jorneys in french indo-china_curzon_1893

8/2/2019 Jorneys in French Indo-China_Curzon_1893

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Journeys in French Indo-China (Tongking, Annam, Cochin China, Cambodia)Author(s): George N. CurzonReviewed work(s):Source: The Geographical Journal, Vol. 2, No. 2 (Aug., 1893), pp. 97-111Published by: Blackwell Publishing on behalf of The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of

British Geographers)Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1773835 .

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TheGeographicalournal.NO.2. AUGUST,1893. VOL.I.

JOURNEYS N FRENCH NDO-CHINATONGKING, NNAM,COCHINCHINA,CAMBODIA*).By the Hon. GEORGE N. CURZON, 1!ff.P.

THEegionswhichare embracedby the generaltitle of FrenchIndo-China,andof the tnethods ndincidentsof travelin the diSerentpartsof whichI proposeo givesomeaccount7omprisehe southern ndeast-ern portionsof the geographicalreacommonlydescribed s the Indo-Chinese eninsula, ndconsisting f theterritoriesituatedbetweenndiaand China,orin otherwords,betweenthe basinsinclusiveof the Ira-wadi and the Red River. The geoCraphicalnterestof this countryconsistsin the immense iversby whichit is intersected, nd to whoseallllvialbounty t forthe mostpart o+rests origin,and to themysterywhich till overhangsts interiorrecesses; hereon theconfines f China,Burma, iam,andAnnam,wildand ittleknown ribesnhabit hepathlessmountains, ndunexploredilrershunderdownprofound avines. Itscommercialnterest ies in the competitionwhichit has engendered e-tweellrivalEuropeanations or he easiestapproacheso the remote utpopulousprovinces f WesternChina,onwhoseborderst lies; andtheimmemorialut lengthycaravan outesconductingowhich t is soughtto supersede y the agencyof steam ocomotion yriveror byland. Itspolitical nterest ies ill the fact that within the last thirtyyears theomrnershipf this vast tract,obeyillgthe universallaw by which thehithertohiddencornersof the worldare graduallyyielding up theirsecrets o civilisation-has changedand is even nowchanginghands;the conquestof the Frenchhaving p]acedthem in possession f the

* The orthography throughout this paper has been made to correspondwith thepublished Rules of the Society. The spelling Cambodiahas been adopted on account ofits commonusage in this country, in preference to Kambojaor Cambogia. The authorwould prefer the last^named form, as being in stricter accordance both with generalacooptance and with local pronunciation.The mapto accompanyMr. aurzon's Pnper wi]l be given with the second instalmentin the Septembernumber.NO. I.-AUGUST7893.] K


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98 JOURNEYSIN FRENCH NDO-CHINA(TONGK1NG,whole of its eastern face from Cambodia o Tongking, and the acquisitionof Upper Burma by the British having brollght the latter into similarcolltact both with China herself and with the frontiers of the onesurviving independent Asiatic kingdom, that now separates EslglandLfrom Fravlce in the Fal East, viz., Siam. Tile French parts of Indo-China, with xvhich alone I propose to deal in this paper, comprise fourseparate erritories, in diSerellt stages of political absorption. These areyin order from north to soui;h,Tongking, Annam, Cochin China and Cam-boulia. Their llnited populations amount to about 18,000,000; they es:tendalong a coast-lirle 1700 lailes in length, and they embrace an area Wtimes as large again as France. I will first deal with the maingeographical characteristics presented loy this dominion, the differentsections of which possess a phsical unity that facilitates the task ofdescription.

I. (;ENERAL EOGRAPHICALHARCTERISTICS.In no part of the world has water esercised a snore potent agency indetermining the destinies or in providing the livelihood of man. Thebulk of the iE ench possessions owe their existence to the deposits of great

rivers, the Red River (Song Koi), Black River (Song Bo or Da Jiang),and Clear River (Song Lo) in the north, and the magnificent volusne ofthe Mekong in the south, and may be divided throughout into two areas^-the mountains through which these rivers, rising ia the plateaus ofCentral Asia arld Tibet, force their way seawards, and the plains ozdeltas which they have themselves almost wholly created along thecoast. The entire populated and vrealthy part of Tongking consists QFthe delta of the Red River with its eonfluents,whieh is 80 miles broad atits base. The whole of Coehin China and mueh of Cambodiaeonsists ofthe delta of the Mekong. The intervexling territory of Annam, in eofar as it eonsists of plain land lying between the mountains and thesea, is also the ereation of smaller streams flowing down hom the high-lands of the interior.In each of these regions, under eonditions diSering very slihtly, theproeess of territorial formation, or eneroaehment upon the sea, ean beoratched n aetive development. On the maritime fringe the briek orgruel-eoloured strealns, sureharged with alluvium, leave their detritus,whieh the tide is not suffieiently powerful to remove, and whieh graduallysolidifies, and gives bilth to a rank vegetation of marlgroves and otheraquatie plants. Sometimes for a while these form foating islets, whieheventually eoalesce and find a common anehorage. Sometimes they areeovered vith saline swamps, in whieh ease they are utilised by thenatives as salt-pans. A little later, as the sea reeedes, they ean bedrained and planted, and in a few years, what began as a muddylagoon is transformed nto a riee:fieldof cloth of gold. The process of


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AN XANI,COCHIN- HINA, CAMBODIA). 9 9

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100 JOURNEYSIN FRENCHINDO-CHINA TONGKIN'G,formations so rapid that Hanoi, the capital of Tongking,whichi8 now 60 miles in a direct line fromthe sea, was uponit in the7th century A.D., whilst in the 17th, the Dutch,who tradeduponthe Red River, had their maritimeport at :Hongyen, ow 35 milesin the interior. I visited a place llamedFat Diem, at the mouthof the Dai,onthe southern onfines f thedelta,whichhasbeenentirelyreclaimedrom he seawithin lieringmemory, nd is nowoccupiedbysmilingclustersof villagesandlice-plots, rrigatedby numerousanals.In Annam hegrowthof the landat the expenseof the sea is accele-ratedby the action of the tides andwinds,principally he north-eastanorlsoon,hichpile up long sand-dunes ponthe coast,behindwhichthe rivers,unable o pourtheirentirevolunwentothe sea,spreadhm-selvesout in broadand sluggish lagoons,c}lafing dly to and fro,andailydiminishingn depth, ill theytoosubmit o the inevitable rocessandarechoked. Thesameconditions reresponsibleora phenomenonof constantoccurrence n the Annamitecoast facing eastwards, iz.,the formation f sandbars lf the mouthof almosteveryriverwithoutexception. These constituteduring many months of the year animpracticablearrier o navigation,andcompelvesselsof anyburden olie outin an offingwhichrarelyfurnishes secureanchorage. On thebars themselves he breakers orm successivefiles of plunt,ing foam,whosegreycrestscan beseentossingskywards, ndwhose hundercanbe heard ormiles. At iEIue,he capitalof Annam, couldalwayshearthemoaningof thebarat Thuanan,wheres the riverembouchure,ver6milesdistantas thecrow lies,andatVinhtheroarwasawldibleveranevengreaterdistance. I crossedhe bar of the Kua Hoi mouthotheSong Ea Riser near the latter place in a sluallnative sampan, uiltmainlyof bamboo,whichchargedthe breakers ull tilt, just after thecresthadbroken, ndwhich, f it missed he rightmoluentbya fractionof a second,wasdeluged romendto erld. In CochinChinaand Cam-todia,a furtherpllenomenons encounteredn the existenceof immerlsetractsof countrylying;below the river-level,which in times of highwaterare converted nto enormous wampsor lakes,whenceonlytheupperbranchesof the treesemerge. The greatlake of Tale Sap, .e.,the InlandSea,in Cambodia, hichis a depressionll the soil of thischaracter,and is fed by the Mekollg,expeliencestransfolmationsoviolentthat n the rainyseasonts lengthincleasesfrom 0to 120miles,its area s tripled; andwhilein the low waters he fish,with which itabounds, analmostbeladledfromits shallow rough, hen from2 to4 feet deep, t is swollen by the iloodsbetweenJune and Septemberto a depthof 30to50 feet. In Calnbodiahe abodesof manadapt hem-selves to these fluctuantconditions, or they consistof palm-leafandbaxnboouts,which, f belonging o a station:ryvillage,areraisedUpwoodenpiles fronl 5 to 15 feet in height abovethe ground,or areplacedUpO1wloatingraftsmoored ylongpolesto thebedof the stream}


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ANNANi,COCHINCHINA, CAMBOD1A). 101and capable f being shifted romsite to site aecordingo the height ofthe waters.

Oneotherphenomenon ustbe noticed hatis commonotheseregions,and is repletewith a geologicalas well as geographicalnterest. Thisis the existenceof a peculiarrock fornsation,omposed f a calcareousstone or marble,superimposed bove the Devonianschists, and pre-sentingthe most picturesque nd fantasticcontoursboth in the sea, at1logreatdistancefrotn he mainland, nd also at severalpoints alongthe rivervalleys which havein earlierdaysbeen similarlysituated. Itconsistsof detachedblocksorhumpsof rock,rising to a height of from50 to 500 feet, Wibh scarped ides and faces, but with summits andledges coveredwith a superband ,raeious vegetation. The actionofthe sea hascarved he sidesand hollowed he interiorof these rocks ntovast cavernsand grottoes,and has fretted heir outline ntostrangeandabnormalhapes. The most remarkablenstance of this phenomenonoecurs n the Bay of Along,with its prolongationhe Bay of Fai-tsi-long,an archipelago f thousands f islets so formed,which friIlges he coastof Tongking or a distanceof over 100 milesfrom he eastborder f theRed Riverdelta almost o the Chineserontierat Cape Pak-luxlg. Onemayspendclays ailing in and out of the islets of thisastonishing nlandsea, which I do not hesitate o characterises one of the wondersof theworld,andwhich farexcelsthe betterknownbeautiesof the InlandSeaof Japan. I,ow tunnelledpassages, ecessible nly at low water,eonductto hiddenbasinsor remote averns n the heartof someof the rocks,andtill reeent imes affordedan impenetrable etreat to the eorsairswhodevastatedthese waters. Near Turan, the malitime port of Hue, aclusterof similar rocks,called by the French the MarbleIountains,rises abruptly rom the sand-dunes n the seashole,and is perforatedwith grottoesX hieh have been utilised by Buddhistmonks for theestablishmentf one of those retreatswherein they appearuniformlyable tocombine estheticattraetionswith devotionalneeds. Theiraltarsare enshrinedn the bowelsof the earth,and the eestatic aee of thegilded godshinesfaintly from the cavernous loom. The other plaeesin Tongkingand Annamwhere I noted or was apprised f the sameformationaro (1) On a plain to the east of the Kua Eam, thatembouchuref the ThaiBinh, uponwhieh lies the eommereial ort ofHaifong; (2) betweenKaobang nd Langsonon the eastfrontier; (3)betweenNinh Binh and the Catholie ettlementof Reshoon the Dai, ata distanceof over 30 uliles from he sea; (4) at Dienhoon the frontierbetweenTongking and Annam; (5) immediately outh of Thanh-hoa,the capitalof the provinceof that name. I have beeninformed hat apreciselyanalogousormation s also visible at Lakhonon the middlewatersof the Mekong.

* For a descripttonof these,vide a paper on the Hill S]opes of Tongking, byJ. G. Scott, n Proceedtngsf the R.G.S. 1886 (new series),Vol. VIII., pp. 2345, 240.


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102 JOURNEWN FRENCHNN-CHINA(TONGEINGsII.--TRAVEL N TONGKING.

Esromhese general remarksI now turn to a moredetailed descriptionof travel in the various territories already named. I shall not occupymyself long with Tont,king, inasmuch as travel in the delta of the RedRiver is performedalmost entirely by river-boat,whether the steamersof the French Companies,or the Annamite sampan. The latter craft,tihough of modest dimexlsions, s well adapted for locomotion on thecountless channels and canals with which, like a network, the countryis intersected. In the centre an arched covering or hutch of palm-lea-esor mattillg, shelters that portion of the boat in which the traveller takeshis meals and sleeps, the only serious discomfort being the inability toadoptanybuta sitting or recumbentposition. In the fore and aft partsof the boat stand the rowers, propelling the craft with an oar, attachedto a peg by a straw or rattan band, with a motion not unlike that ofthe Venetian gondolier. The mother of the family very often plies thebowoar,and children of five and sis even lend a hand. When thecentral part of the boat is occupiedby a passenger, the familfr, o whomthe sampans their sole home, eithel sleep, cook,and live in a similalpartition adjoining the central hutch or in the open part of the boatforwrard. On the prow is painted, particularly in Annam and CochinChina, a black and white eye one among tnany signs of Chineseinilllence. The landscape in the delta seldom varies, the rivers,streams,nd canals {lowing between banks which are fringed with arecapalms, bananas, and bamboos,detached rectangular clumps of which,scattered over the surfaceof the country, invariably indicate the site ofa village, whose palm-leaf huts are buried in the interior, and areaccessible only by a labyrinth of narrow alleys cut in the thicket, easilydefensible, and known to the villagers alone. Save for these interrup-tions of the-general level, the country is entirely planted with rice, andthe peasants working in the sodden patches look like black insectscrawlingupona carpet of gold.

III. TRAVELN ANNAM.(1) 1TANOXOHUE.I pass to Annam, a country possessing slightly diSerent anal evenmore interesting features, both political and geographical; political,becauseit is still administered by an Asiatic government, and containsat lIue, the capital, one of the few remaining courts where a purelyOrientaland un-Europeanised ceremonial,modelled, like that of Korea,pon the China of the Ming dynasty, enshrouds the person of anEmperorwhom his subjects regard as the Son of Heaven; geographical,because he diminution of water and the prevalexlceof mountains renderthe aonfiguration of the country more diversified, and lend a greaterromanceo travel. Almost the sole channel of locomotion in Annam-


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ANNAM,COCHIN HINA,CAMBODIA). 103

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104 JOURNEYSN FRENCHNDO-CHINATQNGKING,untilrailroads made FomHanoito Eue, of whichthe Frenchtalklnuch,utwhoseconstructionn the ilumediatoutureI greatlydoubt-istrackknownasthe Mandarins'Goad. his route,

whichhasexistedinome orm or other fromearlytimes,was entirelyreconstructed ttheeginningof the present entury romSa;g;on,he capitalof Cochin-China,o Langsonon the Chinesefrontier,by the EmperorGiaLongtheounder f thereigningdynastyandof a reunitedAnnamiteEmpireInAnnamit usually runs at a slight distance from the coa6tortraverseshe lowerspursof $hemountains. In fourplaces t climbs osomeeight fromthe sea,whereit crossesby aneans f cols or saddlestheransserse idgeswhich are pushedout at right angles fromthemainange. Thesepassesare: (1) the Pass

of Deo Ngang;sometimescalledhe Gatesof Annam,between he provinces HatinhandIiwan^,Binh; (2) the Col des Suagesyalso called the TronGates,betweentheprovinces f liwarlgDuk and Ewang Nam on the road betweenTuran nd Hue; (3) the pass abovethe bay of 3iwi Ewik betweenKwangNamand Ewang Ngai: and(4) the Pass of Deo Sa,betweenFu-;)rennd Whanh-hoa.Thetwofirstof these,the secondof whichIshallshortlydescribe? resent a great similarity. The mountain sclimbedy stairwaiysut orconstructedn the faceof the rock,and atthesummithe pass s closedbya gateway

n a crenellatedwall. Thereappearso be a secondandalternative oute}at any rate southof Hue?amid he mountaillsn the interior; but I amnotawareof any one bywhomt hasbeenmapped rexplored, nd a travellerwould find it adiffioultaskwithoutofficial id.In the l)artswhers I travelledlpOI:I ths Mandarins'RoadbetweenNinh Binhand Hue,it had been in placesrepaireddunug the earlypart of the year for the passageof the Governor-General,nd wascommouly fat trackabout20 feet wide,eitherrunningupona bankbetween the rice-plotsor often over

hot sands, whilst elsewhere,after rain, it was converted nto a horriblebog. The poles of theFrench elagraphareplantedalong ts side. The meansof locomotionuponit are threefold, lthoug;ht is seldomthat the traveller is atlibertyto makehis thoice. ThefilstistheAnnamite ony,a diminutivesteedof greatpluckandsureness f foot,notunlikehis liorean brotherfthoughrathera greatergentlemann appearance.He is so smallthata-Europeangirth is almostalways too large forhis body,buthe willcarrya light English saddle. The nativas ride him with a woodensaddle,and with a very narrow ron stirrup,which thay grip in thecleftbetween he big toeandthe remainingoes 'rheseponiesarelessquarrelsomehanthe Eoreanandareso docile hat they make no diffi-cultyaboutcrossingthe numerous ace i.e. rivers,estuariesorlagoonswith whichthe road s intersected,ndwhichcan only be traversed nrudenativeboats,wherea singlemovement f the horsewouldoverturnthe traftand ts contentsn mid-stream.I havesometimeshad horrid


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loDNS-AM,OCHINCHINA, CAMBODIA).

qualmshilecrossinga bac perhapshalf a mile in width,with threeorourorlies n the boat at the same time. In the countrytheseponiesan be boughtfor

t1 to t2; but in the cities,wheretheyareriddenyFrenchofficers,ndaredrivenbothin pairsandfour-in-handafinepecimensill fetchfroznI0 to t20.Thesecondvehicle of locomotions the hammock r palanquin, fwhichherearetwo varieties;thecommoneronsistingof a rudestrawnettinglungupona pole,which s borneby two or morecoolies;

andtheoreelaborateofficialor Mandarins'alanquin,which is a net

ofcrimsonords,hasrichlylacquerednds)a roofandscreens, ndwhich

iscarriedy four or eight men. All Mandarinsromthe highest rank

downwardsravel nthesepalanquins,ndmostEuropeansollowtheir

example,specially n partswhere ponies cannot march,or arenot

procurable.ut for a tall man they are insupportable. Beingfashionedo holdthe diminutiveAnnamite,hey cannotaccommodate6-footnglishman, nd hemost elescopicontractionf mylowerimbsrenderedt impossible or me to occupyone for longer than an hour.Seasonedravellers,however, leep in them,while being carried long,withase. Thecoolie-bearersnarch t a jo,,-trot,whichenablesthemtooverthe groundwith great rapidity,and to accomplishat least4 milesn the hourXThethirdmeansof locomotions the light chair,known n the EastasheIIongkong hair, he backseatandfoot-rest f whichareattachedtogethery cords,andwhich s carriedby poles uponthe shouldersof

fourr eight men. It is almostexclusivelyemployedby Frenchmentravellingbetween Turanand Hue, but is not indigenous tothe

country,ndwill be foundn noneof the tran".Thementionof the lattername eadsmenext to describehat whichis he mostremarkablenstitutionof travelin Annam. As longago,it

is aid,astheeleventh entury,during hedominionf theextinctempireofthe Chams,herewasfounded systemof government ostalstationscalled ramstheword s of courseAnnamiteandhasnothingto dowiththeEnglishtram)alongthe mainhighways. Theseconsistof postsat

distancesof from 8 to 15 miles apart,to each of which is attacheda numberof able-bodiedmen of the neighbourhood, ho are heldat

the serviceof the state} being esempted n return from the corveeand from military service,and receivinga rationof rice. Theyare

liable to be summoned t any hourof the day or night frotn theirhousesorfrom hefieldsby the doi or superintendentf the tram,w-ho

beatsa drum,and,if they fail to complyat oncewith his orders,a;srs

abouthim liberallywith a stick. The;yare employedto carrythegovernment ost,areat the disposalof the Mandarins,ndarehiredby

Suropeans n the march. Theygo night and day,a messenger eingsentonin advanceo the ne2rtranso advise herelay,andeverywhere,e.g.at ferries, heyhavepriorityof passage. Therebeint,no beastsof


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106 JOURNEYS N FRENCHINDO-CHINA TONGKING,burdenn thecountry, heyareemployedo conveyall baggageas wells to carry he hanlmocks r chairs. The formerare slung by cordsponbamboo oles,and are bornebetween wo men. The caravanofuitea smallpartywill thusfrequently mount,all told, to fron thirtyo fortylllen.The trarnitself consistsof an open houseor shed,the sidewallsofhich are madeof nsudwattling, and the thatch of the attc6ppalm.:)n he floorare usually three low woodenor bamboo latformsaisedboutonefootabove hs ground,and spreadwith strawmats,whereonhetraveller ays his couch. Sometimes here is a table in the centrenda smallancestral ltarat the back. The front consistsof shuttersf palm-leaforbamboocreens,whichare held up by poles n the day-imebutarelet downat night. In villages where here is no tramheravellers commonly fferedhe hospitalityof the cotnmunalhouse- aomewhatimilarstructureon a rathermorepretentious cale-+rhichspartof the systemof localautonomyhathasreached ohigh a statefdevelopmentn Annam. It is the propertyof thevillage,and themeeting-placef the councilofnotables;and ts hospitalitys dispensedythe village headmanor mayor. Underhis care, oo,is theorgani-ationof the village police and of the night guards. The night isividednto five watchesof two hourseach; andthevigilanttapsofhewatchmanuponhis mo,ordrum, ashionedout of a hollowtrunk,ren impedimento slumber.Travelling, s I wasdoing, n semi-officialashionunder hecourteousatronagef the :Esrench,wa.s nabled oproceedwithgreaterrapidityhanhe ordinaryraveller,havingcovered s muchas 40 miles in theay,hilst ollrpartyalsometwith a sort of receptionat each villageo hichwe came. A drumwouldbe heardbeating,and numbersofen ould comeout carryingbannersof red,blue?and greenSlyingromhe top of bamboopoles. Escortedby theseindividuals, ndbyanbrella-bearershoran behindand held over our headsthe red orreenaintedofficialparasol f Annam,we entered he village,a coolieweepinghe roadclear of dust in front of us. In this fashionwedvancedo the communal onse,beforewhicha ta.blewouldbe placednhe open street, sha.dedby an officia.l mbrella, nd supportingaumberf platescontainingbananas, ranges, ggs,andotherofferings;ometimeshickensor a kickingpig in a wickerhamper. Eere theayorouldbe standing, nd,unlessrestrained,wouldkneeldownandakeis las orofficial beisance, y three times touchinghis foreheadponhe ground. Outsidethe largertownswe wouldbe met by theocalovernor, rMandarin. lle wouldappearn iliS officialhammocktttended.y wo or three umbrella-bearersccording o his rank; byictorsarryingn a longcasethe recognisednstruments f flagellationadministeredn the samefashionas at anEnglishpublicschool,andonsideredo indignityevenby persons f high position);by hispipe-


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107NNAM, COCHINCHINA, CAMBODIA).bearer; by a domestic carrying a wooden hox in which were stored awayhis writing, smoking, and chewing materials; and by pikemen andbanner-men. His own dress would, as a rule, consist of a tunic of darkfigured silk or brocade worn over white cotton drawers and whitestockings, and of a neatly folded dark blue, black, or green turban madeof native crepon or silk crape. In the lettered class it is fashionable towear some of the nails long as an indication of superiority to manuallabour; and I have seen a Mandarin the nail of whose left thumbdescribed an aerial parabolanot less than 312 nches in length. I metmany Annamite officialsand Mandarine n the course of my travels, andwas favourably impressed with their polish of manner, their correctnessof deportrnent, and the quickness of their intelligence. They aredivided into two categories, civil and military; and into two classes,with first and second degree3. The former are entirelJrrecruited bye2ramination, nd their rank, precedence,and functions are defined bythe rigour of an unbroken etiquette. No inferior Mandarin will take aseat while his superior is standing, or commence a conversation until theother has spoken. A small ivory plaque, hanging by a coloured cordvlpon he right bosom, indicates their rank; and those who are in theGovernment employ receive from the State a salary in money, rice, orsilk. They seal their letters with a wooden die stamped with a characteror sJmbol, which is smeared with a red paste obtained by scraping twopotsherds together.I will not describe the incidents of daily travel because they did notvary much from each other; nor are there many differentiating marlrsin the Annamite villages and towns. The traveller desirous of snarch-ing overland to Hue from Eanoi will probably abridge the earlier partof his journey in the delta by taking one of the river-boats to NinhBinh on the Dai, from which place I append an itinerary of the stopping-places and distances as far as :Efue, total distance of about 360 mileaA stranger travelling with official assistance, his arrival being tele-graphed in advance, and the tramservice being set in operation so as tocause no loss of time in changing the relays, can cover this distance inabout twelve days. Anyone not possessing these facilities would pro-bably take much longer. I diverged myself from the Mandarins Roadtogo by boat to Fat Diem, at the mouth of the Dai, where is a remarkableestablishment maintained by an Annamite Mandarinknown as Pere VI.,who is also a Roman Catholic priest, belonging to ;w amily who have forlong been Christians. He lives in great state in his patrimony, whichhe has himself, in the main, reclaimed from the sea, where he keeps alarge guest-house for the accommodationof strangers, and where he haserected as many as four churches or chapels, one nearly as large as aminster, rather for the gratification of his own architectural tastes thanfor the service of his congregation, who are not more than sufficient tofill the smallest of the quartet. I rejoined the Mandarins' Xoad at


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108 JOURNEYSN FRENCHNDO-CHINA,1'ONGKIXG,labarLh-hoa,he capitalof the provinceof that name,which s situatednear the B:uaGhao,one c)fthe numerousmouths of a finerivercalledthe Song Ma. The provinces hroughwhich onepassessubsequentlyareNgean,of whichthe capital s Vinh,situ5Rtedt a few rllilesdistancefromthe RuaHoi,oxleof theninomouthsof the Song Ra, another on-siderableriver; Ilatinh,with capital city of the samename; KwangBinh, with capital 3)ong Hoi; SwanfflTri, with capitalof the samename. At theseplaces,which areundernative ruleas beingpart of theEmpireof Annam, he FrenchProtectorates representedby FrenchResidents,esercisinggeneral functions of supervision,but no directadministrativeontrol;or bisr etachments f the nativemilitiaofficeredby Frenchinspectors The provinces hemselvesembrace he plainslying between hemountains nd the sea-a stripwhichvariesfrom5 to15miles nwIath- and the moreaccessiblemountainalleys. Annamitejurisdictionor Frenchinfluencecaa]hardly,exceptin a few places,besaid to extendbeyond the main crest of the ranbe; the interiorbeing inhabited by tribes either independentor dependentupon theSiamese,whoare stronglyplantedupon the Mekong, ndwhoclaimfoe2rert; sovereigntyover the entirewatershed raining ntothatriver.Thisclaim s disputedby the French who,on theirside,arecontinuallydespatchingexplorirlgparties into the hills with the ariew f drawingthe tribeswithin the radiusof French xliluence.The onlypointsalongthis line of coastwhere t is possible ora steamer o anchordurin^,hewintermonthsareVinh,Ron,and Dont Hoi.

MANDARINS?ROAHANOI TO IttE.Hanoi vid Hongyen, Fuli, and EEesho o Ninh l3inh.Ninh Binh to Choganh .. .. .. ..Bmson ....... .. .. .. .. . + ..Dolen or Daulill ................. .. .. ..Trinson ...... .. .. .. .. .. ..

(Alternative route, Fat Diem to Diellllo, x IHatrung,16; Thanh-hoa,42.)

_

n utinh (;ia ........... .Thoson ..... .. ..Fu Dien ..Pagodedes Pnons ..Vinh .. ..Hatinh ... .. ..Eyanh ... .. ..Sudong . .Gatesof Annanl ..Xon .... .. ..iBotrach... .. ..DongHoi ........... .hti Daiet .. ..

Wilonletres..* .. 8.. .. 12.. .. 10.. .. 13.* .. 9

-kilometres;ww .. .. .. .. v Jo.. .. .. .. .. .. 10.. .. .. .. .. .. 25

_ti)s

.. .. .. .. .. .. 11.. .. .. .. .. .. 24.. .. .. .. .. .. 48.. .. .. .. .. .. 50.. .. .. .. .. .. 35.. .. .. .. .. 13.. .. .. .. .. .. 12.. .. .. .. .. .. 32.. .. .. ., .. .. 23.. .. .. .. .. . 28

Carried Forward *r * * 421


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109NNAM, COCHINCEINA, CAMBODIA).MANYDARINS'OAD HANOITO EUE-continued. Eilometres.Brouyht Forward .. .. 421Mitho ...... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 20

aho Huyen .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 35Kwang Tri .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 31Fuok ...... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 40Hue ...... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 30Total .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 577

577 kilometres = 360 miles.1?he owns encountered along this route differ only from the villagesin consisting, as a rule, of a cluster of the latter massed toge3ther, ome-

times behind the shelter of a wall) and protecte3d y an immense fortifiedenclosure, called the Citadel. The villages are composed of housesroofed with a thick thatch of palm leaves, and walled with the3samematerial or with a watling of bamboos and mud. The interior of thepoorer cottages comprises solely a number of low platforms, for purposesof work bv day and slee3pby night, and the cooking arrangements atthe back. In the riche3r wellings the centre is occupied by a reception-room, corresponding in arrangement vFith the communal hall, which Ihave already described,and containing a central table and arm-chairs, llaltar behind, and sleeping stands on either side. In a Mandarin'shousethe altar will be3 dorned with handsomecensers and with a shrine con-taining the ancestral tablets; while long boards, inlaid with Chine3secharacters n mother-of-pearlor brightly coloure3dmbroideredhangings,Mill hang against the pillars. Life3 mong the poorerclasses is mean andsqualid, but not dirty; and the3 streets, even of the humblest hamlet,have an orderly and picturesque3 ppe3arance,ery differe3ntrom the filthof China and liorea. Yellonvfow-like3 ogs prowl about; pigs with pie-bald skins and pendent bellies run in and out of the houses; and naked,shave3n-pated hildre3nabound. In the3next superior grade of architec-ture tiles take the place of thatch, and wood and bricks of the mudwalls. Finalliy, the citadel of the capital towns, laid out on the Vaubanplan by French engineers at the end of the last and beginning of thepresent century, in the Gallophil days of Gia Long, or built in imitationof their designs, is a vast quadrilateral space, frequently some miles incircumference,surroundedby a red brick wall, rising from a moat, withprojecting bastions and lofty gate-towers. In the interior is usually anof icial residence containirlg a large reception-hall, erected for theEmperor or his oficial representative, and several big granaries for thestorage of rice. These great indefensiblo fortresses seem to have beendesigned to contain the entire population in times of peril, and bef()rethe widespreaduse of scientific implements of warfare. From any otheroint of view their vast extent is a danger, and they are now useless.One of the exasperating featules of travel in Annam is the confusedand confusing nomenclature of places. I have said that the towns are


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110 JOUP.NEYS N FRENCHINDO-CHINA TONGRING,frequently composed of several villages, and similarly the villages alsoconsist of several hamlets. One arrives thereforeat a place to find thatit has four names; (1) the name of the particular hamlet or cluster ofhouses; (2) the name of the larger unit or village to which it belongs,and which may contain two to three, or even selrenteen to eighteendifferenthamlets, each with a name of its own; (3) the name of tllemarket, which is sometimes outside the village, and ustlally has a titleof its own; and (4) the name of the tram which also has a separatedesignation (recognisable in the province of Eue by the prefis Thua).It may easily be imagined under these conditions how difficult it is toconstruct a map in the first place, and into wllat a quandary one isoften plunged by such maps as alleady exist. Even the French Govern-ment map, with which I travelled, but of which I was not able toprocurea copy, is frequently incorrect,and offersbut an uncertainguide.The markets to which I have alludedare among the mostpicturesqueand cllaracteristic of Annamite spectacles. They are held on stateddays in the week either in an open place in the middle of the village,frequently tiled over or thatched as a protection ag;ainst the sun thesite being the property of the commune and being let out in plots orstalls or solnetimes n the open countryat a centralspotbetweenseveralhamlets. Marketing is entirely conducted by the female sex, who maybe seen for miles walking in single file along the narrow dykes thatseparate the soaking rice-plots, and carrying their produce in basketsat the end of a bamboo pole. Others will approach ill sampans alongthe waterways and canals. When business opens there is just such ajabbering as in the monkey-house at the Zoo. The women squat downby the side of their wares, and intersperse a ceaseless chatter withchewing of the betel leaf, and ejection of long splashes of scarlet salivafrom their discoloured mouths. Tou will see exposed for sale pigs,chickens, and ducks in hatnpers,fish, fresh, slimy, shell, and sundried,big prawns and tiny land-crabs,cabbages,radishes, he arecanut, vermi-celli, cakes, sweetmeats, and eggs. ]3lsewherewill be cheap articles offurniture or raiment, tin lamps for petroleum, pottersr, brasswareeopiumpipes, bracelets, necklets, amberbuttons, palm-leaf hats, turbans,Bombaycottons and scarves.From the numberof temples,or pagodusas they areoalled,which arerscattered throughout the country, in every picturesqueor graceful spoteon woodedknolls, at the top of mountain passes, on the banks of riversor amid clumps of trees, one might infer that the Annamites were apeople much addicted to religion. Such is not the case. Their faitll isa strange and incongruous amalgam of various superstitious cults andcreeds. Buddhism is more or less widely elifused, but in a very atten-uated form, barnacled with all manner of corruptions. Chineseascendencyhas brought with it the ethics of Confucius,and the worshipof a host of demi-godsor glorified heroes. But for the most part spirit-


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lllNNANI, OCHINCHINA, CAMBODIA).worship,or a crudedemonolog,y,may be denominatedthe popular creed,themajority of the pagodas containing little beyond altars on which acenser mouldersto the gentusoct, o the good spirit or the evil spirit ofthe site, to the dreaded tiger, or to the manes f some celebrity of thepast. The largel pagodasconsist of two or three courts, in the hinder-mostof which stands the temple beneath a tiled roof,closed roundwithwooden doors. Fantastic animals, elephants with howdahs, kings andwarriors on horseback, or tigers, are painted in fresco or soinetimesfashioned n high relief on the entrance gateway and aroundthe courts;and a bizarre but brilliant eSect is produced by fragments of brokenpottery stuck in plaster, and fortning patterns of dragons or fabulousmonsters on the walls and roofs. Far away superior however to anyotherreligious sentiment or influence is the worship of ancestors,whichis predominant in the organisation alike of the State, the Coult, thecommuneand the family. At the great annual festival of the Tet orNew Year, the outpourings of hilarity are mingled with an elaboratoritual in honourof the dead; and the humblest house contains an altarneatly installed, and often sumptuously arrayed,whereupon tablets areerectedto the memoryof the departed.Burial is the ordinarymethod of disposing of the dead, and largecemeteriesaresometitnes ncountered; although amorehaphazard

ystemof interment appears to be general. The site of the grave is usuallydetermined by augury, and may be anywhere, for instance in themiddleof a ricefield. The lulot s bought andpaid for,andis never after-wards sold. Once a year it is visited by the relatives or descendants,cleanedanddecorated. Of the tombsfourvarieties may bedistinguished:(1) the Royal sepulchres of the reigning dynasty near Hue, which areamong the finest and most beautiful in the world,consisting of hundredsof acres of wooded hill and valley laid out in terraces and lakes, andadornedwith obelisks and sanctuaries; the schelne being borrowed romthe mausolea of the Chinese Etnperors, but the style being eitheroriginal, or perhaps imitated from France; (2) the graves of theMandarins and upper classes, which consist, like those in China, of ahorse-shoe or arm-chair enclosure, faoed with stone, and containingsculpturedstel and altars; (3) the graves of the middle-classes, thichare sometimes covered with a rectangular stone case not unlike thosecotninon n England in the last century; and (4) the graves of the poorewhich are either small mounds plastered over, or circular grassy heaps.Unlike li:orea,where pines are invariably disposed around or near thegraves, no timber is planted about them. There is a ver) extensivecemeterywhere everyone of the above-mentionedstyles maybe observedoutside E[ue near the Altar of E[eaven, which the French call theEsplanade des Sacrifices. There is also an old and crowdednecropolisbetween Saigon and Cholenin CochinChina.(Tobeconttnued.)

jorneys in french indo-china_curzon_1893

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