from hence the fibres o f a tree called Pitre, which they fraudulently
mix with their own manufactures; they even import into
their land o f tea a courfe and black fort; poflibly for the fake of
enabling them to export their own, at greater profit, into our
iiland. The mountains yield fome gold, and much iron; the
natives fufe the laft, and employ the metal in various manufactories
: raw and wrought filk may be added to the articles of
commerce'.
T he Portuguefe had once confiderable influence in the court
o f Cochin-China ; the Dutch made a ftrong effort to come in for
a ihare o f the commercial emoluments, but were expelled the
kingdom by the fuperior intereft of their rivals. At prefent, it
is faid, that the trade is chiefly in the hands- o f the Japanefe and
Chinefe, who are fettled at Foy Foe, and preferve their own laws,
religion, and cuftoms. The harbors are ftill cafually frequented
by European fhips, but, I think, their imports inconfiderable.
P o r t o f F o y - ) T he chief port is that of FOy Fee, fome miles up a navigable
river. The entrance has before it, at a little xliftance, theifles of
Champellos; the channel between the mouths and the town is
filled with iilands, and obftrudted by a bar, but not unfurmount-
able. Ships of fome burden formerly have been brought over,
and then were obliged to anchor before the cuftom-houfe, which
was the cafe with Mr. Bowyear. The town confifts but o f two
rows o f houfes, inhabited by Chinefe and a few Japanefe.-, the firft
o f whom manage the trade, and import various articles from
Canton, Siam, Camboja, Batavia, and Manilla-, Bowyear met
with encouragement to fettle a faftory near the city, but I believe
it never was carried into effedL
4 T h is
S h i p p in g ;
T his country is certainly very favorable to trade and navigation,
having not fewer than fixty .fafe harbors, and a great depth
o f water in every part. . :
T he gallies or ihipping o f the Cochin-Chinefe: are very numerous
; part, allotted to the defence of the coaft, are finely
painted and highly varniftied, rowed with fifty oars,; and carry a
cannon at the head, and two fmall ones on each fide. Notwith-
flanding the Cochin-Chinefe can neither' call: cannon or make
fufils, their dexterity, fays Mr. Borri *, in the. art o f gunnery is
amazing; not one o f our Europeans dare enter the lift with
them. The navy o f this country is quickly manned, every family
being bound to fumilh a failor, who ferves with great alacrity,
for they .are well treated, and their wives and children
iupported during their abfence; all are drefled in : an uniform,
and when they are about to engage, put on a gilt helmet and a
cloak, which leaves their right arm quite bare. Numbers of
their veflek are employed in the fiiheries ; the fifti are found in
vaft abundance, anrl form a great- article o f commerce; fiih and
rice conftitute the principal food o f the Cochin-Chinefe. .
T he woods and mountains afford all the variety o f birds and E l e p h a n t s :
quadrupeds o f the adjacent kingdoms ; tigers fwarm; elephants
are in great abundance and of vaft fize; thefe are taken and
reclamed; numbers are kept in the royal ftables merely for
oftentation, being no longer ufed in w a r; they are rendered
o f infinite fervice to the inhabitants o f the country as beafts
of burden, the carriers both by land and water, I may fay the
ftage coaches and ferries o f Cochin-China. On their backs is
V o l . III.
* Churchill’s Col. vl. ii. 806.
K placed