Directory_and_Chronicle_1898 — Page 773

TONKIN

Anciently an independent kingdom, but since 1802 a province of Annam, Tonkin is situated between lat, 19 deg, and 23 deg. N. and long. 102 deg. and 108 deg. 30 min. E., bounded on the north by China, on the west by the Laos country, on the south by Annam, and on the east by the Gulf of Tonkin. The country near the sea is a rich alluvial plain, well watered by numerous rivers, and produces large crops of rice, while sugar, cotton, spices, indigo, silk, and various other articles are also raised. It possesses valuable mines of silver, lead, antimony, and zinc, and gold and copper are also known to exist. Concessions were granted in 1887 for the working of the coal mines at Kebao and Hongay, and coal of good quality is now largely exported. By the Treaty of Hué, dated the 6th June, 1884, the Annamite Government placed Tonkin under a French Protectorate, and its affairs are administered under the supervision of French Residents. It is, in fact, now practically a French Colony, attached to Cochin-China, the two together being officially termed Indo-China. Tonkin is divided into seventeen provinces, namely, Quang-yen, Haiduong, Bac-ninh, Thai-nguyen, Lang-son, Cao bung, Tuyen quan, Hồng hoa, Sontay, Hanoi, Ninh binh, Hồng yen, Nam dinh, Thanh ho Nghé-an, Ha-tinh, and Bo-chinh. Hanoi, the capital, is the chief town of the province of the same name, and appears on old maps as Ke-sho. The population is estimated at from 10,000,000 to 12,000.000. A grant-in-aid is still required from France to meet the cost of administration. A railway has been constructed from Phu Lang-Thuong to Lang- son, a distance of 64 miles, but it is little better than a tramway. It is proposed to widen the gauge of this line from 60 centimetres to 1 metre and extend it to Hanoi, a distance of 45 kilometres, and from Langson to Lungchow, in the Chinese province of Kwangsi.

-

The total force of the French army in Indo-China in 1897 was 24,100. The force is composed as follows: 3 regiments infantry marine, 4,800; 5 battalions of the foreign legión, 3,600; 4 regiments of native tirailleurs, 14,100; 6 batteries of European artillery, 800; and artillery auxiliaries (European), 500. There have to be added to the above the auxiliary services and the gendarmerie, which bring the total up to 24,500, under the orders of a General of Division, and two brigadiers. There is also in Indo-China a native militia of 10,000 men.

1

HANOI

Hanoi, the capital of Tonkin, and now the seat of Government for Indo-China, is situated on the Songkoi, or Red River, 110 miles from its mouth. The city is built close to the river, here nearly a mile in width, and owing to the lakes and trees interspersed presents a rather picturesque appearance. The citadel occupies the highest site, and is surrounded by a brick wall twelve feet high and a moat. It contains the barracks for the troops, arsenals, magazines, &c., and the Royal Pagoda stands within its enclo sure. The ancient city is situated between the citadel and the river, and its streets present a novel appearance, owing to the singular architecture of the houses. Since the occupation by the French in 1882 great improvements have been effected in the laying out of the town and the formation of roads and streets. The district nearest the river is gradually assuming the appearance of a Franco-Oriental city. Long wide new streets, planted with trees, and lighted by electricity, have been constructed, of which the Rue Paul Bert is the principal business thoroughfare, containing the chief European shops, hotels, &c. The Mairie, Post Office, Treasury, Club, and Bandstand" are close to the Rue de Lac. The Cathedral, a large but ugly edifice, with twin towers, is situated in a street at the back of the Rue Jules Ferry, but being very lofty is a conspicuous object from most parts of the city. A fine bronze statue of Paul Bert was erected in the Place facing the Petit Lac, and unveiled on the 14th July, 1890. The Petit Lac is a sheet of water in the middle of the new city, rendered picturesque by the quaint pagodas occupying the small islands which adorn it. There are fairly good hotels. In the native city the streets are well kept and very clean as compared with those of most Eastern cities. They are all lighted and drained. Some of the houses are very quaint and characteristic. Of the temples, that of the Grand Buddhs

Digitized by Google