The following day they discharged the large rockets. Early in the morning they carried all the figures and their rockets from the town, and each of these figures was fixed upon a carriage of four wheels, and the rockets were secured, by rattan loops, to strong ropes, which passed between the feet of the animal, so that when discharged, they, sliding on the ropes, ran along the ground. Some of these rockets were from seven to eight feet in length, and from three to four in circumference, made of strong timber, and secured by iron hoops, and rattan lashings. The last of them, when discharged, ran over a boy of ten or twelve years old, who died in a few minutes; three or four grownup persons were also much hurt. Towards evening a great number of fire-works were discharged, which made a very fine appear

ance.

The next day was the time appointed for blowing up the corpse. On this occasion, a quarrel arose between the two parties who had pulled the former day; the party which had been unsuccessful insisting that the cables had been cut, and not broken, by the opposite party; they therefore presented a petition to the viceroy, requesting that they might have another trial at pulling. This was granted, upon which, having procured four new Europe cables, from the ships in the harbour, they re-commenced their trial of strength; however, the party which had been victorious before won again, and broke the cables of the other. The unsuccessful party was not yet satisfied, but insisted on another trial of strength,

the following day. That day neither party obtained the victory, upon which the viceroy issued an order to stop the contest, and to burn the Telapoy the next day, which was accordingly done.

That day the corpse was burnt in a temporary house, erected for that purpose, in the shape of a Kuim, with a stage in it upon which the coffin was set to be burnt. This was performed with small rockets, fixed upon ropes with rings of rattan, so as to slide along them, from the top of a hill, to the coffin, which was placed on the top of another hill. The rockets being discharged, slided along the ropes, over the intermediate valley, to the coffin, which was set on fire by them, and, with its contents, quickly consumed."

A SKETCH OF THE GEOGRAPHY OF COCHIN CHINA,

With some Particulars of the Manners, Customs, and History of the Inhabitants, and a few Considerations on the Importance of forming an Establishment in that Country. By Mr. Chapman.

(From the same.)

I have been imperceptibly led into a detail of much greater length than I intended; yet satisfied, as I am, of the great importance which a settlement in Cochin China might be of to the British nation, and to the Company, I cannot prevail on myself to dismiss the subject, without giving a more connected account of the country, and offering some farther considerations on the advantages

and most of our Indian readers have witnessed the celerity with which a comfortable bungalo is constructed of the cocoa-nut leaf, even in the most remote districts, on the approach of an European traveller. A cocoa-nut tree planted on the sea-shore, or on low grounds, grows to the height of

from sixty to ninety feet, and lives about one hundred and twenty or one hundred and thirty years, while those in a hilly country live about one hundred and fifty, and do not reach so great a height; these latter do not produce fruit so soon after their being planted as the former.

MISCELLANIES.

low lands have been entirely cut off.

The animals of Cochin China are bullocks, goats, swine, and buffaloes, elephants, camels, and horses. In the woods are found the wild boar, tiger, and rhinoceros, with plenty of deer. The poultry is excellent, and the fish caught on the coast abundant and delicious. The flesh of the elephant, which I never heard that any other nation thought eatable, is accounted a great dainty by the Cochin Chinese; and when the king or the viceroy of a province kills one, pieces are sent about to the principal mandarines as a most acceptable present. The breeding of bullocks is little attended to, their flesh is not esteemed as food, and they are made no use of in tilling the land, which is performed by buffaloes. As for milking their cattle, they are totally unacquainted with the art; strange as this may appear to us, who have been accustomed to find the most savage nations we have discovered, depending for a considerable part of their food on the milk of their cattle and flocks, yet I am inclined to think that the use of it was formerly unknown amongst the nations from the Straits of Malacca eastward; the Malays make no use of milk, the Chinese very little; amongst the latter it was probably introduced by the Tartars.

The Aborigines of Cochin China are called Moyes, and are the people who inhabit the chain of mountains which separates it from Cambodia. To these strong holds they were driven when the present possessors invaded the country. They formerly paid an annual

tribute for the liberty of bringing down the produce of their hills, and bartering it for such commodities as they stood in need of. They are a savage race of people, very black, and resemble in their features, the Caffrees.

Monsieur Le Gae, a Frenchman who was in Cochin China in the year one thousand seven hundred and twenty, mentions another race of people, distinct from the Cochin Chinese, who inhabit the province of Champa, called Loys. He also says the Muhammadan is one of the prevailing religions. But from the most particular inquiries I made, I did not find that there are now any people distinguished by that name, and I never met with a Musulman in the country.

It was about the year one thousand two hundred and eighty of the Christian era, that the first Tartar prince became possessed of the throne of China. This revolution afforded an opportunity to the western provinces bordering on the sea, to throw off their dependance, and they were formed into a kingdom under a prince, whose descendant now reigns in Tonquin, and is called KnahWhang. About the beginning of the fifteenth century, a large body of people from these provinces being disaffected to the Government, joined under a leader of abilities, and marched to the southward. Meeting with little opposition, they soon became masters of Cochin China as far as Cape Avrilla. The Moys, the original inhabitants, retired to the hills bordering their country to the westward, where they have ever since remained. The emigrants, under their conductor, founded

the

lation after he was gone, and that instead of lamenting, they ought rather to give thanks to the Almighty for the prosperity with which he had been crowned, and for the powerful friends by whom he and they were supported both in India and in England. That the same line of conduct which first obtained those blessings, would preserve them; and that he had nothing left to wish for in this world, but a long continuance of that prosperity, which God had been pleased to shew his family, before he took him to himself.

Such was the piety, such the resignation, and such the dignified morality of this dying believer in the religion of Zoroaster. His loss has not been confined to his family and friends; it is felt by the natives of every description. His wealth and his knowledge gave him great power; and he was liberal of both without ostentation. From the earliest period of his life he was trained up in mercantile pursuits; and, of all the Asiatics we have ever known, he was eminently the best acquainted with our language, our customs, and our laws. This enabled him to adjust many disputes among the rich, which might have involved them in ruin; and to relieve many of the poor from that pride of oppression, which is so generally connected with the aristocracy of mere wealth. As the representative of successful industry, wealth indeed cannot be too much respected; but how many accomplishments and how many virtues are required, to refine it into that respectability, which can only result from a

!

proper use of the power which it bestows.

He was possessed of a very noble figure, an admirable address, and a copious flow of language. No man could possibly present himself in a more dignified or prepossessing manner; and the impression he made from such natural advantages, was uniformly supported by the resources of a sound judgment, and a great variety and extent of information.

From the time his fortune first enabled him to lay out money on building, even to his last illness, he continued to beautify the town and island of Bombay, with houses and gardens; and he may be truly said to have created that taste for an ornamental disposure of their wealth, by which the natives of this country have contributed so much to the comforts of the European population. The gentlemen who have inhabited his numerous and stately houses, will bear ample testimony to the liberality with which he uniformly met their wishes, and adopted their suggestions of improvement, or even alteration; and the greater part of a very considerable fortune is actually vested in this manner.

The day before his death, we understand, he made and published his last will and testament, in which he displayed his usual good sense; and left his affairs in the most orderly arrangement. He adopted his eldest grandson, Dadabhoy, as his own son, according to the custom of his nation, but left his very handsome fortune to be enjoyed equally by both his grandsons, the children of a beloved daughter, whose early loss

he

gold and silver bullion. Had we been paid for all we sold, the sum would have been much more considerable. The Rumbold, the year before, also brought bullion to a considerable amount. This money was received on account of sales of Bengal and Madras cloths, opium, iron, copper, lead, hardware, and glass. Some inquiries were made for broad cloth, but we unfortunately had none. These are matters of a trifling nature. In the sequel I hope to fix the attention to many of greater importance.

The situation of Cochin China is excellently well adopted to commerce. Its vicinity to China, Tonquin, Japan, Combodia, Siam, the Malay coast, the Philippines, Borneo, the Moluccas, &c. renders the intercourse with all these countries short and easy. The commodious harbours found on the coast, particularly that of Turon, afford a safe retreat for ships of any burden, during the most tempestuous seasons of the year.

The nations of Europe, having hitherto found it impossible to provide cargoes sufficiently valuable to barter for the commodities of China, are obliged to make up the deficiency by sending thither immense quantities of bullion, by which means it has, for a number of years past, drained the eastern and western worlds of their specie. The number of junks annually resorting to Cochin China plainly proves how much the productions of it are in demand among the Chinese. These productions, had we a settlement and a confirmed influence in the country, might with ease be brought to center

with us, purchased with the staples of India and of Europe; Turon would become the emporium for them, where our ships bound to Canton, from whence it is only five days sail, might call and receive them. The quantity procurable it is impossible to determine; whatever it might be, it would prove a saving of so much specie to Great Britain or India, as the value of the commodities amounted to in China; in a few years there is every reason to believe, a very considerable investment might be provided.

Our trade to China has ever been burthened with enormous imposts and exactions; these, under various pretences, are an nually increasing, and in process of time may become insupportable. It is an opinion latterly grown current that the Chinese are desirous of totally excluding all Europeans from their country: may we not hazard a conjecture, that the vexations they oblige them to suffer are the premeditated schemes of this politic people to effect it? Were such an event to happen, the want of a settlement to the eastward would be severely felt. The Chinese would export their own commodities, and Java or the Philippines, as the nearest ports, would become the marts for them. As there is no reason to suppose that our inability to procure them from the first hand would hinder their consumption, we must buy them either from the Dutch or from the Spaniards. A settlement in Cochin China will give us a superior advantage to either, both as its situation is nearer, and the Chinese are more accustomed to resort thither; in

all