ANNAM.
The kingdom of Annam, which also includes the ancient kingdom of Tonquin, conquered and annexed by King Gialong of Annam in 1802, is bounded on the east by the Gulf of Tonquin and the China Sea, on the west by Siam, Cambodia, and the Shan States, on the north by the Chinese provinces of Yunnan and Kwangsi, and on the south by French Cochin-China. Annam proper is a narrow strip of country between the sea and the mountains, the territory beyond which is occupied by aboriginal tribes who are practically independent. Annam is to Tonquin in native parlance as. the girdle to the tunic, the latter being a broad and rich territory. Annam proper is a poor country, and is dependent for part of its rice supply upon Tonquin. The population of Anna is uncertain, but, including that of Tonquin, it may be roughly estimated at 20,000,000.
HUE.
Hué, the capital of the kingdom of Annam, is situated on a small scarcely navigable river named Truong Tien and called by the French the Hué river, which debouches on the coast in about lat. 16 deg. 29 min N., and long. 107 deg. 38 min E. Huè is a walled city and has been built on lines similar to those of a fortified European town of the seventeenth century. It consists of two distinct parts-the city proper and the suburbs. The former stands in the middle of a square island, separated from the latter on three sides by a river and on the fourth by a canal. It is defended by a fortified enceinte, six kilometres in circumference, constructed by French engineers after the system of Vauban, and having six large gates. Within this enceinte reside all the Goverment officials. The walls are built of brick and are very lofty. Inside the outer enceinte is the cita lel, similarly but less solidly fortified, and having eight, instead of six, gates. The six offices of the Ministry are in this quarter, as well as the Library, the Mandarins' College, the Courts of Justice, the Observatory, and numerous arsenals and barracks. The palace of the Council of State, and a host of other edifices, all of an official character, stand within the second enceinte. Behind these buildings is a wall of brick, which traverses the citadel throughout, separating it completely into two parts. This wall, which encloses the royal palaces and harem, has three gates; that in the centre being in the form of a pagoda, gilt and adorned with elaborate carvings. The mass of the houses and even the public buildings in Hué are, however, very mean and in a bad state of repair. The Royal palace, like that of Peking, has yellow tiles; those of the nobles are red. The population of the city and suburbs is estimated at 90,000. The mouth of the Huê river is defended by forts, which were bombarded and taken by the French in August, 1883, when the Hué Government at once capitulated.
DIRECTORY.
RESIDENCE GENERALE DE L'AN- Commandant l'Artillerie, directeur des
•
NAM ET DU TONKIN.
Résident Générale Reinardt Résident de Hué-F. Baille Chancelier-Robineau Commis-Flecheux, Raisin, Loye Agent des Travaux-Poliet Let:r: Principal–Le-duy-linh Interprète Principal-Nguyen-van-ban Tresorier-Heintz
Sous-intendant Militaire-de Rangot Commandant, 3e. Brigade-Col. Chaumont
travaux-Lt. Col. Vivivies
Chefs de Bataillon-Lesch ères, de Schrieber, Devaux de Saint Maurice, Bertrand (Dong-hoi), Trégie 1 (Binh-dinh) Lieutenant-Colonel, commandant l'infan-
te ie de marine-Blanchard
Capitaine, Artillerie-Le Prévost Capitaine, Major de Brigade—Le Turc Capitain en mission pour lu delimitation
de frontieres du Siam-Luce Eveque-Mgr. Caspar
Agents de travaux-G. Pollet, V. Martin,
E. Auzeby
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