548
<sii:hiS- rations ofi dress and furniftee.« The hilts and scabbards
china' of their swords were frequently^ ornamented with plates
of beaten gold.; | Paymentsiwi»® *«iadeiin i t : tcrfofeign
merchants, in ingots, each weighing about four ounce®.
Mines: of sllverwere formerly less known, or. so little
worked, that it was * imported from abroadand exchanged
for gold* Upon terms of considerable advantage to the
importers. More mines of silver have, however, lately
beten discovered ; or a less «expensive method of}rd&niaig
it has been-practised. It was become tha. .principal
medium of exchange for merchandize from abroad, and
was paid in ingots of very pure metal, each weighing
about twelve ounces. Before the troubles inGochin-
china, great quantities of gold were brought from the
hills in dust, and-bartered by their ruifeinhabitants.for
rice, cotton,' cloth, and iron. It was from them ^also
that the sweet-scented aguila or. eagle wood, so valuedih
;the East, was brought, , as well as quantities ofpeppbb
wax, honey, and ivory; but the communication between
those hills and the lowlands had, in a.great measure,
been cut off for several years past. The datterchiefly
produce rice, areea nut, betel leaf, tobacco, cinnamon,
silk, cotton, and above all, sugar, which may beggon-
sidered as*the principal staple commodity of the country.
The original inhabitants of Cochin-china had Tsltf*ed
to the chain of mountains bordering upon it to the westward,
and those which separate it from Cambodia, when
——
EMBASSY'VTO. CIIINA.l
t h e | 3@f the plain»
invadedothft3bountry.from Chiha$;anj «like | manner a® 1
tbe< -ancient£-JBr wheni attacked; from Italy and
Geiimany^bedook thems.efc'es- to theimQuntain©«|f Wales .
Thefmouhtaineei3SfbfvCpnbintchiiaat(afe*i?epresented as a
rudfi| and | aava^e.people; diffsringrb'y their , cbarseyfeaH
tures; and bIack4CompleXttGms-;ftas?mu©h -as injtheiri man-)
Hers,? from-the welhlooking/andiless f dark complexionedi
le|wIanders j;who >werdconsidered a:s a courteous, affable;,
and- inoffensive jace^beforeithe sub5?er^i®h of the ancient
govejaamehfloand mutual violence, and' .trqafchery Had
lQ©senedj:h4My; principle;; ofijs©eiofy,pand:ir6ksdd the
passion® of ayaiioe^and ^pdiitiond which tHeneohvulsion®,
of the e©unnygayeto®»ihany'opp^tuniti©shfiM
The^anojent slmplh^^afcm:anmemi»sfrilloh#ite»r\tSubf:
sistedv among th©: eultiyafenrswof thejsoil. Th@;sepunte-
naneesAofathe peasants/v^re^foi^.thevmdst part,; lively
andiintelligenti, The women, who were nubile nuro-ekoi«®
than theimen 1 ;were*ae£ively lempdoyedin wokkstofbnss
bandry. Theireabinsd^mclean andisuffipMgfntiy; comi
modious fora people whom'thecLimateehabfesjto/spehdt,?
qutspf doossmost- of the time not allotted tp .repose I .<■
: uOf wsmj^whichissihelmpst^gpLejhli^j^^^wlbyafion^
heside thab species iwifieh 'requires> fo ;bie sown in. lands; _
thati are afterwards, inuhdated, theredis>;an0ther:kqQWh
imCochinfhhina ^called -sometimes mountain«bpaiwh ich
thrivesdn dry light soils mostly .on the. sides pf hillsand