Passing along the coast from Cape Pak-loung, where the frontier commences between China and Tong-king, we find that all the part north of the Gulf of Tong-king is little known; it is said to be fringed with banks and rocks, and some large islands have been visited by English vessels in pursuit of pirates. The most important are the Pirate Islands, a group of multitudinous islets in a bay of which the Chinese name is Fie-tzi-long, and the Pearl Islands. Next we find the mouth of the River Lach-Huyen, which is deep, but obstructed about a mile inland by a bar preventing the entrance of any vessel drawing more than 11⅜ feet, Next come the mouths of the River of Tong-king, Song-Coi, or Hong-kiang (Red River). The delta of this river is formed by four main branches—Cua trà lay, Cua lac, Cua dhai, Cua ba lat—which communicate with each other both by natural channels, called arroyos, and by artificial canals. These are charged with alluvial matter, and produce considerable increase of soil. Mr E. Ploix, a hydrographic engineer who visited the gulf between 1857 and 1859, estimates the annual advance of the coast at about 330 feet. It is by these rivers that Ke-cho, or Ha-noi, the capital of Tong-king, can be reached. This town and the port of Ninh-hai, in the province of Hai-dzuong, were opened to foreign commerce by a treaty concluded between France and the Government of Hué, March 15, 1874. To allow a ship to pass up the river at any season its draught must not exceed 5¾ feet, and from the end of May to the end of November, vessels drawing 12 feet can cross the bars.

About 18° 10' N. lat. lies the island Hon-tseu, or Goats’ Island, near a prominent cape about 1410 feet high. A little to the south of Hon-tseu is the point to the north of which there is only one tide in 24 hours, except during a period of two weeks, when on three or four days there are two tides of little force. At Cape Boung-Qui-hoa there is a good anchorage well sheltered by islands, of which the chief is South Watcher Island, or South Vigie. In front of Cape Lay is the little Tiger Island, where the west coast of the Gulf of Tong-king terminates. On the China Sea the coast presents successively, as we pass southward, the mouth of the River Hué, defended by a fort; the Bay of Tourane, wide, deep, and well sheltered, but unfortunately situated in an unhealthy district, and in the poorest part of the country; the Bay of Quit-Quit, a very good anchorage, and the safest on this coast during the N.E. monsoon; the Island Cu-lao-ró, or Pulo Canton; the port of Qui-nhon, or Binh dhinh, in the province of this name, opened to European commerce by the treaty of March 1874; the bay and the commodious port of Phu-yen; Cape Varela, or Mui-nai, a very lofty peak visible 30 nautical miles out at sea, and to the south of the cape the port of Hon-ro, safe at all seasons of the year; the Bay of Phan-rang and Cape Padaran, or Mui-Din, districts bordered by coral banks; Cape Ke-ga; and Cape Ba-kee, which forms the limit between lower Cochin China and the kingdom of Anam. Between Cape Padaran and Cape Ba-kee the coast is low, and bordered by dangerous banks. In front are the little islands of Pulo Cecir, Catwick, and Pulo Sapate, of difficult access.

The whole of lower Cochin China being formed of alluvial deposits, its coast is very low, has little irregularity of surface, and is covered with mangroves. The different mouths of the River Cambodia or Me-kong form a delta of more than 70 miles in extent. The soil is subject to frequent changes on account of the alluvial deposits of the river, which is bordered by sand banks stretching seawards out of sight of land. At the entrance of the River Don-nai, which leads to Saigon, rises Cape St Jacques, a peak 920 feet above the level of the sea. At 45 sea-miles from the coast and from the mouths of the Me-kong, is the island of Pulo Condore, with a good port, and a penitentiary established by the French Government. On the west coast of Lower Cochin China, in the Gulf of Siam, is the port of Ha-Tien, communicating by a canal with one of the arms of the Me-kong.

To the north of Tong∙king terminate the last underfalls of the high plateau of Thibet; a long chain stretches parallel to the Sea of China as far as the south of the kingdom of Anam of which it forms the western boundary. The highest point of this chain does not exceed 5250 feet. Between the last ramifications of the mountains of Thibet there descend from the plateau of Yun-nan and in a southeast direction the affluents of the great River Song-Coi or Hong-kiang, which undergoes periodic variations in the supply of its waters. In the month of March it is very low; but every year about the month of July it leaves its channel, floods a part of the country, and rolls along with a very powerful current. Before passing Ha-noi it receives the tribute of two great rivers, known to the natives by the names of the Black Biver and the Clear River.

The kingdom of Anam, closely shut in between the mountains and the sea, is drained by numerous but unimportant streams. Lower Cochin China, or French Cochin China, is abundantly watered by the numerous mouths and the canals which form the delta of the Mekong or Cambodia. This river takes its rise in the mountains of Thibet, waters the southern provinces of China and the district of Laos tributary to Siam, and crosses through the kingdom of Cambodia, where it divides into three branches. The first, which does not penetrate into Cochin China, turns towards the north-west and loses itself in the Lake of Tonli Sap. The second, which takes the name of Hinder River (Hau-giang or Song-sau) flows south-east, enters Cochin China, communicates with the Sea of Siam by the Canal Vinh-te of Ha-tien and by that of Rach-gia, and enters the China Sea by two mouths. The third branch, named Front River (Tien-giang or Song-truoc), flows parallel to the preceding, divides at Vinh-long into four arms, and debouches by six mouths. These streams form numerous islands and communicate with each other by means of canals or arroyos. In spite of the length of its course and the great mass of its waters, the Me-koπg cannot be utilized as a means of communication with Central China, because of the numerous ressauts and rapids which encumber its course. It is besides subject to an annual flood; the waters begin to rise in May, attain their maximum in October, and decrease until March. From the month of March to the month of May the level is almost constant. Two other streams water the east of Lower Cochin China,—the Vaico, divided into two branches, and the Donnai. These rivers .communicate with each other and with the mouths of the Me-kong by numerous arroyos. The Donnai receives the Saigon River; and it is by this means that the largest vessels reach the town of that name.

The climate of the north of Anam differs much from that of the south. In Tong-king, though it is usual to divide the year into a dry and a wet season, there is properly speaking no dry season. In December and January the thermometer falls to 41° or 43° Fahr. Summer corresponds to the period of the rains from the end of April to the month of August; and at that time it is excessively hot. Storms are frequent, and the coasts are often visited by typhoons. At the same time Tong-king is a healthy country; the weather during four months is excellent; and the French colony of Saigon might find there—what has never been discovered in Cochin China proper—a suitable site for a sanatorium. The climate of the French colony is unhealthy for Europeans; they cannot be acclimatized. The mortality of the troops is rather high; and before their residence was shortened to two years it might be calculated at 9 or 10 per cent, for a three years’ residence, lhe chief cause of the maladies which affect Europeans is the character of the soil. On the banks of the rivers, in the salt marshes, and along the shores of the sea, intermittent fevers of great severity are frequent. In the forest land rages the terrible wood-fever, from which the native himself cannot escape, though be lives unharmed in the midst of the rice swamps. But the great plague of Lower Cochin China is dysentery,—a disease which, endemic in all warm countries, proves in Cochin China particularly fatal. It is to it that the greater part of the deaths among Europeans are to be ascribed; and they often succumb to its effects after their return to their native country. Most of the children born of European parents in Cochin China die a short time after birth. White women are there exposed to many dangers, especially during their delivery; and there is consequently little hope of forming there a race of creoles. The native women, on the contrary, are very prolific, and suffer surprisingly little in childbirth. It is also interesting to observe that the Anamites, like the races of the extreme East, recover from ,wounds of the greatest severity, which would infallibly kill Europeans even in their ow n country.

The mean temperature of Lower Cochin China is 83° Fahr. The greatest heat in April and May within doors is 97° Fahr. In the mornings of December the temperature falls to 65° Fahr, The year is divided into the dry season, which corresponds to the N.E. monsoon, and the rainy season, which corresponds to the S.W. monsoon. What renders the climate peculiarly injurious and enervating is that, besides the very slight difference between the temperatures of day and night, the hygrometric readings are always very high. The surface of Cochin China, composed of recent alluvial deposits, is absolutely flat, and in some places is below the level of the sea. The slightness of the slope of this vast plain allows the tide to advance far inland, and the borders of the rivers to be alternately covered with water and exposed to the perpendicular rays of the sun. All the coasts are covered by mangroves (the marsh-tree of the tropics), which with their dull monotonous foliage everywhere betoken the unhealthiness of the soil.

The finest species of tiger, the royal tiger, is to be met with from the mountains which bound Tong-king on the north as far as the south of Lower Cochin China; and a short time ago it was still to be found in the wooded hills close to Saigon. The other wild animals are the panther, the rhinoceros, the elephant—which the people of Anam have not learned to domesticate—the cocoa-nut bear, the stag, the wild boar, the wild ox, and monkeys of various kinds. The domestic animals are goats, horses, buffaloes (with which the Indo-Chinese carry on the difficult and unhealthy cultivation of the rice-fields), and pigs, which are kept in great numbers. There are numerous birds of many species, which—ac in all tropical regions—are remarkable for the beauty of their plumage. Among the rest may be mentioned pea-fowl, pheasants, turtle-doves, the green pigeons of Pulo Condore, paroquets, hornbills, sultana fowls, and various species of wading birds and palmipeds. The rivers abound with life; and the fish, though of poor quality, form an important part of the food of the people. They are caught, along with frogs and snakes, even in the mud of the rice-fields. The crocodile is frequently met with, and adds another item to the native cuisine. This hot damp country swarms with reptiles, of which some species are very dangerous. Among these are the huge cobra di capello (AEcyα), many species of adders, and the immense python, which is of much use in destroying during the night all kinds of rats, including the intolerable musk-rat.

The forests furnish several kinds of timber for building. In the plains and valleys are numerous fruit-trees, —the banana, the guava, the papaw, the medlar-tree, the orange, the citron, and, most abundant of all, the cabbagepalm and the cocoa-tree, and the cinnamon of which Tongking furnishes a superior quality. The people of Anam are essentially agricultural. Besides rice, which is the chief production of the country, the cultivated lands furnish cotton, mulberry, sugar-cane, maize, betel-nut, and vegetables, especially potatoes, earth-nuts, and pepper. Tea is cultivated also, especially in Tong-king, but the people of Anam do not know how to prepare it.

To the traveller who pays only a brief visit the kingdom of Anam appears ill provided with metals. If a mine be discovered the natives forbid access to it, and still more frequently, for fear of the authorities, are unwilling to give any information. Two excellent authors, Messrs T. Crawfurd and M t Culloch have supported this false opinion in their works. More precise information has, however, been obtained, recent explorers of the country stating that Tong-king is very rich in metals, and furnishes especially gold, silver, brass, zinc, and iron. It is from Tong-king that the famous tam-tams, the manufacture of which is still a secret to Europeans, are obtained. Cochin China, properly so-called, furnishes also gold, silver, brass, and marble; and coal is found there in several places. Lower Cochin China, like all alluvial plains, is poor in minerals; quarries, however, of granite and of jet are worked.

There is little industrial activity in Anam, but in Tong-king the manufacture of articles inlaid with mother-of-pearl is carried on. From China Cochin China receives a large quantity of manufactured goods, cotton and silk stuffs, porcelain, and tea. The importation from France is also very considerable. The principal exports are rice (which forms of itself half the sum total), salt fish, provided principally by the fisheries at the mouth of the two chief rivers, salt, undyed cotton, pepper, and the skins of animals. The great commercial importance of Cochin China arises from the excellence of its situation, as a way of communication with the rich and populous provinces of middle China. England has long been seeking to open a route for trade between the north-east of India, or Pegu, and the south-west of China, but up to the present time, notwithstanding the courage and devotion of explorers, these attempts have failed.

From 1866 to 1868 a French expedition, commanded by Captain Doudart de Lagrée, followed up the course of the Me-kong, and penetrated into middle China. This expedition cost its chief his life, for he died in consequence of the fatigue which he underwent in Yun-nan. This examination of the Me-kong proved that this fine river is, as already noticed, unfit for regular navigation. Another route, however, by the Tong-king, may be opened up; and it is comparatively easy and habitually used by the natives. In 1872 Mr Dupuis, a French merchant, passed up the course of the Hong-kiang as far as Mang-Hao, a town of Yun-nan, where the river ceases to be navigable. He came down the river again in 1873. He declares it to be navigable in every season, and has thus solved the problem which Captain Doudart de Lagrée sought to solve by means of the Me-kong. Μ. Dupuis’s expedition led the French authorities, at the solicitation of the Government of Hué, to despatch Μ. Francis Garnier to the Tong-king; but the gallant explorer was assassinated by pirates in the neighbourhood of Ha-noi.

The native of Anam is the worst built and the ugliest of all the Indo-Chinese who belong to the Mongolian race. He is scarcely of middle height, and is shorter and less vigorous than his neighbours. His complexion is tawny, darker than that of the Chinese, but clearer than that of the Cambodian; his skin is thick; his forehead low; his skull slightly depressed at the top, but well developed at the sides. His face is flat, with highly protruding cheek-bones, and is lozenge-shaped or eurygnathous to a degree that is nowhere exceeded. His nose is not only the flattest, but also the smallest among the Indo-Chinese; his mouth is large, and his lips thick; his teeth are blackened and his gums destroyed by the constant use of the betel-nut, the αreca-nut, and lime, a custom which perhaps originated in hygienic reasons. His neck is short, his shoulders slope greatly, his body is thick-set, large, all of one piece, as it were, and wanting in suppleness. His pelvis is large, with a considerable separation of the upper part of the femora, giving to his gait a curious swagger, which has, not without reason, been described as theatrical. This odd swagger by itself suffices to distinguish <Λe Anamese from every other Indo-Chinese people without exception. Another peculiarity, which especially distinguishes this race from the other Indo-Chinese branches, is a greater separation of the big toe from the rest than is found in any of the other peoples that walk bare-footed. It is sufficiently general and well marked to serve as an ethnographic test; and it indicates that the people of Anam are not descended—as some authors have asserted—from a mingling of indigenous savages with the Chinese, but have existed as a distinct race for a long time. According to Father Legrand de la Liraye (Notes ldstoriques sur la nation Annamite, Saigon, 1865), this curious feature has served to distinguish the people of Anam since the year 2285 b.c., that is to say, 63 years after the Biblical deluge. This statement, taken as it is from the Chinese annals, shows that the Anamese could not have received this characteristic from their neighbours; and it is a very curious fact that it has been transmitted to the present inhabitants despite the frequent intermarriages with other races'which must have taken place during this period of forty centuries. The inhabitants of Lower Cochin China are evidently weaker and smaller than those of Tong-king, and this probably results from their dwelling in marshy rice-fields.

In the midst of the Anamese live Cambodians and immigrant Chinese, the latter, associated together-according to the districts they come from, carrying on nearly all the commerce of the country. In the forests on the frontiers of Cochin China dwell certain wretched savages called Mois, or Stiengs, of whom little is known; and alongside of these are the Chams, a Mahometan people which appear to be of Arab origin, and, in spite of a strong infusion of Chinese blood, preserve the warlike qualities of their ancestors, their love of fighting, their gay and...