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14
that he had made an arrangement with his creditors to pay one-half of his liabilities in the period of a year, and the rest in the following six months, and that he was leaving Saigon for Paris to prosecute his claims against the French Government, which through the Saigon one, he avers, supported him in his attempt to open up Yunnan by the Songkoi River, and then when they, or the Governor of Saigon rather, saw they might get implicated by his action, abandoned him, confiscated his property, and in fact ruined him. Such is the report, but it is more probable that M. Dupuis, who is a man of ability and great enterprise, will make some arrangements with his Government, regarding giving facilities for trade with Yunnan, which will recoup him his losses, and benefit the French Government by opening a trade with the rich and fertile provinces of Yunnan and Kwangsi.
As regards this route into Yunnan by Songkoi, or Red River, there can be no doubt of its availability, and that until lately a very considerable trade to and from Hanoi was done by the Chinese Resident there, and if the borders were cleared of the obstructions which exist in the shape of blackmail and independent Chinese clans that trade would be renewed. I saw the peculiarly-constructed boats of great length, and drawing little water, employed in ascending the river as far as Manghao and Mangtsze, both large trading cities in Yunnan, and I closely questioned one or two people who had been that route and they stated no difficulties existed, and we know that M. Dupuis several times took cargoes of salt from Hanoi to Manghao, and would have continued the traffic but for the Saigon Government, at the request of that of Annam, requiring him to leave Tonquin. That the River Songkoi is available, therefore, for the transit of the reported rich ores and produce of Yunnan and Tonquin seems certain, and on the removal of three obstacles alone a large and profitable trade may be said to depend, namely, the consent of the Governments of Tonquin and China to open the mines, and the clearance of the frontier of refugee Chinese and leviers of blackmail. All these accomplished the rest is easy.
If the Songkoi or Red River opens a route with Yunnan and Kwang-si, that via the Shan States and Bhamo is not the less available, and the two offer equal advantages, nor is there any reason why their interests should clash; on the contrary, for these points of exit are distant, and one gives geographical facilities which the other does not.
Notices which have appeared in French publications urge upon the Government the necessity of taking immediate action by opening the Songkoi before the English have monopolized the trade of Western China by the Bhamo route; but this is a mistake, no single road from Yunnan could do that, and the more openings there are for the inlet and outlet of trade the better. Moreover, such is not the intention or desire of the British Government as far as I am aware, and if the French policy in Tonquin were less restrictive it would draw foreign capital to the country, and develop its rich resources, which at present are in abeyance from the poverty of the Government and the people.
As regards the position of the French at present in Tonquin, my observations lead me to the conclusion that it is unsatisfactory, and indeed they think so themselves, but from a different point of view.
It seems to me that the Annamite Government look upon them much as an individual would look upon another who has entered upon his property and assumed the management of his estate, and whom he is too weak, in the absence of law international or otherwise, to eject. All they can do is to be as obstructive and make things as uncomfortable for their unwelcome visitors as they can, and the only fear is they may go too far, and make themselves so unbearable as to authorize either an annexation, or the next thing to it—being a distinction without a difference—a protectorate pure and simple. This, I have every reason to believe, is what the French officials there look forward to, for not only do they feel they are in an anomalous position, but they regret the surrender by M. Philastre of the conquests, if they may be so termed, of Lieutenant Garnier, and to which they attribute their present difficulties.
If the French Government is not prepared to go further and incur grave responsibilities and a very large outlay, it would be well if it reversed the whole policy of the past, and entered upon a different phase, by restoring to Annam its entire sovereignty over Tonquin, and restricting its alliance with her to a commercial Treaty, and leaving it open to other nations to do the same.
That the Annamite Government would gladly avail itself of this rearrangement and place commercial intercourse upon a sound basis there can be no doubt, for it naturally views with alarm and dislike the occupation of the territory by an armed foreign force, small though it may be, and the interference it is subjected to under the provisions of a Political and a Commercial Treaty, which unquestionably was forced upon it.
15
I found it difficult to obtain information regarding the commercial products of Tonquin, but I met with a native called Petrus Truong Vinhky, who was an employé of the French Government at Saigon, and had been sent to inquire into the trading resources of that country.
He represented Tonquin to be rich in products of all kinds, having coal, copper, and tin mines, gold and silver. Its agricultural capabilities are immense, and silk is abundant and cheap; a piece of it might be purchased at Hanoi for 150 dollars which would cost at Saigon 250 dollars, and in China 400 dollars. This might be so, but from the little I saw of it I should say it was coarser in thread than that of China and very badly reeled, and the fabrics made from it were imperfect compared with the Chinese, and of very poor quality. Vinhky confirmed the information I had received regarding the occupation of the river that passes into Yunnan by the Black and Yellow Flags, and said as long as they held them the Yunnan trade would be paralysed. He believed, however, the French Consul at Hanoi would, in the course of a month or two, proceed there with an armed escort of 100 or 200 soldiers from Saigon to co-operate with the Annamites in clearing the road.
This was confirmed by M. de Kergaradec, who told me he was going there, partly to see into the state of affairs, and to come to some arrangements with the Flag factions, and partly for scientific purposes. Vinhky represented that the Annamite Government was favourable to the development of the resources of the country, but according to M. Kergaradec they were not. It is difficult, therefore, with such contradictions, to arrive at the truth; in fact, I make no pretensions of giving an account of the native trade of Tonquin in this despatch, for my opportunity of obtaining information was too brief.
I can only say that from all accounts it is a very rich country, and with the establishment of good relations with the Government might be made a very profitable one to Western Nations; and even if M. Kergaradec succeeds in either conciliating it or enforcing obedience on the Yellow and Black Flag factions, much will be done towards opening the Yunnan trade. Indeed, I believe this intended expedition of his to the factories originates in the French having called upon the Annamite Government to clear the frontier passes of these bandits, to which it replied it could not do so without assistance, and therefore is of more importance than is at first apparent.
I may now, as briefly as possible, refer to the ecclesiastical position of Tonquin with reference to Christianity.
The first missionary to Tonquin was the Italian Jesuit, Julian Baldinotti, who arrived in 1626; he was followed in 1627 by Alexander de Rhodes (French) and Antonio Marquez (Portuguese); these were expelled in May, 1630, but numerous successors followed them. Persecutions followed; Messari died in prison on the 15th of June, 1723. Buccharelli was beheaded with nine Tonquinese on the 11th of October, 1723. John Caspard Crats, born in Germany in 1698, Bartholomew Alvarez, born in Parameo, in Portugal, in 1706, Emmanuel de Alreu, born at Aronca, in Portugal, in 1706, and Vincent de Cunha, born in Lisbon in 1708, were beheaded on the 12th of January, 1737.
After the persecutions of 1737, there was a period of calm, and the King of Tonquin even sent to Macao for some mathematicians, and on the 6th of March, 1751, Father Simonelli and four other Jesuits arrived; but the King changed his mind and did not want them. The Jesuits were replaced by the envoys of the "Missions étrangères" in 1659. In 1679 Tonquin was divided into two religious provinces, Eastern and Western. The Spanish Dominicans took charge of Eastern Tonquin in 1693. The two provinces were again sub-divided, and the Roman Catholic missions in Tonquin are at present—
1st. Western Tonquin (Missions étrangères) created 1679. at Sokien (Hanoi).
2nd. Eastern Tonquin (Spanish Dominicans) created 1679. at Ké-né (Bac-niuh).
Monsignore Puginier
Monsignore Colomer
3rd. Central Tonquin (Spanish Dominicans) created in 1548. Monsignore Cezon at Biu-chu (Nam-dinh); Monsignore Riano Coadjuta at Ngoc-duong (Hung-yen).
4th. Southern Tonquin (Mission étrangères) created in 1546. Monsignore Ganthier
at Xa-doai; Monsignore Croc Coadjuta at Huong-phuong (Bac-ninh).
As before mentioned, I called upon Monsignore Puginier, and found him most agreeable and communicative; he was apparently about forty years of age, and
233
14
that he had made an arrangement with his creditors to pay one-half of his liabilities in the period of a year, and the rest in the following six months, and that he was leaving Saigon for Paris to prosecute his claims against the French Government, which through the Saigon one, be avers, supported him in his attempt to open up Yunnan hy the Songkoi River, and then when they, or the Governor of Saigon rather, saw they might get implicated by his action, abandoned him, confiscated his property, and in fact ruined him. Such is the report, but it is more probable that M. Dupuis, who is a man of ability and great enterprise, will make some arrangements with his Govern- ment, regarding giving facilities for trade with Yunnan, which will recoup him his losses, and benefit the French Government by opening a trade with the rich and fertile provinces of Yunnan and Kwangsi.
As regards this route into Yüunan by Songkoi, or Red River, there can be no doubt of its availability, and that until lately a very considerable trade to and from Hanoi was done by the Chinese Resident there, and if the borders were cleared of the obstructions which exist in the shape of black mail and independent Chinese clans that trade would be renewed. I saw the peculiarly-constructed boats of great length, and drawing little water, employed in ascending the river as far as Manghao and Mangtsze, both large trading cities in Yunnan, and I closely questioned one or two people who had been that route and they stated no difficulties existed, and we know that M. Dupuis several times took cargoes of salt from Hanoi to Manghao, and would have continued the traffic but for the Saigon Government, at the request of that of Annam, requiring him to leave Tonquin. That the River Songkoi is available, therefore, for the transit of the reported rich ores and produce of Yunnan and Tonquin seems certain, and on the removal of three obstacles âlone a large and profitable trade may be said to depend, namely, the consent of the Governments of Tonquin and China to open the mines, and the clearance of the frontier of refugee Chinese and leviers of black mail. All these accomplished the rest is easy.
If the Songkoi or Red River opens a route with Yunnan and Kwang-si, that via the Shan States and Bhamo is not the less available, and the two offer equal advan- tages, nor is there any reason why their interests should clash; on the contrary, for these points of exit are distant, and one gives geographical facilitics which the other does not.
Notices which have appeared in French publications urge upon the Government the necessity of taking immediate action by opening the Songkoi before the English have monopolized the trade of Western China by the Bhamo route; but this is a mistake, no single road from Yunnan could do that, and the more openings there are for the inlet and outlet of trade the better. Moreover such is not the intention or desire of the British Government as far as I am aware, and if the French policy in Tonquin were less restrictive it would draw foreign capital to the country, and develop its rich resources, which at present are in abeyance from the poverty of the Govern- ment and the people.
As regards the position of the French at present in Tonquin, my observations lead me to the conclusion that it is unsatisfactory, and indeed they think so themselves, but from a different point of view.
It seems to me that the Annamite Government look upon them much as an indi- vidual would look upon another who has entered upon his property and assumed the management of his estate, and whom he is too weak, in the absence of law international or otherwise, to eject. All they can do is to be as obstructive and make things as uncomfortable for their unwelcome visitors as they can, and the only fear is they may go too far, and make themselves so unbearable as to authorize either an annexation, or the next thing to it-being a distinction without a difference-a protectorate pure and simple. This, I have every reason to believe, is what the French officials there look forward to, for not only do they feel they are in an anomalous position, but they regret the surrrender by M. Philastre of the conquests, if they may be so termed, of Lieu- tenant Garnier, and to which they attribute their present difficulties.
If the French Government is not prepared to go further and incur grave respon- sibilities and a very large outlay, it would be well if it reversed the whole policy of the past, and entered upon a different phase, by restoring to Annam its entire sovereignty over Tonquin, and restricting its alliance with her to a commercial Treaty, and leaving it open to other nations to do the same.
That the Annamite Government would gladly avail itself of this rearrangement and place commercial intercourse upon a sound basis there can be no doubt, for it naturally views with alarm and dislike the occupation of the territory by an armed foreign force, small though it may be, and the interference it is subjected to under the
15
provisions of a Political and a Commercial Treaty, which unquestionably was forced
upon it.
I found it difficult to obtain information regarding the commercial products of Tonquin, but I met with a native called Petrus Trucong Vinhky, who was an employé of the French Government at Saigon, and had been sent to inquire into to the trading resources of that country.
He represented Tonquin to be rich in products of all kinds, having coal, copper, and tin mines, gold and silver. Its agricultural capabilities are immense, and silk is abundant and cheap; a piece of it might be purchased at Hanoi for 150 dollars which would cost at Saigon 250 dollars, and in China 400 dollars. This might be so, but from the little I saw of it I should say it was coarser in thread than that of China and very badly reeled, and the fabrics made from it were imperfect com- pared with the Chinese, and of very poor quality. Vinkhy confirmed the informa- tion I had received regarding the occupation of the river that passes into Yünnan by the Black and Yellow Flags, and said as long as they held them the Yännan trade would be paralysed. He believed, however, the French Consul at Hanoi would, in the course of a month or two, proceed there with an armed escort of 100 or 200 soldiers from Saigon to co-operate with the Annamites in clearing the road.
This was confirmed by M. de Kergaradec, who told me he was going there, partly to see into the state of affairs. and to come to some arrangements with the Flag factions, and partly for scientific purposes. Vinkhy represented that the Annamite Govern- ment was favourable to the development of the resources of the country, but according to M. Kergaradec they were not. It is difficult, therefore, with such contradictions, to arrive at the truth; in fact, I make no pretensions of giving an account of the native trade of Tonquin in this despatch, for my opportunity of obtaining information was too brief.
I can only say that from all accounts it is a very rich country, and with the establishment of good relations with the Government might be made a very profitable one to Western Nations; and even if M. Kergaradec suceeds in either conciliating it or enforcing obedience on the Yellow and Black Flag factions, much will be done towards opening the Yünnan trade. Indeed, I believe this intended expedition of his to the factories originates in the French having called upon the Annamite Government to clear the frontier passes of these bandits, to which it replied it could not do so without assistance, and therefore is of more importance than is at first apparent.
I may now, as briefly as possible, refer to the ecclesiastical position of Tonquin with reference to christianity.
The first missionary to Tonquin was the Italian Jesuit, Julian Baldinotti, who arrived in 1626; he was followed in 1627 by Alexander de Rhodes (French) and Antonio Marquez (Portuguese); these were expelled in May, 1630, but numerous successors followed them. Persecutions followed; Messari died in prison on the 15th of June, 1723. Buccharelli was beheaded with nine Tonquinese on the 11th of October, 1723. John Caspard Crats, born in Germany in 1698, Bartholomew Alvarez, born in Parameo, in Portugal, in 1706, Emmanuel de Alreu, born at Aronca, in Portugal, in 1706, and Vincent de Cunha, born in Lisbon in 1708, were beheaded on the 12th of January, 1737.
After the persecutions of 1737, there was a period of calm, and the King of Tonquin even sent to Macao for some mathematicians, and on the 6th of March, 1751, Father Simonelli and four other Jesuits arrived; but the King changed his mind and did not want them. The Jesuits were replaced by the envoys of the "Missions étrangères" in 1659. In 1679 Tonquin was divided into two religious provinces, Eastern and Western. The Spanish Dominicans took charge of Eastern Tonquin in 1693. The two provinces were again sub-divided, and the Roman Catholic missions in Tonquin are at present--
1st. Western Tonquin (Missions étrangères) created 1679. at Sokien (Hanoi).
2nd. Eastern Tonquin (Spanish Dominicans) created 1679. at Ké-né (Bac-niuh).
Monsignore Puginier
Monsignore Colomer
3rd. Central Tonquin (Spanish Dominicans) created in 1548. Monsignore Cezon at Biu-chu (Fam-dinh); Monsignore Riano Coadjuta at Ngoc-duong (Hung-yen).
4th. Southern Tonquin (Mission étrangères) created in 1546. Monsignore Ganthier
at Xa-doai; Monsignore Croc Coadjuta at Huong-phuong (Bo-chink).
As before mentioned, I called upon Monsignore Puginier, and found him most agreeable and communicative; he was apparently about forty years of age, and
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