The Opelousas courier., 1883-12-08
soENEs IN TONQUIN.
Life I'm q Strange Region to WI,ir.,
accent Attention KEns M a i Rra rr,.

AEecent Attention HAS q ! nrawn.
There is probably no other country II
the world that possesses 50 perfect 1 sra.
tenn OF water carriage as Toiquin. The
TED river, some fifty milal above Hanoi.
branches out into about twenty different
streams, and thenceforward to the sea
these are connected and s~ub-connected
Dy q network Of subsidiary channels.
But although stylR only Channels in
comparison with the main branches thew
are really navigable rivers, as broad.
most OF them, as is the Thames at Rich
mond. It is hardly an exaggeration to
say that a vessel might make her way by
compass from one part of Tonqu;n to
another. Steering her course she would
ind canals and channels always available.
and leading in the requisite direction.
UP n of these streams the Rurimaru
steamed in the early morning. She had
on board stores for the army at the front.
and we carried a couple of hundred In
fanterie de Marine. The tide was at its
lowest ebb, and our steamer found there
was barely enough water in the smaller
channel which she first essayed. So we
went about, and descending to the
sea 9 half-dozen miles away, entered one
OF the other mouths of the Songkoi,
whence issued a stream full half a mile
in width. As the sun rose high in the
heavens, and as the country became yisi-
Die, the striking resemblance which Ton
quin bears to Egypt at once became ap-
parent. There are the same extensive al
luvial irrigation canals. The soil, like
that Of Egypt, is formed of deposits
from the river, which, like the Nile,
yearly oyerfows its banks, and is kept
within bounds only by an extensive series
OF earthworks. Then the water, as in
Egypt, is deep red in color, and possesses
the property, like that of the Nile, of re-
fertilizing an exhausted soil. The land
scapes of the two countries are also strik-
lngly similar. AS far as the eye can reach
are clumps of palms, and villages innu-
merable, standing out like islands in a
sea of green. The fields for miles are
under rice, and there is no more beauti-
full tint in nature than the brilliant ver-
dure of the humble paddy.
The district through which we padded
seemed to swarm with inhabitants.
Everywhere hundreds, aver thousands of
them, were to be seen busily at work in
the fields; and along the banks of our
canal they stood in nm endless line-men,
women and children-as they CAPPED at
the passing steamer. The water, the
mud and the naked men that wallowed
in the latter were all Of the same reddish
yellow tinge. They possessed, each of
these, a strictly agricultural aspect, to
which the rich crops beyond formed a
fitting background. It. is strange that
with SO prolific a soil and SO large a pop
ulation the trade of Tonquin is not
greater than it is. The French say that
the incubus of the Black Flag pirates
who may be likened to the Mahrattas and
Pindaris that formerly devastated India
renders it impossible for commerce to
flourish. That, no doubt, to a certain
extent, is the case; but it would almost
seem that the complete absence of the
appearance of wealth in Tonquin isto be
accounted for in great measure by the
density of the population. Agriculture
is the only real industry, and productive
as is the soil, it probably yields little
more than is sufficient to maintain In q
low condition of vitality the vast swar1ns
that live upon it. There are no reliable
statistics to show what the population OF
| Tonauin really amounts to. The French
estimate the number at IL 600, 900, and
| although only about 100 miles long by
| sixty broad, the appearance of the settled
portion Of the province really ~justiies
the opinion that that figure is none too
high.
At Haiphong the people are miserable
In appearance, and up country they are
no better. In India o considerable por.
ton of the populace are always well and
aeatIv clad, and even the coolies on gala
occasions can turn out in their flowing
white cotton cloths. In Tonquin [ dc
/ not believe there is q single sound gar
ment throughout the province. / have
i not come across one, at any rate, and II
the course of a few days ! have seer
/ many thousands of them. Labor is ex.
tremely cheap, and in ordinary time,
when the towns contain their Inhabltants,
any number Of men, such as they are,
can be obtained at from three pence e
four pence per day each.
Two or three hours alter leaving the
sea our steamer, turning into n OF the
smaller streams, struck across country,
| steering a westerly course. We hopedt e
hit off The main branch of the Red rivel
about midnight, when the way to Hanoi
would lite straight before us. Many junk
WE passed; indeed, the country every
where was dotted over with their sails,
a large Junk of 200 tons can make IL
way from Hong Kong to almost M
noint "a the interior of Tonquin. Ano
before the French arrived p~iratical craf1
abounded in the streams. Even now.
With plnboats continually passing up ane
down. vessels are frequently plundered
90 those on board of the unarmed kurI
maru keep always a bright lookout. &c
run ashore would be to court an alnlos
certain attack. In the smaller channel
we obtained q closer view OF the villages
Like those IN Egypt, they are s~urroulldee
Nv high embankments to keep out fas
water. and palms and plantain trees az
PLANTED thickly round them. Every vi
/ lace contains its two Oh three Buddh1s
nayodas and its official mandarin resi-
de1ce. III these times always empty. IN
pagodas ara numerous, for the Tonqaaln
ese arc q religious people, and or 90
ranks VIZ saw frequent temples erected
M different occasions, as thanks forsom
~forraer bounteous harvests. The house
~ Tnud walls, with tiled roofs for 20
better class and matched ones 1or sh
poorer.