, and it is true that some
of these females do degenerate, and copy after the
manners of the Creoles, or white natives ; but this
is only the case when, by their intercourse with
the whites, their Indian blood is merged and lost
in the European. That part of the population
in which is blended the blood of the Chinese and
Tagalis, is named the Chinese Mistezas.
The natives are not unapt in acquiring know-
ledge, neither do they want industry, when ef-
forts are made and inducements displayed to
call their powers into action. They are excellent
mechanics and artisans, and, as horticulturists,
their superiority over many of the Asiatics is
acknowledged. They are polite and affable to
strangers, but irascible, and when excited are
very sanguinary; their natural .bias to this re-
vengeful and cruel character is strengthened and
rendered more intense by the mistaken doctrines
119
of the Roman Catholic religion, as dictated to
them by the designing and interested priests who
reside among them. The culprit always finds a
sanctuary in the nearest church, till by the pay-
ment of some pecuniary mulct he satisfies the
demands of the priests, obtains absolution, appeases
the resentment of the relations of the deceased, and
eludes the arm of justice ; he grows hardened by
impunity, repeats his offences, and again escapes
as before.
Much has been said of the cruelty of the Spa-
niards to these people, but I never saw any thing
of the kind ; on the contrary, in no part of Asia
have I seen the natives and slaves treated with
more humanity by the Europeans than here ; but I
was told that this kind treatment, and even familiar
intercourse with their slaves, was the result of fear,
and not of any good feelings towards them, and
no doubt this is in a great measure the case.
Great numbers of Chinese reside in Manilla ;
and it is to their proverbial industry that Lu9onia
owes a considerable part of her revenue. They
cultivate the sugar-cane and indigo-plant, and
manufacture them : they farm some important
branches of revenue, which increase under their
management. A large proportion of the exports
of the islands finds its way to the China market
through their means, and the imports from that
country are proportionably great ; the streets are
lined with their warehouses and shops, and filled
with merchandise of various descriptions. Their
i 4-
120
simple mode of living, regulated by the most severe
economy, insures them ultimate wealth, as their
profits are great and certain.
The name of the natives of the islands collect-
ively, is Tagali : but the Spaniards divide them
into three classes ; the first of which are those who
are within their immediate jurisdiction, and have
been converted to Christianity, these they distinct-
ively call Indians. The Mahomedans are next,
and inhabit a principal part of Mindanao and some
of the other islands, and are called Mooros, or
Moors. The last, and by far the greatest part of
them, are the Igorotes, Pagans, or Negritas, many
of which are very swarthy, and some as black as the
negroes of Guinea, and with woolly hair, especially
in the Isla de Negros : they are supposed by some
to be the aborigines of the islands.
The religion, or rather superstition, of the Ta-
galis, is of the most wild and fantastic character :
they worship and pay divine honours to the sun,
moon, and rainbow : they are in great awe of the
alligator, and build houses on the banks of the
rivers for his accommodation, and they frequently
sacrifice fowls and quadrupeds to propitiate him.
They have priests and priestesses, who officiate at
the solemnisations of their superstitious rites,
which are performed in caves and dens, where their
idols are placed, with incense burning before them.
They represent various spirits or genii ; as the god
of the mountains, the god of the plains, the god of
the sea, &c., to all of which they pray, and offer
sacrifices, previous to their entering upon their re-
spective territories. Besides these, they have their
Dii penates, or household gods, who preside over
the affairs of the family. They venerate the manes
and tombs of their ancestors, and deify those of
them who die of old age. They worship inanimate
objects; such as trees, rocks, and mountains* ; and
their cosmogony, like that of the Hindoos, is of
a most incongruous character. Their weapons
are bows and arrows, in the use of which they are
very expert.
Their colloquial language, like that of the na-
tives of Java, Borneo, Sumatra, and many other
islands in these seas, is a dialect of the peninsular
Malay, from whence it is thought they originated ;
and so striking is its similarity among all these
islands, that the natives of each can, in a greater or
less degree, understand that of all the others. The
characters of their written language differ widely,
and great varieties of arrangement exist among
them. The Tagalis write from top to bottom on
palm leaves and strips of bamboo ; and many of the
Moors or Mahomedans use the Arabic characters,
To the southward of Lu9onia are scattered the
other islands of the Philippine group, and are very
numerous ; their number being stated by some at
twelve hundred ; five or six hundred of which are
of importance. The largest and most populous
are, Mindora, Calamianes, Masbate, Palawan,
Samar, Panay, Leyte, Negros, Zebu, Bohol, and
* Marsden.
Magindanao, or Mindanao ; the latter of which is
next to Livonia in point of size and importance :
its south point is in latitude 5 39' north, a few
leagues to the southward of which lie two small
islands called Serangani, the southernmost of which
lies in north latitude 5 20', and terminates the
islands to the south. From this island to Caba-
cunga point, the northern limit of the island of
Lu9onia, in 18 40' north, the difference of latitude
is 13 20', or eight hundred geographical miles ;
and the extreme length of the archipelago is more
than two hundred and seventy leagues.
The Spaniards have a settlement on the south-
west point of Mindanao, called Samboangan, or
Samboanga, under the protection of a strong and
well-appointed fort. They are also in possession
of part of the south coast of the island which is of
a triangular form, and cut up in various directions
by deep bays, the largest and deepest of which
is on the south side, and penetrates nearly to
the centre of the island. On the eastern side
of this bay, or gulf, is another broad and capa-
cious indentation, called Bonga bay, into which
fall several rivers, the principal of which is that of
Pelangay ; and on this is situated the ancient and
fortified town of Magindanao, the residence of the
sultaun, who is the nominal sovereign of those parts
of the island which have not been subjugated by
the Spaniards. The governments of those remote
from the sultaun' s residence are under various su-
bordinate chiefs, called Illano Sultauns, who are in-
123
dependent of each other, and hold their respective
territories by the tenure of contributing certain
portions of their produce to the use of the sultaun,
which consist of rice, cinnamon, gold dust, wax,
some pepper, sago, and rattans ; the amount and
payment of this tribute are, however, uncertain.
On the sea-coasts are procured tortoise-shell,
birds' nests, and some pearls. Rough diamonds
and amethysts are sometimes brought to Manilla
from this island.
Mindanao is the Botany Bay of the Philippines,
to which convicts are banished.
Many of the inhabitants of this and the neigh-
bouring islands live by rapine and piracy. They
frequently make descents on the coasts of their
weaker neighbours, and carry off the inhabitants
as slaves.
These islands were discovered in the year 1521,
by Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese by birth,
but then in the service of Spain. Magellan had
been neglected by his own sovereign, whom he
had faithfully served for many years ; and, quitting
his native land in disgust, he repaired to Spain,
and offered his services to that country. The
Emperor Charles the Fifth, who was then upon the
Spanish throne, readily entered into the views of
Magellan, which were to discover a passage to the
Spice islands by steering westward, and to endea-
vour to dislodge the Portuguese from those rich
possessions, under the pretence that they were in-
cluded in a papal grant to that monarch.
124
On the tenth of August, 1519, he sailed from
Seville with a squadron of five ships, specially fitted
and equipped for the purpose.
After crossing the equator, he steered to the
southward along the coast of South America, and
discovered the straits between California and the
island of Terra del Fuego, which bear his name,
through which he passed into the South Sea ; he
then stood to the northward, recrossed the equator,
and steered a course westward, till he fell in with
the Ladrone islands, where he touched at the one
called Guam : after his departure from whence, he
still pursued a western course, and on St. Lazarus's
day, 1521, he discovered the Philippine islands,
which he named the Archipelago of St. Lazarus.
He was here unfortunately killed in a fray with
the natives, on the 27th of April, 1521, after having
taken possession of the islands, in the name of his
master, the king of Spain.
The first attempt, however, which the Spaniards
made to settle these islands was not until 1564,
when they received the name of Philippines, in
honour of Philip the Second, then on the throne
of Spain. They built a fort and town on the island
of Zebu, and in 1571, as has been mentioned, they
founded the city of Manilla.
The squadron in which Magellan had arrived at
the Philippines subsequently visited the Molucca
islands, where the Spaniards planted a colony, and
returned to Spain by the Cape of Good Hope in
the only remaining ship of the squadron. This
125
was the first time that ever the globe had been
circumnavigated.
From the circumstance of the Spaniards arriving
in these seas by Cape Horn, and the general route
being by the Cape of Good Hope, a consequent
difference in time of one day is produced in the
different reckoning ; the Spaniards losing, and
those who steer eastward gaining, each in the pro-
portion of half a day in completing the semi-cir-
cumference of the globe. Consequently, the time
at Manilla, being regulated by their own reckon-
ings, is one day later than that of those who arrive
there by steering eastward from America or Eu-
rope ; as for instance, when by the accounts of the
latter it is Sunday, by theirs it is only Saturday.
In the year 1762, the city of Manilla was taken
by the English, where, and at Cavite, immense
quantities of naval and military stores, brass and
iron ordnance, and several fine ships, fell into their
hands. It was, however, soon delivered up to the
Spaniards, on a promise of the payment to the Eng-
lish of four millions of dollars as a ransom ; which,
however, never has been paid. This breach of
faith and promise has been loudly complained of
by the latter, and as pertinaciously excused by the
Spaniards, who complain that the British plun-
dered the city, and committed many other ex-
cesses, contrary to the express conditions of their
engagements, by which they were virtually ren-
dered nugatory.
The inhabitants of Manilla have long enjoyed the
126
privilege of sending two annual ships to Acapulco,
called Galleons Navios, or Register-ships, with the
produce of the Philippines, of China, and other
parts of Asia ; in return for which, they receive
various articles of the productions of South Ame-
rica; the principal of which is cochineal, mer-
chandise of different descriptions of European ori-
gin, and silver in Spanish dollars and ingots, which
compose the principal part of the value of their
return-cargoes, amounting annually to about three
million five hundred thousand Spanish dollars. A
large proportion of this property belongs to the
convents in Manilla, whose great revenues not
only enable them to engage in extensive mercan-
tile operations, but to lend considerable sums to
the merchants on bottomry. For the indulgence
in this trade, the proprietors pay a large amount
of money to the crown.
These ships were of the burden of from twelve
to fifteen hundred tons, and were numerously man-
ned, and well-appointed, for defence ; burof late
years, since the revolt of the Spanish colonies, which
has rendered the navigation of the intermediate
seas dangerous to these enterprises, the trade has
been greatly interrupted, and instead of risking it
in large bodies, private ships of smaller burden
have been hired for the purpose of dividing the risk ;
some of these have been put under foreign colours,
though formerly the galleons wore, by restriction,
the royal flag, their officers were commissioned and
uniformed like the officers of the navy, and the
127
ships were under the same regulations and discipline.
The object, however, of the trade in smaller ships
has not been obtained ; for so great are the fears of
the owners and agents of their being captured, and
so many restrictions laid upon the commanders,
that they lie in port the principal part of the time ;
so that in September, 1819, the ships of the pre-
ceding year had not arrived at Manilla ; neither
had any been despatched from the latter place for
Acapulco, during that time, These interruptions,
and, in fact, the virtual suspension of this commerce,
will undoubtedly, if a liberal and enlightened policy
is pursued, result greatly to the advantage of these
islands and the mother-country. Already since
the establishment of the Cortes, permitting foreign-
ers to settle permanently at Manilla*, great im-
provements have been made in the productions of
the island, and important additions to the revenue.
The failure of the annual remittance of dollars
from South America to defray the expenses of the
colonial government, of which their revenues from
the islands were not adequate to meet one half,
has been severely felt, and has stimulated them to
make some very unusual exertions. Foreign com-
merce has been more countenanced in consequence
of this state of things, and greater encouragement
has been given to the growers and manufacturers
of their staple exports ; and if the affairs of these
* Europeans and Americans, previous to this, were permitted
to reside in these islands only one monsoon, or six months, at a
time ; which put them to the inconvenience of visiting Macao,
or some other place in China, or India, semi-annually.
128
islands should in future be properly conducted,
the revenue arising from the impost on the single
article of coffee will in a few years be amply suffi-
cient to support the government, and leave a net
income of the revenue arising from the imposts on
all other articles, besides what would acrue from
taxes and numerous other resources.* A free
commerce with other nations would create a com-
petition, and a consequent reduction in the price
of imports, and their articles of export would
increase, in proportion to the demand for them.
In short, nothing is wanting in this beautiful
island, but ability to direct, and energy to execute
the most extensive plans of agriculture and com-
merce, which the bounties of the soil, and its ex-
cellent climate and situation, would most certainly
render completely successful; and instead of being,
as at present it is, a burden to Spain, it would be-
come a source of great wealth to her.
* In the year 1819 only, it was stated that 3,000,000 coffee
trees were planted in Luconia by order of government. The
number is, however, I suspect, exaggerated.
CHAP. IX.
Philippine Company.-* Charters* Revenue of the Islands. -~
Imports and Exports. Population. Productions. Locusts.
Earthquakes. Health. Ilmado. An Execution.
IN the year 1733, a charter was granted to a body
of merchants, who assumed the name of " The
Royal Company of the Philippine Islands," with
the exclusive privilege of trading to Africa, and
countries eastward of the Cape of Good Hope ;
they were not, however, to interfere with the trade
between Acapulco and Manilla. We do not find
that this Company ever prosecuted the objects set
forth in their charter; and the trade of Spain with
the east still ran in its former channel. Again, in
1785, an attempt was made to extend the com-
merce of Spain with the East, by conferring ex-
elusive privileges on certain persons, who were to
be incorporated with the members of the " Royal
Carraccas Company" (whose charter had just ex-
pired), and form one body under the name of the
"Royal Company of the Philippines." This project
met but little better success than the former. Some
partial successes and escapes of their ships in time
of war, however, enabled them to fulfil their various
obligations to those from whom they had borrowed
money, and occasionally to make some dividends
of profits to the proprietors.
In 1803, the Company's charter was renewed
K
130
for a term, to end on the first of July, 1825, but
as they have never prosecuted this trade with any
degree of spirit, and various subsequent events
have materially altered the arrangements of the
commercial world, ships from the United States
and Europe are permitted to import articles, the
growth and manufacture of their respective coun-
tries, and of Asia ; excepting spirits distilled from
the sugar-cane, opium, tobacco, and gunpowder, the
sale of which articles is strictly forbidden in the
Philippines; the two latter especially, under severe
penalties, being royal monopolies.
In Lu9onia accounts are kept in Spanish dollars,
called pesos, or pieces of eight rials, and granos. *
The amount of imports of merchandise, the pro-
duce of Europe, China, and Asia, in the year 1817s
r. g.
was, Spanish dollars, 1,886,638 2 5
Of specie in dollars, doubloons,
and ingots, - 1,271,144 6 1
Spanish dollars, 3,157,783 6
* Twelve grains make one rial, and 8 rials 1 peso. The Chi-
nese tael is equal in weight to 10 rials. Their weights are the
pico, or picul, of 142 pounds English ; the quintal, the aroba,and
cate, or catty, of 12 ounces, avoirdupois ; 100 catties make 1
picul 8 drams make 1 ounce 16 ounces, or 2 marks, 1 pound
25 pounds 1 aroba and 4> arobas 1 quintal, or 100 pounds
Spanish, or 104 pounds English. Twelve lines are 1 pulgada,
or inch 12 pulgadas one foot, or 111-8 inches English. The
vara, or Spanish yard or ell of three feet, is 33 1-2 inches Eng-
lish 4 palmas make 1 vara. The cavan is a dry measure of
about 21-4 bushels 8 choupas make 1 ganta, and 25 gantas
1 cavan.
131
Total amount of imports, - 3,157,7830 6
Amount of exports,
of the produce and
manufactures of
the country, - 579,273 4 2
Produce and manu-
factures of China, 663,489 9
Specie, in dollars,
doubloons, and
bullion, - - 193,681
Total amount of exports, - 1,436,4434 11
Spanish dollars, 1,721,339 3 7
Balance in favour of imports, one million, seven
hundred and twenty-one thousand, three [hundred
and thirty-nine dollars, three rials, and seven granos.
The principal articles of import into Manilla,
from America and Europe, are Spanish dollars,
doubloons, sheathing copper and nails, iron, lead,
tar, anchors, cordage, canvass, quicksilver, brandy,
gin, wines, cotton, linen and woollen cloths, cut-
lery, beef, pork, hams, cheese, dried and pickled
fish, paints and oils, fire and side arms, toys, c.
From South America they obtain silver in dollars
and ingots, cochineal, copper in slabs, Spanish
wines, and various European commodities.
From China and Macao they import China ware,
raw and wrought silks, nankins, teas, toys, and
other articles.
They also receive from Bengal, Madras, and
K 2
other parts of India, piece-goods, opium, silk, &c.
At Samboangan, on the island of Mindanao, the
Spaniards procure in trade with the island of Bor-
neo, and the Sooloo archipelago, various articles
of their productions, most of which find their way
to Manilla. They consist of pearls of the finest
water, tortoise shell, camphor, gold, birds' nests,
pepper, spices, odoriferous woods, and various
other articles ; and, though rarely, specimens of
fine and beautiful wrought cotton cloths, from the
island of Celebes, may be purchased ; from whence
they are brought to Sooloo, by the Bugesses, who
are natives of the former.
The staple exports of Manilla are sugar, indigo,
coffee, and cotton : of the former, the mean annual
export of three years, ending in 1817, was seventy-
five thousand piculs ; and of indigo, one thousand
and sixty quintals were exported in 1817, and it
was calculated, in 1818, that a favourable season
would scarcely supply the merchants with the
amount of the expected demand, (two hundred
and fifty thousand piculs,) and leave enough for
the consumption of the island. The exportation
of indigo has also greatly increased since that
epoch. The production of coffee is yet in infancy,
but is rapidly increasing. The cotton is of a fine
silky texture, and very white, but of short staple.
Some camphor and raw silk are also exported
to the United States and Europe.
Of the articles produced in the islands, and the
produce of other places, which are re-exported
133
from them, those which are alike suitable for the
American, European, and China markets, are
bullock hides, buffalo hides, ambergris, straw
mats, ebony wood, dye woods, pepper, rice, tallow,
tortoise shells, amber, rattans, wax, sinamaya or
fine grass cloth, oil, sago, cabinet wood, lard,
cocoa, wax candles and tapers, straw hats, alum,
tutenague, mother of pearl, avaca hemp*, rattan
hats, avaca ropes, pearls, gold, precious stones,
deer skins, &c. Of articles which are exported to
China and Asia, the following are the principal :
viz. sharks' fins, dried oysters, dried shrimps, dried
beefj deer sinew, sea-weed, biches de mer, birds'
nests, indigo seeds, glue, calavances, cowrices,
rum, Malabar handkerchiefs, areka nuts, biscuit,
cocoa-nut oil, ground nuts, dammer (or pitch),
black rope, timber, soap, ploughs, leather shoes,
wheat, arid tobacco. Ships for South America,
besides the produce of the Philippines, take China
ware* raw and wrought silk, spices, China toys,
&c. and Bengal and Madras piece-goods.
The article of sugar, in 1819, was much re-
duced in quantity and quality by the ravages of
the locusts, which covered the face of the country.
It is brought from the plantations in pelons, which
are large earthen vessels, three of them contain
two piculs. It is then in its raw state, in which
the contractors purchase it from the country
* The bark of a species of palm tree, from which cordage of
a superior quality is made.
K 3
134
people, and clay it in the suburbs of the city, in
large buildings called Camarines, erected for that
purpose : they produce three qualities, first, se-
cond, and third. It is for the advantage of a
supercargo, who selects for the American or Eu-
ropean markets, to purchase all of the first quality,
even at a considerably higher rate, on account of
its superior character in those countries, as well as
saving of freight. The season for this article is in
March, April, May, and June.
Great care and circumspection are necessary in
the selection of indigo, purchased of the natives ;
as they are in the habit of mixing foreign sub-
stances with it, such as stones, mud, &c. ; and se-
veral instances have occurred, wherein the pur-
chaser has been most egregiously duped by these
practices. It is also necessary to watch them
narrowly, to prevent them from stealing, which
they have frequently done after the article had
been selected and weighed, and again sold it to
the deluded owners. Another mode of deception
is practised by them ; they will keep the indigo
for some time previous to delivery in a damp
vault or cellar, to increase its weight by the ab-
sorption of moisture, to which its porosity renders
it very pervious. The best indigo is produced
in the Laguna, or Lake district ; and the proper
season for it, from all the provinces, is from Oc-
tober to December inclusive : some, however, is
received in February and March.
135
Duties on imports of goods at Manilla are 10
65-100 per cent, ad valorem; but the custom-
house valuation is so much less than the actual
sales, that the amount is small. The import du-
ties on specie are : on dollars 2 1-2 per cent., and
on doubloons, or onzas de oro, 1 1-2 per cent.
The latter is a good article here, being always
current at sixteen dollars : care is however neces-
sary in selecting them for this market : their good-
ness is tested by ringing, and a discount is made
on those which are defective in this respect. None
but Spanish coins pass in the island of Lu9onia.
Export duties are 21-2 per cent, on valuation,
excepting the following articles, on which they are
specific : viz. sugar, 12 cents per picul ; indigo,
one dollar 25 cents per quintal ; dollars, 51-2 per
cent., and doubloons, 11-2 per cent. Expenses
on shipping goods' are moderate, especially in the
fine season, when vessels lie at the bar.
The net revenue, accruing to government for
the year 1817, was as follows :
Amount of poll tax on the native in-
habitants of the provinces of Yloco
and Pangisinan, at 12 reals each;
on those of all the other provinces,
at 10 reals each ; and on the Chi- r. g.
nese Mistezas, at 20 reals each, ^550,493 6 7
Paid into the coxa de communidad,
or society box, - - 50,266 5
Amount carried forward - 600,760 3 7
136
Amount brought over - 600,760 3 7
Of tax for the maintenance of the
convicts at Samboangan, - 14,937 6 1
Of equivalent for tithes on the
whites, - - - 9,561 1 11
Of land tax on planters, 9,0261 4
Of license to sell paddee*, 4,6906 3
Of impost on goods, paid into the
custom-house, 153,288 4 5
Arising from the tobacco monopoly, 400,870 6 1
of cocoa-nut wine excise, 153,641 6 11
areka nut, do. 18,500
tax on cock-fighting, - 25,169 1 9
tax on' playing cards, - 10,102 7 11
gunpowder excise, 2,988 7 8
cannon-ball do. 10,521 5 8
stamped paper tax, 6,271 3
excise on rum, 483 6 4
capitation tax on the Chinese, 28,944 1 6
Total - 1,449,759 3 8
One million, four hundred and forty-nine thousand,
seven hundred and fifty-nine dollars, three rials,
and seven granos. t
In regard to that proportion of the imports of
specie from South America, which for several years
last past has belonged to the government, it is
difficult for a stranger to satisfy himself; as, in
the annual official reports, the amount of what is
* Rice in the husk.
f From the official statement of the government.
13?
imported on government account, and that which
is the property of individuals, are blended to-
gether, and announced in one general sum: but
it was calculated that in the year 1817, f r which
our data are the most complete, the sum imported
on account of government was about seven hun-
dred thousand dollars, which, with the net revenue,
as before stated, amounted to nearly two millions,
one hundred and fifty thousand Spanish dollars ;
and this was said to be very insufficient for the
support of the government for that year. The
increased interruptions of the trade to Acapulco
subsequent to that period, as before stated, have
reduced the importation of treasure to a very tri-
fling and precarious amount.
It is to be hoped that the narrow and illiberal
policy which has heretofore retarded the prosperity
of these tine islands, will necessarily be superseded
by more expanded views, and enable them to main-
tain the rank and importance to which their in-
trinsic worth entitles them. The spirit of inde-
pendence which has recently diffused its influence
through the Spanish colonies on the American
continent has also darted its rays across the Pacific,
and beamed with enlivening lustre upon those
remote regions ; and the sacred flame of liberty
which has been enkindled in the bosom of that
country, though for a period concealed from the
view of regal parasites and dependants, burns clear
and intense ; and the time is perhaps not very
remote, when it shall burst forth, and shed its
138
joyous light upon the remotest and most inconsi-
derable islet of this archipelago.
Perhaps no part of the world offers a more
eligible site for an independent republic, than
these islands : their insular posture, and distance
from any rival power, combined with the intrinsic
strength of a free representative government, would
guarantee their safety and glory ; their interme-
diate situation, between Asia and the American
continent, their proximity to China, Japan, Borneo,
the Molucca and Sunda islands, the Malay penin-
sula, Cochin China, Tonquin, Siam, and the Eu-
ropean possessions in the East, would insure them
an unbounded commerce, consequently great wealth
and power ; arid their happiness would be secured
by religious toleration and liberal views of civil
liberty in the government. It must be confessed,
however, that the national character of the Spa-
niards is not suitable to produce and enjoy in
perfection this most desirable state of affairs : it is
to be feared that their bigotry would preclude
religious toleration ; their indolence continue the
present system of slavery, so degrading in a parti-
cular manner to a republic ; their want of energy
paralyse the operations of commerce ; and their
jealousy fetter the efforts of enterprising foreigners
among them. No change, however, can be for the
worse ; and if all the advantages cannot be reaped
by them, which the citizens of our republic would
secure, it will be better for them to seize and enjoy
such as their genius and talents will entitle them
139
to. The Spaniards, however, are not alone in this
inaptitude to perceive and pursue the proper mea-
sures to realise a pure republican form of govern-
ment; history furnishes many instances of this
fact ; and a recent and striking one has been exem-
plified in France. Whether these failures are to
be attributed to moral or physical causes, or both
conjoined, it is not my province here to decide.
Visionary system-mongers may obtrude their Uto-
pian reveries upon the world ; but America pre-
sents a practical example of a free government,
framed and put into operation by the inclusive
wisdom and power of the nation, whose prosperity,
happiness, and glory, it is so eminently calculated
to promote. She, like an insulated, adamantine
mountain, whose base is lashed by the impotent
waves of the ocean, stands firm, fixed, and erect ;
aloof from the conflicts of European nations ; and,
with scarcely an effort, repelling the puny attacks
of her enemies ; a living monument of the peculiar
favour of the beneficent Creator, who called her
into political existence, and who, we trust, deigns
to direct her councils*
The culture of the coffee-tree requires great
care, and no little labour in the East, especially
near the equator, where the sun's rays are poured
down with intense rigour ; as this plant thrives
best when partly shaded, the cultivators are con-
sequently necessitated to plant other trees near
them, to protect them ; and this custom is general
in these islands, as well as in Java, Mauritius, and
other coffee countries in the eastern hemisphere.
140
In Lu^onia and Java, a species of the palm per-
forms the office of an umbrella, and in Mauritius
they have a tree of very hard wood, called bois de
Jer, or iron wood, which they appropriate to that
use. The Lu$onians have not yet arrived at the
art of clearing the coffee kernel from the husk, or
cod, which incloses it, but by a very tedious process.
The locusts are a great scourge to these islands ;
their ravages, however, have been in some degree
checked of late years by the exertions of govern-
ment, which pays a bounty for the destruction of
them. The only efficient way of preventing their
descent upon the plantations is by means of smoke ;
for this purpose the natives, during the visitations
of these insects, keep fires constantly burning in
different parts of their grounds, and their depre-
dations are mostly confined to those places where
this expedient has been neglected. Their voracity
is incredible, and their taste desultory ; but the
young and succulent sugar cane is esteemed by
them a great luxury.
An instance of the summary devastation occa-
sioned by these invaders occurred while I was in
Manilla, in 1819- A Frenchman, who, from va-
rious misfortunes in trade, had lost a large pro-
perty, retired with the wreck of his fortune to this
island, where he farmed an extensive sugar plant-
ation, and put it under immediate cultivation.
The season was fine ; the young plants had come
forward, assumed every appearance of health and
vigour, and clothed his grounds with the most
lively verdure. These auspicious appearances ex-
141
cited in the bosom of the owner the most pleasing
emotions, and gave birth to happy presages, and
the hope of being enabled to retrieve his fallen
fortunes. In this felicitous frame of mind, he was
seated at the door of his cottage, with his family
around him, enjoying the beauties of a fine tropical
evening, which was spent in mutual congratula-
tions on the prospects of future independence, to
which their anticipations gave rise. On the fol-
lowing morning, the astonishment and agony of
the unfortunate planter may be conceived, on
finding that not a vestige of vegetation was to be
discovered upon his extensive grounds ; nothing
was presented to his view, but a bare and melan-
choly expanse of brown earth. The locusts had
poured down in legions upon his defenceless lands,
and robbed them of their valuable burden.
The year 1819 was peculiarly marked by the
visits of these destructive insects. Their appear-
ance is similar to that of a fall of thick snow in a
calm, with the exception, however, of difference of
colour, which in them is brown, and direction of
motion, which is horizontal. They move in a re-
gular phalanx, with a slow, unvarying, silent pro-
gress, watching an opportunity to pounce upon
the first unprotected spot which occurs. I have
passed for hours under swarms of these pests, while
riding in the country, and have not unfrequently,
for half an hour at a time, been sheltered from the
rays of a tropical sun by bodies of them in " thick
array/' the air assuming the appearance of twilight,
142
or rather that awful, silent, and impressive gloom,
which is occasioned by a total eclipse of the sun.
Fortunately this is not the case every year, and
many years have sometimes elapsed without an in-
vasion from the locusts. A naturalist would pro-
bably enter into an elaborate detail of their specific
character, habits, &c. I can only say, that they
appear to resemble externally our large flying
grashopper ; they possess, however, the advan-
tage of poising their bodies for a great length of'
time upon the wing, which the grashopper cannot
do. It has never been satisfactorily ascertained
from whence these insects visit the plantations, or
where the reproduction of the species is effected,
whether in the neighbouring continents or islands,
or whether in the mountains and uninhabited parts
of Lu9onia, or whether they emerge at once from
the chrysalis state near the places where they first
make their appearance ? The latter hypothesis is
best supported by the circumstance of their simul-
taneous appearance in places far distant from each
other in the island, and their transition never being
observed remote from the scene of their depreda-
tions.* Difficulties, however, occur in this suppo-
sition ; for if the larva of these insects is deposited
in or near the theatre of their ravages, why do
sometimes three or four years elapse without a visit
* This theory is maintained by some naturalists, who say,
that the insect, in its incipient state, lies buried in the earth for
an indefinite term of years, from whence, like Minerva, armed
cap-a-pie, it emerges. Is not this preternatural ?
143
from them ? Again, why are not they seen at the
time of emersion from the aurelia ? And further,
if they do not migrate, what becomes of these
countless myriads, when no longer seen ? Upon
the whole, I conclude, with deference, that they
do migrate, and travel in the night, as well as in
the day ; of which the before-mentioned case of
the Frenchman is, I presume, a clear proof. *
The earthquakes in Lu9onia are apt to produce
on a stranger an impression of apprehension of
danger ; but since the adoption of a mode of build-
ing which counteracts the effects of the undulating
motion of the earth, and permits the houses to os-
cillate without separating, no accidents have hap-
pened. This frequency renders the inhabitants
almost unconscious of their presence.
The water from the wells is seldom used but for
purposes of ablution, every respectable house being
furnished with a fine cool cistern of mason's work,
into w r hich the water falls from their clean tiled
roofs ; and they are generally sufficiently capacious
to contain a supply of water for the family during
the north-east monsoon, or dry season. The In-
dians and poor inhabitants generally use the water
of the river for all purposes.
The health of the city and suburbs is proverbial,
and the profession of a physician is, perhaps, of all
others, the least lucrative, t A worthy and intel-
* Adjacent seas are frequently observed to be covered with
the dead bodies of these insects.
f Of late years, that scourge of India, the cholera morbus,
has made its appearance in the Philippine islands, and com-
mitted great ravages.
144
ligent Scotch doctor, who had come to Manilla while
I was there, to exercise his profession, and who
lodged in the same house with me, was greatly an-
noyed at the want of practice which he experienced
there, although he had his full share of patronage,
and often jocosely declared that the dom climate
would starve him. In fact, he did not long re-
main there ; I afterwards met him in the Isle of
France, where he was still in pursuit of practice.
The Ilmado is a beautiful and fashionable resort
for the inhabitants in the morning and evening :
here you meet all classes at these hours, taking the
fresh air, from the viceroy with his splendid equi-
page and six horses, (which privilege he exclu-
sively enjoys, no other person being allowed more
than four horses,) to the humble pedestrian who
trudges along the side walks. The number of gay
equipages of every description, the dark but ex-
pressive beauty of the elegant females who occupy
them, and the appearance of pleasure and gaiety
which is presented on every side, render this a very
agreeable place.
The inhabitants are in the constant habit of
taking their siesta, or afternoon's nap ; and from
the hours of two till five, the stillness of night per-
vades the city ; and this custom is so general, that
even the lowest tradesmen indulge in their siesta.
Impelled by a very common, and, perhaps, ex-
cusable curiosity, I rode out with some friends one
day to witness the execution of a Misteza soldier
for murder. The parade ground of Bugambayan
was the theatre of this tragic comedy, for such it may
be truly called ; and never did I experience such
a revulsion of feeling as upon this occasion. The
place was crowded with people of all descriptions,
and a strong guard of soldiers, three deep, sur-
rounded the gallows, forming a circle, the area of
which was about two hundred feet in diameter.
The hangman was habited in a red jacket and
trowsers, with a cap of the same colour upon his
head. This fellow had been formerly condemned to
death for parricide, but was pardoned on condition
of turning executioner, and becoming close prisoner
for life, except when the duties, of his profession
occasionally called him from his dungeon for an
hour. Whether his long confinement, and the
ignominious estimation in which he was held, com-
bined with despair of pardon for his heinous of-
fence, and a natural ferocity of character, had
rendered him reckless of " weal or wo," or other
impulses directed his movements, I know not ; but
never did I see such a demoniacal visage as was
presented by this miscreant ; and when the trem-
bling culprit was delivered over to his hand, he
pounced eagerly upon his victim, while his coun-
tenance was suffused with a grim and ghastly
smile, which reminded us of Dante's devils. He
immediately ascended the ladder, dragging his
prey after him till they had nearly reached the
top : he then placed the rope around the neck of
the malefactor, with many antic gestures and gri-
maces, highly gratifying and amusing to the mob.
146
To signify to the poor fellow under his fangs that
he wished to whisper in his ear, to push him off the
ladder, and to jump astride his neck with his heels
drumming with violence upon his stomach, was
but the work of an instant. We could then per-
ceive a rope fast to each leg of the sufferer, which
was pulled with violence by people under the gal-
lows ; and an additional rope, or, to use a sea term,
a preventer, was round his neck, and secured to the
gallows, to act in case of accident to the one by
which the body was suspended. I had witnessed
many executions in different parts of the world,
but never had such a diabolical scene as this passed
before my eyes ; and no little disgust and resent-
ment was harboured by our party against the mass
of spectators, among whom, I am reluctantly com-
pelled to say, were several groups of " man's
softened image," who seemed to view the whole
scene with feeling not far remote, I fear, from that
kind of satisfaction which a child feels at a raree-
show.
147
CHAP. X.
Animals. Reptiles. Vegetable Productions. Naval Architec-
ture. Ignorance of the Luconians respecting Cochin China.
Arrival of the Marniion. Monsoons and Seasons. Imposing
Ceremonies. Dramatic Representations. Murder. Sen-
sual Indulgences. Departure from Manilla.
I WAS assured, by what I deemed very good au-
thority, that the elephant would not live in Lu-
gonia, which had been proved by many experiments.
This, if true, is a very singular fact; for in the
same parallels of latitude, in both the Indian penin-
sulas, they are indigenous, and in the Eastern pen-
insula they grow to an enormous size.
The horses in this island are well formed and
hardy, though small and not very strong ; they do
not, however, exhibit the light, airy grace of the
Arabian steed, or the finely proportioned limbs of
the horses of Europe. They are docile, when care
and attention are directed to their education ; their
food is of the best and most invigorating kinds ; and
they are never allowed to drink water only, but it
is always mixed with a proportion of molasses, the
aperient qualities of which are very conducive to
health. The Indian buffalo abounds here, and is
the only quadruped used for agricultural purposes.
Bullocks are plentiful and cheap, and the milk
from their cows, owing to the excellence of their
148
pastures, is of the best quality. Neither asses nor
mules are used here ; nor have they any sheep :
goats are plentiful and fat. Their hogs are of the
Chinese breed, and abound. Domestic fowls are
in great abundance, and cheap. Of wild game
there is no great variety ; but herds of deer in-
habit the mountains, and the, rhinoceros is some-
times seen. Beasts of prey are unknown; but
reptiles of various descriptions, and some of a
large size, infest the forests and morasses. Among
the latter is the boa constrictor y a serpent, who, by
his strong muscular powers, is enabled easily to
crush the frame of the largest bullock within his
tremendous folds. The prey, thus reduced to a
mangled corse, is lubricated by the tongue with
the saliva of the monster, till it becomes a slippery,
shapeless lump. He then proceeds to gorge the
body, which, together with the horns, gradually
disappears, till finally the whole mass is swallowed.
Goats, deers, hogs, and fowls are also the food of
this serpent. He is said not to be venomous. The
skin of a large boa constrictor was offered me for
sale, which measured twenty-five feet in length.
The ourang-outang, or wild man of the woods, is
found in the mountains. This is a large species of
baboon, of which, as well as of the monkey tribe,
there are many varieties in the islands.
The botanist and the ornithologist would find
an ample and copious field for their researches in
these islands ; the flora, particularly, is said to be
very interesting.
149
Some of the larger trees grow to an enormous
size. In a go-down, or magazine, which I visited
in pursuit of some article of merchandise, several
masses of wood against the walls attracted my at-
tention, and on examination, I found each piece
solid, separate, and entire. I measured the largest
block, the form of which was a regular parallelo-
gram : the result which it gave was sixteen feet
long, eight feet three and a half inches in diameter,
.and seven and a quarter inches thick. Many
other blocks approached the size of the one
measured. I was told they were brought from
the island Mindoro, and were used in massive
.cabinet work.
The fruit of the plant called quiapo by the In-
dians, and by the Spaniards malocalog, is celebrated
for its being the basis of a kind of soap, of which
considerable quantities are manufactured in the
Philippines. It is a species of the water lily, and
grows spontaneously in all the rivers ; its leaves
are very large and gross, resembling those of the
cow lily. It bears a fruit nearly the size of an
apple, the pulp of which, after maceration, is boiled
in the common manner with lixivium, and produces
soap of a very good quality.
The cocoa-nut tree produces no inconsiderable
revenue to the government, from the spirituous
liquor which it affords, called palm or cocoa-nut
wine, of a very intoxicating quality, and of which
great quantities are drank in the country. The
process for procuring the juice, or sap of the tree,
L 3
150
from which the liquor is distilled, is by incision ; a
horizontal wound is made in the trunk at a con-
venient height from the ground, the interior part
of which is somewhat depressed, forming a cavity
capable of containing about a pint. A hole is then
bored below the incision, in an oblique direction, to
meet the interior part of the cavity ; into this hole
is inserted a reed, through which the juice exudes
into earthen pots, which are placed below for its re-
ception. Sometimes the juice is drawn from an in-
cision made in the stalk that supports the clusters
of nuts, which grow at the top of the tree. The
liquor thus obtained is, previous to acidulation, a
very pleasant beverage, and before distillation pos-
sesses no inebriating qualities. It, however, shortly
turns acid, and in one day becomes perfect vinegar,
of a whitish colour, of which large quantities are
brought to market. The best cocoa-nut wine is
said to be afforded by a species of the palm, called
by the natives tuba, and by the Spaniards cocoa del
mono, or monkey cocoa-nut tree. A species of
confectionary is also made by boiling the sap of
the tree with quick lime ; it is poured into sections
of the cocoa-nut shell, which are then closed to-
gether, and the contents of the two vessels incor-
porate, and form a substance similar to marmalade ;
in this state, and still inclosed in the shell, it is
sold in the bazars.
The cocoa-nut tree is, next to the bamboo, the
most useful in all India. Besides the above men-
tioned uses to which it is applied, the husk of the
151
nut produces the highly and most justly esteemed
coiar, of which is manufactured cordage and cables.
The latter, by their elastic qualities, are superior to
any in the world. The cocoa-nut oil, it is well
known, is used by all the natives of the East, in
their culinary concerns, in the decoration of their
persons, to burn in their lamps, tojinix with their
paints, and for various other purposes. The trunk
of the tree is used for many purposes in building,
and with the leaves they thatch their houses. The
latter are also used in many places as a substitute
for paper, and various articles of wicker or basket
work are produced from them. The nut shells
are used as cups, measures, &c. The kernel pro-
duced within them is a pleasant article of food,
and the liquid contained within it is a cooling and
most salubrious beverage.
Many of the birds of Lu9onia are of singular
beauty ; especially the pheasant, of which, and of
the parrot and parroquet genera, many varieties
exist.
Horticultural productions are in great variety
and plenty, as well as fruits.
Of fish there is no deficiency, their bazars being
always well stocked with that article, of various de-
scriptions; and the natives display no little inge-
nuity in the various methods which they embrace
to take them ; and as they, like the Chinese in this
respect, are not so fastidious in regard to taste as
we are, their nomenclature of edible fishes is far
more copious than ours.
L 4
1,52
The science of naval architecture among these
people, is, in comparison with that of many other
Eastern nations, in a very imperfect state. All the
vessels of native invention are furnished with the
clumsy and inconvenient outriggers, so universal
in the Eastern islands. These outriggers are formed
of two or more* bamboos, in length proportionate to
the size of the vessel. They cross the hull at right
angles, over the gunwale, and project far out on
each side, where they are lashed with rattan or
coiar. At the ends of these bamboos are others,
placed parallel to the sides of the vessel, and se-
cured to them by lashings as before ; from the ex-
tremities of the cross pieces, ropes or shroud re
extended to the head of the mast, where they are
secured. Their vessels are very narrow and crank,
and without these outriggers, a very slight breeze
would overset them. To counteract this effect of
the wind, the crew of the vessel is placed on the
windward side of the projection, where they poise
themselves, by the assistance of the shrouds, re-
ceding from, or approaching the vessel, as the wind
may be more or less fresh. These evolutions re-
quire great vigilance and prompt execution in their
movements, especially in flawy and unsteady winds;
for without due precaution, in case of sudden calm,
the side of the vessel on which the crew is placed
would greatly preponderate, and she would inevi-
tably upset before the equilibrium could be re-
stored. Another disadvantage attending these
kind of vessels, is the impossibility of their near ap-
153
proach to landings, or other vessels, excepting by
the head or stern ; and should they, by accident,
lose or break their outriggers, they can carry no
sail. Some of the largest of their craft have these
frames made of large spars, with platforms of
bamboo placed on them. It must be acknow-
ledged, that in consequence of the very narrow
hulls of these vessels, by which they displace a
comparatively small body of water in their pro-
gress, their velocity is proportionably accelerated,
and they sail faster than perhaps any vessels in the
world. I know of no other advantage that this con-
trivance imparts to them, to obtain which many
others are necessarily sacrificed.
The smallest vessels of native construction are the
pancos, (corruptly bancas,) and are used on the
rivers, and in short distances by the coast, for the
purposes of light freight or passage. Several of
these ply between Manilla and the ships at Cavite ;
and though a dangerous mode of conveyance, it is
frequently used, on account of their always being
at hand, and the inconvenience of employing the
ship's boats, combined with the risk of injurious
effects from the exposure of European seamen to
the sun's rays. Many people have lost their lives
by the upsetting of these boats. They are made
of the trunk of a single tree, scooped out, and are
generally about twenty feet long, by three and a
half feet broad, and quite deep. They are ma-
naged by three men, sometimes four. A neat
semi-cylindrical roof of reeds occupies about one
154
third of the length of the boat, under which the
passenger reclines upon a flooring of split bamboo,
which is sometimes covered with mats. One man
sits abaft this house, or nearest the stern, who
guides the helm and rows. Occasionally there are
two men in this end of the vessel ; the rest of the
crew is forward of the house, nearest the bow.
Their oars are similar to those of almost all the
Asiatics ; the looms, or shanks, are of bamboo,
with flat, oval palms, or blades, made of hard wood,
and secured to their extremities with coiar or rattan
ligatures. In fine weather, and free winds, they
use a small cotton sail, which is always taken in
when the wind is adverse, as they cannot work to
windward under sail. These boats have generally
the outrigger on one side only, the piece which is
secured to the ends of the cross pieces being of
large bamboo, which, containing a great quantity
of air, is very buoyant, and by its weight is not
easily raised out of the water, thus preserving the
equilibrium.
A larger kind of vessel, called paquibote, is em-
ployed between Manilla and Cavite town ; of these
there are generally about ten, five of which pass
each way daily. These vessels transport freight
and passengers of every description, and are conse-
quently very offensive to any one whose sensitive
organs are not completely callous. Their forms
are of nearly the same description as the pancos,
but they are much larger, some of them being of
the burden of fifteen and even twenty tons. The
155
sails of these boats are of matting. They are very
clumsily managed, and I was very near being
wrecked, in a fresh gale from the westward, at
the only time that I ever attempted a passage in
one of them.
Several descriptions of vessels of European, or
rather exclusively Spanish construction, are built
in some of the provinces, and employed among
the islands ; such as brigs, schooners, sloops,
ketches, faluas, lanchas, pontines, and caros-coas,
(corruptly cascos,) or lighters. A few ships are
owned in Manilla which trade to Macao, and oc-
casionally to New Spain and Bengal.
The naval force of these islands consists of a fri-
gate and sloop of war, not in commission, and a few
small vessels and gun-boats, of handsome and
strong construction and adequate armament, but,
in regard to management, of a contemptible cha-
racter. They answer well enough the purpose of
keeping the piratical Moors at bay, when the latter
are not too presumptuous.
It was a subject of no little astonishment to me,
on enquiring, to find how little was known at
Manilla respecting the neighbouring kingdom of
Cochin China ; and I could account for it in no
other w^ay than from the anti- commercial character
of both those countries, when compared with most
other nations of India. It is a fact, that in all my
researches, I could find but three persons who
could give any account of that country, though
situate not two hundred leagues from their own
156
doors. One of these persons was a Dane, who
had actually been at Saigon many years before ;
and although a man of some intelligence, the lapse
of time had obliterated most of his recollections of
that country. Another was an aged Spanish sailor,
who had many years previous been trading in the
Cambodia river, where he had seen some native
Cochin Chinese, and heard something of the coun-
try ; and the third was a padre, or priest, who had
been in the division of Hue for a short time, on a
mission, during the civil wars, from whence he
narrowly escaped. But neither of them could
speak the language of that country, or give any
useful information concerning it. They all con-
curred, however, in giving a very unfavourable
character of the government and natives of Onam.
The Manillans confound the countries of Siam
and Cochin China, and suppose them to be one
kingdom, to which the names of both are common.
The many discouragements which we had en-
countered in our attempts to trade at Onam
seemed to be now completed by this last defeat.
Circumstances would not permit our taking on
board a cargo at Manilla for the United States ;
arid Canton was considered our last resource in the
China sea ; for which place we prepared to depart,
when, by an event the most fortuitous and least
expected, our views were again directed towards
Onam, and finally prosecuted to imperfect success.
It will be recollected that we had lain five days
at Canjeo, in the Don-nai river, in the early part of
157
June, waiting unsuccessfully for permission to pro-
ceed to Saigon ; and that we sailed from thence
on the 13th of June. It is somewhat remarkable,
that as ours was the first American vessel that
had ever been at Canjeo, or attempted to as-
cend the Don-nai liver, another should have ar-
rived there a few days after our sailing from
thence, with the same views that we had enter-
tained. This was the ship Marmion, of Boston,
commanded by Oliver Blanchard.
It is necessary here to anticipate the information
which we subsequently obtained ; and state, that
after we had sailed from Canjeo, the viceroy, or
governor, at Saigon had received, indirectly, in-
telligence of our having been in the river, and had
despatched a native linguist, who spoke the eastern
Portuguese language indifferently, for the purpose
of communicating with any other vessel which might
arrive ; and his services were immediately put in
requisition by the arrival of the Marmion, the com-
mander of which, (with a clerk and a sailor who
spoke Portuguese,) after various vexatious diffi-
culties, was permitted to go up to Saigon in one of
the craft belonging to the village ; but was unable
to prosecute any commercial operations in con-
sequence of the ignorance of the Onamese in regard
to the value of doubloons, which composed the
principal part of his stock. A few of them they
were willing to receive, in exchange for their com-
modities, at a very great discount. But even this
trifling and unprofitable commerce could not be
158
carried on while the ship lay down the river ; and
no sufficient inducement existed to determine the
captain to take her up to the city, which would
render him inevitably liable for the payment of the
exorbitant impositions for anchorage, presents, &c.,
customary in that country. The Onamese, how-
ever, assured them that there was great abundance
of sugar and other commodities in the country ;
and that if they had brought Spanish dollars, they
would have commanded a cargo immediately at a
very low price. These impediments to trade, which
the gold presented, determined Blanchard to pro-
ceed to Manilla for a cargo; but he was taken sick
before he left the city, and died after the ship left
Canjeo, but before she was out of the river. By
this event, the command devolved on the chief
officer, Mr. John Brown, who, in conjunction with
the former clerk, but now joint factor, Mr. Putnam,
proceeded to put in execution the intentions of
their late commander, and on the 22d of June the
Marmion arrived at Cavite.
In the course of an interview, which I shortly
had with these gentlemen, a plan was suggested,
canvassed, and finally determined on, to return in
company to Don-nai, after the Marmion should re-
ceive some necessary repairs, and time had been
given to exchange the gold then on board for
Spanish dollars, and to allow the south-west mon-
soon, which was then in its utmost strength, to
abate, and enable us to reach our place of destina-
tion. Our views, in keeping company on this
159
expedition, were for mutual protection, while pene-
trating into the heart of a country so little known ;
up a river, with the navigation of which we, in
common with nearly all the world, were unacquaint-
ed; and, consequently, when there, in the power of
a people, who, though they might be sufficiently
powerful to detain a single vessel, would, probably,
should any intentions of the kind exist, be over-
awed by the presence of two. We considered also,
that our demands for permission to go up to Saigon
would have more weight, and their attempts at
imposition might be less successful, while we co-
operated in all our proceedings.
The time which elapsed, between the arrival of
the Marmion and our sailing for Cochin China, was
chiefly passed at Cavite, where our vessels lay; and
as few inducements called us on shore our most
agreeable domicile was on board.
The weather, during the vendevales, from April
to October, is variable and uncertain. Sometimes,
for a few days, the wind will hold in the eastern
quarter, with a fine air, and serene sky. This is
generally succeeded by a gale at south-west, (call-
ed here a coolia,') with heavy rain ; accompanied,
at intervals, by thunder and lightning. At these
times, a heavy and dangerous sea is raised in the
bay, by which the communication by water is
suspended. The prevailing courses of the winds
and weather, at this season, are however thus : from
9 to 11 o'clock in the morning it is calm, or, occa-
sionally, light variable airs prevail, while sheets of
160
fleecy clouds are scattered in the vallies, and
overspread the lowlands. At 11, a breeze springs
up in the western quarter, which gradually in-
creases in strength, and veers to the south-west-
ward, where it blows fresh for a few hours, and dis-
sipates the vapours in the vallies. During which
time a body of dark, dense clouds, is gathering in
the south and east, which, in the course of the
afternoon, impelled by a fresh gale, rises and over-
spreads the country, from which descend cataracts
of rain, accompanied with the most vivid lightning,
and tremendous thunder. This squall having pass-
ed, is succeeded by a gentle gale from the east-
ward, with a fine clear sky, which continues during
the night, and is impregnated with the most re-
freshing odours from a thousand aromatic plants.
The lightning which attends the squalls at this
season is frequently the cause of great damage to
the shipping at Cavite. During our stay here,
scarcely a vessel escaped without injury. We were
so fortunate as only to have a small groove taken
out of our foremast, from the top to the deck,
which did not materially affect its strength or ap-
pearance.
The monsoon, commencing in October, and
ending in April, is the fine season ; during which
the sky is serene, the air temperate, and the winds
moderate, with occasional refreshing showers.
The Spaniards in Lu$onia appear to be still more
bigoted and dogmatical, if possible, than in the
mother-country ; and the jingling of bells, bawling
161
of monks, and screeching of choristers, with their
frequent processions, in which are exhibited the
most deplorable superstition and puerile mockery of
true Christianity, are most fatiguing and disgusting.
The celebration of the nativity of St. Roque, the
patron of a small village near Cavite, in August,
was conducted with great pomp and parade ; and
in the afternoon, after the farce was ended, full
scope was given to all kinds of licentiousness and
disorder. On these occasions, frequent murders
take place ; and it is safer for Protestants, whose
curiosity leads them to view these rites, to keep
their risible muscles in subjection, and those feelings
of contempt, which must predominate, from being
manifested, and to return immediately after the
exhibition. The least accident which might happen,
or the most trivial offence, however unconsciously
given, would be productive of the most serious con-
sequences ; as the Catholic Indians, inspired by
fanaticism and cocoa-nut wine, the first of which
is inculcated, and the use of the other connived at
by their priests, have no hesitation in making a
liberal use of the knife on these occasions, to which
it is more than conjectured, they are instigated by
their masters.
Some of the ceremonies of the church of Rome
are, however, very impressive, and calculated to pro-
duce serious effects upon minds which are passively
inclined to judge of essentials by forms. Of this
number is the tolling of the vesper bell, and
its concomitant ceremonies, which occurs in the
M
162
early part of the evening twilight, the gayest
part of the day in Manilla, when the sun has sunk
below the horizon, and the whole population is en-
joying the refreshing coolness of evening : the
verandas are filled with cheerful faces, and the
lower orders are seated at their doors in careless
ease. The Ilmado, crowded with brilliant equi-
pages, and lively company, is then a scene of plea-
sure and hilarity. At this moment is heard the
solemn knell, deep and monotonous ! At this po-
tent mandate, in an instant, as if suddenly petrified
by the head of Medusa, all is still, silent, and mo-
tionless ; the animated and loquacious groups,
which the moment previous met the view, are
now transformed into living statues ; the athletic
arm of the postillion is suspended in mid air ; the
fiery courser is checked in full career ; the splen-
did carriage is arrested in its progress ; the labours
of the waterman are paralysed, and his slender
bark, abandoned to the impulse of the stream,
floats unguided on its surface. No sound is heard,
but the solemn measured tones of the ponderous
bell of the cathedral, which " flings on the hollow
blast its solemn sounds ;" no motion is visible but
the silent vibrations of the lips of the devotees,
whispering their oraciones ; and no feeling appa-
rently predominates, but of deep awe, adoration,
and gratitude ; this scene is of but a few moments'
continuance ; at the expiration of which, as if all
were electrified, or suddenly recalled into existence,
the eye of the spectator is struck with the recur-
rence of life and animation in the gay pageant pre-
163
sented to his view. All is again in motion, and
the feelings which were excited at the moment
are probably suspended by the operation of others
of a temporal nature, till the next occasion recals
them into action.
These imposing ceremonies and rites, combined
with the lax discipline of the church, the facility
of procuring indulgences for all kinds of excesses,
and absolution for every species of crime, is a
great cause of the superior successes to the labours
of Catholic missionaries over those of the Protest-
ants, among barbarous people. It is quite enough
for them, if the proselyte can make the sign of the
cross, repeat the Pater-noster, Creed, and Ave-ma-
ria, drop on his knees in the mud, while proces-
sions are moving by him, and make a low obeisance
to a gaudy wooden image of the Virgin, while
passing its shrine.
The Indians are very fond of dramatic exhibi-
tions, in which they freely indulge; and they have
itinerant actors, whose acquirements in the scenic
art are of a description to captivate the senses of
" the million," but would hardly be tolerated by
European connoisseurs. They generally represent
battles, and "moving accidents by flood and field,"
in which are displayed the various combinations
and desultory movements of savage warfare. They
do not however confine themselves to represent-
ations of war and rapine ; more touching scenes of
tragic horror or domestic misery occasionally em-
ploy their powers.
M 2
164
" Othello rages, poor Monimia mourns,
And Belvidera pours her soul in love ;' r
Again, the comic muse
" Holds to the world a picture of itself,
And raises sly the fair impartial laugh."
Curiosity has occasionally impelled me to witness
these performances, where I have met some of
the most respectable white inhabitants, who did not
disdain to countenance and encourage the exer-
tions of these humble disciples of Thalia and
Melpomene.
The vice of gambling is carried to great excess
among the Tagalis, and is no unfrequent cause of
suicide and assassination. They, like the Malays,
are extravagantly fond of cock-fighting, and no care
or expense is grudged, in rearing and educating
their game-cocks ; upon which, after they have lost
all other property, their wives and children are
frequently betted. Cards, dice, and billiards, oc-
cupy no small part of their time, to the gratifica-
tion of which propensity the greatest facilities are
afforded, by the number of gambling houses li-
censed in every town and village, where vast quan-
tities of cocoa-nut wine, and other liquid poisons,
are swallowed. A native, who, as was subsequently
known, had committed murder in one of these
houses, secreted himself on board the Marmion ;
no enquiry or pursuit were made, however, and
he escaped in the guise of a domestic, in which
capacity he presented himself to the unconscious
commander, who took him into his service.
165
The use of the areka, tobacco, betel, and chu-
nam for chewing, is universal among the natives,
and brings, as has been seen, a considerable
sum into the treasury. Besides the great num-
ber of shops where these articles are sold, move-
able stalls, attended by women, are placed in the
streets, for the distribution of this favourite mas-
ticatory.
Smoking is very fashionable among all ranks,
from the viceroy to the lowest cooley, or menial
servant ; and this favourite propensity is indulged
in various shapes, from the neat small cigar, with a
paper wrapper, to the enormous rolls of tobacco,
used by the women exclusively, and, generally, of
the lower classes. I have one of the latter before
me, which I procured while in Manilla ; it is of a
taper form ; its length ten and a half inches ; dia-
meter at the butt, or big end, two and a quarter
inches ; and at the smaller end, one and a half
inches : it is composed entirely of tobacco, in pa-
rallel, compact layers, and wrapped with the
largest leaves of the same plant ; it is ornamented
with bands of floss silk, of various colours, which
cross each other diagonally, the whole length of
the cigar, and the intersections of the bands are
ornamented with spangles; fire is applied to the
smallest end of this unwieldy mass* and the large
end is received by the mouth ; one of these cigars,
as maybe supposed, will "last you" some eight
or ten days' smoking. Pipes are seldom used ex-
cept by the Chinese.
M 3
166
The Tagalis are very fond of opium,vin the use
of which they would freely indulge, both by smok-
ing and chewing, but the vigilance of the govern-
ment precludes frequent opportunities for debauch
in this oriental luxury.
The last days of August, and first days of Sep-
tember, were marked by strong gales from the
south-west, with vast quantities of rain ; during
which arrived the Beverly, an American ship, be-
longing to the owner of the Marmion ; she had
attempted to beat up against the monsoon, from
Turon to Cape St. James ; but after being a long
while on the coast of Cochin China, contending
with constant south-west gales, she was obliged to
give up the struggle, and proceed to Manilla.
This bad weather was succeeded by gentle gales
from the eastward, and a clear sky ; and the Mar-
mion being now ready for sea, on the 6th day of
September we took leave of Cavite, and proceeded
out of the bav,
167
CHAP. XL
Passage across the China Sea. Arrival at Vung-tau. Canjeo.-
Local Anecdotes. Pagoda. Roguery and Chicanery of the
Natives. Permission from Chiefs at Canjeo to proceed up the
River. Permission from the Governor of Saigon to proceed
to the City.
1 HE heavy rains at this season fill the various
rivers, which disembogue into the bay with great
impetuosity, and cause a current almost continually
running out, on which the flood-tide, which rises
only about six feet, on the full and change of the
moon, has but little visible effect. To this current
we were principally indebted for our progress this
day, during the greater part of which it had been
nearly calm. At 4 o'clock in the afternoon we
passed the island Corregidor, through the passage
of the boca grande ; and the following day, at noon,
we passed Goat island with a light breeze from the
south-eastward, overcast weather, and occasional
showers.
The winds, in the early part of the passage, were
principally in the eastern quarter, with fine weather,
and little or no current, and our progress exceeded
our expectations.
For the purpose of being well to windward, our
course had been shaped, so as to range within a few
M 4)
168
leagues of the northern limits of the various banks,
shoals, and reefs, scattered in great profusion over
that part of the China sea, situated to the westward
of the island Palawan, and extending nearly half
way over to the coast of Cochin China. This
precaution was the means of shortening our pas-
sage considerably ; for when we had reached the
112th degree of east longitude, the wind veered
round to the south and westward, in which quarter
it prevailed during the residue of the passage, and
at times blew a strong breeze, although it would
sometimes change to other points for a few hours,
and enable us to profit by the display of our auxi-
liary sails.
On the 19th, we saw Cape Padaran, and on the
22d descried the island of Pulo Ciecer de Mer.
We now found that the current which runs to the
northward, during the greater part of the south-
west monsoon, had changed its direction, and pur-
sued a course to the south-eastward, though with
diminished velocity.
On the 24th, we passed between Pulo Ciecer de
Mer and Pulo Sapata (so named by the Portu-
guese from its fancied resemblance to a shoe or
slipper). On the 25th, Cape St. James's promon-
tory came in view, and at seven o'clock the
next evening the two vessels anchored in Vung-
tau bay.
Early on the following morning, we again weigh-
ed anchor, and proceeded towards Canjeo village.
On standing out of the bay, a number of porpoises
169
of a pink colour, and others which were curiously
and variously pied or mottled, with pink, white
and brown, were seen playing about us. In re-
gard to form or size, they did not appear to differ
from the common river porpoise, but we had
never seen any before of those colours. It is not
uncommon to see this species of fish, with spots of
white about their heads and bodies, and some are
nearly covered with this appearance, which is oc-
casioned by a concrete, animal substance, attaching
itself to the cuticle, and gradually spreading over
the whole surface, and is probably the cause or
effect of disease ; but the colours of these fish ap-
peared to be inherent, and not the effect of any
extraneous operation.
We had proceeded about three miles, when a
large boat, in which was a mandarin, came out from
Vung-tau in full pursuit, and as it was nearly calm,
was soon alongside the ship, which was astern, and
by vehement signs and gestures strove to induce
them to anchor. He was referred to the brig for an
answer ; and he shortly came on board, hallooing as
he came up, and making the motion to anchor ; but
as we were now acquainted with the channel, and
were aware that his object was merely to extort toll
from us, we took no notice of him, but quietly pur-
sued our course, followed by the ship. In a few
moments he was on deck, without any assistance
from us, or any notice being taken of his presence,
when he ordered us to anchor, in a most imperious
manner : we pointed up river, and pronounced,
170
with considerable emphasis, " Canjeo," and in-
timated, that we were determined not to stop short
of that place, at which he appeared highly in-
censed; but finding his remonstrances treated with
silent indifference, he desisted from urging them
any farther, and demanded our papers, in which he
had no better success. His attendants were then
ordered to count the guns, pikes, &c., which they
were permitted to do, without any notice from us.
The mandarin appeared to be quite subdued, and
shorn of his dignity, by these tokens of contempt,
and seated himself on a hencoop, quite crest-fallen,
to the no small dismay of his gaping attendants.
It had now fallen quite calm, and the ebb-tide had
begun to run with considerable rapidity, which
obliged us to drop anchor, and wait for the sea
breeze. This was construed, by the officer, into a
triumph on his part, and he began to plume him-
self accordingly ; his exultation, however, was of
but short continuance, for the anticipated breeze
did not linger long in the offing, but soon paid us
a welcome visit. The anchor was weighed, and all
sail spread in a moment. Despairing of bending
us to his views, the mandarin soon left us, and
steered towards Canjeo, where he arrived just
before us. We anchored abreast the village, in
eleven fathoms of water, at one o'clock in the
afternoon, and in a few moments a boat came off
with a linguist, and some inferior mandarins, with
whom we immediately proceeded, in our own
boats, to visit the authorities on shore. With little
171
variation, the same ceremonies were practised, as
in our former visits, but their covetous propensities
appeared to be somewhat controlled, as we ima-
gined, by the superior appearance of power pre-
sented by 'our simultaneous visit.
Among the officers who were present on this oc-
casion, the mandarin who had boarded us in the
morning, from Vung-tau, was one of the most con-
spicuous. We had expected that some discussion
would have taken place on the subject of his visit,
but it was not adverted to, and their conduct in-
duced us to suppose, that either no report had
been made, or should it have been, it was deter-
mined not to notice it, for they all joined, with a
good will, in giving us practical proofs of the sin-
cerity of their attachment to the contents of some
bottles, which we had brought on shore with us, at
the instance of the interpreter, After having
allowed them what we judged a reasonable time
for the consumption of our libations, we entered
upon the business which had brought us among
them, and demanded permission to go to Saigon,
and pilots to guide us up. This, we were told,
they could not grant, but they would despatch a
messenger to the city, with our demand, for which
indulgence we must pay them one hundred dollars
for each vessel, and ten to the interpreter. To put
an end at once to their persecutions, we told them,
that the amount of what we might think proper to
give them would be regulated by the success of our
applications. A long debate ensued, and " there
was much good talking on both sides," till it was
finally agreed, that the message should be des-
patched, and that no more should be said on the
subject of presents, until the answer should be
received.
The linguist now informed us, that another
American ship had been in the river since the
departure of the Marmion, and after waiting several
days had gone off. We subsequently learnt, that
this ship was the Aurora, of Salem, commanded by
Captain Robert Gould. After her departure from
Don-nai, she visited the island of Cham-Callao ;
from whence, (as we were afterwards told,) the
captain proceeded to Turon; but being unsuccess-
ful in his attempts to trade there, he afterwards
proceeded to*Manilla. The linguist also informed
us, that another ship had stretched into the bay of
Vung-tau, and lay near the land one day without
anchoring; after which she bore up, and stood
to the northward. This ship was the Beverly,
Captain John Gardner, which had arrived in
Manilla a few days previous to our sailing from
thence, as has been mentioned.
A great eagerness prevailed to impress us with
a suitable idea of the vast quantities of sugar and
other articles of merchandise at Saigon ; and that,
if we were permitted to proceed, cargoes for both
vessels could be obtained immediately, at a very
low rate.
Invitations were given us to visit the mandarins
frequently ; but we had determined to avail our-
173
selves of their civilities no farther than our business
demanded, (as we had been made sensible of the
actual cost of this kind of intercourse on our first
visit to the country,) and to wait a reasonable time
for our chops.
In the afternoon, after having visited the bazar,
and purchased a few articles of refreshment for
the ships' companies, we returned on board for the
benefit of fresh air.
On the following morning, our curiosity led us
to visit a small pagoda erected on Dai-jang point, on
the side of the river opposite to Canjeo, and dedi-
cated to the evil spirit : for these people, like some
of our Indian tribes, worship the devil from fear ;
and we took our fowling-pieces with us, in expect-
ation of meeting game ; and our carpenters being
in want of some knees to repair the boats, axes
were taken with us, with a view of penetrating into
the woods to cut some. We found the landing
difficult, on account of the slippery mud which
was left by the then receding tide. And after we
had gained terra Jirma, no little difficulty was ex-
perienced in penetrating into the wood, which was
a close jungle of mangrove and other trees of that
description, whose roots and branches spread
themselves into the most fantastic shapes, and in-
terwove with each other in every direction, while
various procumbent plants crossed our path, and
the earth under them, which was a perfect morass,
gave way to the weight of our bodies, so that we
sunk nearly to our knees at every step.
174
Our eagerness for the discovery of some object
on which to exercise our skill in shooting, co-oper-
ating with a curiosity to discover something new?
led us insensibly a long way from the boat, till our
ardour began to yield to our fatigue ; and not being
successful in the objects of our pursuit, we shaped
our course, as near as we could judge, for the boat,
which, after great toil, we succeeded in regaining.
The trees composing this jungle were of a small
size, not exceeding, in any case, the bigness of a
man's body, generally much smaller, and very
hard. From the trunk of this species of tree, to
the height of six or eight feet, small elastic shoots
or tendrils are sent forth, and proceed in nearly a
horizontal direction till the extremities are from
one to three feet from the parent stock, when they
curve rather abruptly toward the earth ; on reach-
ing which, they take root, and become firmly fixed,
where they grow to a size proportionate to that of
the tree. These shoots are generally from twenty
to thirty in number, which, obscuring the main
trunk, give the tree the appearance of being ele-
vated on an artificial polypus. Some of the trees,
which are immediately on the border of the river,
are of a different description, and grow to a large
size.
We now proceeded to examine the pagoda near
which we had landed. It was placed immediately
on the bank, in the verge of the forest, above the
influx of the sea, and a small area had been cleared
round it. It was nothing more than a miserable
175
hut, of small dimensions and rude construction,
and contained two apartments. The frame was
composed of rough trunks of trees planted in the
earth, on which, at the height of ten feet, were
placed horizontally rafters of the same materials,
over which was raised the roof, thatched with
palm leaves. The walls were constructed of small
poles, closely interwoven with osiers. The floor-
ing, which was of hurdles, was raised about three
feet from the earth ; and in front of the house was
raised a platform, parallel with the floor, of the
same materials, about eight feet wide, and was
ascended by rough steps cut in a block of wood.
The entrance to the first room was from the plat-
form, through a large doorway. It was about
fifteen feet square. At the further end was a sort
of table of hewn planks, on one side of which was
seated a small wooden idol with an elephant's pro-
boscis, not unlike some of the objects of Hindoo
worship, but of most rude and disproportionate
manufacture. On the other side of the table was
the model of a junk about two and a half feet
long ; and on the table was placed a brazen censer,
and an earthen vessel half filled with ashes, in
which were stuck a number of matches, the upper
ends of which had been burnt. Several other
small images, mostly broken and otherwise muti-
lated, were lying about in confusion. The back
room was of smaller dimensions, and contained no
object of curiosity. In fact, the whole establish-
176
ment was in a ruinous state, and appeared to be
seldom visited.
On our return on board, we narrowly escaped
losing the boat, and probably our lives, among the
stakes of a fishing weir, against which we were
driven by the velocity of the current, in spite of
our most strenuous exertions to avoid them, A
manoeuvre saved us ; after being nearly upset by a
shock against one row of these stakes, from which
we escaped, another one of a more formidable
aspect was not far distant, toward which the cur-
rent was rapidly carrying us. At this moment,
the breeze being fresh, we abandoned our oars,
made sail, and stood directly for the objects that
we had before so ineffectually laboured to avoid ;
and selecting a part of the weir which appeared to
present the least resistance, the united propulsion
of the wind and current drove us with great vio-
lence against the stakes, which, by their elasticity,
gave way, and we passed over them with no other
damage than a small leak in the boat.
On relating our excursion to the linguist, in the
afternoon, while we were on shore at Canjeo, he
appeared to be astonished at our escape from the
tigers, of which vast numbers infest the woods ;
and told us, that the spot of ground around the
pagoda had been cleared beyond the leap of these
animals, on account of the depredations that had
been committed by them, previous to the adoption
of the precautionary measure of destroying their
177
coverts, and that any attempt to penetrate into the
jungle was considered imminently hazardous.
We were now told, that our messenger was ex-
pected to return from Saigon that evening, and it
was probable that no objection would be made to
the ships going up the river, provided we paid the
king's demand for anchorage, and the customary
sagouetes, or presents, to the viceroy and other
mandarins. On this subject we had been always
careful to preserve silence, and this was the first
time they had directly mentioned it to us. We
told them, that we would wait the return of the
messenger, after which we would be prepared to
give an answer ; stating, at the same time, that we
should be ready to do what was right and proper
in that respect. This answer being given, and
received as decisive, a pause ensued of a few mo-
ments' duration. After which a desultory convers-
ation took place, and many questions were asked
on both sides in regard to our respective countries,
customs, manners, productions, &c. Tea, sweet-
meats, areka, and cigars, were then placed before
us, and after gratifying them by partaking of their
hospitality, we took our leave, and strolled into
the village, accompanied by our interpreter. It
contains about one hundred huts, built of bamboos
and poles ; the roofs are thatched with palm leaves,
and the floors are of wattles, as before described,
raised three or four feet from the earth. Several
small creeks intersect the village, over which
bridges of a single plank each are thrown. The
N
178
interior of the houses is divided into two, and
sometimes three apartments. The outer one
answers the double purpose of kitchen and parlour,
and the inner is the dormitory, common to all the
family, where they repose on platforms of plank or
split bamboo, covered with mats, raised a few
inches from the flooring, and arranged round the
walls. Under the houses are enclosures for pigs,
ducks, fowls, &c., who receive their sustenance
through the floor, which, being quite open, per-
mits the offals of their meals, &c., to pass through,
without the trouble of sweeping. The inmates of
these filthy hovels are worthy of their habitations :
the women are coarse, dingy, and devoid of de-
cency ; the children are pot-bellied, and loathsome
from dirt, disease, and consequent deformity.
The men appear a shade better ; few, however,
were seen, being out fishing, which is the prin-
cipal support of the inhabitants. Qur curiosity
was soon satisfied, and we returned on board at an
early hour.
It was determined, on consultation this evening,
to man the Franklin's launch, which was armed
with a carronade on a slide, and proceed to Saigon
in her, should we receive no favourable answer
from thence on the following morning ; for we had
strong reasons to distrust their assurances, of having
communicated to the viceroy the circumstance of
our arrival in the river ; nor were we wrong in our
conjectures.
Our daily visit was made at an early hour the
179
next morning, and, as we had anticipated, no reply
had been received from above. We were received
with considerable coolness and affectation of dogged
indifference, to which we opposed a lofty and im^
perious demeanour. We demanded a boat in-
stantly to take us up the river, which they told us
would be granted, on our paying their demand of
a former day, which, if we refused to do, they
desired us to weigh anchor, and return from whence
we came. We were aware that this was an impo-
sition, and resolved not to yield to it, told them of
our determination of the preceding evening, and
that we would neither pay the money, nor go to sea,
till we had seen their masters, from whose lips we
were determined to receive the ultimatum. By the
change in their countenances at this declaration,
we found we had pursued a correct course to bend
them to our views, although they pretended to treat
our threat with disdain, and denounced war and
bloodshed, if we attempted to put our resolve into
execution. It was, however, evident, by their
earnest conversation together, and the remonstra-
tive gestures of the linguist, that we were on the
eve of gaining our point They now offered to
accept of one half of the demand, and permit one
person to go up in one of their boats, but as we had
not thought proper to succumb to their impositions
in the first instance, neither were we^now disposed
to listen to any qualification of them they should
propose. After some further discussion, we offered
to pay the expenses of a boat, to take two persons
N 2
180
to Saigon immediately, and to advance thirty
dollars to the mandarins and linguist, for which
amount they were to give an order on the govern-
ment at the city, to be deducted from our charges,
in the event of our proceeding up to it in the
ships ; and they, after a due proportion of doubling
and shifting, accepted the proposition. Mr. Put-
nam of the Marmion, and a sailor who spoke
Portuguese, were selected for this mission, as they
had before been there with Captain Blanchard,
and preparations were accordingly made for their
departure with the flood- tide ; and at six o'clock
in the evening they set out, accompanied with our
most earnest wishes for the success of their legation.
After having so narrowly escaped the tigers on
a former day, we had determined not to repeat our
excursion on the other side of the river ; and, as
we had seen a great number of monkeys of beau-
tiful colours in the copses near the village when
passing in our boats, we took our pieces on shore
to this place, with a view of shooting some speci-
mens, but they were too wary and nimble for us to
approach near enough for that purpose. We were,
however, not totally unsuccessful in our ramble, as
we filled our game-bags with parrots, parroquets,
sand birds, curlews, plovers, and several other
birds of beautiful plumage, to whose generic cha-
racters we were strangers.
On this occasion, a favourite spaniel strayed from
me, and as the strictest search we could make was
fruitless towards discovering him* we were reluc-
181
tantly obliged to leave poor Pinto behind, on our
return on board : we were, however, far from har-
bouring the idea of abandoning the faithful animal,
without another effort to recover him, and the lin-
guist was accordingly directed to offer the natives
a reward for him ; but so great was their dread of
the tigers, that none of them would undertake the
search ; nor were we surprised at their reluctance,
when the interpreter informed us, that all the
woods around the village were filled with these
animals, and that it was no unfrequent case for the
inhabitants to be carried off by them, and that we
might attribute our escape from their fangs to the
report of our guns, which had intimidated them.
It was not Pinto' s fate, however, to furnish food for
the tigers on this occasion ; for on the third day
after losing him, he was discovered on the beach,
by an officer in one of the boats, who was going on
shore to the bazar, but no effort they made could
induce the dog to come near them ; and it was not
till the boat had been sent the third time, with a
sailor who was a particular favourite of his, that we
regained possession of him ; but the most complete
metamorphosis had been effected in his character
and appearance, by his temporary separation from
us ; for from being a lively, playful, and bold dog,
he had now become dull, morose, and timid,
scarcely deigning to notice our caresses ; and, from
being round and fat, he had become in that short
time a mere skeleton. This anecdote, trifling in
itselfj I should not have mentioned, but for the
N 3
182
consequent light it threw on the proneness of these
people to superstitious ideas : for they gravely as-
sured us, that the tigers had bewitched the dog,
and that he was now endued with supernatural
powers, and should no longer be treated as a dog,
but as a being of superior intelligence.
On the first day of October, being the fifth since
our arrival, the interpreter came on board, and in-
formed us, that we might weigh our anchors, and
proceed as far as Nga-bay till we received permis-
sion to go up to the city. Nga-bay is a capacious
haven, formed by the confluence of the Don-nai
with several tributary and intersecting streams, and
was called by the Portuguese " Sete Bocas" or
Seven Mouths *, from the fact of so many entrances
to the different rivers being visible from a certain
point. We were not slow in taking advantage of
the permission, and at eleven A. M., the ebb-tide
abating of its strength, we weighed anchor, and
proceeded, with a light breeze, up the river. But
the frequent calms, which attended us during the
day, obliged us to anchor often, and at ten o'clock
in the evening we had only gained about three
miles from Canjeo, when we anchored for the
night in twenty-five fathoms of water, the river a
little diminished in breadth.
Besides the linguist, who was occasionally on
board each vessel, we had two soldiers, who
were to direct us how to steer, but had no com-
' Which is the translation of Nga-bay.
183
mand, which, with our time, was left entirely to
ourselves.
Our sails were scarcely furled, when two boats
were perceived coming down the river ; but so
many of the country vessels were about, that we
took but little notice of them, till our linguist be-
gan to manifest strong symptoms of trepidation,
and informed us that he feared they were ladrones
or pirates, with which, he said, the river abounded.
He had scarcely made this declaration, before we
were hailed in English, when we immediately re-
cognized the voice of Mr. Putnam, who proclaimed,
that he had been successful in his commission.
His joyful tidings were received with three hearty
cheers from both ships, and answered by the re-
verberations of a thousand echoes from the inter-
minable forests which were spread on each side of
us. He was accompanied by an old Portuguese,
called Joachim, who was born in Lisbon, but who
had not been in Europe within forty years. He
was married in Siam, and claimed that as his coun-
try, having abnegated his own. He had resided
some months at Saigon, which he visited on his
way home from Turon, where he had left a Por-
tuguese brig, in consequence of a quarrel with the
captain, as he stated. As he had made considerable
proficiency in the Onam language, and could talk
Portuguese and French fluently, he was considered
as a valuable acquisition.
We learnt that our delegate had been received
with great appearance of cordiality by the authori-
N 4
184
ties at the city, and every facility offered to the
furtherance of our views. He was assured that
there would be no difficulty in procuring cargoes
immediately; and in regard to the amount of
charges for anchorage, and presents to the man-
darins, we should have no reason to complain.
This assurance, though given in a vague and in-
definite form, we were fain to receive as propitious,
and determined to believe sincere.
According to arrangements made by ourselves,
Joachim was sent on board the ship, and the lin-
guist, who was a Christian Cochin Chinese, named
Marianno, was appropriated to the brig, (which
was to lead,) as pilot and interpreter.
Although the weather was now fine, the rainy
season was not past, and the river, swelled to over-
flowing, poured its yellow stream to the ocean with
accelerated velocity, paralyzing the operations of
the flood- tide, whose greatest effort could only pro-
duce a temporary stagnation, or cessation of its
current on the surface, for about three hours in the
twenty-four, so that little progress could be made
without the aid of a fresh and favourable breeze.
185
CHAP. XII.
Progress up the River of Don-nai. Visit from Officers of Govern*
ment. The Seven Mouths. Features of the Country. Fish
Concert. Ladrones. Remarks on the River. Coral Ledge.
Alligators. Hydrostatic Phenomenon. Violent Squall.
Arrival at the City of Saigon.
AT eleven o'clock the next morning, we again
weighed, and with a light air at south-west gained,
in two hours, about four miles, when we anchored
in eleven fathoms water. The country presented
no variation of aspect, excepting that which was
produced by our view being more circumscribed
by reason of the narrowing of the river, which was
about three quarters of a mile wide.
We were boarded this morning, while under sail,
by a large covered boat containing a number of
mandarins, one of which the linguist told us was a
commissary of marine. He was furnished with a
bundle of papers, and requested to be informed of
the name of the ship, to what country belonging,
what was our armament, what cargo we brought,
what articles of commerce we were in pursuit of,
and, fin ally, the name, age, and personal description,
of every individual on board ? Our answers to all
which questions were committed to paper by a
secretary in attendance, and thirteen copies were
taken by other writers in the train. To each of these
186
papers my signature was requested ; and after proper
explanations from the linguist, who urged me to^be
very careful in returning correct answers to all the
questions, I complied. Four of these papers, we
were told, were to be sent to the king. One was
for the viceroy, and the rest to be distributed
among different official mandarins in Saigon. After
having visited the Marmion on the same errand,
and procured her commander's signature to thirteen
other documents of the same nature, they took
their leave, in high bacchanalian glee.
With the flood-tide, in the night, we proceeded
about two miles further, when we again dropped
anchor, near the western bank of the river, in eight
fathoms water.
In the morning (October 3.) we found the stream
contracted to the breadth of half a mile, and that
we were lying just below the junction of two rapid
rivers. A large fleet of country vessels was moored
near us, waiting, like ourselves, the return of the
flood-tide ; and the constant occurrence, for a full
hour, of a line of others, in almost regular succession,
appearing round a point above, and passing us in
their way down the river, was novel and interesting.
We did not think of counting their number till
many had passed, but conjectured that there might
be from sixty to seventy in all.
The flood coming in at about ten o'clock, we again
weighed, and a few moments opened to us a view
of a large sheet of water, bearing the appearance
of a capacious estuary, with the foam of numerous
187
conflicting currents rippling upon its surface. This,
our linguist informed us, was Nga-bay, or Sete-bocas,
into which we were rapidly borne by a strong tide.
A pleasant breeze from the north filling our loftiest
sails, which overtopped the surrounding forests, we
were not long in passing it.
The prospects from this noble basin, though pos-
sessing few features of the sublime, were beautiful
and romantic. Lofty and venerable trees crowned
the points formed by the effluence of the several
streams, which, branching in various directions,
like so many radii from a centre, presented to view
long vistas, fringed on each side with foliage of
different shades of verdure, while their polished
surfaces reflected, with chastened beauty, the
varied tints of the impending forests.
From the contemplation of this fascinating scene,
our attention was diverted to a new and curious
phenomenon. Our ears were saluted by a variety
of sounds, resembling the deep bass of an organ,
accompanied by the hollow guttural chant of the
bull-frog, the heavy chime of a bell, and the tones
which imagination would give to an enormous Jew's
harp. This combination produced a thrilling sen-
sation on the nerves, and, as we fancied, a tremu-
lous motion in the vessel. The excitement of
great curiosity was visible on every white face on
board, and many were the sage speculations of the
sailors on this occasion. Anxious to discover the
cause of this gratuitous concert, I went into the
cabin, where I found the noise, which I soon
188
ascertained proceeded from the bottom of the
vessel, increased to a full and uninterrupted chorus.
The perceptions which occurred to me on this
occasion were similar to those produced by the
torpedo, or electric eel, which I had before felt.
But whether these feelings were caused by the con-
cussion of sound, or by actual vibrations in the
body of the vessel, I could neither then, nor since,
determine. In a few moments, the sounds, which
had commenced near the stern of the vessel,
became general throughout the whole length of
the bottom.
Our linguist informed us, that our admiration
was caused by a shoal of fish, of a flat oval form,
like a flounder, which, by a certain conformation
of the mouth, possesses the power of adhesion to
other objects in a wonderful degree, and that they
were peculiar to the Seven Mouths. But whether
the noises we heard were produced by any par-
ticular construction of the sonorific organs, or by
spasmodic vibrations of the body, he was ignorant.
Very shortly after leaving the basin, and entering
upon the branch through which our course lay, a
sensible diminution was perceived in the number
of our musical fellow- voyagers, and before we had
proceeded a mile they were no more heard.
The stream was now contracted to the breadth
of about two furlongs, and as the spring-tides were
in the river, our progress this day was somewhat
accelerated. In one of the reaches the wind blew
directly down, and obliged us to tack very fre-
189
quently, which evolution, had the river been shoal
near the banks, could not have been effected, for
want of sufficient room ; but the great depth of
water permitted us to stand quite home, on each
side, so that while going about, the branches of
the trees would overhang the decks, which were
strewed with their verdure.
At one o'clock, afternoon, the tide, making
down strongly, compelled us again to anchor. The
depth here was thirteen fathoms, and we had
gained, from our last station, about three and a
half miles. The current was stronger this day
than we had experienced since we entered the
river, running at the rate of six miles an hour.
During the whole of our progress on this truly
noble and excellent river, we had never found, in
the middle, less than eight fathoms of water, and
lying alongside the bank, with our yards inter-
locked with the trees, seldom as little as three
fathoms, and more frequently seven, eight, and
nine. The general depth, in the stream, was from
eight to fifteen fathoms, and the bottom soft ooze
throughout. In the basin of the Seven Mouths,
the depths found were from twelve to seventeen
fathoms. The principal precaution necessary, in
navigating the Don-nai, is to have boats ahead of
the ship, to tow in calms, or light winds, to prevent
her being drawn into the mouths of the numerous
streams which communicate with it, and to assist
in guiding her among the various intersecting cur-
rents caused thereby.
190
No variation had taken place in the features of
the country, since leaving Canjeo, and nothing was
visible from the deck, beyond the banks of the
river. From the mast-head might be perceived
to the eastward the rugged promontory of Cape
St. James, and the lofty mountain of Baria, " blue
in distance/' rearing their towering summits high
above the dark expanse, which the unbounded
forests presented, and which was only terminated,
in every other direction, by the distant horizon.
Several fleets of boats passed us, while we lay at
anchor, but no variation existed in their construe*
tion, or general appearance, from those we had
before seen.
Thousands of monkeys were chattering and
gamboling in the trees ; and with the glass we
could perceive several of them, perched among
the foliage, surveying, with great apparent interest,
the novel spectacle presented to their view. Many
birds were heard in the woods, and we saw a few
of beautifully variegated plumage.
Marianno, the interpreter, who had, ever since
our leaving Canjeo, expressed great fears of the
ladrones, which he told us infested the river, was
now unusually apprehensive of an attack by them,
as the Seven Mouths and vicinity, owing to the
facilities for attack and escape, presented by the
several streams, was a favourite resort of these
pirates. He told us several stories of vessels which
had been cut off by them ; and that a Siamese
junk, the preceding year, and which was then at
191
Saigon, had beat off a band of them, who had
boarded her, with the loss of many Jives on both
sides ; he therefore stated the absolute necessity of
a strict and vigilant watch during the night, and
desired us not to permit any boat to come along-
side after dark, as no honest people, he observed,
could want to visit us at that time. We assured
him, that the same vigilance would be pursued in
guarding against surprise, the whole time that we
might remain in the country, which he had had
constant opportunities of observing during the
time he had been with us, and that we should be
always ready to repel attacks from any quarter ;
this assurance appeared to give him great satisfac-
tion, and drew from him many compliments upon
our superior intelligence, vigilance, and prowess.
The musquitoes, which had been very trouble-
some every night since we had been in the river,
were now increased to an intolerable degree, and
effectually prevented our taking any comfortable re-
pose during the hours of darkness.
The night-tide bore us about two and a half
miles further on our journey, when we anchored in
eleven fathoms of water, near the principal branch
of the Dong Thrang river.
It was quite calm, and the heat was intense
during the whole of the 4th, and we gained but
about two and a half miles more, when we again
came to anchor, in eight fathoms. At the end of
our next stage, in the night, we found ourselves in
eleven fathoms, having performed three miles. A
192
small breeze from the westward enabled us to
gain four and a half miles the next day, and eleven
fathoms was the depth in which we anchored.
We had now approached within about half a
league of the only dangerous shoal in the river
Don-nai ; it is composed of hard coral rocks, and
stretches out from the eastern bank about half
way across the river, and is more than a mile long,
tapering gradually towards the shore, at each end;
it is never uncovered, having three feet water on it
at the lowest ebb. Great care is necessary in
passing this place, on account of the cross tides,
which course in every direction, and would drive
a ship upon the ledge, without the greatest vigi-
lance and exertion to keep near the western bank,
where there is a good though narrow channel,
with sounding of from seven to fifteen fathoms
throughout. It lies about half way from Canjeo to
Saigon, and is the haunt of innumerable alligators.
At midnight we again weighed anchor with the
flood, and with three boats ahead made consider-
able progress. At half past one we were abreast
the shoal, and by sweeping the trees on the
western bank with our yards passed through in
safety, and at four o'clock in the morning of the
6th anchored in thirteen fathoms water, about two
and a half miles above one of the large branches
of the river, having gained seven miles. The
shoalest water found in the channel was seven
fathoms, and that only at two casts of the lead.
Marianno told us that we were not exactly in the
193
deepest water, which was nearer the shoal, and that
a vessel might proceed through, and have no less
than nine fathoms in any part of the passage, but,
as there was quite enough where we had passed,
prudence dictated our avoiding a near approxima-
tion to the ledge.
As the Marmion had been left at some distance
astern, in the course of the last tide, we did not
weigh anchor on the sixth till more than an hour
after the commencement of the flood-tide, when,
her topgallant sails and royals, appearing over the
trees in the reach below us, we again lifted our
anchor and spread all our canvass to a gentle gale
from the south-west,
After proceeding about a mile, our eyes were
gratified, for the first time since passing Dong,
Ding, (a small assemblage of huts just above Can-
jeo,) with the appearance of a native dwelling,
though of the humblest description, on our left ;
after passing which a small distance, three others qf
the same kind, situated on the opposite side, came
in view. They were seated in the centre of a spot
of ground, cleared of jungle, comprehending a few
acres, around the bpr4ers of which were planted
cocoa and areka nut-trees. A woman was seen
guiding a plough drawn by a buffalo. Our linguist
told us, that she was preparing the land to sow
rice. In another quarter, bounded by ditches,
was presented a spacious field of rice in full vercjure,
waving with gentle undulations to the impulses of
the breeze. All the lands bordering on the Don,
P
194
nai, being low and irriguous, are particularly fa-
vourable to the growth of this article, so import-
ant to the comfort, and even the existence, of the
inhabitants.
The prospect now expanded, and presented on
the left another stream equally capacious with the
one on which we were sailing, and before us a noble
river, coursing, with silent majesty, between its
wooded banks, which were separated by the dis-
tance of a mile. This latter, we learnt, was the Rio
Grandee, or Great River, of which the other, called
the river of Soirap, as also the one on which we
then were, was a branch. We soon arrived near
the point of junction of the two branches, to which
we were rapidly approaching, when suddenly our
progress was arrested, and the vessel remained
fixed and motionless. At first, we were at a loss to
account for the cause of this curious incident.
The lead, which was constantly in motion, indi-
cated ten and a half fathoms, a sufficient depth to
prevent even terrestrial attraction from operating
upon us. In a moment, we were thrown round,
with the vessel's head in a contrary direction, and
carried with considerable force towards the eastern
bank, which, with the assistance of our sails and
the boats towing, we, however, avoided, and gained
the opposite side of the river, when we tacked, and
made a second attempt with the same ill success ;
and it was not till we made the third effort, that
we (cleared I cannot say) shaved the projecting
point on the eastern side, and entered the Great
195
River, where we continued driving up, with our
stern among the trees, in six or seven fathoms of
water, for more than half a mile above the point ;
nor could the united efforts of all the sails, filled
with a pleasant breeze, and two boats ahead, in all
this distance draw her off from the shore. At
length, a strong eddy, changing the direction of the
current, enabled us to gain the middle of the
river, where we proceeded without interruption,
I do not know if the solution which occurred to
me of the problem growing out of the effect just
mentioned is consistent with the established prin-
ciples of hydrostatics ; but as it appears to me
plausible, I am tempted to mention it The Soi-
rap, which is a very shallow stream, forming an
oblique angle with the Grand River, pours its rapid
tide diagonally across it, quite to the opposite bank.
The superincumbent mass of fresh water, yielding
to the impetus^ is thrown off on each side with con*
siderable force, causing rapid eddies, while the
fluid beneath, by its specific gravity, occasioned by
its saline impregnation with the waters of the
ocean, pursues, without interruption, its wonted
course. This difference in the qualities of the
waters is occasioned by the different degrees of
depth in the two streams ; the branch on which
we ascended being, as has been seen, very deep,
and the Soirap shallow and unnavigable for ships,
A bank of mud and sand, (evidently the alluvion
of the Soirap,) observed to be deposited on the
eastern side of the large river, just above the
o 2
196
junction, served to explain and confirm the above
theory.
The tide ran up much longer this day than it
had since we had entered the river, and at about
half past five o'clock in the afternoon we were
within half a mile of the entrance of that branch
of it on which the city of Saigon is situated,
For some hours a mass of heavy black clouds
had been accumulating in the northern quarter,
and had now assumed a very formidable aspect,
pouring forth vollies of heavy thunder, with fre-
quent coruscations of the most vivid lightning.
Some preparations were accordingly made to re-
ceive the impending storm ; but the interpreter
and his comrade, the soldier, assured us that no ap-
prehension need be entertained on account of these
ominous appearances ; for experience had taught
them the fallacy of them, as they were seldom fol-
lowed by much wind. Confiding in these assur-
ances, we pursued our course with all our canvass
spread to the breeze. In a few minutes, how-
ever, notwithstanding the assurances of our guides,
the tempest approached with a most threatening
aspect. The pregnant clouds, rolling forward with
great impetuosity, darkness almost impenetrable
succeeding the clear and tranquil twilight, en-
veloping in its dun shades the surrounding ob-
jects, the most tremendous thunder, bursting with
deafening peals over our heads, and the gleaming
lightning, in flashes of rapid succession, temporarily
depriving us of the powers of vision, were the im-
197
mediate precursors of the gale. Our sails were
reduced with the utmost dispatch, and preparations
made to cast anchor, as we could not distinguish
our guiding marks on the land. A vivid flash of
light at this moment disclosed the entrance of the
river, into which we steered, impelled by a violent
gale from the north, while the rain poured upon us
in cataracts, which compelled our late intrepid lin-
guist, who affected to despise the puny operations of
a squall, and his Majesty of Cochin China's valorous
and redoubtable soldier, to seek shelter below from
the " pelting of the pitiless storm ;" and no efforts
we could make inspired them with sufficient con-
fidence to be in any degree useful to us in directing
our course. We were consequently left entirely
to our own guidance, and pursued our rapid career
for near half an hour, on a very narrow and tor-
tuous stream, guided solely by the lightning's
glare, when we suddenly found that a circuitous
bend in the river rendered the wind adverse. The
heaviest anchor was immediately dropped, and the
vessel swung with impetuous force to the gale,
which raged with great fury, and rendered all our
efforts to secure the sails unsuccessful. The leads-
man, who had been ordered to sound from the
stern, found himself embowered in a thick forest,
which overhung that part of the ship ; but his line
indicated six and a half fathoms of water. The
storm continued for about half an hour after we
had anchored, with unabated fury, when the thun-
der began to roll away in distance. The visits of
o 3
198
the lightning* which had commenced with almost
uninterrupted flashes of intense brightness, and
filled the atmosphere with liquid fire, were now
*' few and far between," and presented the ap-
pearance of a lurid sheet of light. The tempest sub-
sided into a gentle gale, but the rain still descended
in torrents. We were now enabled to furl our sails,
and heave off to our anchor, where we lay secure,
in ten fathoms water. At midnight, the rain had
ceased, and the clouds dispersing before a pleasant
breeze from the north-east, presented to view a
blue sky, studded with innumerable stars, while
the delicious softness of the air, impregnated with
refreshing odours, excited the most agreeable sens-
ations. The distance gained with the last tide was
about nine miles.
At two o'clock, on the morning of the seventh,
we were again pursuing our course towards the
object of our destination, which was now not far
distant, and the dawn soon arriving, disclosed
scattered cottages, patches of cultivated grounds,
groves of cocoa and areka nut-trees, herds of buffa-
loes, fishing boats, and a distant forest of masts,
indicating our near approach to the city, below
which, at the distance of one mile, we dropped
anchor, at half past five, eight miles from our last
station, the river being about a quarter of a mile
in width.
From our present position, the linguist pointed
out, on our left, one of the gates of the citadel,
with its flag-staff, around which he told us was
spread the city of Saigon, but by reason of its
199
depressed situation, it was hidden from view, by
a row of miserable huts, extending along the bor-
ders of the river, on which was moored a vast
number of the craft of the country, and on the
opposite bank was perceived the suburb or village
of Banga, with a fleet of Siamese junks lying
before it.
As the Marmion had not been in sight since the
preceding morning, we were under serious appre-
hensions that some accident had overtaken her;
but our interpreter, on his return from the shore,
where he had been to visit his family, assured us
that she had been seen at anchor in the Grand
River, after the storm of the foregoing day.
An intimate view of the few huts on the bank,
within fifty yards of the place where we lay at
anchor, did not materially raise our opinions of
their domestic economy, or general habits, over
those we had formed of the inhabitants of Canjeo.
The appearance of several boats, of light and
airy construction, each, in many cases, managed by
a single woman, in picturesque costume, was novel
and pleasing ; while great numbers of the native
vessels, of different sizes, plying in various direc-
tions upon the stream, gave a busy and lively in-
terest to the scene.
Just below us, on both sides of the river, were
the ruins of ancient fortifications, with their
glads overgrown with shrubbery, and their moats
filled with reeds, shooting their taper leaves above
the " green mantle of the standing pool."
o 4
200
In the afterhobri of the seventh of October, at
four o'clock, we arrived, and moored before the
city of Saigon, on the Banga side, in nine fathoms
of water, at merely a sufficient distance from the
edge of the channel to swing clear with the turn-
ing of the tide. The distance we had sailed from
Cape St. James to the city of Saigon was fifty-nine
and a half miles, with the meanderings of the
river.
201
CHAP. XIII.
Visit to the Shore. A Native Dwelling.** Arrival of the Mar*
mion. Female Merchants. Local Scenery and Descriptions.
Preparations to visit the Authorities on Shore. Presents.
IN a few moments after we had moored, a covered
boat came alongside, and several people, who,
from their garb and number of attendants, ap-
peared to be of superior rank, came on board ; one
of whom, addressing us in good Spanish, congra-
tulated us on our arrival, and gave me an invitation
to his house, where, he said, the commanders of
the Macao ships had always lodged, before the
suspension of their trade with Cochin China. This
man, whose name he informed us was Pasqual,
was a Tagali, and a native of Lu9onia, where he
had been a soldier, but for the last twenty years
had been resident in different parts of Cochin
China. He was married to the daughter of a
mandarin of considerable rank at Don-nai, and
was settled in a house, a few yards distant from
the margin of the river nearest our station ; and as
he had been of some service to the former com-
mander of the Marmion, I accepted the invitation
to visit him at his abode, a part of which was visible
between the trunks of the areka-nut trees, and
shrubbery by which it was shaded.
A particular description of this dwelling, with
its appurtenances, will be sufficient to give a ge-
fceral idea of all those in the village of Banga, as well
as of three quarters of those in the city of Saigon.
On this side the river the banks had been washed
away from the edge of the channel, about fifty or
sixty feet, leaving a space of very soft mud, be-
tween low- water mark and dry land ; over this
mud flat were erected, at short distances apart,
causeways, or stages, constructed of crutched
trunks of trees, driven into the earth, supporting
rafters of rough timber, on which were laid plat-
forms of hewn plank, to facilitate the intercourse
between the river and shore. The platforms are
elevated above the highest tides, which rise about
twelve feet ; and a rude ladder, at the end nearest
the channel, renders access to them perfectly easy
at all times of tide. By one of those erections we
gained the shore, and entered by a gate of planks,
through an enclosure, seven feet high, composed
of poles, of from one to two inches in diameter,
placed vertically within two inches of each other,
and crossed above and below, by other poles, to
which they were attached by withes. The whole
was secured by ligatures of rattan, to posts, planted
in the earth at convenient distances.
The house was situated in the centre of the en-
closure, which was nearly square, containing less
than half an acre, and planted with areka nut-trees.
A few straggling plants were scattered about with-
out any regard to order or regularity. Some loose
stones were laid from the gateway to the house,
over which we contrived, with some difficulty, to
203
pass dryshod, the circumjacent grounds being
completely inundated by the heavy rains which
had recently fallen.
The t habitation was about twenty-five by thirty
feet square, and was raised two and a half feet
from the earth. It was of one story, composed
of rough frame- work covered with boards, and its
roof, which consisted of a thatching of palm leaves,
projected about ten feet outside the walls, and de-
scended so low as to render it necessary to stoop
in passing under it. To the lower extremity, or
eaves, were attached, by ligatures of rattan, screens
of matting, projecting, in a horizontal direction,
several feet beyond the roof, and supported at the
exterior edges by poles placed erect on the earth,
and which could be removed at pleasure, to permit
the outer part of the screen to fall to the ground,
and form a complete enclosure to the dwelling.
On each side of the door, in the front, was a large
square aperture, or window, which in the night
was secured by folding blinds of boards, swinging
horizontally on clumsy iron hinges. Under each
of these windows, on the outside, was placed,
against the wall of the house, and on a line with
the floor, a platform of massy plank about eight
feet long by five broad. It was supported by posts
driven into the earth, which latter, by constant
wear, was very hard and smooth. These platforms
were covered with mats, and several leather
cushions, painted red, and stuffed with rice husks,
were lying on them. This veranda, or pent-
204
house, is the general parlour, or sitting room of
the mansion. On the platforms its inmates and
their guests squat cross-legged around their fa-
vourite areka, &c., while tea is passed round by the
domestics. Inside the walls, a corridor, or gal-
lery, extended quite round the house, enclosing in
the centre an insulated construction of planks,
divided into several small cabins, or sleeping places.
The bottoms of these dormitories were composed
of planks, raised a foot from the floor, and covered
with mats ; screens of the same fabric were sus-
pended at the entrances. Pasqual being a Roman
Catholic, one of these recesses was appropriated to
religious purposes, and a lamp was burning before
a crucifix. A wooden virgin, and several painted
saints, were arranged round on a kind of clumsy
bureau. The floor of the house was of wattles,
and the only canopy the roof. The almost total
absence of light and fresh air rendered the abode
dreary and noisome. From the gable end, on the
left, projected a thatched roof, covering an area
thirty feet square, with a raised earthen floor.
This apartment was appropriated to culinary and
other domestic purposes. On one side was a
machine for clearing rice from the husk ; it was,
in fact, a huge mortar and pestle,
The mortar, which was placed firm on the earth,
was an excavated block of wood of three feet in
'diameter, and two and a half feet deep, of which
the cavity, or basin, occupied a large proportion.
The pestle was a rough beam, about seven inches
square, and ten feet long; at one extremity of
which was attached, laterally, a heavy block of
wood in the form of a truncated cone, with its
base next the beam. This construction was placed
on a wooden pivot, driven through two parallel,
upright posts, planted one foot apart in the earth,
and served as a fulcrum to the pestle ; the motion
being communicated by a person at the extremity
farthest from the mortar, by placing one foot upon
the beam, and alternately pressing and relaxing it.
The preponderance of the heavy armed point,
augmented by the pivot's being placed near the
operator, causes it to descend with great force
upon the mortar, by which means the rice is ef-
fectually separated from its coat; a great proportion
of the kernels are, however, broken by this primi-
tive mode of operation, and the process is slow.
On the other side of the apartment was a range
of large jars, containing fresh water caught from
the roof of the house in rainy weather. Contiguous
to these were several smaller jars, whose contents,
our noses informed us, was fish-pickle of the kind
heretofore mentioned. In a corner was suspended
a hammock of net-work, composed of the fibres
of the pine-apple leaf, in which was sleeping a
miserable child, covered with filth and vermin, and
emaciated with disease.
On one side were severaljsmall fire-places, or
hearths, of rough stones, where the family-dinner
was preparing in earthen vessels ; and opposite
this place was a platform similar to those before
206
described, on which they eat their food, which con-
sists, generally, of boiled rice, garnished with small
dishes of boiled and stewed ducks and fowls, fried,
boiled, and stewed yams and sweet potatoes, a kind
of rice-jelly, and a full proportion of confectionary
of various kinds. They eat with chop-sticks and
porcupine-quills; the latter are used to transfix
the pieces of meat, which, previous to mastication,
are plunged into a bowl of their favourite condi-
ment, fish-pickle, which is placed on the centre of
the board, arid common to all the partakers.
Their constant beverage is tea, and a kind of
whiskey made of rice. In the poorest families, a
species of tea of inferior quality, with a very large
leaf, indigenous in the division of Hue, and called
Cha Hue *, is used. Their best tea is imported from
China, and the black kind is in the greatest request.
Pasqual's daughter, a coarse girl of nineteen, was
seated in a corner, weaving a sort of rough silk
stuff, of a yellowish colour, about eighteen inches
wide. The loom, though of a rude construction,
did not differ materially in principle from ours.
Among the members of the family, whose curi-
osity were excited by the novelty of the spectacle
which we presented, there was a blear-eyed old
woman, furrowed and smoke-dried, whose blackened
and lank jaws, and gums "sans teeth," "grinned
horribly a ghastly smile." A few hoary elf-locks
undulated on her palsied pate, whose vibrations,
which at first view might have been mistaken for
* Tea
207
courtesy, were by no means in unison with the hag-
like expression of her visage. This superstructure
was placed on a pedestal, which resembled one of
those curiously carved balusters which decorate
the staircases of some old-fashioned mansions, ac-
cording to that laudable style of architecture which
has now, unhappily, become obsolete. The shape
of the base, for she was sitting, "if shape it might
be called," resembled a mass of matter which had
undergone the process of fusion.
After having gratified our curiosity, in examining
the various objects which were presented to view
in the interior of the house, we were reconducted
to the veranda, where tea and confectionary were
presented us. A female figure of ample propor-
tions and a smiling countenance was our Hebe.
She was about sixteen, and a ward of our host.
Her father, who was absent, was a native of Macao,
and her mother (who was dead) a Cochin Chinese.
She was the most interesting object we had seen
among these people ; but our feelings of compla-
cency were not a little deranged when, approaching
us with her offering of tea and betel, "we nosed her
atmosphere." She was dressed in black-silk trow-
sers, and a tunic, or robe, which descended nearly
to her ancles. Her hair, glossy with cocoa-nut oil,
was tastefully gathered into a knot on the top of her
head, which was encircled with a turban of black
crape. Her face and neck, guiltless of meretricious
ornaments, were, however, decorated with varie-
gated streaks, the accidental accumulation of ex-
208
traneous matter which had come in contact with
them. Her feet were naked and indurated, and
the forefinger of each hand was armed with an
opaque claw two inches in length.
Two or three other females, among whom was
our hostess, whose dress and appearance did not
materially differ from what I have just described,
hovered round us with marks of eager curiosity and
open mouths, which discovered their straggling
fangs, blackened with areka and betel.
Several mangy and disgusting curs were lying
about in every direction, which on our approach
set up the most dismal yells, and fled from us with
great precipitation, entrenching themselves behind
various objects, from whence they regaled us with
a continual yelping, during our visit.
Pigs, fowls, and ducks, were perambulating the
premises, and had free access to every part of the
mansion.
Observing the elder females in deep discussion,
and perceiving, by their manner, that we were the
subject of their conversation, we were informed, on
enquiring of Pasqual, that they were merchants, and
had assembled at his house for the purpose of
making arrangements for the despatch of our busi-
ness ; and that they desired to know, what merchan-
dise we were in pursuit of, what price we intended
to give for sugar and other articles, &c. But we
being unwilling to evince any anxiety to commence
business, and determined not to communicate our
views to them, until after the arrival of the Marmion,
209
and an interview with the government, pleaded
fatigue as an excuse, and returned on board, after
a visit of about two hours.
The novelty of the various objects which were
presented to view kept our curiosity awake during
the remainder of the day. Boats of light and airy
construction, each composed of the single trunk
of a tree, and navigated in most cases by one.
woman, were plying on the river. Their mode of
managing these boats is admirably adroit, and the
application of the power of propulsion novel. A
long and very elastic oar, confined by ligatures of
rattan to an upright stake, at about the height of
two feet from the gunwale, or side of the boat,
near the stern, is pushed forward by the operator
till it becomes nearly parallel with the boat's side j
when, by a skilful inflection, it not only counter-
acts the effects which arise from the impulse being
confined to one side of the boat, but performs the
office of a scull, on its return to its original po-
sition, thereby preserving the momentum and in-
tended direction of the boat. Several of these
boats came alongside, laden with a great variety
of the choicest tropical fruits, and many other ar-
ticles of food. Among the fruits we noticed plan-
tains, bananas, pine-apples, oranges of various
kinds, lemons, limes, guavas, jacks, mangoes, shad-
docks, or pamplenuses, and pomegranates ; sweet
potatoes, yams, and sugar-cane, were also offered
us. Several kinds of confectionary constituted no
inconsiderable proportion of this assortment ; and
p
210
some baskets, filled with thin, round, gelatinous
cakes, of a snowy whiteness, made of rice, at-
tracted our attention, and invited our palates, but
they were found insipid. We purchased a quantity
of a species of orange, which none of us had before
seen, and which proved to be of a most delicious
flavour ; they are of large size, of a most rich gold
colour, and seedless ; and so juicy, that the least
puncture would cause it to flow abundantly ; and
frequent experiments proved, that the juice of a
single orange would fill a moderate-sized tumbler
to the brim. We were told that this fruit was in-
digenous to Siam, Cambodia, and Don-nai. *
Boats of a similar construction to those just de-
scribed, laden with large matting sacks, resembling,
in size and appearance, the cotton bags of our
southern states, were floating on the stream, and
the frequent cry of CM-Hue, from their proprie-
tors, proclaimed their avocation.
Fishing boats of various sizes, with nets sus-
pended upon two long poles, spread open like a
pair of shears, and turning vertically upon a ful-
crum, in the bows, were scooping under the bot-
toms of the larger vessels, and were very successful
in taking a species of small fish, which, from their
habits, we could never prevail on ourselves to
taste.
Another mode of fishing was practised, by sus-
pending a seine to each end of a large log, fifty
* But Dampier mentions the same kind of fruit as being pro-
'duced in Tonquin.
211
feet long, projecting from the bank of the river
horizontally, a foot above high-water mark, at
right angles with the stream, and secured to
transverse piles, driven into the bed of the river 9
the greatest proportion of the fish taken in this
manner were the highly esteemed mango-fish of
Bengal : they were of large size, and delicious
flavour.
Several boats, each with nine rowers, passed us
with amazing rapidity, on their way to Saigon ;
and the uniformity in their conical caps, of palm
leaves, and their mode of rowing, designated these
as fishermen from Cape St. James and its vicinity,
who supply the bazars with sea-fish. These people
do not, as our seamen term it, keep stroke, but
push in regular succession, beginning with the oar
nearest the stern, and progressing alternately, on
each side, to the bowman, when the stern rower
again commences, and so on ; by this constant
impulse, an uninterupted momentum is produced,
and they travel with great velocity, frequently
making a passage from the sea to Saigon in one
tide.
Other craft, laden with huge jars containing
dainmer, or pitch, tar, and other resins, wood oil,
paints, &c., were seen, plying among the larger
vessels, ready to supply any who might be in want
of their commodities ; and a jar of hot pitch was
constantly kept upon a fire, in the middle of the
boat, ready for immediate use. The people who
p 2
deal in these combustible articles are not allowed
to keep their stores on shore, but reside in houses,
built on rafts of bamboo, and moored in the stream,
Jo strong posts driven into the earth, assisted by
rattan cables, attached to wooden anchors, planted
in the bed of the river.
We observed, that many of the larger craft had
flower-pots placed on a projection over the stern,
in which were growing rice and a species of lily.
We never could ascertain precisely the origin or
cause of this custom ; but learnt generally, that it
was connected with some religious or superstitious
idea.
To these objects, we may add immense rafts of
timber, bamboos, and new canoes, from various
parts of the country, constantly arriving at the
metropolis; and* the boats laden with fire-wood
for the same destination were innumerable. The
old cry of Mot quan now saluted our ears, and on
turning towards it, we found it to proceed from a
mandarin's galley coming up the river, The
meaning of this monotonous interjection, which
had before (as has been mentioned) excited our
attention, we now learnt, was caused by a feeling
of reproachful derision towards the government,
excited by the scantiness of the pay of the rowers,
(one quan per month,) who were soldiers, and
from whom the tones proceeded. The presence of
a mandarin of high rank was no restraint on these
people ; and in many subsequent instances, on va-
213
rious occasions, we witnessed similar effusions,
which were not only tolerated, but appeared to be
encouraged by their superiors.
The boats, belonging to the larger country ves-
sels, amused us by their singular form and con-
struction ; the former being the longitudinal section
of an oblate spheroid, and the latter of wicker-
work, covered with gul-gul. *
A singular species -of amusement, and a proof of
filthy abandonment, was exhibited in the fruit boats,
and others navigated by more than one woman.
This was no other than hunting the vermin on each
other's heads, for a bonne bouche, in which they
were very successful, and the game appeared to
be highly relished. We afterwards found that this
recreation was not a monopoly of the lower orders,
but participated in by ladies of high rank. Ab
una disce omnes.
As the maritime commerce of Cochin China,
like that of many other parts of Asia, is regulated
by the monsoons, their vessels, after making a
passage from one port to another, are, till the
return of the periodical favourable winds, laid up,
and disposed of in different ways. Some are so
constructed, that the component parts are separated
from each other, and placed under cover : of this
description are those whose timbers are covered
with matting or basket-work. Those of a more
firm and complicated construction, are either
* A mixture of oil, pitch, and lime.
P 3
forced into docks excavated in the banks of the
river, as is the mode in Bengal, or hauled up on
shore by means of pullies and rollers, where they
are propped up on their keels, and covered with
mats. We witnessed, at different times, all these
modes of operation, which were executed with
great dexterity and mechanical intelligence. Some
of these vessels were of the burden of eighty tons.
As in China, though the proportion is much less,
a part of the population of this country lives on
the water. In many cases, a family occupies a
boat, which is their only home, and sole means of
support, either by fishing, trafficking in fruits and
small wares, by plying with passengers, or in at-
tendance on the Chinese and other foreign vessels.
For the latter service they are, for various reasons,
always preferred by strangers, to the use of their
own boats. Among the most cogent, we may
enumerate their intimate acquaintance with the
river, their greater or less knowledge of the eastern
Portuguese dialect, thereby being enabled to act
as interpreters to those who cannot speak the
Onamese language, (for in most cases we find one
or more on board an American or European ship
in the India trade, who can understand and speak
some words of Portuguese,) their superior power,
from nativity and habit, of resisting the deleterious
effects of a tropical sun and nocturnal miasmata ;
to say nothing of the saving of wear and tear, and
last, though not least, the extreme cheapness of
these conveniences. We hired one of them with
215
a roof covering the middle of it, securing the
passenger from the effects of the sun and weather,
navigated by three women, (mother and daugh-
ters,) for fifteen quans per month. They are not
only occupied in plying between the ship and
shore, or other vessels, but are called upon, and
used in all other duty incident to a ship's boats in
port.
A message was sent to the acting viceroy or go-
vernor, (the viceroy being absent on a visit to the
king,) announcing the arrival at Saigon of the
Franklin, and our intention of making him a visit
when the Marmion should join us ; which was
answered with congratulations, assurances of pro-
tection, offers of services, and an invitation for the
commanders and officers of both vessels to an
audience, as soon as it should suit our convenience.
These were accompanied with some demi-official
enquiries, on their part, in regard to etiquette,
presents, &c. which we thought proper to waive
for the present.
The weather was sultry, with frequent showers.
The thermometer, at noon, stood at 85, and in the
night, at about 80 Fahrenheit
A pressing invitation from Pasqual induced us
to take our lodgings at his house, where we (Mr.
Bessel and myself) sent our own mattresses ; but
the noisome stench and vermin, combined with our
anxiety for the arrival of the Marmion, effectually
prevented our sleeping. The morning tide re-
lieved us from the latter object of disquietude, as it
p 4
216
brought the ship up, and she moored just above us.
She had experienced the bad weather before re-
lated, but escaped without injury, though in great
danger, having drifted some distance, with two
anchors ahead, in the great river, and from the
violence of the wind not being able to furl her
sails till the gale was ended.
The captain and supercargo of the Marmion
joined us on shore immediately on their arrival,
and we were shortly surrounded by a bevy of old
women, soliciting employment as merchandise
brokers, and offering us assistance in purchasing
our cargoes. Our increased knowledge of the arts
of these people kept us on our guard, and we ex-
pressed little or no anxiety to trade, being deter-
mined to visit the authorities in the city previous
to taking any other steps, for which purpose we
made immediate preparations.
Our first object was to establish the mode of
presentation, as we had been told, that the most
degrading obeisances would be exacted from us ;
accordingly, the interpreters were despatched to
the governor, acquainting him with our readiness
to wait on him, and to use the same external marks
of respect and ceremony, which we should practise
in our own country, on a similar occasion. An
answer was soon returned, that, although their
usages required from all ambassadors, and others
who visited the country, prostrations and genu-
flexions, the most profound and abject, yet, in
consideration of our being strangers, and not dis*
217
ciplined in their forms of etiquette, the governor
would dispense with this ceremony in our case, and
only required, on our introduction, three bows, the
manner of performing which was illustrated by the
interpreters ; they remarked, at the same time, that
their punctilio had never been objected to by the
Portuguese, Chinese, Siamese, and other strangers
who had visited their country, consequently, we
should view it as a mark of great condescension.
As no reasonable objection could be made to this
proposal, which was merely a small extension of
our own, (of making one bow,) we readily acceded
to it. In the selection of presents, we were much
annoyed by the presence of the linguists, and the
she-merchants, who had followed us on board.
We were finally obliged to turn them on deck,
and place a guard at the cabin-door, to get rid of
their importunities, when we pursued our work
unobserved.
Four globe lamps, four elegant cut-glass decan-
ters, a pair of pistols, some wine-glasses, tumblers,
perfumery, cordials, wine, a few bottles of rum,
and a handsome ornamented box to contain his
betel, areka, and chunam, were the articles which
we chose to present to the acting viceroy.
218
CHAP. XIV.
Landing at Saigon and Progress through the City. Royal
Palace. Citadel. ' Reception by the acting Governor
Topographical Description of Saigon and its Environs.
Elephants.- Abundance in the Bazars. Fruits. Rudeness
of the Natives.
ON the ninth of October, at nine o'clock in the
morning, we embarked in our boats, and proceeded
across the river, through a fleet of several hundred
of the country craft, lying before the city ; during
which time, our noses were saluted with the per-
fumes of fish-pickle, and other agreeabks proceed-
ing from them. Our eyes, amused by the crowds
of natives in the different vessels and lining the
bank of the river, who flocked to see the don-ong-
olan, or olan-ben-tai, strangers from the West, or
white strangers j while our ears were greatly an-
noyed, by the constant and vociferous bursts of
admiration, which our appearance excited.
Our party consisted of the commanders of both
vessels, with the two young gentlemen, Messrs.
Putnam and Bessel, a sailor of the Marmion, who
spoke the Portuguese language well, old Joachim,
the Portuguese pilot, a commissary of marine, and
four other mandarins ; the whole preceded by three
of the government linguists, bearing the presents.
We landed at a great bazar or market-place, well
219
supplied with fruits and various other commodities,
exposed for sale by women scattered about without
order or regularity, each one the focus of her own
little domain. Some of these locations were covered
with screens of matting, erected on bamboos, to
protect the occupants and their wares from the
rays of a burning sun. From thence, our route lay
through a spacious and regular street, lined with
houses of various descriptions, some of which were
of wood, and covered with tiles, and were tolerably
decent ; others were of the most humble descrip-
tion, and none of them exceeded the height of one
story. A few had enclosed courts in front, but
they were generally placed close on the street.
Toiling under a scorching sun, through a street
strewed with every species of filth ; beset by
thousands of yelping, mangy curs ; stunned alike
by them and the vociferations of an immense con-
course of the wondering natives, whose rude cu-
riosity in touching and handling every part of our
dress, and feeling our hands and faces, we were
frequently obliged to chastise w r ith our canes ;
the amusement of repelling a few of the dogs, with
the swords in our canes, (which, however, made no
impression of fear on the survivors,) and the va-
rious undefinable odours, which were in constant
circulation, were among the amenities which were
presented us on this our first excursion into the city.
At the end of the first street, however, the scene
changed to one of a more pleasing nature. Our
route lay through a serpentine covered way, walled
220
with brick, and cut nearly a quarter of a mile
through a gentle acclivity, covered with verdure,
on our arrival at which, the native canaille, biped
and quadruped, left us, and we soon arrived, by a
handsome bridge of stone and earth, thrown over a
deep and broad moat, to the south-east gate of the
citadel, or more properly, perhaps, the military city;
for its walls, which are of brick and earth, about
twenty feet high, and of immense thickness, en-
close a level quadrilateral area, of nearly three
quarters of a mile in extent, on each side. Here
the viceroy and all military officers reside, and
there are spacious and commodious barracks, suf-
ficient to quarter fifty thousand troops. The re-
gal palace stands in the centre of the city, on a
beautiful green, and is, with its grounds of about
eight acres, enclosed by a high paling. It is an
oblong building, of about one hundred by sixty feet
square, constructed principally of brick, with ve-
randas enclosed with screens of matting : it stands
about six feet from the ground, on a foundation of
brick, and is accessible by a flight of massy
wooden steps.
On each side, in front of the palace, and about
one hundred feet from it, is a square watch-tower,
of about thirty feet high, containing a large bell.
In the rear of the palace, at the distance of about
one hundred and fifty feet, is another erection of
nearly the same magnitude, containing the apart-
ments of the women, and domestic offices of various
kinds ; the roofs covered with glazed tile, and or-
namented with dragons, and other monsters, as in
China. This establishment is devoted to the use of
the king and royal family, who have never visited
Saigon since the civil wars ; it has, consequently,
during that period, not been occupied. It is, how-
ever, used as a place of deposit for the provincial
archives, and the royal seal ; and all important
business, requiring this appendage, is here con-
summated. On passing these buildings we were
directed by the attendant mandarins, who set the
example, to lower our umbrellas, by way of salute
to the vacant habitation of the " Son of Heaven."
We shortly arrived before the palace of the go-
vernor, and were shown into a guard-house opposite,
where we were told we must remain till our arrival
should be announced ; for which purpose a man-
darin and a linguist were despatched. We had not
been long waiting when we were informed that the
great personage within was ready to receive us.
We entered the enclosure by a gateway in the high
paling surrounding the governor's residence ; in
front of which, at the distance of ten feet, was a
small oblong building parallel with the gateway,
and apparently placed there as a mask. After we
had passed this erection, we found ourselves in a
spacious court, and directly in front of us, at about
one hundred and fifty feet from the entrance, was
the governor's house, a large quadrilateral building,
eighty feet square, and covered with tiles. From
the eaves in front continued a gently sloping roof
of tiles, to the distance of sixty feet, supported by
222
round pillars of rosewood beautifully polished.
The sides of this area were hung with screens of
bamboo. At right angles with the main building
were placed (three on each side of the centre)
platforms, raised about a foot from the floor,
which was of hard, smooth earth. These platforms
were each about forty-five feet long, and four feet
wide, constructed of two planks, five inches thick,
nicely joined together and highly polished. Be-
tween these two ranges of platforms, at the far-
ther end of the area, was another platform, raised
three feet from the floor, composed of a single
plank, six by ten feet square, and about ten inches
thick, resembling boxwood in colour and texture,
and from almost constant attrition, reflecting ad-
jacent objects with nearly the fidelity of a mirror.
On this elevation was seated, in the Asiatic style,
cross-legged, and stroking his thin white beard,
the acting governor ; a meagre, wrinkled, cautious-
looking old man, whose countenance, though re-
lenting into a dubious smile, indicated any thing
but fair dealing and sincerity. On the platforms,
on each side, were seated, their different degrees
of rank indicated by their proximity to the august
representative of the sovereign, mandarins and offi-
cers of state of various dignity. Files of soldiers,
with their two-handed swords, and shields covered
with indurated buffalo hides, highly varnished, and
studded with iron knobs, were drawn up in various
parts of the hall. We walked directly up in front
till we arrived at the entrance of the central vista,
223
between the ranges of platforms on each side of the
throne, when we doffed our beavers, and made three
respectful bows in the European style, which salut-
ation was returned by the governor by a slow and
profound inclination of the head. After which he
directed the linguists to escort us to a bamboo
settee on his right hand, in a range with which were
also some chairs, of apparently Chinese fabric,
which the linguists told us had been placed there
expressly for our accommodation. A motion of
the governor's hand indicated a desire that we
should be seated, with which we complied. The
linguists then proceeded to the foot of the throne
with the presents, which they held over their heads,
in a kneeling posture, while the different articles
were passed to him by several attendants in waiting.
After attentively viewing each article separately,
with marks of evident pleasure, he expressed great
satisfaction, and welcomed us in a very gracious
manner, making many enquiries of our health, the
length of our voyage, the distance of our country
from Onam, the object of our visit, &c. After
satisfying him in these particulars', he promised us
every facility in the prosecution of our views. Tea,
sweetmeats, areka, and betel, were passed to us,
and we vainly attempted to introduce the subject
of sagouetes *, and port-charges for anchorage,
tonnage, &c. (the rate of which we wished to have
established,) all recurrence to these subjects being
* Presents.
artfully waived by him for the present j and, he
promising to satisfy us at the next interview, we
took our leave, and, as it was still early in the day,
we proceeded to gratify our curiosity by a walk
through the city.
On our return towards the great southern gate
by which we had entered, we passed a large Bun-
galo *, under which were arranged about two
hundred and fifty pieces of cannon, of various ca-
libres and fashions, many of them brass, and princi-
pally of European manufacture, generally mounted
on ship- carriages in different stages of decay.
Among them we noticed a train of about a dozen
pieces of field-artillery, each marked with three
Jleurs de Us, and bearing an inscriptions importing
that they were cast in the reign of Louis XIV.,
in tolerable preservation. Near this place was a
sham battery of wooden guns for exercise ; and at
the main guard, near the gate, were several soldiers
undergoing the punishment of the caungue, and
on this occasion we understood that the caungues of
the military were made of bamboo, and those used
for other offenders were of a species of heavy
black wood. On the north side of the eastern gate,
was a bastion with a flag-staff, where the Onamese
colours are displayed on the first day of the new
moon, and on other occasions.
The gates, of which there are four, are very
strong, and studded with iron, in the European
* A light airy building, constructed generally of bamboo, and
roofed with thatch.
225
style ; and the bridges thrown across the moat,
are decorated with various military and religious
bas reliefs on pannels of masons' work. Over the
gates, are square buildings with tiled roofs, and a
stairway leading to the top of the ramparts, on
each side of the gate, inside the wall.
In the western quarter of the area, within the
walls, is a cemetery, containing several barbarously
splendid mausoleums of mandarins in the Chinese
style. Some of them bear inscriptions and effigies
on stone, of very tolerable sculpture.
In the north-eastern section are six immense
buildings, enclosed with palings, separate from
each other. They are each about one hundred
and twenty feet long, by eighty feet wide. The
roofs, composed of rafters of great strength, co-
vered with glazed tiles, are supported by abutting
columns of brick, the intervals being filled with
massy wood-work. The walls are about 18 feet
high. These are the magazines of naval and mili-
tary stores, provisions, arms, &c.
Many small groups of soldiers' huts were scat-
tered about within the walls, situated in a pictur-
esque manner among the foliage of various tropical
plants. Among others, we noticed several clumps
of the castor bean.
Many pleasant walks are laid out in various di-
rections, planted on each side, with the palmaria,
a beautiful plant, resembling a pear-tree, bearing
a profusion of white odoriferous flowers, which, in
October and November, impregnate the air to a
Q
226
great distance with their perfume. From these
flowers, the natives extract an oil, which by them
is considered a panacea for all kinds of wounds.
On the declivity, outside the gate, through which
the tortuous covered way is cut, were several of the
royal elephants grazing, attended by their drivers,
who were sitting on their necks ; some of these
beasts were of immense size, indeed much larger
than any I had ever seen in any part of India.
The drivers, or rather attendants, of these huge
animals, are provided with a small tube of wood,
closed at each end, equidistant from which is a
round lateral aperture, into which they blow, and
produce a noise similar to blowing into the bung-
hole of an empty cask, for the purpose of warning
passengers, or others, of their approach, for they
seldom give themselves the trouble to turn aside
for any small impediment in their path ; and it was
amusing to see the old women and others in the
bazars, on hearing the approach of an elephant-
horn, gather up their wares, and retreat, mutter-
ing, to a respectful distance, while the animal was
passing to and from the river-side, where they re-
sorted to drink. On passing us they would slacken
their pace, and view, with great apparent interest,
objects so unusual as our white faces and European
garb presented ; nor were we totally divested of
some degree of apprehension at first, from the in-
tense gaze, and marked attention of these enormous
beasts. Indeed, the Onamese appeared to fear
some accident might accrue to us from our novel
227
appearance, and advised us to assume the costume
of the country, to prevent any accident ; which
advice we generally hereafter complied with, at
which they were always highly gratified, viewing
it as a compliment. Nor was this unattended with
other advantages, for our dresses were those of
civil mandarins of the second order, which gained
us greater respect from the populace. The dress
worn by me is now in the museum of the " East
India Marine Society" of Salem.
We passed through several bazars, well stocked
with fresh pork, poultry, fresh and salt water fish,
and a great variety of fine tropical fruits. Vege-
tables, some of which had never before been es-
teemed as edible, were exposed for sale. The
Onamese, like the French, eat many legumes and
herbs which we generally reject.
Our attention was excited by the vociferations
of an old woman, who filled the bazar with her
complaints. A soldier was standing near her,
loaded with fruits, vegetables, and poultry, listen-
ing to her with great nonchalance. She finally
ceased, from exhaustion, when the soldier, laugh-
ing heartily, left the stall, and proceeded to an-
other, where he began to select what best suited
him, adding to his former store. We observed,
that in the direction he was moving, the proprie-
tors of the stalls were engaged in secreting their
best commodities. On enquiry, we found that the
depredator was authorised, without fear of appeal,
to cater for his master, a mandarin of high rank,
Q 2
228
and his exactions were levied at his own discretion,
and without any remuneration being given. This,
we afterwards found, was a common and universal
practice. There was, however, great partiality ob-
served in the exactions ; for we had frequent op-
portunities to notice, that poor old women were the
victims of their extortion, while young girls were
passed by with a smile or salutation.
As a proof of the abundance which reigns in
the bazars, and the extreme cheapness of living
in Saigon, I shall quote the prices of several ar-
ticles : viz. pork, 3 cents per pound ; beef, 4 cents
per pound ; fowls, 50 cents per dozen ; ducks,
10 cents each ; eggs, 50 cents per hundred ;
pigeons, 30 cents per dozen ; varieties of shell and
scale fish, sufficient for the ship's company,
50 cents ; a fine deer, a dollar and a quarter ;
100 large yams, 30 cents ; rice, 1 dollar per picul,
of 150 pounds English ; sweet potatoes, 45 cents
per picul ; oranges, from 30 cents to 1 dollar per
hundred ; plantains, 2 cents per bunch ; pample-
nuses, or shaddocks, 50 cents per hundred ; cocoa
nuts, 1 dollar per hundred ; lemons, 50 cents per
hundred. As I am now on the subject of fruit, I
shall attempt to describe some of those kinds
which we thought excelled what we had seen
in other parts of the East Indies.
The jack-fruit grows from the trunk of a pretty
large tree, to which it is attached by a slender
stem, apparently disproportionate to the weight of
the fruit, which is frequently ten or fifteen pounds :
229
it[is, when ripe, of a yellowish green, the outer coat
resembling in appearance the cod or seed vessel of
the stramonium. It is highly esteemed by the na-
tives in its raw state, and is an ingredient in some
of their made dishes ; but to a stranger it is un-
pleasant, possessing a strong, and rather fetid, smell,
and nauseously sweet flavour : it contains many
seeds or kernels, which, when roasted, are eaten,
and considered wholesome.
The mango is a fruit of most delicious and re-
freshing flavour, of an oblong oval form, larger
than a turkey's egg, bearing some resemblance in
shape to the common bean : the outer coat, when
ripe, is of a rich yellow colour, and quite thin : in
the middle is a large kernel, corresponding in
shape to the fruit. The mango when green makes
a fine pickle.
The papa or paw-paw, is by some highly esteem-
ed ; it is in shape like an European pear, but much
larger ; the coat is thin, the pulp yellow, and en-
closes, in the manner of the musk-melon, a great
number of small black and pungent seeds.
The pomegranate, celebrated in Scripture, must,
in my opinion, have greatly degenerated ; or, per-
haps, the fruit to which we give that name is not
that of the ancients. It consists of a great number
of seeds, each surrounded by a subacid fluid, of a
pink colour, enclosed in a very thin cuticle, in
bunches, or groups, which are separated from each
other by thin yellow membranes of a very acrid
taste. The whole is covered with a hard brown
Q 3
230
coat, and is about the size of an American pippin.
From its astringent qualities, it is considered a
specific in the dysentery by the East Indians.
The custard-apple is a most delicious fruit, the
produce of a plant somewhat smaller than a peach
tree. It is of the size of a large apple, with a light
green coat, resembling in appearance diamond cut
glass. The pulp is of the consistence, and nearly
the colour of a custard, (from whence its name,)
and encloses a number of black seeds, resembling
those of the water-melon. When ripe, it bursts
with a slight pressure of the hand, and is eaten
with a spoon. The Cochin Chinese have a method
of producing precocity in this fruit, which height-
ens its flavour.
The guava, the an ana, or pine-apple, the several
species of the plantain, the largest of which are
used in culinary preparations, and the great varie-
ties of the smaller kinds, called the banana, or
Indian fig. The alligator-pear, lemons, limes,
oranges of various kinds, tamarinds, cocoa-nuts,
water-melons, pamplenuses, and many other fruits,
were in great abundance and high perfection.
Besides articles of food, however, the bazars
did not present any great variety. A few paltry
gewgaws of Chinese manufacture ; some coarse
silk stuffs 5 tea of various qualities; clumsy toys, &c.
were the principal objects presented to view.
During our walk we were constantly annoyed
by hundreds of yelping curs, whose din was in-
tolerable. In the bazars we were beset with beg-
231
gars ; many of them the most miserable, disgusting
objects, some of whom were disfigured with the
leprosy, and others with their toes, feet, and even
legs, eaten off by vermin or disease. Nor were
these the only subjects of annoyance ; for, notwith-
standing the efforts and expostulations of the offi-
cers who accompanied us, and our frequently
chastising them with our canes, the populace would
crowd round us, almost suffocate us with the fetor
of their bodies, and feel every article of our dress
with their dirty paws, chattering like so many
baboons. They even proceeded to take off our
hats, and thrust their hands into our bosoms ; so
that we were glad to escape to our boats, and return
on board, looking like chimney-sweeps, in conse-
quence of the rough handling we had received.
Q 4
CHAP. XV.
Population of Saigon Style of building. Missionaries.
Christians. Cemetery. Naval Arsenal. Gigantic Timber.
War Gallies. Founderies. Topographical Descriptions.
New River. Ceremony of measuring the Ships. De-
bauchery of the Natives. Extortionate Exactions. Letter
to the King's Admiral. Presents to the King. His anti-
commercial and despotic Character.
THE city of Saigon contains one hundred and
eighty thousand inhabitants ; of which about ten
thousand are Chinese, according to authentic and
official statements which I received from Father
Joseph, (of whom I shall have occasion to speak
hereafter,) and from the military governor, or
viceroy, who returned from a visit to the royal
city of Hue a short time subsequent to our arrival.
It is situated on a point formed by the con-
fluence of two branches of the Don-nai river, and
occupies about six miles of the north bank. The
population is dense near the river, but scattered
farther remote from it. The houses are built
principally of wood, thatched with palm leaves or
rice straw, and are of one story. Some few are of
brick, and covered with tiles. Those of the higher
classes have hanging chambers, built under the
roof-tree, about ten feet wide, extending the whole
length of the building, with wooden gratings on
233
each side for air, to which they ascend by ladders;
those of the latter description are surrounded by
a court, with a gate towards the street ; but the
dwellings of the poor are situated on the streets,
and generally present a miserable appearance. In
vain does the traveller look for glazed windows,
so indispensable for the comfort of an European.
The clumsy wooden shutters must be thrown open
for light ; and when the weather is so bad, as to
oblige the inhabitants to close them, these wretched
abodes are cheerless in the extreme. Misery and
filth here hold their undisputed reign.
The streets are regularly laid out, generally in-
tersecting each other at right angles, and some of
them are quite spacious.
In the western part of the city, are two Chinese
pagodas, and the Onamese have a great number of
these temples in various parts of the city. In a
central situation, is a Christian church, where two
Italian missionaries preside, who have several dis-
ciples, and many converts. The number of Chris-
tians in Cochin China is seventy thousand, of which
number, the division of Don-nai contains sixteen
thousand. * They are all Roman Catholics. The
Onamese have no towers to their pagodas : the
bells, of which there are generally from two to
four, of different sizes, to each place of worship,
are hung on wooden frames before the entrance,
and are never swung, but struck by hand. They
* According to the viceroy and the missionaries.
differ in shape from those of European construc-
tion, for they bear a nearer resemblance to a trun-
cated cone.
Equidistant from the extremities of the city,
near the bank of the river, is a long range of
buildings of handsome construction ; these are the
magazines of rice, which is a regal monopoly, and
the exportation of it prohibited on pain of decapi-
tation ; each vessel departing from the country
being allowed a certain quantity for provisions, in
proportion to the number of her crew, and the an-
ticipated length of her passage. A large Siamese
junk was lying hauled up in a creek on the Banga
side of the river, the captain and officers of which
had been executed, a short time previous to our
arrival, and the crew was then in prison, for a
violation of this edict.
The ground in the northern part of this city is
occupied, for a space of two miles, by about three-
fifths of a mile square, as a repository for the dead ;
and this immense cemetery is filled with tombs,
built like those of the Chinese, in the form of a
horse-shoe. Its borders are planted, as are many
of the streets in the suburbs, with the palmaria tree,
resembling, if the comparison be not too daring,
the Boulevards at Paris.
In the north-eastern part of the city, on the
banks of a deep creek, is the navy yard and naval
arsenal, where, in the time of the rebellion, some
large war- junks were built ; and two frigates of
European construction, under the superintendence
235
of French officers. This establishment does more
honour to the Onamese than any other object in
their country ; indeed it may vie with many of the
naval establishments in Europe. There were no
large vessels built, or building; but there were
ample materials of the most excellent kind, for
several frigates. The ship-timber, and planks,
excelled any thing I had ever seen. I measured
one plank, whose dimensions were one hundred
and nine feet long, more than four inches thick,
and perfectly square to the top, where it was two
feet wide. It was sawed out of the trunk of a
teak tree, and I believe there is no part of the
world where these gigantic sires of the forest arrive
at such magnitude as in Cochin China. I have
seen in the country a tree that would make a na-
tural main-mast for a line of battle ship, clear of
knots ; and this, I learnt, is not unusual.
There were about one hundred and fifty gallies,
of most beautiful construction, hauled up under
sheds ; they were from forty to one hundred feet
long, some of them mounting sixteen guns of three
pounds calibre. Others mounted four or six guns
each, of from four to twelve pounds calibre, all of
brass, and most beautiful pieces. There were be-
sides these about forty other gallies afloat, prepar-
ing for an excursion that the viceroy was to make
up the river on his return from Hue. Most of these
were decorated with gilding and carved work, "pen-
nons and streamers gay," and presented a very
animated and pleasing spectacle.
236
The Onamese are certainly most skilful naval
architects, and finish their work with great neat-
ness. I was so much pleased with this portion of
their political economy, that I made frequent visits
to the naval arsenal.
The iron used in the southern provinces is gene-
rally brought from Siam in pigs, and is highly mal-
leable and ductile. A harder and more brittle kind
is produced in the northern section of the country
bordering on Tonquin, and is in more general use
there. There was formerly a cannon foundery in
Saigon, under the direction of the bishop Adran ;
and the ruins of another are still standing in the city
of Don-nai. At Hue there is one in full operation,
where artillery of all calibres is cast in brass : copper
being produced on the confines of Tonquin, and
lapis calaminaris found in abundance.
The city of Saigon was formerly confined to the
western extremity of its present site, now called
old Saigon, and which part bears much greater
marks of antiquity, and a superior style of architec-
ture. Some of the streets are paved with flags ;
and the quays of stone and brick work extend
nearly a mile along the river. The citadel and
naval arsenal, with the exception of a few huts for
the artificers, were the only occupants of the grounds
in the eastern quarter ; but since the civil wars have
ended, the tide of population has flowed rapidly to
the eastward, till it has produced one continued
city, which has spread itself to the opposite bank
237
of the streams on which it is situated, and surrounds
the citadel and naval arsenal.
From the western part of the city, a river or
canal has been recently cut, (indeed it was scarcely
finished when we arrived there,) twenty- three Eng-
lish miles, connecting with a branch of the Cam-
bodia river, by which a free water-communication
is opened with Cambodia, which is called by the
Onamese Cou-maigne. This canal is twelve feet
deep throughout ; about eighty feet wide, and was
cut through immense forests and morasses, in the
short space of six weeks. Twenty-six thousand
men were employed, night and day, by turns, in
this stupendous undertaking, and seven thousand
lives sacrificed by fatigue, and consequent disease.
The banks of this canal are already planted with
the palmaria tree, which is a great favourite with
the Onamese.
The site of the citadel of Saigon is the first ele-
vated land which occurs in the river, after leaving
Cape St. James, and this is but about sixty feet
above the level of the river : it was formerly a natu-
ral conical mound, covered with wood. The grand-
father of the present monarch caused the top to be
taken off and levelled, and a deep moat to be sunk,
surrounding the whole, which was supplied with
water from the river by means of a canal. It is
most admirably situated for defence, and would be
capable, when placed in a proper posture, of stand-
ing a long siege, against even an European army.
The walls were destroyed in the civil wars, but
238
were subsequently rebuilt in better style than for-
merly. The surrounding country is irriguous, and
the city is intersected, in various parts, by creeks,
over which are thrown bridges, each being a single
plank, of immense magnitude.
Saigon is within a few miles of the head of the
ship-navigation of that branch of the Don-nai river
on which it is situated. It is there interrupted
with shoals and sand banks, but is navigable for
the country craft for a great distance inland, which,
in fact, is the case with the stream washing the
southern borders of the city, which, with the new
river, connects the Cambodia and Don-nai rivers,
that branch south of the city having, in many
places, not more than twelve feet at high water.
On our return on board, we found some officers,
who had been despatched by the governor to ac-
quaint us, that the following day was proposed for
the ceremony of measurng the ships ; for a cere-
mony, we were told, it invariably had been, and
could not be dispensed with, and it was expected a
feast would be prepared for the throng of officers
who would visit us on this occasion. In this emer-
gency we consulted Joachim and Pasqual, and
learned that it never had been dispensed with on
former occasions, and it would be for our interest
to comply with the best grace we could. Pre-
parations were accordingly made to receive them,
under the superintendence of Pasqual's wife, who,
on the occasion, produced an abundance of dishes
of various kinds, principally of oriental origin ;
239
such as pilaw, curry, mullagatawny, kedgeree, &c.,
and great varieties of confectionary and fruits.
Our fears were not a little excited, that these hot
and pungent dishes would require no small quan-
tities of fluents to assist their powers of deglutition,
and they were confirmed by the linguists, who told
us it would be expected, and refusal would give
offence. To eke out our own stock, we purchased
some of the whiskey of the country, made of rice,
to administer to them, mixed with European
liquors ; and this we found, on trial, took so well,
that on subsequent occasions we constantly prac-
tised it, but were obliged to be cautious not to ad-
minister it till they began to be pretty tipsy, for
fear of detection. In fact, towards the catastrophe,
rice-whiskey answered every purpose.
In pursuance of arrangements made the day pre-
vious, at about nine o'clock on the morning of
Sunday, the 10th of October, our boats were sent
to escort this gang of spongers on board ; and in
about half an hour, we descried a fleet of the
country boats, preceded by those of the ships, and
filled with persons of various ranks, putting off
from the shore, near the great bazar, and in a few
minutes they were alongside the Franklin.
The commissary, whom we have before men-
tioned, and to whom we became subsequently at-
tached, in consequence of his being less of a rogue
than the generality of these people, was the first
who presented himself. He was followed by the
collector of the customs, a covetous looking old
240
hunks, with a Jew phiz, and his nose and chin in
close intimacy, and whose subsequent conduct did
not belie our skill in physiognomy. In his suite
were many others of various ranks, who, with their
long trains of servants, filled the decks with their
bodies, and the air with the perfumes from them.
Immediately after the first introduction, which
was conducted with some ceremony, though with
little civility, (the latter of which, in the common
occurrences of social intercourse with strangers, is
but little known, and less practised in Onam,)
demands were made for liquors, and as we were
anxious to get rid of them as speedily as possible,
we hastened to gratify them, and then urged them
to proceed to business. It was not, however, till
after a long consultation, in which they were fre-
quently very loud and vociferous, that they com-
menced their operations, the manner of which was
as follows : A line, perpendicular to each end of
the keel, is marked on deck ; one third of the
distance from the mark nearest the stern to that
forward, is set off for the place of admeasurement,
where a straight pole, or strip of wood, is placed
horizontally across the ship, over the rail or gun-
wale, from which plummets are suspended, in
order to find a line perpendicular to the wales, or
extreme diameter of the ship in that part which is
marked on the pole. On this measurement the
tonnage- duty is payable by the touick or covid, a
measure of sixteen and six-tenth inches, which is
divided into decimal fractions which are called by
241
the natives tat, and by the linguists puntas, from
the Portuguese, thus: 10 tat make a touick, or
covid. The exaction on this measurement is made
at the rate of one hundred and sixty quans, or
eighty Spanish dollars per covid. On the amount
so found, is an imposition of three per cent, to pay
the officers for the trouble and expense of measur-
ing. Another exaction of one per cent, is made in
favour of the soldiers, or attendants, for the trouble
and expense of looking on; and to crown this
climax of extortions, the government allows but
eighteen mace, called by the Onamese tien, (each
equal to five cents,) for a Spanish dollar, when paid
them for anchorage, &c. ; whereas, in the bazars,
and in all other commercial operations, the dollar
is always worth two quans, of ten mace each. The
mace is divided into sixty parts, called dong by the
natives, and by the Portuguese, sepecks. *
The Franklin measured 17 covids
and Six puntas, Or tenths, at 160 Quans. mace, sepecks.
quans per covid, - - -281600
Amount of 3 per cent, for officers'
fees, 85 3 24
1 per cent, for soldiers' do. 28 1 37
Quans, - 2929 5 1
Two thousand, nine hundred twenty-nine quans,
five mace, and one sepeck ; which sum, at eighteen
mace to the dollar, makes one thousand, six hun-
* 60 dong, or sepecks, make 1 tien, or mace, = 5 cents.
10 tien, or mace, make 1 quan, - = 50 cents.
R
242
dred and twenty-seven Spanish dollars and forty-
five cents nearly, per ton, the Franklin being two
hundred and fifty-two tons burden. Other ex-
actions, such as sagouetes, or presents, &c., swelling
the whole amount to more than two thousand
seven hundred dollars, were paid on the Franklin
alone. After having settled the measurement,
which was not done without some quarrelling
between the commissary and the collector, on
whom their potations seemed to have contrary
effects, the former strongly inclining to favour us,
and the latter to cheat us, by extending the mea-
sure, they proceeded to gorge themselves with
what had been prepared for them.
It would afford but little, if any amusement, to
recapitulate the scene of debauchery which en-
sued. Suffice it to say, that about 12 o'clock, they
proceeded on board the Marmion, where the same
shameless conduct was repeated ; the quarrel
about measurement, however, being carried on
with rather more asperity than before, the old
collector's rapacity increasing in a ratio with his
ebriety. At about 4 o'clock, much to our satis-
faction, they departed pele-mele, and left us in
possession of quiet, but by no means clean ships.
Among many other impurities, not the least dis-
gusting, was the saliva impregnated with their
masticatory, which had been liberally ejected in
every part, as chance might direct, leaving crimson
spots, which required no little labour to efface.
On the following clay, we paid another visit to
the governor, for the purpose of regulating the
amount of sagouetes, &c. On this occasion, after
being detained a few minutes in the guard-house
in front, we were introduced to the interior of the
house, where we found him in a large apartment,
which contained a small library, a couch, near
this a small raised platform, on which he was
seated, and some furniture of Chinese manufac-
ture. He had on this occasion no retinue but two
boys in attendance, one of whom was fanning him.
He received us graciously, requesting us to sit
down, when we were presented, as usual, with
tea, areka, and sweetmeats. After gratifying his
curiosity in regard to several questions he asked
about Europe, associating America with it, (calling
them indiscriminately Oto,) we introduced the
subject of sagouetes, &c. He informed us that
there was a fixed and immutable law of the king-
dom, regulating these matters, which he dare not
pretend to abrogate or evade; and even if he
wished to do it, there were so many other officers
who were to participate with him, that the attempt
must necessarily prove entirely futile. After an
interview of about three quarters of an hour, we
arose to depart, when he said something to the
linguists, who desired us to be re-seated. They
told us that the governor was about dispatching a
courier to the king, with the official papers relative
to our arrival, &c., and desired to know if we wished
to send him any present. We answered in the
affirmative, and knowing there was a French naval
244
officer in the service of this monarch, we requested
permission to write to him, which he readily
granted. We then took our leave, after promising
to have our present and letter ready early on the
ensuing morning.
On our return on board, we were met by the
commissary, in company with another officer ; the
latter invited us into his house, which was near.
After tea, betel, &c., our host brought us an empty
mustard-bottle with the arms of the King of Eng-
land upon a label attached to it, and " Best Dur-
ham Mustard," in large letters underneath, and
upon a piece of paper, which was produced, some-
thing had been spread. It resembled an apothe-
cary's plaster, but dried, black, and without smell
or taste. This, they observed, was a sample of
what the bottle had formerly contained, and in-
quired if we had any of that article on board. We
answered in the affirmative, and that we had
brought some expressly for the king. At this they
were highly gratified, and told us, that his majesty
was extravagantly fond of that article, and had sent
the bottle and paper carefully packed from Hue
some months previous, as a specimen to exhibit
to strangers, of what he wanted to procure. The
same exhibition had been made us at Turon in the
preceding June, which induced us to procure a
good supply of that article at the Philippines, pre-
vious to returning from thence to Cochin China.
We prepared, upon our return on board, a letter
in French, to Monsieur Vannier, the king's ad-
245
miral at Hue, requesting his good offices in our
behalf, and that he would endeavour to procure a
reduction of the sagouetes ; and he was requested
to present to his majesty an elegant sabre, which
accompanied the letter. On the following morning,
the linguists, and several officers appeared, and de-
manded the present for the king, which was de-
livered them. They were very much delighted
with the beautiful polish, and decorations of the
blade, and its splendid mountings, and the inter-
jection, Kaa! Kaa! expressive of wonder, or sur-
prise, was repeated with great emphasis. The
letter was then given them for Mons. Vannier, to
which a dozen bottles of mustard for the king was
added, when they departed, not however till they
had each begged and received a copious dram.
Scarcely had this party taken leave, before we
were visited by a bevy of women, whom we found
were merchants, or rather merchandize-brokers :
they, after asking and receiving a glass of brandy
each, began to open their business, offering sugar,
silk, cotton, and other articles for sale, but produced
no samples. We were astonished to find, that the
article of sugar, which they knew was the primary
one with us, or, at least, what had been most in-
quired for, had risen from eighty to one hundred
per cent, since our arrival, but that other articles
had not advanced in the same ratio, by any means.
Finding this to be the case, we were more particular
in our inquiries for silk, cotton, gambooge, and
other articles, the reputed productions of the coun-
R 3
246
try, of which we ordered them to bring samples,
after being told their respective prices. After a
long interview, during which we were fully satisfied
of the shuffling, chicanery, and rapacity of the mer-
chants, they departed, promising to see us the next
day. They were punctual to their appointment,
but did not bring any specimens of their goods.
Our astonishment may however be conceived, when
they informed us that the commodities of which we
had inquired yesterday had advanced about fifty
per cent, in price. It would be tedious to the
reader, and painful to myself, to recapitulate the
constant villany and turpitude which we expe-
rienced from these people during our residence
in the country. Their total want of faith, constant
eagerness to deceive and over-reach us, and their
pertinacity in trying to gain by shuffling and ma-
noeuvring, what might have been better and easier
gained by openness and fair dealing ; the tedious
forms and ceremonies in transacting all kinds of
business, carried into the most trifling transactions;
the uncertainty of the eventual ratification of any
bargain, (the least hope of wearing the patience of
the purchaser out, and inducing him to offer a little
more, being sufficient to annul any verbal stipula-
tion,) and there being no appeal, unless there is a
written contract, which is never made, till every
art has been used, and every engine of extortion
put in motion and exhausted to gain more ; all
these vexations, combined with the rapacious,
faithless, despotic, and an ti- commercial character of
247
the government, will, as long as these causes exist,
render Cochin China the least desirable country
for mercantile adventurers. These causes have
made the Japanese relinquish the trade: they have
driven the Portuguese of Macao from the country,
and turned their commerce into other channels ;
and are yearly and rapidly lessening their inter-
course with China and Siam. The philanthropist,
the man of enterprise, and the civilised world ge-
nerally, can see in the present miserable state of
this naturally fine country no other than a source
of deep regret and commiseration.
R 4
248
CHAP. XVI.
Productions of the Country. Wild Beasts Remarkable Anec~
dote of a Tigress. Money. Coins. Weights and Measures.
Manufactures. Chinese Population. Ruinous Policy of
the King. Royal City of Hue. Regal Succession. Fears
of the Christians.
THE climate of Cochin China is as fine as that of
any other country within the torrid zone ; the pe-
riodical winds passing over, and refreshing every
part of it. The winters are unusually cool for the
latitude in which it is situated, and the keen breezes
from the mountains are favourable to health and
vigour. The numerous streams and springs with
which it abounds, are extremely valuable as means
of facilitating agriculture and internal commerce.
Its abundance of fine bays, harbours, and rivers,
and the safety and facility of navigation on its
coasts, give it a decided superiority over many
other countries, for the purpose of maritime com-
merce; and in respect to the natural productions
of the soil and adjacent sea, both as regards quantity
and quality, no country in the East can excel it.
The mountains produce gold, silver, copper, iron,
and other metals. The forests, besides the various
kinds of odoriferous woods, such as the eagle, the
rose, the sappan, and others, afford iron-wood,
several species of the varnish-tree, the dammer or
249
pitch tree, the gambooge, the bamboo, and the
rattan, besides a great variety of woods useful in
dyeing, in construction, and the mechanic arts.
The country produces, also, cinnamon, honey, wax,
peltry of various kinds, areka, betel, tobacco, cotton,
raw silk, sugar, musk, cassia, cardomums, some
pepper, indigo, sago, ivory, gold dust, rhinoceroses'
horns, and rice of six different kinds. The four
latter articles are regal monopolies. The mulberry-
tree, the food of the silk- worm, grows spontaneously,
and in great abundance and luxuriance. Great
quantities of silk might consequently be raised.
Many medicinal plants and roots are also' produced.
Specimens of several kinds were brought me by the
missionaries, among which was galangal of an ex-
cellent quality. Some authors have mentioned the
nutmeg and the clove as natives of Cochin China :
I cannot say positively that they are not ; but on
showing specimens to the natives, they denied the
fact, and told me that the Siamese junks sometimes
brought those articles to them. Pepper is produced
in very small quantities in the middle provinces,
and is double the price of that article in Sumatra.
Birds' nests and biches de mer are gathered on, and
near, the islands lying along the coast ; and dried
fish of an excellent quality is an article of export
and home-consumption. Considerable quantities
of salt have been exported from the middle pro-
vinces. The varnish-tree grows to a great size, and
produces a resinous oil, which is procured by in-
cision. It is a most valuable production, and is
250
used for various purposes. It incorporates well
with paint, and is an excellent substitute for
linseed oil. Great care is necessary in the pre-
servation of this article, as it is extremely prone
to spontaneous combustion ; and the magazines
containing this and other vegetable extracts of a
combustible nature are placed on rafts of bamboo,
and moored in the river. The eagle, the rose, and
the sappan woods, are taken away by the Chinese,
who burn them as they do the sandal- wood in their
temples. The latter article is scarce in Cochin
China. The dammer-tree is well known, and com-
mon to most parts of the farther peninsula. The
well-known gambooge is produced in abundance
in Cambodia. In its liquid state it is run into joints
of the bamboo, which gives it that cylindrical form
in which we see it imported. The cinnamon pro-
duced is of an extraordinary quality, and bears a
great price in China. It is not abundant. The
peltry of Cambodia is plentiful, and of various
descriptions. The Chinese formerly took large
quantities of this article from Saigon. The areka-
nut was formerly exported in vast quantities from
Cochin China, but the exportations are now, com-
paratively, very small. In the division of Don-nai
it grows spontaneously, and is produced on a species
of palm, intimately resembling the cocoa-nut tree.
The cotton is white, but of short staple ; some of
this article still finds its way to China. There was
some raw silk in the market, and of good quality ;
but the machinations of the Chinese commercial
251
agents prevented us from taking any of it. The
sugar-cane grows in great luxuriance. There are
two kinds. One is large, high, and abounding with
juice ; great quantities of this are exposed in the
bazars, and eaten in the raw state. The smaller
kind produces most of the saccharine salt, and from
this most of the sugar is made. The sugar of the
northern provinces granulates better than that of
Don-nai, but the latter is strongest. The natives
formerly clayed most of their sugar, but now only
a small proportion undergoes that process. We
purchased a few bags of clayed sugar which was
very beautiful. The picul of sugar weighs about
two hundred pounds English, or one-third more
than the picul in all other cases, which is one hun-
dred and fifty pounds English. The indigo-plant
grows in great profusion, and its produce is brought
to market in a liquid state, the natives not being
acquainted with the art of proceeding any farther
in the manufacture of it. The liquid, however,
soon becomes unfit for use.
Rice being an article of such universal consump-
tion, and so necessary, even to the existence of the
natives, receives more care and labour in the pro-
cess of cultivation than any other article in the
country. There are six different kinds of rice in
Cochin China, five of which I procured samples of)
and brought to the United States, but unfortu-
nately the weavels, and other vermin, destroyed
the vegetative principle in all of them. Of one
kind, the kernel is quite long, farinaceous, and
opaque: this is generally distilled into whiskey.
Another kind is small, long, and semi-transparent,
and is very delicate and nutricious. A third kind
is covered with a thin red coat, and, in consequence
of some parts of it being removed in the process of
husking, appears variegated, red and white : this
species is very fragant, and is much esteemed.
There is another kind, with a short round kernel,
which is generally used for boiling. Besides all
these kinds, which are propagated in low grounds,
there are two sorts of upland or mountain rice,
from which a most beautiful, fine, snowy, white
flour is made, and used in making the cakes here-
tofore mentioned, and in various kinds of confec-
tionary. These two latter species produce but
one crop in a year : some of the others produce
two crops in a year ; and some, five crops in two
years.
I have heard it asserted, that the coffee-tree is
indigenous in Cochin China, and that considerable
quantities are produced ; this is a great mistake.
Some of the missionaries have a few trees in their
gardens procured from Java, from which they ob-
tain a scanty supply for their own use. While in
Saigon I received a present of about four pounds,
in the cod, from a missionary, and this, he told me,
was about one-fiftieth part of what was produced
in the province that year. The Onamese have
generally a great aversion to this article as a
beverage. In consequence of the influx of strangers
to the vicinity of the court, there is more coffee
253
raised in gardens in the division of Hue than
elsewhere ; but it is only in gardens.
It has been before mentioned, that there is a
species of tea raised in the division of Hue.
There are no duties on the exportation of sugar,
and some other articles, and the impost on those
articles on which duties are levied is small.
Of domestic animals, the Onamese have horses,
of rather small size, but hardy and active, though
somewhat vicious, and the natives are very toler-
able cavaliers. They deck their caparisons with
cowries, strips of cloth of various colours, and
metal of different descriptions, principally brass.
We never saw any asses or mules in the country.
Buffaloes are plenty, and bullocks abundant. The
natives, however, consume but little beef, preferring
pork and other viands. The consumption of beef
is confined almost exclusively to the Chinese po-
pulation. Although bullocks abound in the coun-
try, the natives are strangers to the use of milk ;
and notwithstanding we daily saw a great many
cows with " teeming udders," we could not pro-
cure one that would answer the purpose of a milch
cow, they being, from neglect and abuse of liberty,
totally intractable.
Hogs of the celebrated Chinese breed are very
plentiful, and pork and lard considerable articles
of export to China. We saw but few goats, and
those were generally mangy and miserable looking:
they are not much esteemed by the natives.
Ducks and dunghill fowls are in profusion; do-
mestic geese are not so plentiful. They have
peacocks, pheasants, and partridges, the two for-
mer of which they domesticate. It is difficult to
conceive of the abundance of game in Don-nai :
deer and antelopes are daily in the bazars, and
hares occasionally ; and this country of rivers is
the paradise of aquatic fowls, of various descrip-
tions, while the copses and rice-plantations are
filled with birds of graniverous habits. The sports-
man may in half an hour fill his game-bag to over-
flowing. The woods and mountains abound with
wild beasts, such as elephants, tigers, rhinoce-
roses, &c.
These animals are all hunted by the natives ; the
elephant for his teeth ; the tiger for his skin ; and
the rhinoceros for his horn. Ivory and rhinoceroses'
horns are a regal monopoly. Some of these ar-
ticles were offered us privately, which, to prevent
trouble, we refused. The horn of the rhinoceros
is formed much like a limpet-shell, but more
pointed : at its base it is generally about six inches
long, by four inches wide, and protrudes about six
or eight inches. There is a shallow concavity
occupying the whole base, resembling the limpet
also in that respect. To judge of the goodness of
a rhinoceros* horn, this concave part is held to the
ear, and the greater the noise, resembling that of
the waves on the sea-beach, the better the horn.
This criterion certainly appears fallacious, if not
ridiculous ; but the Chinese, who are accustomed
to purchase these articles, are always determined
255
by this test. The Onamese speak with great
energy of the irresistible strength and amazing
velocity of the rhinoceros. They say he moves
so rapidly, that it is difficult for the eye to keep
pace with him ; that no object in his way is any
impediment to his rapid career ; that he beats
down rocks, walls, and large trees, with great ease ;
and that his track can be easily traced by the
ruins in his rear. Speaking of this animal one day
to the viceroy, he observed, " You now see him
here, before you, in Saigon ;" and, snapping his
fingers, " now he is in Canjeo." However hy-
perbolical these accounts appear to be, we may
yet infer from them, that the rhinoceros is an
animal of astonishing strength and speed. The
common tiger of Cochin China is not greatly
dreaded, but the royal tiger is a most terrific ani-
mal. The governor presented one of the latter to
the commander of each ship: they were confined
in very strong cages of iron-wood. That which
I had was a beautiful female, about two years old,
nearly three feet high, and five feet long : her skin
is now in the museum of the East India Marine
Society, at Salem ; for, in consequence of losing,
by bad weather, the stock of puppies and kids
provided for her on the homeward passage, we
were obliged to shoot her.
A remarkable anecdote, relative to this animal,
I cannot forbear relating. In Saigon, where dogs
are " dog-cheap," we used to give the tigress one
every day. They were thrown alive into her cage,
56
when, after playing with her victim for a while, as
a cat does with a mouse, her eyes would begin to
glisten, and her tail to vibrate, which were the
immediate precursors of death to the devoted little
prisoner, which was invariably seized by the back
of the neck, the incisors of the sanguinary beast
perforating the jugular arteries, while she would
traverse the cage, which she lashed with her tail,
and suck the blood of her prey, which hung sus-
pended from her mouth.
One day, a puppy, not at all remarkable, or dis-
tinguishable in appearance from the common herd,
was thrown in, who immediately, on perceiving
his situation, set up a dismal yell and attacked the
tigress with great fury, snapping at her nose, from
which he drew some blood. The tigress appeared
to be amused with the puny rage of the puppy,
and with as good-humoured an expression of coun-
tenance as so ferocious an animal could be sup-
posed to assume, she affected to treat it all as play ;
and sometimes spreading herself at full length on
her side, at others, crouching in the manner of the
fabled sphynx, she would ward off with her paw
the incensed little animal, till he was finally ex-
hausted. She then proceeded to caress him, en-
deavouring by many little arts to inspire him with
confidence, in which she finally succeeded, and in
a short ,time they lay down together and slept.
From this time they were inseparable ; the tigress
appearing to feel for the puppy all the solicitude
of a mother, and the dog, in return, treating her
257
with the greatest affection ; and a small aperture
was left open in the cage, by which he had free
ingress and egress. Experiments were subse-
quently made, by presenting a strange dog at the
bars of the cage, when the tigress would manifest
great eagerness to get at it ; her adopted child was
then thrown in, on which she would eagerly
pounce ; but immediately discovering the cheat,
she would caress it with great tenderness. The
natives made several unsuccessful attempts to steal
this dog from us.
The king, it was stated, had at Hue some white
elephants, but I never saw one in the country.
Elephants are occasionally eaten, but the use of
them, as well in this respect as all others, is con-
fined to the king and nobility.
Accounts are kept in Cochin China, in quans ;
tayens, or mace ; and dong, or sepecks. The
sepeck is a small coin made of tutenague, and
sometimes of a metal in which copper is the basis,
rather smaller than an English shilling. Each
piece is perforated with a square hole in the centre.
They are strung up on a ligature, made generally
of the fibres of the pine-apple leaf. Sixty of these
make one mace, and ten mace, or six hundred
sepecks, make one quan. The string is divided in
the middle by a knot, and five mace, or three
hundred sepecks, strung on each side, and the ends
tied together. Specimens of each kind are depo-
sited in the East India Marine Museum. The
quan and mace are imaginary. Great loss is ex-
s
perienced by the holders of this money ; for the
metal, or rather composition of which it is made,
is very brittle, and the pieces are constantly crumb-
ling off; and as there are no banks, or public
places of deposit for money in the country, the
native possessors bury it in the earth, which adds
greatly to its fragility. It is, besides, very incom-
modious, on account of its great weight, its assize
being established at forty-two quans the picul*,
when the coin is new. They have also ingots of
gold and silver. One species of silver ingot re-
presents twenty-eight quans ; one other represents
twenty-seven quans. These two are distinguished
by different marks. A third kind passes for three
quans and five mace, or one dollar and seventy-
five cents. They have a golden ingot of the same
weight and proportionable value, and another also
of gold, and double the weight and value of the
latter. This piece, however, is scarce. Great
care is requisite in taking this kind of money, as
the die is frequently altered in which they are
cast : these alterations, however, do not cause any
diminution in the weight of the coin ; but the
mischief arises from the caprice and cupidity of
the sovereign, who arbitrarily alters some cha-
racters in the legend, as whim or fancy may dic-
tate (a circumstance which would not be noticed
by a stranger to the written language, of which
* The value of twenty-one Spanish dollars in sepecks of tu-
tenague weighing one hundred and fifty pounds.
259
number there are many of the natives) ; and the last
emission only is current at par, while the pre-
ceding ones are, by this measure, depreciated from
twenty to thirty per cent., and are recalled into the
mint by royal edict. What can be more despotic
and subversive of justice, morality, and confidence,
than this mode of creating revenue ? A silver in-
got, current in the country, when I left it, at three
quans and five mace, I have deposited in the mu-
seum of the East India Marine Society, A fluc-
tuating difference in value exists between the se-
pecks of copper and those of tutenague, of from
ten to twenty per cent., in proportion to the quan-
tity of each in circulation.
The Cochin Chinese catty (or cate) is equal to
one pound and a half English, and one hundred
catties make a picul of one hundred and fifty
pounds English. Their dry measure, or bushel,
for paddee, or rice in the husk, grain, &c. is equal
to thirty-nine quarts. The covid and its divisions
have been mentioned.
The commerce of Cochin China is now nothing,
when compared with its means and former activity.
All the sugar produced in the year 1819, exclusive
of home-consumption, not only in the division of
Don-nai, but as far north as Nhiatrang city (com-
prising an extent of about seventy leagues of coast),
amounting to little more than two thousand piculs,
was taken away by our two vessels. There were
but three Chinese junks in Saigon the same year,
whose united cargoes did not amount in value to
260
one hundred thousand dollars. In the year 180,
there were twelve large Chinese junks, and four
Macao ships in Saigon. The Macao trade is en-
tirely done. At Turon and Hue, at the same time
we were in Saigon, were two French ships, which,
after lying five months, procured only half cargoes
of sugar, and some raw silk, the principal part of
the annual produce of the northern provinces. The
trade with Siam is of little value ; the imports
from thence being some iron in pigs, and mat bags;
sometimes a few spices and a little pepper, with a
few other trifling articles. In return, they take
some sugar, Chd Hue, &c. There is, indeed, an
appearance of activity in the coasting trade of the
country ; but it is fallacious, the cargoes of the
country craft being of small value, consisting of
dried fish, fish-pickle, biches de mer, salt, salt pork,
&c. Besides this, they are never filled with articles
of trade, the king obliging every vessel to take
the amount of a certain proportion of her burden
on board on his account, free of freight, which ge-
nerally consists of rice and other provisions for
his troops, wood, and other materials for construc-
tion, military stores for his different garrisons, &c. ;
and as a further proof of the rapacity of the go-
vernment, as well towards its own subjects as fo-
reigners, the same heavy dues for measurement are
exacted. This leads to deplorable consequences,
and exercises the invention of the sufferers to evade
these vexatious exactions. I have seen many of
their vessels so contracted in their construction at
261
the place of admeasurement, that they resembled
in shape a violin.
The Onamese manufacture a few silk stuffs, of
a rough and coarse texture, which they almost in-
variably dye black ; but they have not the art to
make them up decently into wearing apparel, the
greatest part of which is imported from China,
ready made, or made by Chinese in the country.
Their sugar, which was formerly clayed, and highly
esteemed, is now brought to market in a raw state,
and that in very small quantities. The cause of
all these accumulating evils is easily traced to its
origin, the tyrannical nature of the government.
The king, a military despot, jealous, avaricious, and
ambitious, swaying a sceptre which invests him
with power the most absolute and unrestrained,
causes a nobility, venal, faithless, and oppressive,
and, consequently, a people ignorant, dissolute, and
without loyalty or industry.
In Cochin China every man is a soldier. The
commercial operations are performed by the
women, who cultivate the earth, navigate the river
craft, perform all menial labour, and manufacture
some of their silk stuffs. The Chinese scattered
about the kingdom, indeed, participate in the mer-
cantile pursuits, and are engaged in many of the
humbler avocations of life. These industrious and
enterprising people are the butchers, the tailors, the
confectioners, and the pedlars of Cochin China :
they are met with in every bazar, and in every street,
with their elastic pole carried across their shoulders,
s 3
262
at each end of which is suspended a basket filled
with their various commodities ; they are also the
bankers, and money-changers, and a great part
of the circulating medium of the country passes
through their hands. Many of the cooking uten-
sils, and a principal part of the clothing of the
Onamese, are brought from China, from whence
they also have their porcelain, tea, many of their
drugs and medicines, cabinet-work, and, in short,
almost every article of convenience which they
possess. The Chinese furnish also great quantities
of gilt paper, which the Onamese burn in their
temples, and at their festivals, as well as on occa-
sions of a lugubrious nature.
The death of the bishop Adran, which happened
shortly after the termination of the civil wars, was
an event productive of great evils to this country ;
many of the excellent institutions which he estab-
lished soon falling into desuetude, arid many whole-
some laws, which were formed under his auspices,
becoming obsolete ; the morals of the people,
which, by causes inseparable from a state of long
internal commotions, had become vitiated and cor-
rupt, were again in a state of improvement ; com-
merce, agriculture, and the arts, began to revive, and
a transitory gleam of happiness again lightened up
the horizon of this long harassed and almost de-
populated country. It is melancholy, appalling,
indeed, to reflect how short a period has elapsed
since these auspicious events have taken place, how
evanescent was their duration, and what changes
263
a few revolving years have produced. The mo-
narch, though aware of the discontents of the
nation, still pursues, with eager .infatuation, the
schemes of ambition and conquest which have
always marked his reign. Each year he finds a
pretext to quarrel with the Tonquinese, from whom
he has wrested great portions of their country ;
indeed they are no better than tributary vassals :
his insatiable ambition now pushes him on towards
Siam ; and the opening of the new canal, and
other projects in contemplation, when I was in
the country, and perhaps now completed, denote
his designs in that quarter. Nor is he unmindful
of his own safety ; he is constantly busy in placing
himself in an attitude of defence ; but whom has
he to fear ? Certainly no power in the East, ex-
excepting China, and China is said not to be am-
bitious of foreign conquests. * Perhaps the mis-
fortunes of his family have rendered him suspicious
of own subjects. The royal city of Hue, which
he makes his constant residence, has been the ob-
ject of his greatest solicitude, for more than
twenty years ; during which period he has lavished
immense sums, and sacrificed the lives of thousands
of his subjects, by keeping them at labour, without
intermission, upon its ramparts. It is certainly a
stupendous object, and would be esteemed so, even
in Europe. It is situated upon a barred river, ac-
cessible to large vessels at high water only. It is
* This assertion should, however, be received with qualifica-
tions : see Major Symes's " Embassy to Ava."
s 4
264
surrounded by a ditch nine miles in circumference,
and about one hundred feet broad ; its walls are of
brick, laid in a cement, of whic^h sugar is a princi-
pal ingredient, and are sixty feet high ; the pil-
lars of the gates, which are of stone, are seventy
feet high ; over the arches, which are of the same
materials, are towers from ninety to one hundred
feet high, to which access is had by a handsome
flight of stairs, on each side of the gateway inside
the walls. The fortress is of a quadrilateral form,
and built on the plan of Strasburg in Germany.
It has twenty-four bastions, each mounting thirty-
six guns, and the distance between each bastion is
twelve hundred Cochin Chinese perches, of fifteen
feet each ; the smallest guns are eighteen pounders,
and the largest are sixty-eight pounders, cast in
the king's own foundery. The whole number of
guns to be mounted, when the works are com-
pleted, is twelve hundred. The casemates within
the fort are bomb proof.
One hundred thousand men are constantly em-
ployed upon the works, and it will require, when
finished, forty thousand troops to garrison it. It
is now nearly completed.
The king has also a fleet of gallies at Hue, and
was building, in 1819, two hundred more, some of
which were pierced for fourteen guns % Of this
number, about fifty are schooner-rigged, and con-
structed partly in the European style : their sterns
are completely European, while their bows are a
265
mixture of that and the Onamese model. * These
people have great quickness of perception, and a
disposition to acquire a knowledge of the arts and
sciences, and, with the exception of their coasting
craft, which are decidedly primitive, they have,
under the instruction of the French, made con-
siderable advances in naval architecture, according
to European ideas ; nor have they been inattentive
to fortification, the art of war in general, and the
manufactures connected with it. These facts prove,
beyond a doubt, that there is no physical defect in
them ; and the annals of the country, with the
testimony of travellers, show, in respect to moral
characteristics, that while they were under a mild
and equitable government they were a kind,
hospitable, polite, vivacious, honest, and industrious
people.
Cochin China is perhaps, of all the powers in
Asia, the best adapted to maritime adventure ;
from her local situation in respect to other pow r ers ;
from her facilities towards the production of a
powerful navy to protect her commerce ; from the
excellency of her harbours, and from the aquatic
nature of her population on the sea-board, the
Onamese rivalling even the Chinese as sailors.
* The preceding description of the city of Hue was com-
municated to me by an American gentleman, who was at Turon
a short time after I left it, and who received it from the officers
of the French ships which (as has been mentioned) were at
Turon while I was at Saigon. The description was furnished
them by Monsieur Vannier, the king's admiral.
266
A prince who would understand, and pursue the
true interests of his country, would, instead of
building cities like Hue, commit his abundant re-
sources to the ocean, under the protection of a
powerful navy, which would also guarantee the
safety of his maritime frontier, with the assistance of
proper fortifications : a few small garrisons would
effectually protect the interior, already naturally
guarded by lofty and inaccessible mountains, and
boundless and impenetrable forests, from the in-
cursions of a hostile army : he would remove the
vexatious restrictions, by which commerce is now
shackled, and invite his neighbours and strangers
to a liberal participation in its blessings, which
would at the same time be the means of enriching
his own country, and introducing the arts of more
civilised and polished nations. But it is to be
feared that this is not likely soon to be realised ;
for the swarthy, ill-favoured heir-apparent to the
crown of Onam is an avaricious, narrow-minded
man : he is the eldest surviving son of the present
sovereign by a concubine ; the rights of primo-
geniture superseding those of legitimacy. The
king has but one legitimate son now living : the
prince, who accompanied Adran to France, died of
the small pox, a few years since. Many of the
nobles, however, are secretly opposed to the esta-
blished succession in this instance, and favour the
young prince, who is represented as being the very
reverse of his elder half-brother. In either case
the impending destiny of the country appears
26?
gloomy ; for in the event of the succession of the
elder prince, the same system will probably be
pursued towards his own subjects professing the
religion of the country, which has marked the
reign of his father; and towards Christians and
foreigners, it is to be feared, that a system of ex^
pulsion from the kingdom, or of extermination,
will be adopted, as he is sworn enemy to both
those descriptions of persons. Indeed, so great
have been the fears of the French in Onam of late,
as the present monarch advances in years, and
begins to feel the infirmities of age, that they have
embraced every opportunity of leaving the king-
dom. * There were, in 1819, but two Frenchmen
at court, (and I believe the only ones in the
country excepting a few missionaries,) one of which,
Monsieur Cheigneau, embarked for France in one
of the French ships then at Turon. Monsieur
Vannier, the king's admiral, who remained at Hue,
had, I understood, requested permission to quit the
country, but without success. On the other hand,
should a strong party be found to support the pre-
tensions of the young prince, a renewal of the
bloody civil wars would probably be the conse-
quence, and who can foresee the termination and
final result of them ?
* This monarch is since dead. See " Indo-Chinese Gleaner"
for July, 1820, page 360.
268
CHAP. XVII.
Dress of the Inhabitants of Saigon. Female Costume, Habits,
Sfc. Physical Courage of the Natives. Armour, fyc. Inund'
ations. Residence on Shore. Rapacity of the Merchants.
Delusive Conduct of the acting Governor. Padre Antonio.
Bishop Adran. Pagoda. Religion and Superstition.
Viceroy. Government. Crimes and Punishments. Popu-
lation. Chinese commercial Agents. Native Duplicity.
Visit from the acting Governor. His Conduct.
found no variation in the dress of the natives,
at Saigon, from those we had before seen ; neither
is there much difference in the costume of the
different sexes. Females of rank are distinguished
by the number of robes they wear ; the under one
being the longest, and each additional robe being
somewhat shorter, and of different colours, give
them quite a gaudy appearance. When they go
abroad, they wear a hat woven of slender fibres of
the bamboo, made impervious to water by a fine
varnish. It is in the form of a saucer inverted,
and secured under the chin by a slender bow at-
tached to each side of it, like the handle of a
water pail. Some of the higher classes have the
bow made of horn, ebony, ivory, and even of
silver or gold. Their shoes are Chinese. They
also have their attendants, who carry a small
cabinet, generally made of some odoriferous wood,
269
ornamented and inlaid with gold and silver, with
several compartments to contain their areka, betel,
chunam, &c. The young females of Cochin China
are frequently handsome, and some even beautiful,
before their teeth, tongues, gums, and lips, become
stained with their detestable masticatory ; the
children of both sexes, however, begin this practice
at a very early age. They are by nature finely
formed ; their symmetrical proportions are, however,
distorted and disguised by their dirty habits, and
a woman at thirty is an object of disgust, and at
forty, absolutely hideous. Some of those, however,
in the higher walks of life, from, a little more re-
gard to cleanliness, and attention to their persons,
bear with them to more advanced years the traces
of youth and comeliness.
The inhabitants of this country are not remark-
able for a superfluity of native courage ; they
prefer rather to gain an advantage by stratagem
than by bravery, and consider the " better part of
valor to be discretion." Their arms are swords,
long spears decorated with tufts of cow-hair dyed
red, matchlocks, and muskets. Their defensive
armour being helmets and shields, officers of rank
clothe themselves in a dress of mail.
The rains from the time of our arrival had
been almost incessant, and the country was com-
pletely inundated : these overflowings of the river
occur yearly at this time, and, like those of the
Nile, fertilise the country.
Our time was spent till the 14th in fruitless
270
negotiations for cargoes, the produce of the coun-
try rising in price daily. We finally determined
to take a house at old Saigon, as we were informed
that the supercargoes of the Macao ships, and of
the Chinese junks, made this their place of resi-
dence, it being the principal mart of commerce in
the division. We accordingly hired a house of
the widow of a Portuguese of Macao, herself a
Cochin Chinese, at the rate of three hundred
quans (or one hundred and fifty dollars) for three
months, or six hundred quans the monsoon or
half year, the usual mode of letting houses to fo-
reign adventurers.
This house was situated on the bank of a small
stream, which washes the southern borders of old
Saigon, where was a brick quay, and a passage of
about twelve feet between the river and the paling
before the house ; which enclosed a court about
sixty feet square. The building was of wood,
covered with tile, with a veranda in front, under
which were raised platforms covered with mats to
recline on : it had the hanging chambers already
mentioned.
On the opposite bank of the stream was an
estate belonging to the acting governor, where he
occasionally resided ; he was in fact there when
we removed ; and the second day, after taking
possession of our new habitation, we visited him
by invitation. The court fronting his house was
enclosed by high brick walls, and the entrance was
on one side : on each side of the pathway to the
271
house was a raised terrace, on which were some
plants in pots ; and the veranda in which he re-
ceived us was paved with marble tile from China,
a luxury we had not before seen in the country.
We met with the usual reception : tea, sweet-
meats, areka, &c. were presented us ; and while we
were sipping our tea, an explosion like that of a
pistol took place near us, which produced an invo-
luntary start in us, highly amusing to his excel-
lency, who greatly enjoyed the momentary con-
fusion it occasioned. He had lately received from
Hue some intonating balls, made of a fulminating
powder, which had been imported in the French
ships, and took this occasion, unobserved by us,
to throw one of them on the pavement behind us,
where it exploded. We had a long conversation
on the subject of merchandise, more especially
sugar. He inveighed against the holders of that
article with great acrimony, and advised us not to
be in a hurry, or show any impatience, as they, he
observed, must finally come to our terms ; for if
we departed without purchasing, the commodity
would be left on their hands, and as they had
bought it of the manufacturers, at an advanced
price, (so great was the competition to speculate
upon, and to forestall us,) for which they had no
means of payment, but the proceeds of this very
article, they, in case of failure, must sell their
wives and children to meet the demands of their
creditors. After some desultory conversation,
relative to Europe, &c., we took our leave, loading
him with a profusion of thanks and acknowledg-
ments, for his kind and disinterested advice. On
the following day we discovered that the old
rogue was, sub rosa, the principal sugar-holder in
the district.
They well knew that in regard to merchandise,
we were completely in their power, for we had, by
coming up the river, rendered ourselves liable to
pay measurement-dues, sagouetes, &c., and that we
would not return without purchasing parts of
cargoes at least, although at a very dear rate ; and
it appeared that they were practising that laudable,
system of patience and perseverance which his ex-
cellency had so kindly recommended us to adopt,
and which we indeed were obliged to conform to,
as a dernier ressort, and to amuse ourselves in the
best way we could, in our unpleasant situation.
Our house adjoined that of our landlady, who
was a Christian, had resided some time at Macao,
and spoke the Portuguese language. On the day
after we took possession, she gave us an invitation
to her house, to meet a friend of hers : on our en-
trance, she welcomed us with great cordiality, and
introduced to us a person who, from his dress,
colour, and general appearance, we supposed to
be a native, though above their ordinary stature,
and of different features. This was Padre An-
tonio, one of the Italian missionaries before men-
tioned : he appeared to be highly delighted to see
white faces, a sight which he stated to be very rare
to him. He was about forty years of age, of a
273
handsome figure, and insinuating manners ; in his
countenance, however, were depicted strong traces
of craft and subtilty, of the true Italian character.
Besides his own language, and Latin of course, he
was acquainted with none but the Onamese, in
which he was fluent. After a short time, he ac-
companied us to our house, where we soon found
that his garb was not the only circumstance of his
similitude to the natives ; for he found means, in
about half an hour, to dispose of the best part of a
bottle of cordial, to supply probably the expense
of saliva produced by smoking half-a-dozen charges
of tobacco in a china pipe, which was carried by
an attendant. In his person and habits, also, he
was scarcely more cleanly than his converts, with
many of whom, of the softer sex, (including our
landlady,) his attentions were said not to be con-
fined to spiritualities. In short, our conclusion
was, that his Holiness the Pope, and the most holy
Society " De Propaganda Fide" had, in this in-
stance, chosen an unworthy minister to forward
their views.
This was not the only acquaintance we made this
day; for Joachim introduced to us an old Christian
native, named Polonio, who had been for several
years a domestic of the bishop Adran, and was with
him at the time of his death ; he brought with him
a quantity of snuff, which he said he had manufac-
tured expressly for us of the best materials, and in
the same manner he had used to do for the bishop,
T
274
who was a great consumer of this sternutatory. He
could talk a little Portuguese, write some Latin, and
knew a few words of French, and appeared to be a
mild tempered old man. I esteemed this acquaint-
ance as valuable, as from him I expected to derive
much information concerning Adran. Nor was I
disappointed ; for during our stay in the country
he related several anecdotes of that great man, de-
scribed his mode of life, and his handsome residence
at Don-nai, which is now converted into a magazine
of saltpetre and military stores : from whence it
appeared that its general style was similar to those
of the mandarins at Saigon, with a mixture of
European architecture, and that his demesnes were
laid out in the European style, with beautiful gar-
dens, parks, and pleasure-grounds. He further told
us, that the bishop was a great sportsman, in which
pursuit old Polonio had been his constant attendant
and pupil ; and as a proof that he had not been a
truant, he was still a most excellent shot, and showed
great ardour, tempered with sound judgment, in
field-sports ; and he frequently accompanied us in
our shooting excursions.
The old man would frequently point out places
in passing, remarkable for some incident connected
with his great patron, whose memory he venerated
and cherished with the fondness of an affectionate
son. Here were the remains of a cannon found-
ery instituted by the bishop. There were the
ruins of a school endowed by him. On this spot
were formerly saltpetre works, erected by his
275
orders and under his superintendence ; and that
Christian temple arose and flourished under his
auspices.
Polonio never spoke of his old master without
tears, and always with the greatest enthusiasm.
He described him as a man of a most capacious
mind, of mild temper, though firm in his purposes ;
possessing a form and manner commanding the
most profound respect and admiration, and a heart
that irresistibly won the love and affection of
all. His loss was deeply deplored by all classes in
Onam. Indeed it yet remains for time to dis-
close the full extent of it, and the calamities arising
from it. His remains are deposited in the garden
fronting his late mansion, and over them is erected
a tomb of masonry in the best style of Onamese
architecture.
In one of our walks in the environs of the city,
in a sequestered spot, at the further end of a romantic
pathway, amid the foliage of various kinds of beau-
tiful trees, and situated on a small mound, apparently
artificial, we arrived at the largest pagoda we had
yet seen in the country. It was of brick, covered
with tile, and in a totally different style from others
in the city. It bore traces of great antiquity,
which with its immense proportions, and a certain
air of gothic grandeur and druidical seclusion, were
admirably calculated to inspire involuntary awe, and
to render it a proper retreat for the most rigid
ascetic. An old priest with a grey beard, but no
otherwise distinguishable from the laity, accom-
276
panied by a young aspirant, advanced a few steps
to meet us, and received us with great appearance
of cordiality ; and when informed by the linguist,
that our object was Curiosity to see the temple, he
readily proceeded to gratify us. In front of the
pile were suspended four bells of different sizes and
tones, and of the form, and arranged in the manner,
heretofore mentioned. We entered by a door near
the eastern angle, and were ushered into a small
apartment, where were suspended from the walls
several articles of clothing, which appeared to be
the vestments of the priests. From this, by a side
door, we entered a spacious vestibule, separated
from the nave of the church by a massy partition
of polished wood in pannel work. In this place
were three immense drums, mounted on frames,
and on a table a small brass idol, with an elephant's
proboscis, before which was a brazen censor filled
with matches, one end of each of which had been
burned. The priest then threw open a large door
in the partition, and led the way into the body of
the temple. There was no light besides what was
admitted through the door by which we had entered,
and that was barely sufficient to render " darkness
visible:" our eyes were, however, enabled to pene-
trate the gloom sufficiently to ascertain that its in-
terior proportions were commensurate with the idea
that we had formed from its exterior. Several
groups of idols, of hideous, and some of colossal
proportions, were visible through the dim twilight
that pervaded the temple, and seemed to render
them still more hideous and unearthly. In fact, the
recollections of this exhibition are more like the
traces of an indistinct and feverish dream than
reality. It would be as futile to attempt any de-
scription of the various monstrosities in this pan-
theon of pagan divinities, as it would be to repeat
their several genealogies, histories, exploits, &c., as
delivered to us by the priest through the medium of
Polonio. Their divinities, however, were not treated
with any great veneration by these guardians of
the temple. "This fellow/' the old priest would say,
taking hold of the hoof of an ox on the bust of a
man with an elephant's head, " was famous for his
gallantries, and this one," tweaking a tremendous
nose on a human head, stuck upon the body of
what appeared to be intended for a tiger, " was
celebrated for destroying wild beasts ;" and his
history of the capricious amours of some of their
deities no longer excited any wonder at the pro-
duction of these anomalies.
The religion of Onam is polytheism, as may be
seen by the foregoing. The basis is Chinese, on
which are engrafted many of the rites and super-
stitions of Buddhism.* They do not, however,
appear to believe in the metempsychosis, but in a
future state of happiness, where they will have
* In the woods at Banga, and other suburbs, we frequently
saw miniature houses erected on four posts, with an idol
sitting in the interior, and offerings of fruit and cooked dishes
placed before it.
T 3
278
plenty of rice and no work. Indeed, their antici-
pated bliss in another life consists principally in
sensual gratifications. This belief is, however,
more universal among the least informed of them.
On our return, we passed a street inhabited
principally by coffin-makers. These " narrow
mansions of the dead" are made in the same man-
ner as those of the Chinese, with a solid convex
cover, and are of the best materials, and of great
solidity and durability. They are constantly kept
on hand for sale, and of all sizes. Those who can
afford it, have them made of some odoriferous
wood. We stopped at a blacksmith's shop to ex-
amine his bellows, their construction being novel
to us. They consisted of two cylindrical tubes of
wood, of about eight inches diameter, about five
feet long each, and placed vertically in the earth
contiguous to each other, with pistons inserted in
each, which were alternately depressed, in the
manner of churning, by a native sitting beside
them. The air was pressed out of a lateral tube
in each, and communicated with the forge. Above
these tubes were two apertures furnished with
valves, to admit fresh supplies of air.
We were greatly annoyed in our habitation by
the pertinaceous curiosity of the natives ; for we
had no other means of avoiding their obtrusive
gaze (which was far more troublesome than their
constant chatting, bad as that was,) than causing
the paling to be matted on the inside. This was,
however, but a temporary protection ; for on the
279
following morning we found our fence perforated
in every part, like loop-holes in a fort, and through
each of them a shining eye levelled at us " point
blank." We immediately began to repair the
breaches in our works ; but like Penelope's web,
the next morning we found them in the same state
in which they were on the preceding one. We
were finally obliged to desist, and submit, with
the best grace we could, to this provoking in-
trusion.
Our acquaintance with Polonio and Padre
Antonio was the means of opening to us a chan-
nel of information, in regard to the country, which
was not accessible to our illiterate linguists, and
others with whom we had hitherto communicated.
The present governor, as I have had occasion to
mention heretofore, was merely acting as such ;
the viceroy himself having been called to court, to
answer to some anonymous charges against him of
malversation in office, which he, however, had the
means to refute ; and instead of punishment and
degradation, which his enemies anticipated would
be the result, he found means to ingratiate himself
with his sovereign, who gave him his niece in
marriage, and sent him back to his government
loaded with honours. This event took place a
short time subsequent to the period of which I am
writing, and of which I shall take due notice.
The government of Don-nai is an epitome of that
of the country, and like that, the military interest
predominates, the viceroy being commander in
T 4
280
Chief of all his majesty's forces in that district.
Subordinate to this chief of the government is the
judiciary, at the head of which was the present
acting governor, called by the natives " Oung-
quan-tung-keon," or Mandarin of Letters. The
viceroy they call " Oung-quan-tung-hoova," or
Mandarin of Arms. All other officers are likewise
designated, by applying to their title the names of
the particular department over which they respect-
ively preside : thus, the officer who has charge of
the king's elephants is styled " Mandarin of Ele-
phants." Another officer presides over all kinds of
wood for construction, and in fact for every use
but fuel ; he is called the " Mandarin of Wood,"
and not even an oar can be purchased in the bazar
without a special licence (hardly obtained, after
much circumlocution and delay,) is granted for
the purpose. Then there is the " Mandarin of
Strangers," who, in Saigon, was also commissary
of marine, and the one heretofore mentioned by
that title. Two " Mandarins of the Chinese,"
\vhose business it is, ostensibly, to assist the super-
cargoes of that nation in their business while in
the country, but in reality, to watch and fleece
them as far as in their power. To these might be
added an endless nomenclature of subordinates,
every one of whom must be feed by those who
would transact any commercial business in the
country; and the neglect of oiling the most mi-
nute, and apparently useless, part of this machine,
281
would not only have the effect to paralyse its pro-
gressive motions, but cause a counteraction in its
operations. In the administration of justice, the
utmost venality prevails, the case generally turning
in favour of the party bribing highest. Murder,
which according to the earlier travellers was for-
merly very uncommon in Onam, is now by no
means unfrequent. Theft is universal, although
capitally punished upon detection. All capital
crimes, excepting adultery, are punished by de-
collation. The culprits are brought into the great
bazars, among which (in cases where there are
many to suffer, and this^is not unfrequent,) they
are distributed. Officers on horseback, and foot-
soldiers, are arranged as guards round the bazars :
the criminals are placed upon their knees in a
row, distant from each other a few paces ; and
before each, attached to a stake, planted in the
earth, is a placard, stating the crimes for which
they are respectively to suffer. The executioner
prepares with his keen two-handed sword to inflict
the coup de grace, while his attendant stands before
the first malefactor, gathers his long hair in his
hands, pulling it with some violence, by which
means the neck is distended : the word is given
by the chief mandarin : one blow severs the head
from the trunk. The executioner immediately
proceeds to the next, who is instantly despatched
with the same barbarous dexterity, and in this
manner they proceed through the whole line.
282
The heads are erected on poles, and they are ex-
posed for a few days, till, by permission, they are
taken down by their respective friends.
In cases of adultery, the parties are bound to-
gether back to back, and thrown off a bridge into
the river. Minor crimes are punished by im-
prisonment, flagellation, and the caungue. Poly-
gamy and concubinage are univeral in Cochin
China. Marriage is a verbal contract, made in
presence of the respective parents and friends of
the parties, and ratified by the exchange of pre-
sents : they seldom take more than three wives,
one of which is always paramount ; the children
of all are, however, equally legitimate. There is
no limitation to the number of their concubines,
that depending on caprice, and the ability to main-
tain them. Notwithstanding the severe punish-
ments inflicted on those females who are guilty of
a breach of matrimonial fidelity, no opportunities
are neglected to evade the laws enacted for its
prevention, where there is any reasonable chance
of escaping undetected; and among unmarried
females, chastity is scarcely considered a virtue.
The police of the city is conducted on an excel-
lent plan. In each street, one of the most respect-
able inhabitants is appointed to superintend the
judicial affairs of the street, for the good order and
management of which he is accountable to the
chief civil magistrate ; and this mode, by which
the interest of the " Head of the street, 5 * as he is
designated by the natives, is so intimately blended
283
with those of the government, is productive of
the most beneficial effects, riots and disturbances
being very rare. However, notwithstanding the
vigilance of the police, the natives find means to
evade many of the laws ; for instance, there are
certain days on which the people are prohibited
from killing pigs, by an edict founded on some
superstitious notion of the priests ; to prevent de-
tection in the violation of this law, they plunge
the animal under water, and despatch him there.
If inquiry or examination takes place, it is easy to
prove that the pig was drowned accidentally, and
afterwards bled ; by these means our ships' com-
panies were as well supplied with pork on pro-
hibited days as on any other.
In regard to the population of Cochin China, we
received contradictory accounts, and we never
could obtain access to any of the archives by which
this point might be settled. Some of the mandarins
asserted, that the country contained ten millions of
inhabitants; others calculated the population to be
fourteen millions, but the missionaries reduced the
number to six millions. This difference probably
arises from the fluctuating boundaries of the
country, by annual conquests. It may be pre-
sumed, that those mandarins exaggerate, who state
the population to be fourteen millions, which in-
deed may be the case with those who assert it to
be ten millions ; perhaps, if we place its amount at
eight millions, the mean between the smallest
number of the mandarins, and that of the
sionaries, we shall come nearest the truth ; but this
conjecture rests upon no better data than I have
already mentioned.
The various and contradictory statements, which
were daily made to us by the merchants and others,
concerning the quantity of sugar, and other pro-
ductions of the country, actually stored in Saigon,
determined us to satisfy ourselves of the truth of
these several reports, and the next day was ap-
pointed for our excursion.
All the Chinese commercial agents resided very
near us, and to their warehouses we made our first
visit ; but with the exception of some gambooge,
peltry, and a little red wood for dyeing, there were
no articles suited to the European markets. They
had some odoriferous woods, birds' nests, biches de
mer, and some very thick buffalo hides, which, by
some process, they render semi-pellucid; it then has
some resemblance to glue, and is an article of food
among the Chinese. Even of the description of
articles just mentioned, which they had on hand,
the quantities were very small ; the season was
however rather early to receive their merchan-
dise from the country, the proper^time being in
December and January. Great quantities were
not anticipated that season, as but two junks were
expected to return in the monsoon. It was very
easy to perceive, that these agents regarded us
with a jealous eye, and opposed many discourage-
ments and obstacles to our pursuits ; we, however,
proceeded to examine every store and warehouse
285
in the city, in which employment we continued,
not only the day we had appropriated for that
purpose, but the two following, and the final result
of our researches was, the discovery that there
were but about eight hundred piculs of sugar in
Saigon ; about ten tons of raw silk, which was
held at a higher price than it was worth in Europe;
from thirty to fifty tons of red dye-wood, also
enormously dear, and some dirty cotton, in small
parcels, which the holders evinced no anxiety or
willingness to sell at any rate. We were told,
however, by the linguists, that the sugar then at
Saigon was but a small proportion of what was in
the division, and that if we would offer a liberal
price, the merchants would bring it in ; but we
were now too well acquainted with the duplicity
and roguery of the natives to listen for a moment
to these idle tales : it is true, we did suppose that
there was more sugar in the district than we had
seen, but, from what data Polonio was able to
furnish, our conclusions were, that we should not
obtain more than three thousand piculs. The
event proved that even in that calculation we had
exceeded the reality. Our feelings may be con-
ceived of at this annihilation of the brilliant hopes
of success that our fancies, and the assurances of
the natives, had raised; and it may be supposed
that we did not feel very complacently towards
these people, who had uniformly conducted them-
selves with so much treachery, and such a total
disregard of truth and moral honesty. We had,
286
however, no remedy but patience, which we were
obliged to put in requisition until some favourable
change might take place, and enable us to purchase
what articles were in the market at a fair and rea-
sonable rate.
In the mean time, we endeavoured to further
our own views by marked attentions to the acting
governor, trusting that if we could conciliate him,
and engage him in our cause, his example and in-
fluence would effect a removal of the non-inter-
course existing between us and the merchants.
We accordingly invited him to our house, to pay
us a friendly visit, which he accepted, and ap-
pointed the next Sunday, (October 24th,) at ten
o'clock in the morning, to call on us. We accord-
ingly prepared to receive him, in the best manner
our situation and means would permit.
According to appointment, he made his appear-
ance with great pomp and ceremony, guarded by
a detachment of soldiers, with swords, pikes, and
shields. Our landlady had undertaken the ma-
nagement of the table on this occasion, and old
Polonio acted as master of ceremonies. After the
first reception was over, he, at our request, seated
himself on a raised platform, on which were spread
some of Maria's best mats, and some handsome
painted pillows, borrowed for the occasion. Part
of the soldiers were arranged round the hall, and
the residue under the veranda in front. Seeing
us standing after he was mounted, he motioned to
us to be seated, which we obeyed. He then asked
287
us several questions about our country, which
were principally repetitions of former conversa-
tions, and how we liked Cochin China. Our an-
swers to the first questions were easily given in a
most ingenuous manner, and with honest pride ;
and in regard to the second, who, in our situation,
would not have answered, " Very well ?" We,
however, did not fail to complain of the sugar-
merchants, on whom we bestowed several epithets,
by no means of a flattering nature ; a very consi-
derable part of which he might with great pro-
priety apply to himself) without fear of encroach-
ing on the property of others. He probably felt his
'* withers wrung ;" but how were we to know, or
could we surmise, that the great " Oung-quan-
tung-keon," the second officer in rank in the divi-
sion of Don-nai, and who had once the honour to
represent his august sovereign at the court of
Pekin (which was the fact), was a petty dealer in
sugar and other merchandise, and was leagued
with other petty dealers to gain by fraud and ex-
tortion an undue advantage over strangers, who
were in their power, and who had come such a
distance to reciprocate the advantages and plea-
sures of a friendly commercial intercourse with
them ? His excellency was pleased to join in the
invectives against the sugar-merchants, and to
reiterate his advice of a former day, to practise
patience.
A collation was then served, of which he ate
sparingly. We presented him some wine, of which
288
he took part of a glass, and passed the bottle to
his attendants, who soon dispatched it. A bottle
of cordial met the same reception.
After a short repast, during which he sat in a
chair, he rose and returned to his platform, and
immediately asked, if we had any objects of cu-
riosity to show him, to which we answered in the
negative, being aware of his motive ; but one of
the linguists (who by the way were all shameless
rogues) told him he had seen in my apartment a
double-barrelled fowling piece and shooting ap-
paratus, which I was finally obliged to produce ;
and after admiring the workmanship, he conde-
scended to borrow it for a shooting excursion the
next day. I was obliged to comply with his de-
sire with the best grace I could assume ; and it was
fortunate that on this occasion I took my final
leave of it, as no other opportunity occurred, for
I never saw it again, nor could all the efforts I
subsequently made during our stay procure me
even a glimpse of it, his excellency affecting to be-
lieve it a present. On this occasion we presented
him with a few yards of scarlet broad-cloth, which
he very much admired ; and after promising us
every assistance in his power, he took leave, hav-
ing been with us about an hour and a half.
289
CHAP. XVIII.
Perplexing Coin. Vexatious and flagitious Conduct of the Go-
vernment Officers. A Serpent. Stoned by the Natives.
Return to the Ships. Unsuccessful Stratagem. Filthy Food
of the Natives. Diseases. Funeral Ceremonies. Music.
Sculpture. Painting. Dramatic Exhibitions. Padre
Joseph. Arrival of the Viceroy. Presentation. Presents.
Humiliating Obeisances of Inferiors. Kaleidoscope.
Punishment of delinquent Soldiers.
ON the following day, we waited on the governor,
in order to make some arrangements for the pay-
ment of our measurement-dues, as he had hinted
at that subject on the preceding day. No repre-
sentation we could make, or argument we could
urge, would induce him to receive the Spanish
dollars at par, he affirming that they were worth
but eighteen mace in copper sepecks; we then
offered to pay him in copper sepecks, which we
knew we could purchase in the bazar, at the rate
of nineteen mace to the dollar, to which, after
some demur, he acceded.
On our return, we busied ourselves in the pur-
chase and examination of copper sepecks, a harass-
ing and perplexing employment ; and the united
efforts of four of us could enable us to count,
assort, and new string, only the value of fifteen
hundred quans, in more than a week : it must be,
confessed, however, that we were very inexpert in
u
290
handling this money, so new to us, and that one
Chinese or native would have completed the work
in less time ; but we were constrained to be very
particular, and attend to it personally, to prevent
its being again unstrung and recounted in the
custom-house ; a procedure that would, as Pasqual
and Joachim affirmed, subject us to great loss, by
reason of theft, and destruction of the coin by
careless handling.
A day being appointed for the payment of what
we had collected, as we had no room for a larger
sum, without causing great inconvenience, the
Marmion's launch was freighted with it, and de-
spatched for the custom-house ; and it was, as may
be supposed, a matter of curiosity, to see a stout
long boat of a ship of nearly four hundred tons
deeply laden with coin, amounting in value to only
seven hundred and fifty Spanish dollars, and weigh-
ing nearly two and a half tons.
Although we had made every exertion to col-
lect the various officers together at the custom-
house, previous to the arrival of the boat, that no
procrastination might take place in the delivery
and receipt of the money^ there was a great want
of punctuality ; and so great was the delay occa-
sioned by waiting and sending for different indi-
viduals, that the sun had set before they were all
assembled ; for every officer we had before seen,
and many whom we had never seen, were present ;
and when they had convened, there appeared no
disposition to despatch the business before them 5
291
on the contrary, there was a manifest reluctance
to proceed. There was much talking and mystery
among them, and it was evident they were hatch-
ing some scheme to cajole us : we finally, after
repeated applications, were permitted to land the
money, and bring it to the custom-house, by which
time it was nearly dark ; we then urged them to
take an account of it, and give us a receipt for the
amount, at which they affected to laugh, and told
us, that it was too late to do any business that
night, but that in the morning, they would again
assemble, and proceed to count and examine it.
We were thunderstruck at this declaration, for
it had been expressly stipulated, that it should not
be again separated, after we had delivered it ; and
an officer had attended on the part of the govern-
ment, while we were selecting and arranging it,
at the house, to supersede the necessity of such a
procedure. By this time, the tide in the creek on
which the custom-house was situated had ebbed so
far, as to render it impossible to get out with the
boat laden, otherwise we should have taken our
freight on board again, and proceeded to the
ships with it.
In this perplexity the wretches left us, evidently
enjoying our embarrassment. We had now no
alternative, but to let the money remain in the
custom-house, which was entirely open in front,
and send on board for an armed guard from each
ship ; and when we had posted them, and given
them proper directions, we left them.
u 2
They met with no disturbance during the night,
but what proceeded from an enormous serpent, at
least fifteen feet long, as they stated, which came
out of the river, entered the court, in front of the
building, which it crossed, and came into the cus-,
torn -house, and glided between the stacks of money,
when they lost sight of it, nor could their strictest
search, with the lamp which they had with them,
again discover it. From the description of the
sailors, I concluded it was a boa constrictor^ and
probably had its den in some part of the building^
where it was retiring to rest, after its nocturnal ex-,
cursion in search of food. This latter conjecture,
however, was not at all satisfactory to the sailors,
who insisted that it must be either the devil in his
primitive disguise, or a real serpent, which had
been trained by the natives, and sent in among
them to frighten them from their posts, and com-
pel them to leave the treasure unguarded. How-
ever, whether it were the arch-enemy himself a
boa constrictor returning to its den, or a serpent
trained by the natives, the tars maintained their
posts with great intrepidity, and in the morning all
was safe.
It was not till eleven o'clock, on the following
day, that the officers were re-assembled to count
the money, nor did they commence till after 12
o'clock. After counting the first hundred quans,
which consumed more than an hour, during which
they practised every art to vex and annoy us, re-
jecting every sepeck which had the least flaw on it,
or that was not of a standard size, to decide which
293
they were furnished with criteria in coins recently
from the mint; and when they had counted the
one hundred quans, what was our astonishment,
to find that there was an apparent loss of about
tender cent. I As the rejected coin did not appear
to amount to half that sum, which on examination
we found was the case, our indignation was highly
excited, and we insisted on searching the soldiers
who were counting, and on them we found se-
creted the balance of the loss : they were not the
least disconcerted at the discovery, but laughed in
our faces, in the most provoking manner. We
immediately made a report of this roguery to the
head mandarin or collector (whose conduct while
measuring the vessels may be recollected) : he ob-
served, that if they were guilty, and we wished it,
he would punish them. We insisted that it should
be done : they accordingly each received a few
slight strokes with a rattan. It was evidently, how-
however, all a farce, and they were laughing and
chuckling during the infliction, if it deserves that
name. Old Polonio, and Joachim, who were
present, now beckoned us aside, and told us that
these vexations were contrived to force us to relin-
quish the plan of paying our measurement dues in
the coin of the country, arid to oblige us to pay
them in Spanish dollars, at eighteen mace each ;
and represented to us the great difficulties and loss
we should experience in a perseverance in our in-
tention. On hearing this, we determined to com-
plain to the governor, a resolve which we put in im-
u 3
294
mediate execution, and took Antonio, one of the
government linguists, with us, and Joachim ac-
companied us. We entered our complaint against
the officers, recapitulated our grievances, reminded
him of his promises of assistance and protection,
and demanded justice, promising oblivion of the
past, provided our present, and any future claims
for justice, were listened to, and allowed. From
his manner we fancied we perceived, that he was
aware of the impositions that had been practised,
and, no doubt, instigated by him : he, in short, de-
clined interfering with the custom-house depart-
ment, as out of his province ; he, however, con-
descended to give us some wholesome advice
upon the subject. He thought it would be best
to allow the officers to count the money in their
own way, or to make a compromise, by giving
them a sum of money, on condition they would not
count it; or to permit it to pass for so many Spanish
dollars, at eighteen quans the dollar; and to prevent
further trouble, to pay the residue of the govern-
ment dues in Spanish dollars. We objected to part
of this plan, but suggested that we would withdraw
all the money we had deposited in the custom-house,
and apply it to other purposes, and pay the whole
amount in Spanish dollars : to this he assented, pro-
vided we would pay a duty equivalent to the pre-
mium on the dollars, to satisfy the officers for the
trouble they had already been, and might yet be, at.
In short, after several journies backwards and for-
wards, between the governor's house and the cus-
tom-house, and night again approaching, we were
295
under the necessity of succumbing to these harpies,
and we delivered them the money, and took their
receipts for seven hundred and fifty dollars, the
amount of what we had paid for it.
It would be tedious, in short, impossible, to re-
late the tissue of fraud and knavery which the
Cochin Chinese daily and hourly endeavoured to
practise upon us ; not a circumstance occurred, of
the most trivial nature, but what assisted to develope
these characteristic traits.
After we returned to our house in the evening*
and while sitting in the veranda, we were assailed
by a shower of stones, which appeared to be thrown
from the other side of the stream. We immediately
arose, and repaired to the gate to ascertain the
cause of this unprovoked attack, and from whence
it proceeded ; but all was quiet, and no person to
be seen, although the moon shone bright. The
noise of the descending missiles had also brought
our landlady to her gate, and while we were talking
with her on the subject, we were assailed by another
shower of stones from invisible hands, one of
which, striking Maria on the ancle, caused a severe
contusion, and another inflicted a serious wound on
the arm of one of the young gentlemen. We im-
mediately armed ourselves, and proceeded to the
spot from whence the stones appeared to be thrown,
and searched every place where we thought any
person could be concealed, but without success.
After our return, and while we were talking upon
the subject, we were saluted with another dis-
u 4
296
charge, upon which we made a second sally, but
with no better success than before. We were
then fain to retire inside the house and close the
shutters ; after which, a few random stones were
thrown, and we were then left to the quiet posses-
sion of our lodgings.
This annoyance was repeated almost every even-
ing afterwards, and sometimes at mid-day ; but no
search, enquiry, or offer of reward for the detec-
tion of the offenders, could elicit any information,
neither could we ever divine the cause of it. It
was, however, evident it came from the direction
of the governor's house, to whom we made our
complaint. He answered, that he was frequently
molested in the same manner ; and that if we could
secure the offenders, and bring them to him, they
should be punished, and this was all the satis-
faction we could obtain.
As we reaped no advantages by living on shore,
and the sugar-merchants were still inflexible, we
determined to try the effect of a stratagem. We
accordingly set to work, and paid the balance of
our measurement-fees, filled our water-casks, bent
some of our sails, and made other preparations for
sea. We removed part of our effects on board
from the house, and on the 31st of October, the
two commanders, to add weight to the " note of
preparation," removed on board, leaving the young
gentlemen to pack the residue, which they soon
completed, and embarked on the 4th of November.
From the secrecy we had maintained in regard to
297
our real intentions, and by the show we made in
our ostensible determination, we flattered ourselves
that we should bring them to reasonable terms, as
they would not, we presumed, permit us to depart
without purchasing their commodities. A whole
week, however, elapsed after this, without produc-
ing the desired effect. The same dogged indif-
ference was apparent in them, which had annoyed
us so much heretofore, during which time prepar-
ations were making for our feigned departure.
We finally asked the linguists if the merchants
would not come to some accommodation rather
than see us depart with no cargoes : when, to our
astonishment and mortification, they answered with
the greatest coolness, that the Cochin Chinese were
too well versed in deception to be blinded by the
shallow artifice we had adopted, and that they
were willing to try which could hold out longest.
We had now littie hope but in the viceroy, who
was daily expected, and represented as a very dif-
ferent man from the present incumbent, being very
attentive to Europeans, coveting their company, and
always ready to assist and protect them, having
been formerly mandarin of strangers at Hue.
We were somewhat encouraged on learning that
the season for the new crop of sugar was ap-
proaching, when, as it was represented, it would be
plentiful and cheap, and we laboured with all our
might to believe as much of this as possible, as a
sedative to our excited feelings.
I am aware, that the recital of the constant vex-
298
ations to which we were subjected in Cochin China
may appear querulous, and perhaps even trivial to
some ; but a regard to truth, and a desire to warn
any future adventurers, who may have the temerity
to risk a voyage to this country, prompts me to
display the character of the natives, and to remove
the impressions which former accounts may have
made of their simplicity, virtue, and integrity, and
by which we were most egregiously duped.
Notwithstanding the abundance which reigns in
this country, the natives are " foul feeders." Rats,
mice, worms, frogs, and other vermin and reptiles
are eagerly sought after. In China, they have an
excuse for those dirty practices, in the difficulty
experienced in finding sufficient wholesome food
for their crowded population; but the Onamese
appear to have a predilection for filth, as will be
manifest from the following articles of their food.
While upon an excursion one day, in pursuit of
some planks to repair one of our boats, we ob-
served, before an old woman's stall, what we sup-
posed to be turtle boiled, and exposed for sale in
square pieces ; but our linguist told us it was
cayman, or alligator, and bid us follow him, which
we did, to an enclosure at the back of the building,
where there were about twenty of these hideous
animals, from two to twelve feet in length, walking
about, with their jaws bound together, and the
stench from them was intolerable. The method
of taking them, we were told, was by placing a
number of small lines in their haunts, with which
299
they become entangled, and fall an easy prey to
the hunters.
In a species of palm-tree, at the top, is a suc-
culent bud, resembling in some degree an arti-
choke. In the heart of this bud is generally, if
not universally, an unctuous white maggot, or
grub, as large as one's thumb, which is esteemed a
great delicacy, and is a monopoly of the royal
family and mandarins of the first distinction. A
present, of about a dozen of these buds, contain-
ing the worms, was sent us once by the viceroy as
a mark of great consideration. It is hardly neces-
sary to say we declined eating this delicacy, but
gave them privately to Pasqual's wife, who was
highly delighted with the tit-bits that our fastidious
taste had rejected.
The entrails of pigs, fowls, deer, &c., which were
thrown overboard from our vessels, were eagerly
pursued and taken up by the boatwomen, thrown
upon the coals, broiled and eaten, with no other
cleaning than slightly dipping them in water.
Putrid meat and fish were generally preferred to
that which was sweet and fresh.
Cochin China is by no means, abstractedly, an
unhealthy country ; but the habits of its inhabitants
engender diseases, which the climate has little or
no influence in producing, such as leprosy, scrofula,
scurvy, erysipelas, and many other cutaneous dis-
orders. The diseases, which are the effect of climate
and other external causes, are principally of a febrile
character, in which class those of a bilious and
300
intermittent type predominate. A glandular com-
plaint, affecting the lymphatic system, and I believe
a species of the elephantiasis, is not uncommon, and
is said to be produced by sudden changes of air
from heat to cold (a common circumstance in the
night), combined with an alleged predisposition to
its appearance from some unwholesome quality in
the water. I was so unfortunate as to contract this
latter disease while in the country, and although
nearly four years have elapsed since, no very
essential mitigation of the complaint has been
obtained. My legs were at first swollen to an
enormous size, and a violent symptomatic fever,
attended with excrutiating pains, were the con-
comitants. Care and rest have produced some
favourable appearances, but the neglect of these
are sure to produce a return of the worst symptoms.
It is probably incurable.
Persons of distinction, after death, are laid in
state, and, in fact, people of the lower ranks affect
to copy after their superiors in this respect, in pro-
portion to their means. In the first instance, a pa-
vilion with a canopy of boards supported by wooden
pillars, driven into the earth, is erected in front of)
and quite contiguous to, the house of the deceased :
matting screens are hung round, descending half
way from the roof to the ground. Within this is
placed the coffin, on a raised frame : tables laden
with the choicest fruits, and furnished with areka
andbetel are placed around the enclosure; andbands
of music play night and day, near the deceased, till
301
the interment takes place, which is generally from
a week to fifteen days after death. Great hilarity
prevails during this season, and large quantities of
gilt paper are burnt.
In the main street through which we daily passed,
one of these exhibitions lasted about ten days ; but
we never saw the mode of interment among persons
of rank. I one day witnessed the funeral proces-
sion of the only son of a poor widow : the coffin
was placed on a bier composed of two parallel
pieces of timber, twenty feet long, secured together
in the middle by transverse bars \ eight bearers on
each side supported the bier, and the poor mother,
with hair dishevelled, and clothed in a loose robe
of white cotton (the colour of mourning in Onam),
tottered along in the rear of the body, between the
two parts of the bier, with her head sunk upon her
bosom, while loud sobs and piercing groans pro-
claimed the intensity of maternal grief. Far dif.
ferent was the conduct of the bearers, who, with
hearts worthy of barbarians, mocked the sacred
sorrow of this bereaved woman, and laughed heartily
at her lamentations.
Their musical instruments differ in no respect
from those of most other Asiatic nations. Drums,
violins, guitars, trumpets, flutes, &c., of a construc-
tion peculiar to all of them, and intended to produce
the same effect as the European instruments of those
names, are in general use. But the sounds of them,
to an European ear, are extremely harsh and
grating.
302
They have acquired some knowledge in the art
of sculpture, from the Chinese ; the best specimens
of which are exhibited on some of the tombs of de-
ceased great men ; the worst are in the objects of
adoration in their temples.
Original painting is not to be found in the coun-
try, of a degree of excellence sufficient to raise the
them above the standard of the most barbarous
nations. A few copies from the Chinese, which I
have deposited in the East India Marine Museum,
evince a docility rendering them susceptible of
considerable improvement.
Some of the pupils of the missionaries have made
considerable progress in mathematics, and the art
of drawing.
The Cochin Chinese are remarkably fond of dra-
matic entertainments, at which they spend much of
their time. Their plays are generally of an oper-
atic character, and the drama turns upon historical
events. The players are itinerant, and a temporary
building is erected' in some bazar, near the most
popular sections ; from whence they are removed to
another, after the performance of one play, which
generally lasts from three to six days and nights,
with occasional intermissions. The place of exhibi-
tion is open to all, without any price annexed to the
gratification of the audience, the players depending
on voluntary contributions. Their draperies are
of the most fantastic character^; and a clown or
merry-andrew is an indispensable concomitant to
these entertainments. Their singing is good, when
SOS
the ear has become accustomed to it; and the
modulation of voice in the females is really capti-
vating. This is, in fact, the case with their language,
which at first sounds extremely harsh to a stranger,
but on a more intimate acquaintance he discovers
its beauties, which lie principally in its recitative
character, by which great harmony is produced.
The month of December found us in the status
quo ante bellum, no relaxation being apparent in
either of the belligerents. Our patience, which was
spun out to an almost imperceptible thread, was
however yet tenacious, and hope continued to cheer
us with her smiles.
A circumstance which contributed to amuse and
beguile us of many a tedious hour, and which was
of great advantage to us in our researches after in-
formation concerning the country, occurred at
this time; it was our introduction to Padre*
Joseph, the elder Italian missionary, a venerable
man of fifty, of mild and unassuming manners, of
dignified yet conciliating deportment, of great zeal
and correctness in the discharge of his pastoral
duties, of a most blameless and self-denying life,
evincing that " he was honest in the sacred cause,"
and a man of erudition and great observation. He
spoke the French language with considerable
fluency ; and to him am I indebted for much of
the information in this volume which relates to
Cochin China. He had been indisposed since our
* Padre, Father.
304
arrival, which was the reason we had not seen him
before.
On the sixth of December, the arrival of the
viceroy was announced by the discharge of a few
guns, and by the display of the Onamese flag at
the citadel ; the guns on this, and other occasions
of ceremony, being placed vertically with their
muzzles pointing to the zenith, for the purpose, as
they told us, of diffusing the sound through the
surrounding country. This event was productive
of great activity in the division ; every mandarin
of every class crowding with obsequious and offi-
cious zeal to pay court to the favourite of the
sovereign. The river for several days was filled with
their gallies : " mot quan" resounded from every
quarter ; and the court of the viceroy exhibited a
gay, and even splendid pageant of the nobility in
their gala dresses, and of the military, in party-
coloured uniforms, in which yellow and red pre-
dominated. Sagouetes poured in on every side ;
for every visitor was provided with some propitia-
tory offering, consisting of the various productions
of the country, so that the demesnes of his excel-
lency exhibited an extensive park, stocked with
various kinds of domestic animals, while his gar-
ners resembled the temple of Ceres, overflowing
with the offerings of her votaries.
We embraced the earliest opportunity of paying
our compliments to the viceroy, and the following
day was appointed for the visit. Duplicates of
the same articles which had been presented to the
305
acting governor, or mandarin of letters, (by which
latter title we shall in future designate him,) were
selected on the present occasion, as sagouetes, to
which we added a handsome sabre and an elegant
kaleidoscope. Our mode of presentation was simi-
lar to that observed on our first visit to the manda-
rin of letters, but our reception was much more
frank and cordial : the appearance and manners
of the viceroy were military and dignified ; and he
had the air of an experienced courtier, blended
with the frankness of a soldier. He was a man
of mind, and is no doubt destined, in the event of
future wars, or domestic commotions, to fill an
important page in the history of his country. His
palace was of the same description as that of the
mandarin of letters, heretofore described, though
somewhat larger, and the different offices con-
tiguous were in much better order. Directly in
front of the hall of audience was a low wall, sur-
mounted with several handsome porcelain vases,
containing some beautiful exotic and native plants;
and beyond the wall was a garden, laid out with
considerable taste, containing a variety of fruit-
trees, most of them in full bearing.
The rigid discipline and exact subordination ob-
served in " the presence" were exemplified in the
profound silence and abject prostrations of the cour-
tiers. Settees and chairs had been provided for our
accommodation, and were placed on the right hand
of the viceroy, a few feet in advance of the throne,
from whence we were enabled to observe all that
306
passed. The platforms on each side were crowded
with mandarins of all ranks, while a constant sue*
cession of others occurred, prostrating themselves
before the throne, while their sagouetes were borne
by their respective servants and retainers. Pigs,
alive and dead, and some roasted, fowls, fish,
game, roots, fruits, confectionaries, rice-cakes,
cooked dishes, tea, areka, and betel, were among
the great variety of offerings.
The mode of salutation is thus practised ; The
visitor enters the hall from the side on the right
of the throne, and passes the ends of the platforms
farthest from it till he arrives at the open area in
front; he then faces the object of his homage,
clasps his hands together, while his arms hang sus-
pended before him ; he then raises his hands, still
clasped, to his forehead, and again lets them
fall before him ; he then unclasps his hands,
falls in the attitude of genuflexion, with his hands
placed on the earth, and touching it with his fore-
head ; he then rises, and repeats the same cere-
mony two, five, or eight times, the number being
three, six, and nine, according to proximity of rank
between the respective persons paying and receiv-
ing homage. In no case were less than six
prostrations performed to the viceroy ; generally
there were nine, and always with great deliber-
ation and solemnity. And to add to this humili-
ation, all mandarins below those of the first class
entered and retired iu a stooping posture, not daring
to lilt their eyes from the ground. They passed
307
off on the opposite side from whence they entered,
and their presents were taken away by the viceroy's
retainers.
His excellency was highly gratified with our
presents, all of which he inspected very closely.
The kaleidoscope, being of superior workmanship,
and handsomely ornamented, was particularly ad-
mired. I directed the linguists to inform the vice-
roy, that this was a new invention, and had excited
much admiration in Europe, and then proceeded
to explain its uses and mode of application. No
sooner, however, had he looked through it, than
he took it from his eye, and addressed a few words
to the linguist, who repeated to me from his
excellency, that the instrument might be new
in Europe, but was by no means rare with them.
He then directed a few words to an officer in at-
tendance, who returned in a few minutes with
several kaleidoscopes, covered with red embossed
paper : they were, it is true, of inferior workman-
ship, but in principle did not differ in the least de-
gree from that of Dr. Brewster. We were, how-
ever, greatly surprised, that an invention of such
recent origin in Europe should be found in this
secluded part of the world, especially as those we
saw were evidently of Chinese manufacture. And
if it was not a Chinese invention also, but had been
brought from Europe by the way of China, it was
not a little remarkable, because the trade between
China and Saigon was almost exclusively pursued
by junks belonging to, and sailing from, the port of
308
Lien-tcheou on the Lien-Kiang river, in the south-
western part of the empire, bordering on Tonquin,
and consequently remote from scenes of European
intercourse.
During our visit, a report was made to the vice-
roy, by an officer, that some delinquent soldiers
were ready to receive their punishment ; on which
they were ordered into the court fronting the hall
of audience, where their caungues were knocked
off. The punishment then inflicted was flagellation
with a bunch of split rattans ; and the blows being
given in an oblique direction, cut the backs of the
culprits (who were laid on their faces upon the
earth) in a most shocking manner, while their heads
and legs were held down by attendant soldiers.
As this was merely a visit of introduction and
ceremony, and the levee being greatly crowded,
no business was done ; but an early subsequent
interview, requested by us, was appointed, and we
took our leave, after being treated with tea, areka,
and betel.
309
CHAP. XIX.
Letter from Monsieur Vannier. Aqua Ardiente, a great
Rogue. Reptiles. Meteorological Remarks. Aerial Tem-
perature. Mandarin of Letters visits on board. Visit the
Viceroy. An Entertainment. Favourable Impressions made
by the Viceroy s Manners. Domingo, a Native ^Christian.
Bezoar Stone Cautery. Mode of travelling. Fires.
Games. Athletic Exercises. Poisoning. Viceroy's Wives.
Diabolical Machinations of Linguists and Government
Officers -- Cambodian Ambassador. Fleet of Gallies.^-
Viceroys Galley.
found, on our return on board, an officer we
had never seen before, who presented a letter from
Monsieur Vannier, dated at Hue, November 20th,
in answer to one we had written him on the llth
of October, requesting his interference towards ef-
fecting a reduction of the sagouetes, and to bespeak
his good offices in our behalf with the government.
He stated to us, that he was at Turon when he re-
ceived our letter, where he was in the company of
his countrymen of the two ships heretofore men-
tioned, and that as soon as he returned to Hue he
waited on the mandarin of strangers, and made
known to him the subject of our letter* On
which he observed, that the year previous the king
had made a reduction of one-third the amount of
anchorage on all vessels from what it had formerly
been, and that the sagouetes were comprised in the
x 3
310
anchorage ; that it was entirely optional with us
to make presents or not, for no person had a right
to demand them. He mentioned that the king
had received the sabre we had sent him. He also
stated that his majesty had been sick for some time,
and rarely gave an audience ; that he had not seen
him since his arrival from Turon, but that he would
with much pleasure embrace every opportunity to
render us any service in his power.
The missionaries and Pasqual had frequently
told us, that the greatest rogue in the custom-house
department, and one who had great influence, was
absent on a visit to Hue, and was soon expected
to return ; that to his villany, in a great measure,
might be attributed the loss of the Macao trade,
and the diminution of that with China, and that
he was in great favour with the government, which,
notwithstanding its professions of friendship to-
wards strangers and favour to foreign commerce,
was decidedly opposed to any intercourse with
them. The bearer of our letter was the very per-
sonage who had been so represented, and his sub-
sequent baseness proved that the picture which our
friends had pourtrayed, had not been caricatured.
The name by which he was always known among
those who spoke the Portuguese language, and by
the natives who did not, was " Aqua ardiente,"
the Portuguese name for brandy ; but whether this
was a gratuitous cognomen of the Macao sailors, or
was a corruption of his proper name, approaching it
in sound, we did not care to enquire. The first act
311
of this troublesome fellow was to demand an enor-
mous fee for the transportation of the letter from
Hue, which was finally commuted to a bottle of
rum and a yard of red cloth, when he found we
were proof against his extortions. This wretch
caused us great trouble and vexation, from this
time till we quitted the country.
Snakes of several species are frequently seen
swimming in the river, among which are the " Co-
bra de Capella," or hooded serpent, and the small
green viper, whose bite is almost instantaneously
mortal : it is said to be purblind in the daytime,
but very quicksighted in the dark. One of these
latter subjects, now in the museum of the East
India Marine Society, was killed by me. It had
ascended from the river, and perched on the row-
lock of the boat, very near my head, while I was
going on shore, and reclining under the canopy.
A large " Cobra de Capella" was pursued by the
second mate of the Franklin, in the boat, for about
a mile : he fought with great fury, and was fre-
quently wounded by the boat-hook, with which
the officer was armed, till he finally eluded further
pursuit, by diving under the bottoms of the country
vessels.
The heavy rains which had prevailed since our
arrival began now to abate, and frequent breezes
from the northern quarter indicated the change of
the monsoon. Frequently, after a day of calm
weather, accompanied with great heat, which would
raise the mercury in the shade to 85 of Fahrenheit,
x 4
312
a sudden northerly wind would spring up in the
night, accompanied sometimes by rain, which
would depress the mercury in a few minutes from
ten to twenty degrees. As the season advanced,
these breezes were of more frequent occurrence,
and longer continuance, till the middle of De-
cember, when the periodical north-east wind was
prevalent, and before the expiration of the month
fairly established. The mean of the thermometer
at noon was at that time 6 lower than at the time of
our arrival, and in the night the air was from 7 to
10 colder than when we arrived. The atmosphere
was clear, and the weather serene and pleasant.
The mandarin of letters, on his way to Don-nai
in his galley one morning, paid a visit to the Frank-
lin, where he passed about half an hour, but refused
every refreshment we offered him but a cup of tea.
After speaking in high terms of the neatness and
orderly arrangement of the vessel, and the dis-
cipline of the ship's company, he took his leave.
At the time appointed we again waited on the
viceroy, who had purposely denied access to all na-
tive visitors, and was attended only by the officers
of his own household, amounting to about forty,
and the four government linguists, Antonio, Ma-
riano, Joseph, and Vicente, who were native Chris-
tians. We were received with great cordiality and
attention ; and his excellency, throwing aside the
" pride, pomp, and circumstance," of his exalted
station, conversed very freely with us : and his
eager inquisitiveness, and judicious selection of sub-
313
jects of enquiry, proved him to be a man of an en-
larged mind, prompted by an unquenchable thirst
for knowledge and information ; and the judicious
remarks which he made on a variety of subjects
convinced us of the strength of his natural powers,
and the extent of his acquirements. War, politics,
religion, and the customs and manners of European
nations, were the topics on which he dwelt with
great interest; and having heard that I held a com-
mission in the naval service of my country, he was
very particular in his enquiries on the subject of
naval tactics and maritime warfare. When his
curiosity had been gratified in these particulars, he
was pleased to pass many encomiums on the supe-
rior intelligence, skill, and prowess of " Olan," and,
with an emotion of mortified pride, deplored the
comparatively barbarous state of his native country.
About two hours were passed in this pleasurable
intercourse, when he told us that some refreshment
had been prepared for us in the European style,
under the direcion of Antonio the linguist, who had
been at Macao. A small table was prepared in the
centre of the hall, on which were heaped, one
above another, a profusion of dishes and bowls,
containing a great variety of Asiatic messes, and
some boiled fowls and ducks, rice, yams, sweet
potatoes, roasted pork, fish, confectionary, and
fish-pickle. We were much amused at the " Eu-
ropean style" of this entertainment : the table
being high, and the chairs low, our chins, when
we were seated, were on a line with the former ;
so, finding that we could not manage in this posture,
we were obliged to relinquish this item of Euro-
pean fashion, and stand round the table. An-
tonio had procured somewhere, probably from
Pasqual, two old knives and forks, which we used
alternately to cut our meat, and porcupine's quills
served to convey it to our mouths. For the
soups, small china spoons were prepared, and found
convenient.
At the commencement of our repast, the viceroy
attended us, with a bottle of the liquor we had
presented him in one hand, and a glass in the
other, with which he plied us with but little inter-
mission till we begged for quarters, on which he
granted us a truce from this form of well meant,
but obtrusive, hospitality. His anxiety, however,
that we should reap the full fruition of the plea-
sures before us, again pressed into its services his
manual powers, and he proceeded with his fingers
to cram our mouths with a heterogeneous assem-
blage of fish, fowl, rice, pilaw, curry, pork, pota-
toes, sugar-plums, &c., without any regard to order
or precedency, till our eyes began to start from
their sockets, while the big tears coursed in rapid
succession over our distended cheeks.
The Chinese cooks in Onam perambulate the
streets with an elastic strip of bamboo across their
shoulders, from each end of which is suspended, by
cords, a square board, resembling a wooden scale,
on which they carry various dishes, ready cooked
for the table ; among these viands, a very common
3L5
object is a baked hog, covered with a coat of var-
nish, made principally of sugar or molasses. One
of these itinerant purveyors for the stomach had
been called in, and his board was laid upon the
floor of the hall, on which he cut up the meat, and
replenished our table from it, with his naked hands ;
this was, however, no time to be fastidious, and we
laboured to do honour to our entertainment, and
to gratify our benevolent host, who, in his anxiety
to render our visit pleasant to us, had condescended,
not only to superintend the ceremony of our table,
but with his own viceroyal hands to convey the
food into our very mouths. Nor was there any
thing ridiculous to the view of the natives in this
curious courtesy ; but it was looked on as a proof
of a polished urbanity in the chief, who was anxious
to acquit himself with due decorum, and a just
regard to the proper entertainment of his guests.
The viceroy did not partake with us in either
solids or fluids, but derived great apparent satis-
faction from our exertions to please him, by doing
ample honour to his feast, though at the expense
of aching heads, and nauseated stomachs, from
promiscuous repletion.
After the repast was ended, and we had returned
to our seats, we related to the viceroy the various
arts that had been put in operation by the mer-
chants and others to deceive and cheat us, and the
roguery at the custom-house, and requested his
excellency to exert his influence to promote a
spirit of honourable intercourse on the part of the
316
natives. He expressed much concern at the reci-
tal of our complaints, and assured us that, although
he was a military man, and had no concern in any
commercial pursuits, and that he had no right to
dictate to his majesty's subjects the mode of trans-
acting their business, or the manner of disposing
of their property, yet he would use his influence
in persuading the holders of merchandise to bring
and sell it to us at a fair and reasonable rate. We
then mentioned the subject of sagouetes, and made
known to him the contents of Monsieur Vannier's
letter. To this he answered, that he had never
received any instructions from his sovereign on the
subject, and although such a reduction as that
mentioned in the letter may have been contem-
plated or even decreed, it had never been promul-
gated ; that, however, for his own part of the sa-
gouetes, he was quite willing to relinquish it, but
hinted that other officers and expectants would
not so easily be induced to waive their claims,
which had from time immemorial been granted.
In regard to the anchorage, his duty to his sove-
reign imperiously demanded the most rigid exac-
tion of the full amount of what had always been
by law established, and that it would be demanded
of him, but that he would most cheerfully conform
to any new edict reducing the ancient rate of that
exaction. We then demanded, if the presents we
had already made to the different officers, and
what we had yet remaining, and contemplated to
distribute, would be considered as part of the eus-
317
tomary sagouetes, valuing them at their first cost ?
His answer was, that he presumed no possible dif-
ficulty could be made to that proposal; that he
would, however, consult with the other officers of
government, and represent the case in such a light
as to render them favourable to our views.
We now obtained permission to depart, accom-
panied with a pressing invitation to call frequently
on the viceroy, without ceremony ; and he stated
that he should give orders to have us admitted at
all times, when our inclinations and convenience
should lead us that way.
Pasqual called upon us on our return, and in-
troduced an old native Christian, named Domingo,
whose son was affianced to Pasqual's daughter :
he represented him as being rich, a man of in-
fluence, and an intimate friend of the viceroy, and
that he might be of great service to us in our bu-
siness, if we thought proper to engage him in our
service. We consequently authorised him to act
for us, under certain restrictions ; and he promised
to acquaint us with the progress he might make, in
a few days.
Domingo could speak none but the vernacular
tongue, in which his prayers, &c., were recited,
from a manual, translated by the missionaries for
the use of their converts. He was well dressed,
and wore on his fingers a great number of gold
rings, in which were set various precious stones,
and some of them appeared to be brilliants of con-
siderable value. He took from the corner of his
318
robe, where they had been carefully secreted,
several Bezoar stones, and offered to sell them.
The enormous price he set upon them would have
been sufficient to deter us from the thought of
purchasing, had no other reason prevented ; but
we knew that, however much this article may be
esteemed by the Asiatics, it was of little or no use
to us, as a commercial speculation, as its value had
been vastly lessened in Europe, in consequence
of frequent experimental tests of its inefficacy.
The Bezoar stone is a smooth, concrete calculus,
of a brown colour, generally the size of a walnut,
and is found in the intestines of a species of goat
or deer, and is highly esteemed in the East Indies
for the great medicinal virtues attributed to it.
As I was at times in great pain from the glan-
dular complaint heretofore mentioned, I submitted,
by the advice of Father Joseph, to a caustic oper-
ation on one of my feet, by a Chinese empiric.
He was provided with a quantity of levigated ve-
getable matter, apparently a species of lichen,
having somewhat the appearance of pulverized
sage, but without smell ; with this he made several
small conical heaps, each the size of a large thimble,
on parts of the foot which he intended to cau-
terize ; into these heaps he thrust small lighted
matches, which, communicating to the powder,
reduced it to a burning heap, without blaze. This
mode of producing the desired effect, although
severely painful, is, from the brevity of the oper-
319
ation, far preferable to any other caustic application
which I have seen.
During one of our visits to Domingo, by whom
we were treated with the usual marks of Onamese
hospitality, such as cramming, &c., he produced a
black bottle, and a glass tumbler, (which, from its
opacity, occasioned by accumulation of dirt, we at
first mistook for horn,) and treated us to what they
called wine, which Joachim told us was made up
country, near the mountains, and that grapes of
superior quality were there abundant : the wine
was, however, execrable, being acid, feculent, and
without flavour.
There are no wheel- carriages in Cochin China,
either for pleasure or utility. Persons of distinc-
tion are carried in hammocks of cotton netting,
generally blue, in which is a mattress and pillows
to recline upon. The hammock is suspended to a
pole, over which is placed a canopy resembling a
huge tortoise-shell, and made impervious to the
weather by a glossy black varnish ; the vehicle is
carried by four or six men, one half at each end.
In consequence of the indisposition which occurred
to me, I used one of these conveyances while in
the country, which is in the museum of the East
India Marine Society.
From the combustibility of the materials of the
houses, fires are not unfrequent in Saigon. At
one of these conflagrations, when parties were sent
from the ships to assist in quenching the flames,
the viceroy was present in person, with several
320
elephants, on one of which he was mounted.
They have no engines ; and the only mode of
quenching the flames is by throwing water on
them, from whatever vessels they can collect in
the emergency. To prevent the fire from spread-
ing, the adjacent houses are prostrated by means
of the elephants, one of these powerful animals
being sufficient to level with the ground any com-
mon building in the country ; sometimes, however,
two are required. The mode of effecting this is
by pushing with their heads against the object to
which they are directed by their drivers, by which
its total demolition is speedily effected. His ex-
cellency was in great good humour, and laughed
heartily while he directed the attention of our
party to the summary operations of his elephants,
who were throwing down several houses.
The Onamese do not appear to be greatly ad-
dicted to gambling, or to games of chance gene-
rally, beyond amusement and pastime. They use
the Chinese cards, with which the boat-girls fre-
quently amused themselves, but we never saw
them bet upon their games. Cock-fighting, so
prevalent among the Malays, is seldom resorted to
as an amusement by the Cochin Chinese.
In athletic exercises we frequently saw the sol-
diers engaged, such as wrestling, running, and
jumping; but the game of shuttle-cock, played with
the feet, described by Mr. Barrow as having been
seen at Turon, in 1793, by the gentlemen in the
suite of the Earl of Macartney, we never witnessed :
321
it may have been a provincial amusement, or per-
haps, from the lapse of time, become obsolete.
Poison is not unfrequently administered by the
Cochin Chinese, to gratify private malice or to
obtain pecuniary advantages. Pasqual came one
evening on board, to beg a few biscuits, and some
medicine, for a mandarin, who had been poisoned
by some deadly potion administered in his food ;
and the viceroy, on the occasion of presenting us
with the tigers before mentioned, laid strong in-
junctions upon us not to let the natives have access
to them, for they would cut off their whiskers,
which when reduced to powder, and administered
in food or drink, as he asserted, is a most infallible
means of procuring a lingering death.
During one of our visits to the viceroy, the
linguists informed us, that a good opportunity was
now presented to purchase fresh provisions for our
ships' companies, from the sagouetes presented to
his excellency by the mandarins. On our way to
the enclosures in which some of the quadrupeds
were confined, in one of the offices attached to the
palace was a goldsmith at work making rings,
bracelets, and other trinkets for the viceroy's
women. The gold appeared to be of the finest
touch, but the manufacture was clumsy. Near
this building, and parallel with the palace, at about
fifty feet from it, was a pavilion surrounded with
verandas. In this were the different apartments of
his excellency's wives and concubines, who were
in gaudy dresses of various colours, and loaded
Y
322
with jewelry. On our approach, they flocked to
the verandas, and gazed at us with eager curiosity
through the screens and lattices, behind which
they were partially shrouded. They were in high
glee, and frequently called to us, and, as the
linguists said, invited us to approach, that they
might examine our dresses, skins, &c. But when
we were about proceeding to gratify the ladies by
a nearer approach, two stout fellows, who were
their guards, drove them into the interior of the
dwelling, and posted themselves at the door as
sentinels. As we had no wish to intrude, we
passed on, not, however, without some regret, that
we had lost an opportunity of a nearer view of the
persons, dresses, and decorations of the vice-queen
and her partners.
Forty piculs of rice were allowed for the sea-
stock of both vessels, one half of which we were
obliged to take from the king's magazines, at three
quans per picul, the residue we were at liberty to
purchase in the bazars, which we did at two quans
per picul, and of a very fine quality, and new ;
that from the king's warehouses was old and full
of vermin. Remonstrances had no effect. We
might, they observed, take it in that way, or take
none at all ; it was quite optional with us.
We had long suspected, that a plot was in agita-
tion among the linguists and some of the govern-
ment officers, to ensnare us in some troublesome
dilemma, and now every day's experience served
to strengthen our suspicions. Antonio, the head
323
linguist, who was a most consummate scoundrel,
had been employed by us to purchase our sea-stock
of rice from the bazar. After having appropriated
to his own use the money which we had advanced
him for the purchase of the rice, he undertook to
be highly offended at being reprimanded for his
roguery. He finally told us the rice was ready at
his house, (which stood on posts over the river,)
and that we had better send our boats for it. On
being questioned if he had a pass for it, he an-
swered in the affirmative. We accordingly sent
and took the rice, and brought it alongside the
ships. We waited several hours in expectation of
the officers of the custom-house, who, he had told
us, would be on board before the boats could
return with the rice. Night finally approached,
and no linguist or custom-house officers appeared.
The laws against the exportation of this article
were sanguinary, and rigidly enforced, and should
we be deceived in regard to the pass, and the com-
modity be found on board, or alongside our vessels,
we were aware that our lives and the property in
our charge would be the forfeit. We therefore
sent the boats back, and disembarked the rice at
Antonio's house, whence it was taken. Scarcely
had this been effected, when Antonio and some of
the myrmidons of the custom-house came off from
the shore, and enquired where the rice was. We
told them that it was relanded, in consequence of
their non-appearance. They muttered awhile, and
finally went off, evidently mortified at the failure
of their diabolical plans ; for we subsequently dis-
covered that no pass had ever been obtained, and
that our suspicions had been well founded in re-
gard .to the intended mischief.
On the succeeding day, we acquainted the
viceroy with the conduct of the linguist, through
the medium of Pasqual, as he and Joachim had
frequently told us that the linguists were in the
habit of translating between us falsely, and in a
way best to suit their own views, and those of the
sub-officers of the government. Antonio was im-
mediately put in caungue, whence, after remaining
a few days, he was liberated, after receiving a
severe flagellation with split rattans. This, how-
ever, was the last time that we could obtain Pas-
qual's services in this way ; for he was threatened
with death by this coalition of villains, if he ever
attended us again on a visit to the viceroy : he,
however, advised us to be on our guard, for mis-
chief was plotting, and that great exertions were
making to prejudice the viceroy against us.
Shortly after this, guard-boats were privately
placed along the shore opposite the vessels, to lie in
wait for any opportunity to surprise us, and take us
off our guard ; but as we had always been deter-
mined to violate none of the laws of the country,
they were defeated in this object. It was, how-
ever, some time before we discovered their cha-
racter and object, as there were so many of the
vessels of the country always lying by the banks of
the river, and these guard-boats were nowise
distinguishable from any others.
325
Defeated in this object, they were determined
to annoy us by every means in their power. We
had always been in the habit of purchasing our
fuel from boats passing us with that article, on
their way to market ; but now these harpies would
never permit one of them to approach us, without
paying them a bribe for the permission j a pro-
cedure by no means legal, as the article was free
to all. In consequence, we were obliged hereafter
to pay one third part more for it than we had
formerly done. Nor was this all : for we had fre-
quently, previous to this, purchased various objects
for the consumption of the ships, from boats pass-
ing to market, at a low rate ; but now no boat was
permitted to come near us with articles for sale,
which obliged us to purchase every thing in the
bazars at an advanced price. They even proceeded
so far as to abuse the missionaries, and threaten
them with vengeance for bringing me a few sam-
ples of galangal, and other medicinal roots and
drugs in a small bag. Our new acquaintance,
Domingo, dared not or would not make these
things known to the viceroy, as the mandarin of
letters, whose very name he professed to dread,
was supposed to be at the head of the cabal, to
which he was probably instigated, partly by avarice,
and partly by jealousy, in consequence of the prefer-
ence given to the viceroy by us, and the attentions
he paid us.
A Cambodian mandarin of high rank, while on
a visit to the viceroy's court, on some diplomatic
Y 3
326
business, came on board the ships to gratify his
curiosity, in regard to our vessels, customs, mode
of living, &c., and was highly pleased. He behaved
with great decorum, and did not beg any thing of
us, but bought a handsome sabre, for which he
paid us one hundred quans in silver ingots, and
invited us on board his galley to return his visit,
where we went on the following day. The in-
ternal economy and domestic arrangements of this
vessel were admirable ; and a much greater air of
convenience and comfort was visible in them, than
in any of the houses we had visited in Cochin China,
The mandarin had a large household of retainers
and domestics, who conducted themselves with the
utmost propriety. We were treated with tea,
areka, betel, and confectionary ; and the greatest
hospitality and attention, to make our visit pleasant
to us, were put in practice. He spoke a dialect
of the Onamese language, which was imperfectly
understood and spoken by Joachim, who attended
us. Neither his dress, nor that of his followers,
differed essentially from that worn by people of
corresponding rank in Onam ; but they were more
cleanly in their persons, and polished in their
manners. Our visit was necessarily short, in con-
sequence of the difficulty we experienced from the
imperfection of our interlocutory medium, and in
about an hour we returned on board.
A large fleet of gallies had been daily collecting
in the river, (just below the small branch, on which
was situated the naval arsenal,) from the arrival of
327
the viceroy till late in December ; and the time of
his departure now drew near, greatly to our regret,
for we knew he was still favourably disposed to-
wards us, notwithstanding the machinations of the
mandarin of letters and his myrmidons.
Early one morning the gallies, amounting to
more than fifty, unmoored from their former sta*
tion, and dropped slowly down the river in a single
line, the viceroy's galley leading the van : the
whole being decorated with carving, gilding,
streamers, and military insignia, presented a very
beautiful and pompous pageant.
The galley of the viceroy was about sixty-five
feet long, and propelled by eighteen long elastic
oars, the rowers standing, and pushing forward.
Her quarters and bows were ornamented with va-
rious carved figures, and a profusion of gilding
and red paint. Her beak was intended to represent
the head of some animal, while the painted eyes,
which they always place on their boats, corre-
sponded to that organ in the head of the carved
figure. At the prow a soldier was performing on
the gong: near him were seated several officers
with their attendants. To a mast placed about
the middle of the vessel was attached a small bell,
.which was struck at short intervals by an attendant
with a rod tipped with metal. Between the mast
and the stern, and occupying about one quarter of
the length of the galley, and the whole of her
breadth, excepting a passage-way inside each gun-
wale, was a neat wooden house, with a thatching
Y 4
328
of palm-leaves, furnished with blinds of split bam-
boo, which moved in an oscillatory direction, and
were propped up with reed- sticks to admit air,
and afford a view of surrounding objects. Spears,
decorated with tufts of hair dyed red, were placed
erect, by the walls of the house, outside ; and in-
side was seated the viceroy, smoking a long pipe,
and surrounded by his attendants. Towards the
stern were erected a number of spears and battle^
axes, their staves ornamented with red hair, and
small pennons or flags ; and at the after- extremity
of the vessel, which was considerably elevated
above all other parts, and where were several
groups of officers, was a stout flag-staff, on which
was hoisted a yard hanging obliquely to the hori-
zon, from which were suspended white, red, and
green flags, in the form of what are called, in nau-
tical language, repeaters : the heads of the mast
and flag-staff were decorated in the Chinese style.
This galley was constructed externally with very
stout wide planks ; and, with the exception of the
head and stern, which ro&e abruptly, the hull was
straight, and the gunwale on a horizontal Jine.
The whole line, moving with deliberate pomp,
doubled the point formed by the junction of the
two streams, proceeded up towards Old Saigon,
and w r ere finally lost to our view in the meanders of
the river.
Our surprise and pleasure were by no means
small, when, a few days after, we heard that his ex-
cellency had returned to Saigon, after having pro-
329
ceeded some way up the river, leaving the squa-
dron to pursue the expedition under the war-man-
darin next in rank and power to himself. We
never could learn the precise object of this excur-
sion, though no mystery was made of its being con-
nected with some designs of future conquests in
the direction of Siam. Whatever was its object,
however, the expedition did not return before we
left the country.
330
CHAP. XX.
Visit from a Lady of Rank. -Contract for Cargoes, and Per*
mission from Government to take them. New Difficulties.
Commence taking Cargo. More Villany. A pirate Galley.
Macao Ship robbed in 1804. Aqua Ardiente's rascality.
Additional Preparations for Defence. Narrative of an
Attack on an English Ship, and her narrow Escape. King's
proposed Contract for Cargoes to be brought him. Fears of
Father Joseph for the Christians.
WE received a ceremonious visit about this time,
from PasquaTs wife and daughter, and several
other females, married and single, who, it appeared,
were chosen a committee, to inform us that a lady
of high rank, whose husband was absent on a visit
to Hue, would do us the honour to come on board
the si lips on the following day, to gratify a desire
she had long cherished to see the " Don-ong-Olan,"
and their ships : to this we returned a suitable
answer, and at the time appointed the lady made
her appearance, with several female attendants.
She was what would appear in one of our own
fair countrywomen to be about thirty-five, but in
reality she was ten years younger, of a tall figure,
rather embonpoint, and in appearance and manners
inclining to the masculine. Her visible garments
consisted of four robes of different colours : on her
feet were Chinese slippers, and her head was en-
circled with a turban of yellow silk. One of her
331
attendants carried her hat, another her ornamented
box, containing betel, &c., a third wielded an enor-
mous fan, and a fourth a paper-umbrella. Several
golden bracelets encircled her wrists, and rings of
the same metal, in which were precious stones of
various colours, were on her fingers, w r hich latter
were outdone by the enormous nails growing from
them. She attacked the entertainment we had
provided for her with considerable vigour, and
tossed off several glasses of liquor with true bac-
chanalian grace. She passed the principal part of
the afternoon on board the two vessels, enquiring
the meaning and use of every novelty that met
her view, and when towards evening she took
leave, she thanked us very politely for our courtesy
and attentions.
On the first of January we had a visit from
Domingo, who told us that he had made all the
influence in his power towards an accommodation
with the sugar-merchants, but that he had only
been able to bring them to agree to take fifteen
quans per picul ; and as we then found there was
no alternative, but to depart without any cargoes,
we finally offered him that price for all he would
bring us. Permission was now to be obtained to
take cargo on board, and depart, which should
always be done simultaneously to prevent delay ^
and after about a week's hard labour, in going
through forms, visiting every officer in the govern-
ment, and placing our signatures to various docu-
ments, we effected this grand object.
332
On the 8th and 9th, Domingo brought us about
fifty piculs of sugar, and promised us more imme-
diately j but nearly a week elapsed before we saw
him again, when he finally came, and told us he
could procure no more, and that he could serve
us no further in any way. Here was a new di-
lemma, and the cause of it we did not discover till
afterwards. It was this : the women brokers were
determined that no irregular person should inter-
fere with their privileges, and had complained to
the mandarin of letters of this innovation, who
directed Domingo to desist, and leave the women
to manage the business in their own way : he how-
ever took care to associate his own agent, a Chi-
nese, named Chu-le-ung, with the female brokers,
who stipulated to furnish us with all the sugar in
the district, at the price agreed on with Domingo.
Accordingly, on the 1 6th, we recommenced taking
on board cargo, which was weighed on the decks
of the respective vessels by the dotchin, or Chinese
balance, a round wooden beam, generally of
ebony, of about six feet in length, with the nu-
merals marked upon it, by driving in small nails
with polished heads.
The dotchin, with which both cargoes were
weighed, (for we received the merchandise alter-
nately,) I have placed in the East India Marine
Museum : it is on the same principle as our steel-
yards.
It would afford me, or the reader, but little sa-
tisfaction, to detail the constant endeavours of the
333
natives to cheat us in tale and measure ; the
screaming and scolding of the women ; the reiter-
ated demands of Aqua Ardiente, and his ruffian
associates, who always attended when we were
receiving cargo, for food and liquor ; and the
various modifications of filth, by ejecting their dirty
saliva about, in every part of the vessel, &c.
The Cochin Chinese sugar comes from the
country in large .matting sacks, containing some-
what more than a picul each, generally ; when
shipped, they are covered with an additional sack,
the ends of which are secured with strips of split
rattan. Every sack should be pierced in several
places with a boomar, an iron gimlet made for the
purpose, to prevent imposition. All merchan-
dise is brought alongside, and delivered on deck,
by the merchants, when an account is taken of it,
by which it is paid for.
Several circumstances of a suspicious nature, on
the part of the natives, had lately transpired, and
some acts of covert hostility had been perpetrated.
Not only our sailors had been pelted with stones
from invisible hands, when quietly waiting in the
boats for the return of the officers, who were at
the bazar on ship's duty, but we were frequently
put in jeopardy ourselves, by the various missiles
which were frequently launched against us while
walking the streets ; and by no effort we made
could we ever discover the perpetrators of these
outrages, excepting in one instance, when I was
passing up the creek towards the custom-house,
334
with four men, in our own boat. Among other
objects hurled at us were several heavy butts of
sugar-cane, one of which struck my hat, and would
inevitably have broken my head had it come in
contact with it. I caught a glimpse of the fellow
who threw it, among the crowd, and seizing a
cudgel that was in the boat, jumped out up to my
waist in the water, and pursued him through the
rabble, who attempted to detain me ; I still how-
ever kept him in view, and pursued him on board
of a galley that was moored near the bank, from
whence he jumped into the creek on the other side,
and by diving among the craft he finally eluded
my pursuit. My object was to stop him, and take
him to the viceroy for punishment.
A number of boats had been observed by the
watches, lurking about the ships, for several
nights ; and once, when the watch, by orders,
purposely neglected to strike the usual bells, they
approached nearer. One of them came alongside
the Marmion, and the people in her began to
ascend the gangway, when an accidental noise on
board caused them to retreat precipitately. The
officer of the watch, in which he was supported by
the sailors, declared that this was one of the royal
guard-boats.
On the following evening, at a late hour, while
J was sitting conversing with Joachim, under a
roofing of mats, which we had built over the
quarter-deck, the watch informed us, that a large
galley was silently dropping down with the tide,
335
and was quite near us. Joachim was greatly
alarmed, and assured me that it was a ladrone,
and no doubt intended to board us. Immediate
preparations were made to repel them, and the
Marmion was cautiously hailed to put them on
their guard ; they had, however, noticed the pirate,
and were on the alert. Although our preparations
had been made in as silent a manner as possible,
they were discovered by the people in the galley,
who immediately manned three or four oars,
steered their vessel a little clear of us, and dropped
anchor about fifty fathoms below the Franklin.
Our vigilance during the night deprived them of
an opportunity to surprise us. The galley did
not, however, leave her station during the whole
of the next day, but remained quiet at her moor-
ings, and but three or four persons were seen on
board of her, who watched alternately. Towards
evening, we sent Pasqual on board the galley to
warn them off, threatening to sink them if they
did not comply. In a few moments, a stout crew
made their appearance from below, where they
had been secreted, weighed their anchor, manned
all their oars, and pulled up the river from whence
they came, shouting Mot-quan, in a most stentorian
manner.
Joachim frequently advised us to be continually
on our guard, for they were watching an oppor-
tunity to plunder us ; and should they find us asleep,
they would not hesitate to despatch us. He stated,
that several of the Macao ships had been robbed,
336
and not unfrequently some of their crews killed by
these ladrones.
He related the case of a Macao ship, under British
colours and officers, which had been robbed about
fifteen years previous. The weather being extremely
warm, the officers slept on deck : the pirates en-
tered the ship by the cabin-windows, and took off
property in specie to a great amount, besides chro-
nometers, watches, instruments, cabin-furniture,
arms, and in short every thing they could find
worth taking, without being discovered by the watch
on deck. Application was made to government, to
assist in the detection of the robbers ; but all the
satisfaction that could be obtained, was a promise,
that if the captain could find the offenders, they
should be punished. It was well known that the
government connived at this outrage ; for after the
ship had sailed, several of the articles of which she
had been robbed were seen in the hands of some
of the mandarins ; among other objects, Joachim
saw the cargo-book, written in English, in possession
of an Onamese officer of rank.
Aqua Ardiente had become more than usually
capricious, rude, and vindictive, and would fre-
quently, while we were taking cargo on board,
suddenly, and without any provocation, put a stop
to all further proceedings, order the boats away,
and with his crew leave the vessels : he was then
only to be won back by caresses and sagouetes, for
nothing could be done without his being present.
The laden boats would sometimes be detained at
33?
the shore two days, because he did not choose to
attend. All these vexations we were now obliged
to bear, having no medium by which we could
make our complaints to the viceroy, the linguists
peremptorily refusing to act in these cases.
In consequence of this combination of circum-
stances, we re-loaded our great guns and muskets,
doubled the watches, and made considerable dis-
play of our vigilance, which had the effect to keep
them in future at a more respectful distance.
As a collateral proof of the vexations experienced
by strangers attempting to trade in Onam, and of
their insecurity from the hostile rapacity of the go-
vernment and people, I shall quote a few remarks
from Mr. Barrow, and introduce a short narrative
from his book, concerning the case of two English
ships. After speaking of the mines of precious
metals, and other valuable productions of the coun-
try, and the readiness of the natives formerly to ex-
change them for a variety of European manufac-
tures, which induced several of the principal com-
mercial nations of Europe to open an intercourse
with Cochin China, he observes : " But nothing is
now to be seen in any of their harbours except
their own gallies, a few Chinese junks, and now
and then a small Portuguese vessel from Macao.
The ravages of civil war have, no doubt, contributed
to drain the sources of commerce ; and the want of
security and protection to foreigners, inclined to
trade there, must impede its revival. Not only large
338
sums have been demanded for permission to trade,
as well as arbitrary duties levied on goods carried
there for sale, and a variety of presents, exacted
by all persons in power or office, with whom the
foreign merchants had to deal, but sometimes the
vessel and whole cargo have been attempted to be
cut off. Of this a strong instance is recorded
among the manuscripts of the East India Com-
pany, to have happened in the year 1778.
" Two English vessels were sent from Bengal,
with a view to open a trade in the peninsula of
Cochin China, upon certain fixed conditions. For
this purpose a gentleman was deputed by the go-
vernment of Bengal, with powers to treat with the
rulers of the country. He was well received where
he first stopped, in the southern provinces, from
whence he was invited to Hue-foo, the capital, then
in the hands of the Tung-quinese *, where assur-
ances were given that the cargoes on board might
be disposed of to advantage. One only of the ves-
sels could get over the bar, which lies at the mouth
of the river leading to it, while the largest re-
mained in Turon harbour. Some of the goods
were landed at Hue-foo, where the agent for their
sale, as well as the Bengal envoy, resided for some
time. Presents were made, as usual, to the prin-
cipal officers of government, and part of the cargo
sold, when the envoy discovered that the viceroy,
* Or Tonquinege.
339
allured by the hope of obtaining a valuable booty,
had issued orders for seizing the persons of all the
English ashore, and for confiscating the vessel
and cargo. The English at Hue-foo had just time
to get on board, when troops surrounded the
dwelling they had left. Their safety required
that they should sail away as fast as possible ; but
it was extremely dangerous to attempt crossing
the bar, as the inclement season, which is in No-
vember, had then set in. The vessel had been
nearly lost in crossing it on her arrival, in the
finest weather, though she had been assisted by
the boats and people of the country. The north-
east monsoon, now at its height, blew directly up
the river. A message was sent to the vessel,
lying at Turon bay, to come to the mouth of the
river, or to send boats and people to assist her
consort in attempting to get over the bar, in any
moment when the weather should prove moderate,
or the wind shift to a less unfavourable point. In
the mean time they had accounts that the chests
and packages they had been obliged to leave be-
hind them at Hue-foo were broken open by
Tung-quinese soldiers, and the contents carried
off. Soon afterwards, they perceived armed gal-
lies full of men dropping down with the tide,
and making no other use of their oars than to
preserve a proper direction for boarding the Eng-
lish vessel. Had they been suffered to come
alongside, she must inevitably have been taken.
340
The gallies were, therefore, hailed, and desired
to keep clear of the ship ; they continued, how-
ever, to approach, without returning any answer,
and were stopped only in consequence of guns
being fired at them from the vessel. Batteries
now began to be erected by the people ashore, in
order to prevent her escape.
" In the mean time an European linguist came
with a message from the viceroy, to assure the
English of the continuance of his friendship ; that
the ill treatment they had suffered was without his
consent or participation, and that he earnestly
desired an accommodation. After delivering this
message, the linguist taking the English envoy
aside, said to him, that though such was the fair
speech that had been ordered to be made to him,
yet it was incumbent upon the English to be con-
stantly on their guard, as the Tung-quinese were
manning more gallies, in order to take the vessel.
A civil answer was returned to the viceroy, and
demand made of the property that had been seized
at Hue-foo. Promises were soon sent, that it
should be restored, and an interview requested.
The person, however, by whom these promises
were conveyed, privately mentioned the insincerity
of such professions, and that, in fact, hostile pre-
parations were carrying on against the vessel.
" On the twenty-fourth of November, the wea-
ther appearing moderate, the captain of the ship
moved her nearer to the river's mouth, about a
341
mile above the spot where a prodigious high surge
broke across the bar. On each bank of the river,
thereabouts, were crowds of people busied in
bringing down guns, fascines, and stores, and in
erecting batteries, which, notwithstanding every
effort to interrupt them, were soon completed, and
began to play upon the vessel, though with little
effect. They were inexperienced in the manage-
ment of guns, and took as yet bad aim. They
ceased firing during the obscurity of the night ;
but, in the course of it, the vessel was exposed to
another danger, a heavy swell drove her from her
anchors, and several violent shocks announced
that she was striking upon the ground ; and it was
to be dreaded that she soon would go to pieces.
Fortunately, however, it happened to be low water;
when the tide rose, she got off without damage.
But the boat on which the people's ultimate
hopes were placed, for preserving their lives in case
of an accident to the vessel, broke loose, and was
seen no more.
" In the morning, an English boat was per-
ceived by them, outside the bar, attempting to
get in, and was known to be that which was ex-
pected to come to their assistance from Turon.
Their spirits were elated by this incident, but their
joy was of short duration; for the boat, after
rowing to and fro, at the back of the surge, in
search of the proper channel, unfortunately made
choice of a part where it broke with the greatest
violence; and no sooner had she entered it, than,
z 3
342
she disappeared. The deepest consternation im-
mediately became visible in the countenances of
all aboard. The Tung-quinese, to express their
joy at the accident, fired with redoubled fury from
their batteries at the ship. Regardless of the
danger, every eye on board appeared fixed with
a melancholy steadfastness on the place where the
boat had overset. In about an hour, the heads of
two persons were discovered swimming towards
the vessel, and they soon reached her. The rest
of the boat's crew were drowned or killed by the
Tung-quinese, who had the cruelty to fire at
them when in the water, with small arms. In a
short time the vessel suffered considerably from
the batteries on shore. The night brought some
respite from this danger, but, by affording time to
the people to reflect on their situation, served
rather to increase than to alleviate their anxiety.
The vessel had already received considerable
damage in her hull and rigging. She was riding
by the only anchor which remained that could be
depended on ; and expedients for deliverance were
sought in vain.
" There was little hope of safety in proposing
an accommodation, and yet nothing else remained
to be done. A white flag was accordingly hoisted,
and signs made to some Tung-quinese to come on
board. They, on their part, immediately began to
pull down the war-flag displayed on their batteries :
they were perceived to assemble in consultation at
the grand battery ; and a boat attempted to come
18
343
on board, but was obliged to put back by the high
sea. The Tung-quinese, waiting probably for
orders from the viceroy, suffered the vessel to re-
main unmolested the whole day. In the evening
the wind so far changed as to render it possible
to get out. The anchor was accordingly weighed
as soon as it was dark, and the sails set in profound
silence. There was, indeed, but a slender chance
of finding the way in the obscurity of the night,
over a dangerous bar, through a channel not more
than sixty yards wide. At one moment the vessel's
head was close upon the breakers of the sea,
when luckily her sails were taken aback, and she
avoided them. A little before midnight she crossed
the bar. The Tung-quinese, then perceiving that
the vessel was giving them the slip, kept up a brisk
fire, till long after she had got out of the reach of
their guns.
" Similar instances have probably occurred to
other nations, which determined them to abandon
the trade of Tung-quin (Tonquin) and Cochin
China altogether. The French, it is said, aware
of the insecurity of trading to these countries with-
out some independent settlement, had formerly
in contemplation to purchase the small island of
Callao*, lying a few miles to the southward o/
Turon."
The viceroy had, on a recent visit, mentioned
that the king wished us to contract to furnish him
with a quantity of artillery ; clothing for his troops ;
\
* Cham-Callao.
z 4
344
plates representing battles, naval and military ;
and landscapes illustrative of European scenery ;
treatises on European legislation ; histories of
Europe ; fire and side arms of fine temper and
exquisite workmanship ; useful and ornamental
works in glass ; literary and scientific European
works generally, &c. ; for which we should be
paid in the produce of the country, and enjoy
privileges and immunities granted to no other
vessels ; such as exemption from paying an-
chorage dues, sagouetes, and duties of every
name and nature, and that we should be furnished
with chops to enter any and every port, and trade
freely with his subjects. A few days afterwards,
the commissary came on board with official over-
tures from the king, accompanied with a large roll
of papers containing mathematical drawings, very
neatly executed, of cannon of various calibres and
dimensions, none however heavier than five
pounders ; and a long list of the articles which he
wished us to contract to furnish him the following
year. But as we could not persuade him to specify
the prices at which the respective articles were to
be received, (he utterly refusing to stipulate to
receive them after we had brought them, if any
small deviations from the patterns, which his ma-
jesty's fancy had suggested, should unvoidably
occur,) we refused to involve ourselves in any re-
sponsibility, and declined the undertaking. The
original schedule, in Cochin Chinese characters,
of the objects which the king wished us to bring
345
him, I have deposited in the museum of the East
India Marine Society ; but a translation of this
curious""and interesting document, dictated to me
through the medium of the linguists, missionaries,
Pasqual, and Joachim, is unfortunately lost. To
persons inquisitive on this subject a new version
would, I am confident, be interesting.
From these latter persons, who had been eye-
witnesses of the fact, we learned the trouble and
vexation every one had heretofore suffered that
had furnished the king goods on contract; the
most trifling deviation from order, in size, weight,
form, colour, or any other attribute of any article,
being a sufficient pretext for them to demand a
great reduction from stipulated prices; and, as
many of the articles were manufactured in con-
formity to a barbarous and capricious taste, they
were unsaleable in any other market, and were
consequently sacrificed; add to this, the vexatious
delays in receiving the articles, and the king's
inability or unwillingness to fulfil his part of the
contract, and we may, I think, stand excused for
keeping aloof. The only Europeans that have any
chance in Onam are the French, in consequence
of former services from them, and having some of
their countrymen at court: they have, however,
lately succeeded but miserably, though on a very
small scale, and will not probably pursue the trade
much longer ; as all the French but M. Vannier
have quitted the country, and he was very anxious
to follow them.
346
A few days previous to our quitting Saigon,
Father Joseph begged of us some wine and flour,
for a particular purpose, as he said. Knowing his
abstemious habits, our curiosity induced us to ask
him to what use he intended to apply those articles?
He informed us, that as the king had frequently
been indisposed of late, and in the event of his
death, an extermination of the Christians was
feared, the wine and flour were designed as ele-
ments to be used at the celebration of the eucharist,
of which he intended to partake with his converts
at their last extremity. No persuasions could
induce this worthy, conscientious, and intrepid
man to quit the country with us : he answered,
that it would be disgraceful for him to desert his
post in the hour of danger, and leave his flock to
the mercy of the wolves ; that now was the time to
evince his zeal and sincerity in the service of his
Master; and though an obscure individual, his
sphere of action small, and fate had placed him
in this remote part of the*globe, his conduct would
be the same as if he were in the most exalted
station, and the eyes of the whole world upon
him.
Although we did not think proper to bind our-
selves to return to the country, we did not dis-
courage the idea suggested by the officers of
government that we might undertake another
voyage there, and take with us such of the articles
contained in the list as we could procure most
conveniently, and which we should suppose would
347
answer best. The guns they were particularly
anxious to have brought out, as they were destined
for Saigon, to arm a river-expedition in the pro-
jected invasion of Siam. This contre-mine was the
means of somewhat more conciliatory measures
towards us, and contributed to accelerate our
business.
34-8
CHAP. XXI.
Finish taking Cargo. A Discovery. Preparations Jbr Depart-
ure. Final Settlement, and Payment of Sagouetes, and other
Impositions. Take leave of the Viceroy. Royal Seals.
Regal Palace. Departure from Saigon. Canjeo. Vung-
tau. Departure from Vung-tau. Arrival at Batavia.
Mode of preserving Health of Seamen. Departure from
Batavia. Touch at the Isle of France. Arrival of Ship
Marmion. Departure from the Isle of France. Passage
of the Cape. A Hurricane. Arrival in the United States.
ON the 29th January, 1820, both ships having
taken on board less than seventeen hundred Cochin
Chinese piculs of sugar, Chu-le-ung informed us
that there was no more to be procured, as we had
taken all there was in Don-nai ; but that if we
would wait till the month of March, when the
new crop would come in, it would then be plentiful
and cheap.
It had been rumoured for some time past, that
the anticipated crop of sugar of the ensuing season
was already disposed of; as the king had trans-
mitted orders to Saigon to have not only all the
sugar of that season secured for him, (for w r hich he
allowed the owners but eight quans per picul,)
but to plant double the quantity of canes for the
next year, to enable him to fulfil some contracts,
which the small crops of the present year had pre-
349
vented him from doing. To ascertain the truth
of this report, we waited on the viceroy, and de-
manded if it were true ? He not only confirmed it
verbally, but pointed to some officers who were
at the levee; and informed us, that those were
the persons who had been sent by the king to see
his orders put in execution, and they had just re-
turned from surveying the grounds to be prepared
for that purpose.
Nothing was now left for us but to prepare for
immediate departure. Our papers had been pre-
pared for some time previous to this, and required
only the signatures of the mandarins of arms and
letters to complete them. We took this occasion
to represent to the former the hardship of our
case, in being obliged to pay, besides our measure-
ment-dues, the heavy sagouetes that were exacted
of us ; as we had brought no cargoes for sale, and
had been so unsuccessful in procuring the products
of the country; giving, consequently, but little
trouble to the officers of government. And we
stated, that in regard to all those officers who had
been useful to us, or whose services had been re-
quired, or rendered in any manner, we had no
objection to make a reasonable compensation ; and
hinted, that those who had already received pre-
sents, had certainly realised quid pro quo for
whatever service they might have been to us. We
took occasion further to remark, that in the list of
the candidates for sagouetes, we observed the man-
darin of elephants and two mandarins of the
350
Chinese ; and how any claims of these officers, who
had never been employed in the most remote man-
ner in our business, could be supported, we were
at a loss to conjecture. The viceroy returned the
old reply, of customs not to be broken but by
royal edict. He advised us, however, to wait on
the several personages in question, and make the
same statements to them which he had just heard,
and perhaps they would be induced to relax some-
what in our favour.
We accordingly took leave, and proceeded to the
residence of the mandarin of elephants, to whose
presence, after being kept standing in the court-yard
about an hour, among a crowd of dirty soldiers, and
other rabble, we were admitted ; but were not even
invited to be seated, nor were tea and betel offered
us; an attention which had never before been with-
held, during our residence in the country, from the
palace of the viceroy to the hut of the meanest sub-
ject. Antonio, who had been induced to accompany
us on this occasion, in the hope of large sagouetes
when we should depart, began to explain the motive
of our visit ; when, emerging from behind a pillar in
the rear of the mandarin, our evil genius, in the
shape of Aqua Ardiente, made his appearance ; and
with a countenance suffused with rage and indigna-
tion, accompanied with violent gesticulations, he
motioned to the linguist to desist, on which he be-
came instantly silent. After a short pause, a colloquy
ensued between the mandarin and linguist; but
what was its subject we never krjew. Antonio
351
merely observed to us, that our application had pro-
duced no favourable effect, and we had better retire.
We were not slow in following his advice ; well
knowing the futility of perseverance in these cases.
He peremptorily refused to accompany us to the of-
fices of the mandarins of the Chinese ; and we were
constrained to relinquish our object, and prepare
to pay the iniquitous demands imposed upon us.
The following is a copy of the impositions paid
by the Franklin ; the Marmion's measurement-dues
were consequently greater, in proportion to her
tonnage :
Amount of measurement-dues - - S 1627 45
Paid great officers, such as mandarin of
arms, mandarin of letters, mandarin
of elephants, two Chinese mandarins,
chief custom-house mandarin, &c., - 800 00
Paid inferior officers, such as harbour-
master, secretaries, commissaries, offi-
cer of guards, clerks, &c., 259 25
Paid mandarin of arms and mandarin of
letters at Canjeo, for permission to
proceed to Saigon, - 22 00
Spanish dollars - - 7208 70
Two thousand, seven hundred and eight dollars,
and seventy cents ; nearly half the amount of the
net invoice of sugar taken on board each vessel !
We should not, however, they assured us, have been
subject to any further impositions, had we taken full
cargoes; which, if true, would have rendered the
352
adventure very lucrative ; but the difficulty was,
that the possibility of the thing did not exist.
Saddled with all these burdens, however, the sugar
we took on board in Saigon, cost but seven dollars
and twenty-two cents per Chinese picul, of one
hundred and thirty-three and one-third pounds
English ; whereas what we embarked subsequently
at Java, to complete our lading, cost on board
about eight dollars and a half per Chinese picul.
After having paid all demands, we waited on the
viceroy to take leave, and to procure the required
signatures to our clearance, and receipts for anchor-
age, sagouetes, &c. His excellency expressed great
regret that we had encountered any thing of a dis-
agreeable nature in the country, and lamented his
want of power to remove our causes of complaint;
hoped he should soon see us again in Saigon, and bid
us adieu with much apparent feeling and interest.
The reflections which occurred, after taking
leave of this great man, were of a nature to call
forth feelings of deep regret, that fortuitous circum-
stances had not placed the sceptre of this fine pe-
ninsula in his hands, who would have known so
much better how to sway it for the glory and hap-
piness of the nation, than the present tyrant, whose
selfish heart beats only responsive to the cold and
fallible head encircled by the regal diadem.
We now accompanied the commissary, and two
other mandarins, to the royal palace, and entered a
lofty and spacious ante-chamber, floored with po-
lished planks. The walls, on three sides, were
353
hung with matting screens ; the fourth was a par-
tition of stuccoed brick, which separated it from a
saloon, of still larger dimensions, into which we
took the liberty to peep. We could perceive no-
thing remarkable about it ; and with the exception
of a massy and ponderous cabinet of rose wood, it
was totally divested of furniture and fixtures of
every description, and was dark and damp, being
almost closed. From the beforementioned cabinet,
was taken a handsomely ornamented ebony box,
containing the great seals, which were affixed to our
documents, in presence of three or four soldiers,
who, as guards, were slowly and silently pacing
about, in the dim twilight of the solitary apart-
ments. Our business here being despatched, we
made the best of our way on board and prepared
for departure.
On the following morning, January 30th, we
weighed anchor and dropped down the river.
The succeeding day, the current sweeping the
Marmion towards the sunken ledge heretofore men-
tioned, she was obliged to anchor, and lost the tide.
In passing the Seven Mouths, we were again re-
galed with a piscatory concert ; and on the first of
February, at 8 A. M. we anchored opposite Canjeo,
where we discharged our guard of two soldiers, and
received a visit from the mandarin of letters of that
place.
I should have mentioned heretofore, that at all
military stations on the coast of this country, where
the land is low, stages or platforms, answering the
A A
354
purposes of watch towers, are elevated on four
posts, from twenty to forty feet high, on which is
posted a centinel, to give notice below of any un-
usual or interesting occurrences within his sphere
of vision. Such a one is at Canjeo.
At eight o'clock the next morning, we anchored
at Vung-tau bay to wait for the Marmion, and get
up a new main-topmast, having discovered the one
in use to be badly sprung. On the third, the Mar-
mion joined us ; and at three o'clock, P. M. we
unmoored and stood to sea.
A coral ledge, on which as little as four fathoms
of water has been found, lies south from the pitch
of Cape St. James, at the distance of little more than
two miles, but is not considered dangerous to com-
mon merchant vessels.
I shall, I think, be readily believed, when I state,
that few tears were shed by us, on our departure
from a country, where we had encountered so much
trouble and vexation ; the only persons for whom
we felt any real regard were the viceroy, Father
Joseph, and old Polonio. Pasqual appeared to be
an honest man, but of an imbecile character, and
totally under the dominion of an intriguing and
rapacious wife. Joachim, (who had obtained a
passport, and was about to leave the country for
Siam, when we sailed,) although he had travelled
much in eastern Asia, was a man of considerable
observation and retentive memory, and spoke some
of the eastern languages, though imperfectly, be-
sides French, and a few words of English, was yet
355
far from being an estimable character ; for upon a
stock, on which luxuriated a large proportion of
the minor vices of European origin, he had con-
trived to engraft many scions from the most ex-
uberant soil of Asiatic debasement.
We shaped our course to run between the groups
of islands called the Anambas, and those called the
Natunas, (which lie off the north-west coast of
Borneo,) in our way to the straits of Gaspar,
through which we passed on the 12th of February,
and on the 18th we anchored in Batavia roads.
The monsoon through the China sea was fresh,
and our passage to the straits of Gaspar short; but
from thence to Batavia, the winds were variable
and uncertain, and our passage consequently pro-
tracted.
On our arrival at Batavia, we found that there
was neither sugar, coffee, or any other article which
would suit our purpose in the place ; but at the
eastern ports of Java, we ascertained that cargoes
could be procured. In consequence, however, of
some colonial regulations, or rather of an absurd
interpretation and application of them, we were
interdicted from proceeding there with any goods
already on board, but must either discharge what
cargoes we had previous to sailing from thence ; or
we might remain in Batavia, and freight in colonial
vessels, from Samarang, or other out-ports, what
we wanted to complete our ladings. This re-
gulation, which had been established to prevent
foreign vessels from coasting for cargoes, to the
A A 2
356
detriment of the colonial trade, and to compel them
to take all their merchandize on board at one port
in Java, was ridiculously applied to us, who had
received what commodities we had already pro-
cured in Cochin China.
Remonstrances, petitions, and personal represen-
tations of our case to government had no effect ;
and it was finally arranged, that I should purchase
the Marmion's Cochin China cargo, and freight
the deficiency of the Franklin's lading from Sama-
rang ; while the Marmion should proceed to that
place for a full freight.
On the 13th of March, the Marmion sailed for
Samarang ; in which ship I despatched my clerk,
Mr. Bessel, to expedite our business at that
place.
I shall not detain the reader with any description
of Batavia, already so often described by others,
but merely make a few remarks on its unhealthy
situation, and the. precautions which I took to pre-
serve the health of my crew while there, and by
which I was happily successful.
From the depressed and irriguous situation of
Batavia, and its lying so near the equator, the in-
tense heat of the sun produces a constant succession
of noxious exhalations, from both vegetable and
animal substances, in a state of putrescence ; the
latter, from a very culpable neglect in the police of
the city, obtruding themselves upon the senses in
various modifications ; the most offensive of which
are the dead, swollen and corrupted bodies of goats,
35?
dogs, cats, &c. floating on the canals with which the
city is intersected. To this nuisance, we may add,
the thickly wooded morasses in its neighbourhood,
and the low islands, covered with jungle, scattered
about the bay. These circumstances, combined with
the Dutch mania for planting trees in their cities,
without regard to local situation, as respects climate
or elevation, by which means the miasma is sus-
pended, and diffused by the circulating air, produce
a state of the atmosphere most favourable to the pro-
duction of pestilential fevers; and great care is neces-
sary to guard against these deadly vapours. These
are, however, but too often the proximate causes of
mortality among sailors, induced by various primary
ones ; such as injudicious exposure to the noon-tide
sun, or nocturnal dews, especially while on shore
in a state of intoxication. Frequently it is the
fault of officers, by keeping seamen at hard duty
during the heat of the day, and by visiting in the
boats by night ; a neglect of proper attention to
their diet ; to oblige them to shift their clothes
after being wet ; to keep their forecastle and births
clean, and to allow no wet clothing to remain
below.
For the purpose of preserving the health of my
crew, I adopted the following rules : viz. 1st.
Immediately on their coming upon deck in the
morning, which was always at daylight, a wine glass
of diluted spirit, in which was infused a sufficient
quantity of rhubarb to make it aperient, combined
with some simple carminatives, was served to each
A A 3
358
man. For this purpose, a quantity of the infusion
had been previously prepared. 2d. Their allow-
ance of spirit through the day was small, and much
diluted with water. 3d. From 10 or 11 o'clock be-
fore noon, according to the state of the weather, all
work was suspended till 2 or 3 o'clock afternoon.
It was then resumed, and continued as long as day-
light remained. 4th. No man was allowed to sleep
on deck, even under an awning. 5th. None of
the crew were ever allowed to go on shore ; but all
necessaries were purchased and sent off to them.
6th. Frequent fumigations were made below, and
the forecastle and births were kept clean. 7th.
No wet clothing was allowed to remain below deck,
but was dried and put away as soon as practicable.
8th. A proper proportion of animal and vegetable
food was served out, and smoking cigars, under cer-
tain restrictions, as to time and place, not only al-
lowed, but encouraged. And 9th. Orders were
given to the officers, not to expose the men in the
boats by night, by unnecessary visiting from ship to
ship, from which cause the lives of many valuable
sailors have been sacrificed. By these means proba-
bly, the lives of my people were preserved, as I did
not lose a man by the Batavia fever * while I re-
mained there, although scarcely another vessel in the
roads escaped without the loss of one or more of
her crew. In some cases one half of their numbers
* One man, who was at the point of death when we arrived,
died soon after.
359
were swept off. Masters and supercargoes, who re-
side a few miles in the country, where the ground
is more elevated and dry, and who do not come
into the city until after the sun has dispersed the
the nocturnal vapours t, who always ride, and
have greater opportunities to shield themselves
form the sun, generally escape the epidemic.
On the 29th of April, 1820, we sailed from Ba-
tavia, and on the first of May took our departure
from Java head. Our vessel being very deeply
laden, and the weather boisterous after leaving
the land, our upper works strained and opened
so as to admit great quantities of water. In con-
sequence of which we were obliged to keep one
pump constantly, and both occasionally, in ope-
ration. This situation obliged us to touch at the
Isle of France for repairs, where we arrived on the
22d of May.
On the 25th arrived our old consort, the Mar-
mion, which had laden her cargo at Samarang.
She had experienced the bad weather which had
obliged us to stop at the island, and likewise
touched to repair damages.
May 29th, having completed our repairs, we
sailed from Port Louis, leaving the Marmion there.
On the 22d of June, we passed the Cape of
Good Hope. Our passage from thence, till we
arrived at the latitude of 40 north, was pleasant,
-j- These vapours envelop the city in such a manner as
to render it invisible at a distance till 8 or 9 o'clock in the
morning.
A A 4
360
when, it being the 22d day of August, we en-
countered a most violent hurricane, by which we
were dismasted.
On the 31st of August, 1820, arrived at Sa-
lem under jury masts, having been absent twenty
months.
361
APPENDIX, No. I.
A Meteorological Diary, kept in the Don-nai river, from the
With of September, 1819, to the 30th of January, 1820.
DATES.
WINDS.
WEATHER AND OTHER REMARKS.
Tern,
of
Air.
1819.
o
Sept. 27
East. S.E. S.\V.
Clear and pleasant lying at Canjeo -
84.
28
S.S.W. W.S.W.
A.M. Pleasant P.M. Squally
84.30
29
w. s. w. s. s. w. s. w.
Do. do.
84.
30
S.W. Westerly.
Overcast Showery Pleasant
83.
Oct. l
S.W. Variable.
Clear and pleasant proceeding up river
85.
.2
Variable. S.W.
Morning pleasant Evening showery
84.
3
N.W. S.W.
Clear and pleasant
84.30
4
Light at N.W.
Very sultry *
86.
5
Variable.
Showery -
83.
6
Do. North.
Do. P.M. Violent squall
83.
7
Westerly. {
Rainy showery Arrived at Saigon 7
Clear $
81.30
8
Westerly light.
Squally Rain close and sultry
85.
9
Do.
Do. do. ...
82.
10
Northerly Westerly.
Rainy Pleasant
84.
11
Westerly.
Unsettled - -
83.
12
Variable N.W.
Pleasant Squally - *
80.
13
West S.W.
Heavy rains Squally
80.
14
Westerly.
Showery - -
81.
15
S.W. West.
Squally High winds
81.
16
W.S.W. West.
Clear and pleasant
83.
17
Westerly.
Pleasant Passing clouds
83.
18
w.s.w.
Verv pleasant - ...
84.
19
Westerly light.
Do.
84.
20
N.E. light.
Clear and pleasant - '.'"
82.
21
Westerly.
Rain Thunder and lightning
83.
22
West N.W.
Variable Thunder, lightning and rain
82.
23
Westerly.
Pleasant Showery Variable
82.30
24
Northerly.
Variable Pleasant
81.
25
N.W.
Pleasant and clear -
82.
26
Westerly.
Cloudy ....
82.
27
Westerly.
Very Pleasant - . -
84.
28
S.W.
Pleasant - -
84.30
29
Westerly.
Pleasant
83.
30
W.S.W.
Very pleasant
85.
31
W.N.W.
Clear and serene - .
83.
NOT. 1
Westerly.
Pleasant Occasional showers
82.
2
Westerly.
Very moderate and pleasant
84.
3
N.W.
Clear, pleasant serene
83.
362
Meteorological and Thermometrical Diary, continued.
WINDS.
WEATHER AND OTHER REMARKS.
W.N.W. Variable.
West Variable.
N.W. Variable.
N.W. North.
N.E.
N.E.
N.E. N.N.E.
North.
Northerly.
Westerly.
West. W.S.W. S.W.
S.W.
West N.W. N. N.W.
North N.N.E.
W.N.W W.S.W.
N.W.
West S.W.
West North.
Northerly.
Northerly.
Northerly.
N.W.
N.W. West.
N.E.
N.W. West W.S.W
West N.W.
West S.W.
N.W. North.
North W.S.W.
W.S.W. West.
West Calm.
N.E.
N.E.
North N.N.E.
E.N.E. East.
S.E. S.W.
West _W. N.W.
N.W.
N.W. N.E.
North.
N.E.
Northerly.
Northerly.
N.N.E.
N.E.
N.N.E.
North.
N.E.
N.E.
N.N.E. W. N.W.
Pleasant -
Quite pleasant
Very pleasant
Clear and pleasant
Very fine - - -
Fine serene weather
Very fine
Pleasant and Clear
Quite pleasant
Cloudy Overcast Showery
Rainy Unpleasant
Constant rain -
Showery Pleasant clear
Clear and serene -
Pleasant Rain Thunder and lightning
Clear and pleasant
Pleasant Thunder, lightning and rain
Cloudy Clear and pleasant
Serene -
As Yesterday
Very fine -
Cloudy ...
Variable Clear Cloudy
Very pleasant
Cloudy Showery Steady rain
Rainy Showery Cloudy
Pleasant Clear
Clear and pleasant
Pleasant Showery
Rainy Cloudy - -
Clear Air oppressive
Serene Clear Pleasant
Very agreeable
Quite pleasant -
Weather very fine
Pleasant Rainy Squally
Cloudy Clear and pleasant
Quite pleasant
Serene Clear very agreeable
Fresh breezes Pleasant
Pleasant -
Very clear -
As Yesterday
Wind fresh Pleasant air at 10 P.M. 75
Clear, serene and agreeable
Wind very fresh Clear air at 10 1
P.M. 71 -/
Wind quite fresh air at 10 P.M. 69
Serene and moderate
Very pleasant and clear A blanket in")
the night - - J
Pleasant Rainy Th under and lightning
363
Meteorological and Thermometrical Diary 9 continued.
DATES.
WINDS.
WEATHER AND OTHER REMARKS.
Tem.
of
Air.
1819.
o
Dec. 84
North.
Clear and serene - - -
78.
25
N.E.
Quite pleasant - -
80.
26
N.E.
As yesterday -
79.
27
N.E.
Fine clear serene weather -
79.
28
N.E. E.N.E.
Clear and fine -
79.
29
E.N.E. N.E.
Very fine - - -
79.
30
North East.
Quite agreeable. -
79.30
31
E.N.E. East.
Clear and pleasant -
80.
1820.
Jan. 1
East E.S.E.
Pleasant Cloudy ' -
81.
2
E.SE. S.E.
Pleasant Showery -
82.
3
S.E. East.
Cloudy Pleasant
81
4
East E.N.E.
Quite clear and pleasant
79.
5
N.E. N. N.E.
Very pleasant - -
78.
6
North N.N.W.
Pleasant and clear -
77.
7
North.
Weather clear Wind fresh Night cool
76.
8
N.N.E.
Serene, clear weather - -
77.
9
N.E.
Very tine
78.
10
N.E. Calm.
Very serene and pleasant
79.
11
Calm. N.E.
Fine weather -
79.
12
N.E. Moderate,
Fair weather - - -
78.
13
N.E. E.N,E.
Pleasant -
78.
14
North Fresh.
Clear weather Cool night
76.
15
N.N.E.
Pleasant and clear - _
77.
16
N.E.
Agreeable weather
79.
17
N.E. E.N.E.
Quite agreeable and clear
79.
18
E.N.E. N.E. '
Very pleasant - -
79.3O
19
NE. N.N.E, '
Pleasant clear -
78.
20
North. Fresh.
Very clear a cold squall in the night
75.
21
N.W. West.
Pleasant Showery
78.
22
West N.E.
Cloudy Pleasant - -
77.
23
N.E.
Very fine weather -
76.
24
East.
Cloudy ....
78.
25
N.E. North.
Clear and pleasant
74.
26
North. N.E.
Very clear and fresh
75.
27
N.E.
Quite pleasant - -
76.
28
N.E.
Fine weather -
76.
29
N.E. N.N.E.
Very clear and fine - .
74.
30
N.N.E.
Quite pleasant Sailed from Saigon
76.
31
Feb. 1
N.N.E.
North. Calm.
Very fine Dropping down the river
Fine weather Arrived at Canjeo
77.
76.
2
3
N.E.
N.E.
Very pleasant Lying at Vung-tau -
Fine weather Sailed from Vung-tau
79.
80.
NOTE. The temperature of the air, in the above diary, is given for
day, by a Fahrenheit's thermometer, in the shade.
noon, on each
364
APPENDIX, No. II.
REMARKS
ON
THERMOMETRICAL NAVIGATION.
ON this interesting subject, which, to the reproach of the
maritime world, has scarcely yet progressed beyond hypo-
thetical conjectures, I have nothing very material or im-
portant to offer. My principal object, in the following brief
remarks and statements, is to promote, among nautical men,
a spirit of inquiry and experimental investigation into the
physical causes and effects of the aerial and aqueous temper-
ature of the globe in various places, climates, and seasons;
and to induce them to make such observations and remarks
as may concur in producing a system of thermometrical
navigation, by which the interests of humanity and of the
commercial world may be subserved. And in this age of
improvement and discovery, let not this plan be considered
visionary. Its fundamental principles are written in the
laws of nature, and may, I presume, with modifications, be
as well reduced to practice, as the log for measuring a ship's
velocity, or the plummet for ascertaining the depth of
water. It is only left for man to apply them to the uses
and purposes to which they are adapted. It is not,
however, from any vain pertinacity of opinion that I offer
my suggestions. If they are erroneous, I trust they will
365
be confuted, and my object, as far as regards eliciting the
truth, will be gained.
Some interesting information on this subject was pub-
lished about thirty years since by Mr. Jonathan Williams ;
and his remarks, with abstracts from his journals, were
read before the Philosophical Society of Philadelphia/ in
November, 1790, to which the reader is referred. * J
would not, however, be understood to say, that this system
of navigation should, by any means, supersede others in
use, but serve as a concomitant, or auxiliary to them.
Common sense forbids the first conclusion.
I shall in few words state the grounds on which I
establish my position, predicated on my own limited expert
ence, combined with the observations of others, the fore-
most among whom is Mr. Williams, the author already
mentioned, and Dr. Davy, who has strengthened, if not
confirmed, Mr. Williams's theory.
1st. The water over submarine banks, detached from
continents or islands, and surrounded by deep water, is al-
ways much colder, or according to modern philosophy,
does not contain as much caloric, as that over banks, stretch-
ing out from, and connected with continents or islands.
2d. The temperature of the water over these detached
banks, is in proportion to their respective extents, and the
depth of water over them. The water over the smaller
banks, though colder than that of the circumjacent ocean,
is not so cold as that over larger ones of the same depth ;
the cold increasing in a progressive ratio with their greater
extent.
3d. The water over banks stretching out from, and con-
nected with continents or islands, is colder or warmer in
proportion to its depth ; e. g. In approaching a coast,
where the depth diminishes gradually, the water becomes
cooler in proportion to the approach to it, and vice versa.
* See American Philosophical Transactions. Vol. iii. p. 82 et seq. and
seq.
366
4th. The waters of deep mediterranean seas, where'
soundings extend but a short distance from the land ; which
are surrounded by mountains, consequently less agitated
than the oceanic waters, and are warmed by reflection
from the circumjacent lands, experience but little variation
of temperature. Notwithstanding this, however, the waters
of these seas are colder on soundings than off.
5th. Shallow mediterranean seas, especially within the
tropics, (the Java sea, for example,) are penetrated by the
sun's rays, and their temperature consequently approxi-
mates near to that of the superincumbent air. The water
of these seas is, however, colder than that of the main
ocean off soundings, with the same temperature of air.
6th. With modifications, as respects the relative position
of the observer, with regard to wind and current, the air
and water, in the immediate vicinity of ice islands, are
colder than they are more remote from them, whether on
or off soundings.
7th. The water of the ocean on our atlantic coasts, off
soundings, is about 10 warmer than that of the coast on
soundings; and about 10 colder than that of the gulph
stream. * These different degrees of temperature are al-
ways relative, according to the season of the year ; e. g.
Mr. Williams found the water off Cape Cod in August to
be 58, and at sea it was 69. In October, the water off
Cape Cod was 48, and at sea it was 59. These relative
differences should be always attended to.
From the above premises, I am inclined to conclude that
the thermometer may be made an important agent in the
navigation of coasts, to warn seamen of their approach to
ice islands, and to assist them in correcting their reckonings
on banks in the ocean, e. g. in the latter case ; after sailing
from St. Salvador in the Franklin, on the evening of the
25th of February, 1819, at 8 o'clock, the temperature of
* See Dr. Franklin's remarks on the subject in the second volume of the
Philosophical Transactions.
:
36?
the air was 79, and that of the water was 77. At half
ast 8, the water was 72, and at 9, it was 68, when we
sounded in twenty-one fathoms on the Abrolhos bank. At
10 o'clock, the air was at 77, and the water 76, and so
continued till midnight.
As we knew, pretty correctly, our position previous to
coming on the bank, we were prepared to make these ex-
periments. The discolouration of the water could not be
perceived by reason of the darkness of the evening ; the
thermometer was consequently the first index of our arrival
on the bank, as it also indicated the time of passing off it ;
and it will be observed, that the temperature of the water
altered as we ascended the bank ; and as it was colder at
the time of sounding than either before or after, we may
infer that this was the shoalest water we had sailed over.
I would further remark, that the depth of water, quality of
the soundings and breadth of the bank in that place, as
pointed out by the charts, corresponded very nearly with
our observations.
In mediterranean seas, it is probable, for reasons before
stated, that the thermometer, for nautical purposes, could
not be so much depended upon as in the ocean ; neither is
it so much required, by reason of the frequent opportunities
which the navigator has of taking departures from the
land, and knowing pretty correctly his position thereby.
I have used the thermometer on the Lagullas, or Aguil-
has bank, which bounds the southern coast of Africa, east-
ward of the Cape of Good Hope, with good effect, especi-
ally on my passage home in the Franklin. It was in the
stormy month of June ; our vessel was very deeply laden,
and we had previously contended with some severe gales
from the westward. We had arrived, according to our
calculations, as far westward as Cape False, at which
place the bank abruptly draws towards the land. On the
previous night we had lost our deep sea lead and line, and
the substitute which was left us was not to be depended on.
The weather was thick, a fresh gale blew from west-south-
368
west, night was coming on, and the water appeared some-
what discoloured, but its temperature, which had been at
46 at noon, was now 54. This determined me to stand
on. On the following morning, Table mountain bore east-.
south-east, distant twelve leagues. We had weathered the
Cape of Good Hope, and were proceeding towards home
with a leading wind. On the other hand, had we tacked
on the preceding evening, our passage would have con-
sequently been lengthened, and, perhaps, we should have
encountered another north-west gale of some days cbn^
tinuance.
For an account of some experiments on the temperature
of the bodies of fishes, and consequent remarks thereon, in
corroboration of the foregoing positions, as regards the
temperature of the sea, the reader is referred to Mr. Wil-
liams's work before mentioned.
For obvious reasons, the water in a ship's wke should
always be used for observations on the temperature of the
ocean,
Jameison's marine thermometer, enclosed in a copper
tube, with a valve at each end, opening in its descent, and
closing when drawn up, by which the sea water is lifted
from any depth, is much approved, and should be in
general use.
371
A Thermometrical Diary, on board the United States' ship
of war Independence, of 74 guns, bearing the broad pendant
of Commodore William Bainbridge ; William M. Crane, Esq.
captain; on a passage to the Mediterranean, in 1815. Sail-
ed from Boston, July 3d.
Kept by the author.
A *.'
Dates.
Lat.
N.
Lon.
W
65.43
Bearings and distances, and other remarks.
Tern,
of
Air.
Tem.i
of
Wat.
July 4
42. 8
Variation per amplitude 7.51 Westerly.
62.30
49.
5
41.52
63. 5
Water somewhat discoloured.
62.30
51.
6
41.40
62.33
Approach the gulf stream.
63.
57.
7
41. 9
60.53
Entering the gulf stream.
70.
69.
8
41.19
58.15
In the gulf stream. Var. per amp. 12.26 W.
74.
77.45
9
40.49
57.27
Southerly current.
75.
66.
10
40.31
55.54
Water appears slightly discoloured.
75.30
68.3O
11
40.33
52.51
Water somewhat discoloured.
71.45
67.45
12
39.58
48.39
Variation per amplitude 13 Westerly.'
76.
74.
IS
39.35
44.58
Saw a turtle.
77.
74.
14
39.21
40.50
Strong S. W. winds.
76.
71.
15
39.17
36.
Heavy squalls at S. S. W.
78.
72.30
16
39.10
31.25
Fresh S.S.W. winds.
76.
72.
17
39.10
Corvo, at M. bore S. W. b. W. dist. 9 leagues.
78.
71.45
18
39.28
Graciosa, at M. bore S. 54. E. 44 miles.
76.30
69.
19
S. W. end of Terceira, at M. W. 1-2 S. dis. 8 leag.
72.15
69.
20
St. Michael's at M.S.E. point S. b. E. 9 leag.
73.
71.
21
37.44
22.24
No land in sight.
75.
68.
22
37. 7
18.22
Wind N.N.E.
75.30
71.30
23
36.58
15.22
WindN.N.E.
72.
71.
24
36.31
12.27
Wind N.E. b. N.
72.
68.15
25
36. 7
9.19
Wind E.N.E. and variable.
70.
69.
26
36.56
8.16
Cape Carbonera, at M. N. b. E. distant 8 miles.
71.
64.
27
36. 9
7.28
Cape St. Mary's, at M. N. 27 W. dist. 55 miles.
72.
69.30
28
35.26
Cape Spartel, at M. E.N.E. distant 15 leag.
71.15
68.
29
35.47
Cape Spartel, at M. E. b. S. distant 9 leagues.
73.30
68.
30
35.50
Cape Spartel, at M. E.S.E. distant 3 leagues.
73.
69.
SI
Passed the Rock of Gibraltar.
NOTE. In the foregoing Diary, the temperature of the air and water are
given for noon on each day, by Fahrenheit's thermometer.
This work, having already swollen considerably beyond
the author's limits, he is constrained to omit the residue of
the diary which was kept throughout the cruise (during
which several ports on the European and African sides of
B B
372 ^
the Mediterranean sea were visited) till the arrival of the
squadron at Newport, R. I.
A few cursory and brief remarks must close the subject.
1st. The temperature of the sea-water, on the first day
after sailing, indicates soundings.
2d. the same observation on the two succeeding days,
(5th and 6th,) indicates progressively, deeper water.
3d. The temperature of the water on the two succeed-
ing days, (7th and 8th,) point out our being in the gulf
stream.
4th. On the 9th, 10th and llth the thermometer was
probably affected by our passing the banks of Newfound-
land. *
5th. In passing the Azores, the temperature of the ocean
was various, but generally indicative of the vicinity of land.
And 6th. On our approach to the European coast, the
thermometer, when immersed in the sea, was variously af-
fected. The most striking instance, however, of its indi-
cating the vicinity of land, was on the 26th of July ; when,
within eight miles of Cape Carbonera, the temperature of
the water was 64, and the air 71, a difference of seven
degrees.
* See Mr. Williams's remarks on this subject.
THE END.
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