SAIGON.
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are:-sugai cane, mulberry tree, pepper, betel-nut, cotton, tobacco, and maize; china grass, sesamun, palma-christi, indigo, saffron, gum-lac, sapan (dye-wood), and cinchona also exist in pretty large quantities, with several other minor productions. The principal salt pits are in the province of Baria. The forests contain large quantities of fine timber and abound with game of nearly every description, amongst which may be named elephants, rhinoceros, tigers, deer, wild boars, and elands, while amongst the feathered game the peacock, partridge, snipe, woodcock, jungle fowl or wild- cock, pleasant, &c., may be mentioned. The rivers and creeks swarm with fish of every description, and alligators abound in some.
In the chief towns of each province there is a citadel sufficiently garrisoned, and numerous military posts in the interior maintain and watch over the security of the inhabitants. The Annamese are a race devoted principally to agriculture; they are not so industrious as the Chinese and are indifferent traders. The Chinese hold the largest proportion of the trade in their hands. The budget of the colony for 1881 was put at 20,000,000 franes, and the reserve fund in the treasury is 6,500,000 franes. The two principal sources of revenue are opium and spirits.
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Saigon is situated about 40 miles from Cape St. James and is accessible to the largest vessels. Since its occupation by the French the client has undergone a very favourable change, owing to different sanitary works in the town, such as drains, the filling up of pools, marshes, &c. The town presents a fine appearance, the roads and thoroughfares being broad and regular. Amongst to public buildings Government House is the most remarkable; several millions of franes have beën spent upon its construction and decoration. The other prominent public buildings are the new" Direction de l'Interieur," the Treasury, the Post Office, the Land Office, Public Works Department, the Schools, and the Supreme Court. The Military Hospital is a fine and handsome iron building, as are also the Arsenal, Barracks, and Artillery pare. A stately new gothic Cathedral, of large proportions, was opened on the 11th April, 1881. Saigon has two public gardens, the "Jardin de la Ville,' which is maintained at the expense of the municipality, and the Botanical Garden. There is one large rice-mill in Saigon belonging to a European firm and two more in the town of Cholen, one of which belongs to a Chinese company. There are also two steam brick-yards, one in each town. Cholen is the granary of the colony and its commercial activity is enormous, Sugar-cane planting has been commenced in reveral provinces and steam sugar mills are in course of erection, but the success of this undertaking is as yet problematical. There is an iron floating dock and a new one was completed at the Arsenal in August, 1881, but sunk on the 1st September while being lowered to take in the transport Mytho. The population of Saigon may be estimated at about 40,000 inhabitants, chiefly Annamese and Chinese. The town of Cholen, principally inhabited by Chinese traders, is three miles distant from Saigon, and its population may be set down at 70,000. It has recently Leen connected with Saigon by a tramway.
The M. M. steamers call twice a month at Saigon on their homeward and outward trips, and another line of steamers from Marseilles will be run this year to Saigon and the Far East. Easy communication is afforded with the principal towns of the interior by subsidized mail steamers. All the principal towns of French Cochin China possess telegraphic communication, and a sub-marine cable unites the colony with Singapore, Hongkong, &c. The postal organization of the colony is very complete and efficient. Correspondence can be sent daily to almost all parts of the country. The Journal Officiel, which is also the Government Gazette, is published twice a week, and there is a weekly paper called L'Ere Nouvelle. There is also an Annamese paper called Gia-Sinh-Bao, published weekly.
In 1880 the arrivals of foreign vessels numbered 273, aggregating 207,793 tons register, shewing a decrease in the number of vessels of 150 and in the tonnage of 172,771. The total export of rice amounted to 4,774,479 piculs, being a falling off of 1,285,909 piculs from the export in 1879. The export from 1st January to 24th December, 1881, was 4,450,908 piculs.
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