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(1778) Narrative of A Voyage To Cochin China - Charles Chapman
(1778) Narrative of A Voyage To Cochin China - Charles Chapman
the most tempestuous seas with great risks to the ships and
cargoes.
Satisfied, from the several particulars above recited, that ad
vantages may accrue to this country, as well as to the British
nation, from an intimate intercourse with Cochin Chinathat
making the experiment will be attended with but a trifling expence
that there may never offer an opportunity equally favourable
with the presentand that the arrival of Mandarins may
awaken the curiosity of foreign nations, which it seems has
already been the case, from the offer made by the French chief of
sending them back, I think it therefore a measure both prudent
and to seize the present occasion, and to endeavour to form
some kind of commercial alliance with the ruling power of that
country, calculated to secure to the English superior privileges to
the French or others; and for this purpose I propose that a person
be sent, in a public capacity, with the Mandarins, to investigate
the real state .# their country, its sources for trade, and to discover
what connection can be made with it advantageous to Bengal;
and that he be likewise vested with powers, should he find the
state of things answer the expectations formed of them, and agree
with the accounts which have been given, to form a treaty of
commerce on the part of this government with that of Cochin
China.
(Signed) WARREN HASTINGs.]
information relative to the state of his country after his leaving it,
but indistinct and little to his satisfaction. I endeavoured to pro
cure the release of some of these poor people, and was not a little
surprised at a seeming backwardness in them to accept it. Du
ring our stay here, I was spoken to Iy the King's brother (the
King being absent) concerning the Companys establishing a
factory at Tringano; and l heard on my return to Malacca, that
there had been a letter sent to the Supreme Council with this
proposal. This complaisance arises from the King's apprehen
sions of a hostile visit from the King of Rhio, and from a desire
of extending his territories by means of the Companys assistance.
If it were thought worth while to settle in any part of the Penin
sula of Malay, a more eligible situation than Tringano might be
found. Some months in the year this is a dangerous lee shore,
and inaccessible to shipping. I do not think that establishments
can be made by us with any advantage among the Malays." At
Tringano they purchase annually two hundred chests of Opium,
some white goods, a small quantity of iron and copper, and a few
other articles of little note; for these things they give in exchange,
pepper, gold and tin; the latter article is not the produce of the
place, but carried thither by Malay and Bugis prows.
Our stay at Tringano being prolonged a day or two, that we
might furnish ourselves with a good store of refreshments, as we
expected but scanty supplies at Cochin China, we did not weigh
anchor till the 17th. The 20th we came in sight of Pulo Ubi.
The next we anchored close to it, and the following day found
ourselves in the latitude of 8 35' N. which must have been nearly
the latitude of the point of Cambodia, as it then bore West of us;
it is laid down by our Geographers and Hydrographers 10 or 15
miles more to the northward. Pulo Ubi is a small island, seen
from a great distance, situated exactly on the eastern extremity of
the Gulf of Siam. My intention in taking this route was, that
we might have an opportunity of coasting the southern shore of
Cambodia, which is but little known; of entering the western
branch of the great river which separates that country from Cochin
China, where I expected certain accounts of the state of that coun
try; and of procuring an interview with the king, who was said to
be at Donai, the southern-most province.
We were but a little more than two days going from Pulo Ubi
to Cambodia river. The point of Cambodia, as well as the whole
coast from thence to the mouth of the western branch of the river,
is covered with underwood, and exceedingly low. The water is so
shallow, that at the distance of five or six miles from the shore
we rarely had more than four fathoms. Although the commander
of the small vessel, our consort, made repeated attempts he could
* It is only a few years since the Presidency of Fort St George attempted a set
tlement at Acheen, under the conduct of the Honorable Edward Moncton, but
were obliged to withdraw it. -
296 NARRATIVE OF A VOYAGE
never approach the shore nearer than two or three miles. Few
inhabitants appeared, and only two boats near the entrance of the
river. Our boat was sent to speak to them, but they being poor
Chinese fishermen, they could not understand our Cochin Chinese
linguist.
The 24th of June, we anchored in sight of the mouth of the
west channel of Cambodia river, between three and four o'clock
in the afternoon, in barely three fathom water, a strong ebb tide
' out: the tide to the westward had been observed the
preceding evening to rise two fathoms and a half; it therefore
certainly behoved us to be on our guard against its falling as much:
the Captain was apprised of this by his officer, but he making light
of it, the tide by six o'clock left the vessel fast aground; but as
she lay in soft mud, our situation was by no means dangerous.
The Captain made sail as soon as the vessel floated in a dark
night, uncertain whither a rapid tide might drive us. The vessel
a second time; and when the floating tide relieved her
rom this, still a third time. Here, or on some other part of the
shore, I expected we must have left the vessel; her head was only
in a fathom and a half of water, and her stern was beating upon a
sand as hard as a rock. The boat with the Chief Officer and
most of the Europeans was now sent to sound; during their
absence the water rose to two fathoms and a quarter; the Amazon
drew twelve feet; the flood tide was fully made. Anxious after
our boat, we made signal after signal for it to return; and when
it did, the report of the officer was far from satisfactory, having
met with shoals all round. There was now the appearance of a
hard squall coming on; the man with the sounding line warned
us there was but a few inches more than the vessel drew; and it
being the top of high water of a spring tide, we had no prospect
of further relief. Happily, however, we increased the depth, and
the squall coming on, presently drove us into five fathoms, where
we dropt our anchor.
After the fatigue and anxiety which we suffered the preceed
in: night, we were happy to devote this day, the 25th, to repose.
he 26th, I went on board the Jenny, which lay at a consi
derable distance from our vessel, near the mouth of the river.
The commander acquainted me he had sent his boat into the
river for intelligence, and proposed to me to stand in and meet it.
Having no objection, he weighed his anchor: as soon as we opened
the first reach, we perceived a vessel an anchor, and the boat
making towards us: we continued our course in a good channel
of three and four fathoms water, as far as the tide would permit
us. By the officer who went in the boat, we learned that the
vessel in sight was a Portuguese Snow from Macao; that there
was another higher up at a village called Bathai; and that a ship
had left the river seven or eight days before. Mr Moniz, (a Por
tuguese gentleman I before mentioned to have accompanied the
TG COCH IN CHINA. 297
(To be Continued.)
349
ducted us to a house near his own, which he said was allotted for
our residence. He requested to see what we had brought for the
king, which we shewed him. The king, he said, would grant us
an audience next morning; afterwards he took his leave.
By six o'clock next morning, a message was brought us, that
his Majesty was ready to receive us. We then attended our con
ductor for near a mile, till we came in sight of the palace from an
eminence; here we were desired to dismiss all our attendants, and
to leave our swords, as it was never permitted to any body to
enter into the presence with arms. These preliminaries adjusted,
we advanced towards the palace; In the front were drawn up two
ranks of men, consisting of 100 each, with spears, pikes, halberts,
&c. of various fashions, with some banners flying, and from with
in appeared the muzzles of two long brass cannon. In the middle
of a gravelled terrace, in front of the palace, was laid the presents
I brought. As soon as we ascended this terrace, the Mandarin
and conductor told us to make our obeisance in the same manner
as he did, which consisted in prostrating himself three times with
with his forehead to the ground. This mode of salutation, how
ever, appearing to us rather too '# we contented our
selves with making as many bows, after the English fashion. We
mounted half a dozen steps to the apartment his Majesty and his
Court were assembled in. It was open in the front and at the
sides, the roof tiled and constructed in the Cochin Chinese fashion,
supported by fine wooden pillars, the back part wainscotted;
against this was placed the throne, which rose two or three steps
above the floor of the apartment; and on the eminence stood an
arm chair, painted red, and ornamented with the heads of dragons, .
in which the king sat, having before him a small table covered
with a red silk cushion, wrought with gold flowers, for him to
lean upon. On each side the throne was placed a chair; in one
was seated his brother, the other was empty, and, as I understood,
belonged to another brother, who was then at Donai. Several
rows of benches were behind these, and upon them were seated the
Mandarins, according to their rank. The king was clothed in a
robe of silk of a deep yellow, upon which dragons and other
figures were wrought in gold; upon his head he wore a kind of
close cap turned up behind, the front ornamented with some
jewels, and on the op ofit was a large red stone, through which
passed a wire, raising it a few inches, which shook and spangled
as he moved himsef...The Mandarins were, many of them, clad
in gowns of silk of different colours, adorned with dragons, and
their caps with flowers of gold or gilt. Round their waists they
wore girdles, some o' which were covered with scarlet broad cloth,
fastened with clasps fgold, and decorated with cornelian stones, set
in the same metal. Upon the whole, the appearance was a fine one;
and although the Siene wanted many of the requisites which
constitute grandeur and magnificence amongst other Eastern
NARRATIVE OF A VOYAGE TO COCHIN-CH1NA. 351
close to the water side, unconnected with any of the distant hills.
We could perceive several cracks and holes in the body of the
mountain, and round it were lying some vast fragments. The
eye, in wandering over it, presented the fancy with the ideas of
pillars, houses, towers, &c. Near it were a few huts inhabited by
stone-cutters. I did not see any other specimens of their ingenuity
than pestles and mortars of different sizes. On our arrival at
Faifo, we were surprised to find the recent ruins of a large city,
the streets laid out on a regular plan, paved with flat stone, and
well-built brick houses on each side. But alas! there was now
little more remaining than the outward walls, within which, in a
few places, you might behold a wretch, who formerly was the
possessor of a palace, sheltering himself from the weather in a
miserable hut o!' straw and bambus. The temples and their gods,
however, were no further molested than in being robbed of their
bells, which were seized for the purpose of being coined into
money. After taking some refreshment at Faifo, I set out for the
residence of the Mandarin, which was within an enclosure formed
by driving strong stakes into the ground, intermixed with bambus
growing, and for some distance round it short-pointed bambus
were driven obliquely into the ground, as if designed to keep off
cavalry. The house was spacious, partly consisting of brick, and
partly of thatch and bambus. This Mandarin was almost as well
attended as his master, Ignaack: several of his people were well
dressed, and had swords in their hands; the hilts and scabbards
were ornamented with plates of beaten gold. My conversation
with the Mandarin was but short; I was informed that he was an
illiterate man, and had the character of being cruel and oppressive.t.
I staid only one day, and returned to the vessel, being now the
15th of August.
* It was taken and destroyed by one of Ignaack's Generals. Before that it was
a place cf very great trade, and furnished cargoes of sugar, cinnamon, pepper, &c.,
# hundreds of junks, which resorted thither from all the sea-coasts of China and
apan.
# The following instance of almost unparalleled cruelty and perfidy was related
to me at Faifo :-There was a certain distant relation of the royal family, who
lived in disguise in that part of Cochin-China possessed by the Tonquinese, with
whom this Mandarin had some acquaintance. He made it a pretence to send
him a pressing invitation to come and reside under his protection, with his
family and dependants; not only assuring him of personal security, but pro
mising him his friendship. The poor man deceived by these specious professions
of personal regard, set out with his wife, his children, and the rest of his family
to a considerable number. When arrived in Turon bay, he procured an expe
ditious conveyance to the Mandarin's residence, leaving his family to follow him
in their boats. He was received by the Mandarin apparently with the highest
marks of satisfaction and regard. They partook of a repast together, and, when
it was finished, the Mandarin told him that his attendants would conduct him to
a house he had prepared for his reception; but he had no sooner. Hassed the
threshold, than he was seized by his soldiers, and had his head immediately
severed from his body. He then embarked in one of his galleys to meet the
family. ... As soon as he had reached their boats, he caused the women and
children to be bound together, and thrown into the river, seizing all they had
brought with them for his own use.
NARRATIVE OF A VoyAGE To CoCHIN-CH INA. 355
The 26th, several shot struck the vessel's hull, and one killed
the only English sailor we had on board. About noon a cry of
joy resounded from every part of the vessel, that the Amazon's
boat was in sight; but the surf being so exceedingly high, we
almost despaired of her being able to reach us; unfortunately she
made choice of a part of the channel where the surf broke with
the greatest violence, and no sooner had she entered it than she
disappeared; being unable to afford them the least assistance, we
concluded the whole boat's crew must perish. The Tonquinese
observing the accident, elated with joy, fired at us with redoubled
fury. In about an hour the heads of two men were discovered
swimming towards the vessel; our boat instantly put off to meet
them, and shortly returned with two Englishmen; they informed
me that a Dutchman was lost in the surf, that some of the Lascars
had reached the shore, and that the Tonquinese, with wanton
cruelty, during their perilous situation, fired at them with small
al"II1S.
The 27th, all our fore-top-mast rigging was shot away; one
shot struck the vessel between wind and water, which however
was repaired with some difficulty.
The 28th, additional guns began to play, and several shots
struck us weighing nine pounds. The try-sail-mast was shot
away; the best bower cable parted close to the hawse hole, being
cut with a shot. Our situation was now truely alarming, and the
injury we had sustained was very material. To pass the bar while
the wind was in its present direction was impossible; to return to
our former station in the river, where the batteries would still be
nearer to us, was returning to inevitable ruin; and to remain
where we were, exposed to the fire of nine or ten pieces of can
mon, was certain destruction. Critical as our situation was, it was
necessary that something should speedily be done. After a con
sultation, we at length resolved (though with little hopes of suc
cess) to try to bring about a reconciliation.
The 29th, at day-break, I ordered a white flag to be hoisted at
our top-gallant-mast-head; and our people beckoned to the Ton
quinese to come on board. They immediately pulled down their
war flags and beckoned to us in return. The Tonquinese, as we
supposed, were waiting for orders from town, and suffered us to
remain unmolested the whole day. In the evening the wind
changed, and at half-past nine was at W. S. W. Our anchor
was immediately weighed, our sails set in the most profound
silence, steered S. by E. through a channel not more than 60
yards wide, and, notwithstanding the darkness of the night and
the breakers still running high, at half-past ten o'clock we crossed
the bar. The Tonquinese then perceived we were giving them
the slip, kept up a brisk fire at us, till long after we were out of
the reach of their guns; but not a shot struck us. The wind
continued favourable the whole night; the next morning at eleven
NARRATIVE OF A VOYAGE TO COCHIN-CHINA. 363
f
NARRATIVE OF A VOYAGE TO COCHIN-Chi N.A. 365
inclined to indolence. The ladies are by far the most active sex;
they usually do all the business, while their lazy lords sit upon
their haunches, smoking, chewing beetle, or sipping tea. Contrary
to the custom of China, the ladies are not shut up; and, if unmar
ried, a temporary connection with strangers who arrive in the
country is deemed no dishonour. Merchants often employ them
as their factors and brokers, and tis said the firmest reliance may
be placed on their fidelity.
The habit of the men and women is cut after the same fashion.
It is a loose robe, buttoning with a small robe round the neck,
and folding over the breast like a Banyan gown, with large long
sleeves which cover the hands. People of rank, and especially
the ladies, wear several of these gowns one over the other; the
undermost reaches to the ground, the succeeding ones are each
shorter than the other, so that the display of the different colours,
makes a gaudy appearance as they walk along.
Such are the few particulars relative to Cochin-China. It
now remains to shew how a connection with Cochin-China may
prove beneficial to this country. The drain of specie from the
Company's settlements in India is become a matter of such serious
import, that any plan which may be offered to remedy so growing
an evil I have no doubt will be deemed worthy of observation.
1 am sanguine in my expectations that a settlement in Cochin
China would conduce to that desirable end, as well as be produc
tive of many other advantages.
Our two little vessels brought from Cochin-China to the amount
of 60,000 rupees in gold and silver bullion. The Rumbold the
year before also brought bullion to a considerable amount, on
account of sales of Bengal and Madras cloths, opium, iron, copper,
lead, hardware, and glass.
The situation of Cochin-China is excellently well adapted to
commerce. Its vicinity to China, Tonquin, Japan, Cambodia,
Siam, the Malay Coast, the Philippines, Borneo, the Moluccas,
&c., renders the intercourse with all these countries short and easy.
The commodious harbours formed on the coast, particularly that
of Turon, afford a safe retreat for ships of any burthen during the
most tempestuous seasons of the year. -