fuffice for the guidance of philofophers, but by no means adequate for containing the unruly paflions of a fenfelefs multitude. The Christian religion, which was firft introduced in these parts by the Portuguefe at the beginning of the 17th century, has undergone many viciffitudes, and fuffered various cruel perfecutions. Since the year 1790, the miffionaries have obtained leave to fettle in various parts; and the prefent emperor continues to be tolerant and even favourable: but cuftoms and prejudices ftill counteract, and in a great measure fruftrate, the zeal and strenuous endeavours of thefe reverend fathers. 6. Manners. This chapter is prefaced by the following general obfervation, The Tung-quinefe, endowed with a na tural rectitude of thought and fentiment, has a bias towards all that is wife, juft and benevolent. Although under certain circumstances he be at times, for want of inftruction, led into error by abfurd prejudices, by the impulfe of paffions, and the violence of party fpirit, he neverthelefs difplays in his habitual conduct, a decided refpect for the principles of found morality.' Coniorm. ably with this brief statement, we find that thefe people are lefs prone to theft, and have a more decided aversion to homicide than the Chinese. The uncivilized tribes are thofe where probity is found to be moft prevalent. Relief to thofe in diftr.fs is a duty which they cheerfully practife. Nature is bountiful, let us imitate her' is a proverb in general ufe among them. They are capable of warm friendships.-Their women are under little restraint but that of the confcioufnefs of their duty. De. cency is held in high estimation, bat without the prudery that often difguifes finifter motives. Illicit love, though not without examples, is yet by no means frequent. We find here a pofitive denial of the habitual proftitution of the wives and daughters to ftrangers, with which fome navigators have taxed them. Whatever there may be of it is limited to the fea ports of Cochin China. Thefe people are faid to be the most prone of any in India to games, gaiety and pleafure. Their propensity to lux. ury is reftrained by fumptuary laws. Their loyalty to their fovereign, and their courage, cfpecially fince it is regulated by a better difcipline, are confpicuous, in every inftance where there is a call for the difplay of them. Thefe praifeworthy qualities yield on the other hand to fome which, if not abfolutely vicious, are yet decidedly reprehen. ible.. The Tung-quinefe are naturally fond of 'repofe, which fome may choose to call a habit of flothfulness. Gluttony is a prevailing blemish among them: at their feftivals they not only eat immoderately, but they, without an attempt at concealment, carry away in their long fleeves what they cannot confume. Ebriety is not common among the lower claffes; thofe of the higher at times indulge in it. The manners in Tompa, Laos, and Lac-tho remain objects of further inquiry, if the inquiry be Z z werth worth undertaking, Several circumstances here mentioned give room to fufpect that they are not yet advanced beyond the rank of favage nature. We are unwilling to call in queftion the favourable account here given of the manners of thefe nations, but we cannot omit obferving, that this is a part of information concerning which a great variety of opinions may be entertained, according to the temper, judgment, and experience of the obferver, 7. Customs. The ftaining their teeth black, and colouring their lips of a deep red, practifed by these people, is perhaps not much more prepofterous than our powdering our hair, and females laying a coat of red paint on their cheeks. They fit on the ground cross-legged. Their beds confift of mats with pillows. made of rushes. Their houses have but little furniture. Abroad they carry umbrellas, the fize of which, and number of balls de pending from them, befpeak the rank of the owner. They ufually travel by water. By land the rich proceed in palankins; the poorer go on foot. The military mandarins alone have the privilege of travelling on elephants. Their manner of faluting is not only by bowing, but by repeated proftrations. Woinen falute by fearing themfelves, and then inclining the head as low as the knees. A man of rank never goes abroad without being attended by feveral fervants, who carry his pipe, his betel bag, his fan, and his umbrella. Of all their ceremonies, the moft fplendid and moft expensive is the funeral. Men often toil through life with great ardour, in order to accumulate wherewith to defray a magnificent burial : and if the means be not at hand, the relatives of diftant confanguinity, and even the community will fupply the deficiency. They mourn in white, and the garments must be of coarse stuff, and loofe. A widow mourns three years for her husband, the widower two for his wife, and the children the fame period for their parents.-Befides the colour of the clothing, their mourn. ings are obferved by strict abftinence, feclufion and all manner of felf-denials. They have no fixed periodical days of reft except the three fir days of the year. No bufinefs is then transacted, and feafting alone is attended to. They delight in dramatic performances. They have no public theatres, but ftages are occafionally fitted up in the houfes of the great, where hired players, dancers, tumblers, and rope dancers difplay their various talents. The fondness of thefe people for all kind of games prompts them to practife all manner of bodily exercifes, and many acquire great dexterity at tennis, foot ball, and the fhuttle cock, which with uncommon skill they reverberate with the foot. They have a great fondness for cock-fighting; and cards and chefs are among their favourite recreations. 8. Language. Being defcended from the Chinese the people of Tung-quin have preferved the idiom of that country; but having been long feparated from them, and having conceived a rooted antipathy against them, the dialect is now materially altered, infomuch that the two nations can no longer understand each other. The language offers at first fight an appearance of barbarous rudeness, having neither genders, numbers, tenfes, declenfions or conjugations, but thefe defects are fufficiently fupplied by particles which denote thofe various modifications. Their words are generally monofyllables. The language is rich as to all objects in common and familiar ufe, but very defective as to abstract ideas. It abounds in ceremonious expletives. Their writing is rude, fomewhat partaking of the Chinefs. Their men of letters cultivate the latter tongue, as the European nations do the Latin, but they poffefs it in a very imperfect manner. The millionaries have of late endeavoured to introduce an alphabet fimilar to ours; but we are not told with what fuccefs. 9. Sciences. The fubftance of this chapter relates chiefly to the inferiority of the Tung-quinefe in point of fcience. Their leaft deficiency is in medicine, but in this alfo they are inferior to the Chinese. Their remedies are principally imples, and their knowledge of plants is not defpicable. Caustics, and among thefe moxa, are often applied, and at times with fuccefs.-This defi ciency in science is not to be afcribed to the want of feminaries, feveral being established, where they teach morality, rural and political economy, the military art, eloquence, poetry, and other branches of erudition; but with what fuccefs may best be gather. ed from the effects that are produced. 10. Literature. A certain degree of popular eloquence meets with much encouragement in this country; every indi vidual having opportunities of difplaying his proficiency in their communities, their pleadings, their public worthip, and their various feftive affemblies. Their hiftories are mere annals. They are not in want of poets, who, however, deferve no better name than that of verfifiers. The people delight in finging their verles. The late civil wars have driven away the Mufes, but tranquil times may yet recall them; and then this people, which is not devoid of talents for the cultivation of polite literature, may yet hold a confiderable rank among the nations, where thefe elegant accomplishments are cultivated with fuccefs. " PART III. 1. Principal events in Tung-quin and its dependent States. The early periods of the hiftory of these ftates are, like thofe of molt other countries, involved in much doubt and obfcurity, and were they better known, would probably prove equally tedious and uninftructive. These therefore the author paffes over in a very curfory manner; and indeed the whole hiftory here given, except the part which relates to the late rebellion and restoration, is a mere epitome; which, however, does by no means ftimulate our curiofity 23 The curiofity for a more circumftantial narrative. What the author relates, he divides into four epochs. The first proceeds from the origin of the nation to the beginning of the 16th century. Tung-quinefe are of Chinese origin, and hence trace their antiquity to a prepofterous remotenefs. Both are probably defcended from Hindoos. No facts appear to have occurred in this long period that feem to deferve recording. Many in the fequel, from unknown caufes, migrated from Tung-quin to Cochin-China, which became a distinct fovereignty, and profpered for a time, but was foon after involved in great troubles. This forms the fecond epoch, which terminates nearly at the middle of the 17th century. The third carries us through another century, during which period the government of Tung-quin itruggled with the afpiring power of Cochin-China, and inceffant warfare fubfifted between the contending nations. And lastly, the fourth, which comprifes our period, and is by far the most important part of the hiftory, contains various political convulfions, which have been productive of memorable events, have difplayed great virtues and atrocious crimes, and through a lamentable feries of cruelties and difafters, have at length led to the fate of tran quility now enjoyed in thefe favourite regions. This being the most interesting part of the hiftory, and that which concerns uş moft, we shall wave any further notice of the three preceding epochs, that we may dwell more fully on the momentous and unparalleled tranfaction of this period. The fovereign of Tung-quin, of the family of Le, and whom the natives diftinguifhed by the name of Dova, had for fome time placed the executive government in the hands of a minifter who bore the name of Chua-Vua, and this office foon became hereditary in the family of Nquien, the head of which Nquien-Phoúe, had in a rebellion, expelled an ufurper, and reftored the family of Lé to the throne. The Dova however, though thus reinftated, was far from recovering the authority of a monarch, the Chua having retained an unlimited power, fimilar to that affumed by the mayors of the palace, during the fecond race of the kings of France. The Dova was not even permitted to defignate which of his fons fhould be his fucceffor. We find about the fame period certain rulers in Cochin-China, of the name of Nquien, *Although we do not feel inclined to cenfure this author for taking no notice of the accounts already extant of this curious country, we cannot however be fo lenient in the present inftance, where facts are related without any reference to historical documents.-Thofe who may feel inclined to dedicate, or perhaps to mifapply a few hours in the perufal of a tedious narrative, may find a sketch of the early hiftory of Tung-quin in the Lettres Edifiantes, vol. xvi. p. 245, and 271, 2d Edit. who 1 who though tributary to Tung-quin, governed yet with ur limited fway. At a recent period, the date of which does not appear, the Chua was affaffinated, and having left no children, a great contest arofe among his relatives for the fucceffion. The king availed himfelf of this ftruggle, and fucceeded in making a considerable abatement in the power of that office, which now ceased to be hereditary. In the year 1732, Vo-Nquien-Vuong, who ruled in Cochin-China, forfeited by his mifconduct the confidence of the people, and a traiterous minifter caufed Anh-Vuong, a fon of Vo-Nquien-Vuong by a concubine, to be proclaimed his fucceffor, to the prejudice of two legitimate fons, whom he imprifoned, and who did not long farvive their confinement. The enormous acts of violence committed by this atrocious rebel foon brought on a civil war, which commenced in the year 1774, and during a conflict of twenty-eight years, was productive of a feries of almoft incredible events, and has at length termi mated in the prefent permanent eftablishment. The mandarins of Cochin-China called in the king of Tungquin to their aflifiance and obtained from him an army, headed by an enterprizing and dextrous commander, who foon compelled the furrender of the rebellious minifter. This fubmiflion however did not produce the retreat of the auxiliary army, and AnhVuong, perceiving that his depoition was aimed at, fed precipitately to the fouth of Cochin-China, leaving behind him all his treafures, which became a prey to the invading chief. At this period appeared three brethren of an obfcure race, firnamed Tay-Son, and formed a distinct party, which foon acquired a great afcendency, and chiefly contributed to the memorable events that followed. The eldeft, named Nhac, headed a body of rebels, which he led into the field; the fecond, whofe name does rot, appear, was a bonze, who influencing the priesthood and through them the people, fanétioned the proceedings of his ambitious brethren and the third, named Long.Nhu-ong, difplayed the greatest energy and audacity, and yielding to felith views was not always true to his own party. The fugitive Anh-Vuong, made an attempt to cope with thefe infurgents, with the arms of Tung-quin, but failing in all his feble endeavours, and yielding chiefly to the allurements of pleasure, he was affaflinated; and a grandfon of Vo- Nquien- Vuong, the laft legitimate king of Cochin-China was placed on the throne, This prince too, not being equal to the difficulties he had to encounter, tamely fubmitted to Nhac upon terms which were not obferved. He difappeared, nor is it knowa in what manner he ended his days. A fon of his collected fome troops, and marched against the Tay-Sons, but he alfo proved unfaccefsful; he was betrayed, and furrendered, and no doubt came to an untimely end. His wife, however, efcaped the purfuits of the rebel, together with her fecond fon Ong |