«Passage* china, took the opportuidfy of setting the standard
Tiimn Bay. v J independence. He and his posterity residedin Tung-
qnin; In process: ©f: time., the Tnng-quiiae$e governor
of Cochin-china imitated the example that had' been
set by thei ancestor: of his jsbvaseigtti and; erected, likewise,
his government into a kingdom. But both he and
his former master continued to acknowledge, at feast, a
nominal vassalage to the Qhineseiempire r and5;oe.eaf ion--
ally, paid homage at the court s^Pekin,
slight connection with China, rendered it .more interesting
to the persons belonging te> the present Embassy!
The squadron did not come within, .view fcf
of Cambodia; but in a manuscript account of a yoysge to
that country, made; in 17.7B, and s which appears to have
bee® accurately drawn up, it is mentioned, that “ the
“ point of Cambodia, as well as the whole coast from
“ thence to the western branch of the-great Cambodia
“ river, is covered with underwood, and exeeeditogiy
“ low. ' The'jsestiis so shadow, that, at the dhteneei°f
‘ ‘ five or six miles from the shore* fee water wasj$eldi>su
“ deeper than four fathoms; and nothing much larger
“ than a boat, could approach within a couple of miles.
It is not unwoathy-notice, by what slow gratfetifentrthe
land; in this southern extremity of Asia, sinks into the
deep, inadbie same manner as does the southern extremity
of the island^of Sumatra; itself; perhaps, a detached
portion of the same great continent.
T-siompa^more#leyated from the^^-than Cambodia-,
was, sef& by the , squadron« pUi miricipenth pfMay, as
well as Tiger island- near it, and? the nexstjdajyyffewo
islands ealLed^hloCambir de Ter|§e, and Pulp ^feif/de
Mer. Tsiompa presentedthe; ma-fed eye,» Pro'
spect of a- fine and wjell c-Uki'Vatf4|country, gentlyjslqping
.hiom the and beautifully
grounds andheJdS' of corn },> but,
tentively, by tfie help of te%s§cpps-,|a-|li th^pleasing and
luxuriant appearance vanished?l-paving. onl^| ]ip, ;its
room, immense tracts of pale. ani»fj^llq^t^s^J7 the
smooth snFfaee|if©>ft>whichj'fyyr}e interrnPjted(i[bjy^J^^ge^
ofcdark rocks, 'raising.their!-naked hea^f to
able height. The -elevated .^ d ^ sjiew.ed,, in. y^rjous
piaepy,«,alternate masses of .white and blapk, .like the
$tfeahed'" skins of tigers, shining!, f^spicuowsly when
the. sun’s .beams- struck upon,.thqsQ.? ^Tfe89§‘’
nepr to them,, was' ^(translucent, tb^'f^j£$p£
easily discecn, from the-stern gallery,, the4dhk,kb<9jjil^
rudder., -
In twelve- degrees bfty miputf s fnor.th .latitude./' yfIre
.cape,called Varelfa, behind whifih^ mpupt.aip.rop^ip-
,markable for. havingta high ’rock,' like'
summit. To the northward,of, thi^ rock, lsfy^Quin,-nong,
or Chin-chin bay,1 much frequented by|£he thf
.country. According- to the manuscript last-quoted, ‘f- it
“ is am-excellent harbour, where vessels may, be shel