the sea, which was as far as the shallowness of
the river would allow them. The European traders,
at this period, imported saltpetre, sulphur,
broadcloth, calicoes, (it may be presumed of Indian
manufacture,) lead, cannon, with pepper and
other spices. They exported raw silk, gauzes,
grograms, Gros de Naples, and other wrought
silks, grass-cloths, manufactured articles of mother
of pearl and lackered ware, fine mats, ebony,
ivory, tortoise-shell, cinnamon, cotton, varnish,
copper and calamine; which last, it appears, the
Dutch carried in large quantities to Japan. With
Cochin China Proper it does not appear that
European nations ever held any commercial intercourse
worth speaking of.
The first attempt made by our nation to renew
an intercourse with the countries forming the present
Cochin Chinese Empire was in the year
1778, when Mr. Hastings deputed thither Mr.
Chapman. This gentleman, as before mentioned,
found the country in a state the most unfavourable
to the views entertained by the Indian Government
; that is, it was engaged in a civil war,
which did not terminate until twenty-four years
thereafter. Another attempt at establishing an
intercourse with Cochin China was made in 1804,
under the government of the Marquis of Wellesley,)
the principal object of which was the removal
of the French party, which then existed in
the country, and which was imagined to exercise
a degree of influence over the councils, of the
reigning prince, which it really never possessed.
In fact, that prince had too much prudence and
foresight to risk the safety of his own states, by
embroiling himself in the quarrels of European
nations. The Mission was undertaken under circumstances
of great difficulty; and chiefly aiming
at objects which were altogether unattainable,—
the expulsion of the French—territorial acquisition—
and the permanent residence of a British
agent at the Court,—proved wholly abortive.
Soon after the settlement of Europe, in 1815,
the French attempted to renew their intercourse
with Cochin China; and several of their trading
ships have since visited the country, but not with
much success; and it is not improbable that this
traffic will soon cease altogether, from the incapacity
of the French nation to conduct so distant a
trade, and one which derives no support or assistance
from the vicinity of colonial establishments.
In 1817, an attempt was made, on the part of the
Court of France, to get the King of Cochin China
to act upon the treaty of 1787, by sending a mission
to him, the failure of which has been mentioned
in another place.
The very centrical and convenient geographical
situation of Cochin China, and the many fine harbours
which render a resort to it so safe and easy,
seem to point it out as well calculated to become
the medium of extending the commercial inter-
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