Hamilton’s account of the east indies. 483

The lady being young thought fit to marry, and the harmony of ftate foon endedby the marriage. The hufband grew ambitious, and wanted the government whollyin his own hands, but carried fair with his brother-in-law, and one time talking withthe Queen of the neceffity of uniting both kingdoms into one, as formerly, and that ofright both belonged to her, as being pofieft of the moft ancient and noble kingdom, andthat in order to get both kingdoms into her hands, he would find a way to cut off herbrother, without fufpicion of their being accelfary to it. The Queen feeming to ap-prove of the defign, privately let her brother know his danger p being then at the courtof Tonquin fhe advifed him to pretend to go a hunting for a few days, but to makewhat hafte he could unto his own government, where he might be fecure from confpi-racies on his life, which advice he followed, and got fafe into Couchin-China , andcalling a-eouncil of his nobles, related the whole affair to them.

The Couchin-Chinefe took the defigned injury to their Prince fo ill, that from thattime they renounced all friendfhip and commerce with the Tonquiners, and the riverQuambin being made the bounds of Tonquin dominions to the fouthward, and ofCouchin-China to the northward, they both raifed armies of 40 or 50,000 men each,and they continue ftill facing one another, the river lying between them, and nothing ofaction has happened all this while. If any Couchin-Chinefe happens to flee from thejuftice of his own country, to the Tonquiniers, they receive him kindly, and treat himcivilly, but if a Tonquiner fall under the fame circumftances, and go for fanftuary tothe Couchin-Chinefe, he is condemned to flavery, and fo mull continue till he gets apardon from his own court, and pay his ranfom.

Tonquin is the next kingdom I muff fleer to of courfe, where the Englifh and Dutchboth had their factories, but the Englifh Company's affairs being a little out of order,they withdrew theirs in January 1698, and the Dutch finding but little advantage bytheir trade in Tonquin, withdrew theirs about fix years after. However the Englifhhad a private trade pretty good till the year 1719, that an Englifh fhip from Bengalruined it by an aft of violence.

The fhip being laden and ready to fail, fell down the river from Catcheo, the capitalcity of Tonquin, and in defiance of the known laws of the country, the fupercargo gota Tonquin girl on board, in order to carry her with him, but her friends milling her,informed the civil magiftrate, who fent to demand her, but the fupercargo would notrefign his miftrefs, whereupon afts of hoftility enfued, and fome were killed on bothfides, and Captain Wallace who commanded the fhip, had the fortune to be one of theflain, however, the Englifh bravely carried off their prize, but I never heard any moreof the Tonquin trade fince.

Tonquin is bounded with Couchin-China on the fouth, Laos on the weft, Quanfi, aprovince of China , on the north, and the ocean on the eaft. The country is prodi-gioufly fruitful in all things neceffary for the conveniency and fupport of life.

It produces gold and copper, but neither of them fine# They have abundance of rawfilk, and manufafture part of it in wrought filks, but none fine. Their baaz is the beft,which they generally dye black. It wears very long, becaufe it is foft and well fpun,and the oftener it is wafhed, the colour looks brighter, if blacker may be fo'called.They make bowlsj cups, and tables, of rottans, and cover them very neatly with lackof divers colours, and gild them. They have alfo fome porcelain, but very coarfe andill painted. And thofe are the commodities for exportation from Tonquin.

There is a great chain of impaffable mountains that run from the fea above 150leagues, along the confines of Quanfi and Quichew, provinces of China , which fecureTonquin from any invafions that may come that way from China , and thofe mountains

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