YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY The EDWIN J. BEINECKE, '07 FREDERICK W. BEINECKE, '09 S WALTER BEINECKE, 'io FUND This book was digitized by Microsoft Corporation in cooperation with Yale University Library, 2008. You may not reproduce this digitized copy of the book for any purpose other than for scholarship, research, educational, or, in limited quantity, personal use. You may not distribute or provide access to this digitized copy (or modified or partial versions of it) for commercial purposes. This book was digitized by Microsoft Corporation in cooperation with Yale University Library, 2008. You may not reproduce this digitized copy of the book for any purpose other than for scholarship, research, educational, or, in limited quantity, personal use. You may not distribute or provide access to this digitized copy (or modified or partial versions of it) for commercial purposes. VOYAGE COCHIN CHINA. London: Printed by A. & R. Spottiswoode, New-Street-Square. VOYAGE COCHIN CHINA. BY JOHN WHITE, LIEUTENANT IN THE UNITED STATES NAVY. Prodesse qu.im conspici. LONDON: PRINTED FOE LONGMAN, HURST, REES, ORME, BROWN, AND GREEN, PATERNOSTER-ROW. 1824. 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. PAGE Leave the Land. — Snow Storm. — Attacked by a Por tuguese Ship. — Arrival at, and Description of, St. Salva dor. — Passage to Batavia. — Abrolhos Bank. — 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 rCambodia. — 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 ef the Chiefs. — Departure from Canjeo ^2 Vlll CHAP. VI. TAQE 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 Luconia, 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 Luconians respecting Cochin China. — Arrival of the Marmion. — Monsoons and Seasons. — Imposing Ceremonies — Dramatic Re presentations. — Murder. — Sensual Indigencies. — De parture from Manilla - 14.7 17 CHAP. XI. FACIE 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. — Fish Concert, — Ladrones. — Remarks on the River. — CoralL edge. — Alligators. — Hydrostatic Pheno menon. — Violent Squall. — Arriva' 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 - - 248 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. — Snoto 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° 20' 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. 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 durino- 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 11th 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 b 2 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 beef 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 j 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 j 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 stances 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. 12 CHAPTER II. Departure from Batavia. — Straits of Banka. — Attacked by Pi rates. — Arrival at, and description of, Mintotv. — 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 barricado 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 as 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 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, who 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 made 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 barricado 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, 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- jset 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 after-noon 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 barricado, 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 22 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 Battka. 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 m 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 pf Palamban, the quantity has been some what reduced. The mines are worked by Chinese, for account of the Dutch East India company, c 4 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. 25 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. r alamban 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, till 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, Sfc. — 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 the ad 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 laro-e 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 telegraphic 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 the 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 36 that the inhabitants of the coast, being remote from the example of the more polished residents of the cities, must of course be 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 j 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 j 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 goodwill, 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 benevolence, 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 ; neither did the brandy-fruits suit their 42 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 j 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, twopieces 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," 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-coloureduniform, who were anxiously watching his countenance, and sedulously attentive to all his motions. We Nvere 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 towards 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 ; 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 calling 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 az-ose 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 21 .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 chief's. 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. £ 2 52 CHAPTER V. Madarin's 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. We 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 .54 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 ; 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; our conclusions, however, were, that it might e 4 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 caro-oes, 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 37 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, of coiar, 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' 51" 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 59 from making their attack in a rnore 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, 6o 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 11th 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 warmly 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 hai 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 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 66 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. Along 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 v 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 72 CHAP. VI. Description of the Coast of Cochin China. — Pulo Ciecerde 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, 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 part (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-nai 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; and the mild and unassuming manners of 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 Faifoe, 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- , era 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 17° 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 g 2 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 gerieral 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, 87 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 Eesearches, 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 JSiam, 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. Adran 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 1791, 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 Onam 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. 95 CHAP. VII. Passage to the Philippine Islands — Paracels Arrival at Ca vite. — Description of , Cavite — Arrival at [Manilla Luco nia. — Coral Ledges and Shoals. — Zoophytes. New created Islands — Description of Manilla. Fkom 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 Lucjonia. 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 apj. preaching 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 chica, 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 two 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 wdiat 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 Lur;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 Lur;onia 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° 21 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 finest 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, 108 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 cathedra], 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* * Sandals. 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 1727. 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 " 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. 112 CHAP. VIII. Island of Livonia, 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 wrhich 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 Lugonia ; 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 114 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 Vendavales, 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 Lugonia comains 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 Bulacan, 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 Lugonia, 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 perversion 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 Lugonia 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 121 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 Lugonia 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. 122 Magindanao, or Mindanao ; the latter of which is next to Lugonia 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 Lugonia, 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 five 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 tlie 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 ; but^of 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 acme 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. 129 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 clusive 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 Lugonia 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 1817, r. g. was, Spanish dollars, - - 1,886,638 2 5 Of specie in dollars, doubloons, v and ingots, - - - 1,271,144 6 1 Spanish dollars, - 3,157,783 0 6 * Twelve grains make one rial, and 8 rials 1 peso. The Chi nese tael is equal in weieht 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 11 1-8 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 2 1-4 bushels — 8 choupas make 1 ganta, and 25 gantas 1 cavan. 131 Total amount of imports, - 3,157,783 0 6 Amount of exports, of the produce and manufactures of the country, - 579,273 4 2 Produce and manu factures of China, 663,489 0 9 Specie, in dollars, doubloons, and bullion, - - 193,681 0 0 Total amount of exports, - 1,436,443 4 11 Spanish dollars, - 1,721,339 3 7 Balance in favour of imports, one million, seven hundred and twenty-one thousand, three [hundred andthirty-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 2 132 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,1 coffee, and cotton : of the former, the mean annual export of three years, ending in 181 7, 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 beef, 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, and 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 Lugonia. Export duties are 2 1-2 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, 5 1-2 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 caxa de communidad, or society box, - - 50,266 5 0 Amount carried forward - 600*760 3 7 k 4 136 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, - - 9,026 1 4 Oflicensetosellpaddee*, - 4,690 6 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 0 0 tax on cock-fighting, - 25,469 1 9 tax on playing cards, - 10,102 7 H gunpowder excise, - 2,988 7 8 cannon-ball do. - - 10,521 5 8 stamped paper tax, - 6,271 0 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. 137 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, for 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 fine 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 ; and 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 j 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 tr,ust, deigns to direct her councils. 5