The navy of Cochin-China in 1826

The Asiatic Journal and Monthly register for British India and its Dependencies gives quite unexpectedly some useful information dealing with this navy. In earlier notes on this weblog I already was able to write something about her, but this is an important addition.

Vol. 21, January 1826:

P. 91: “We were gratified on Friday evening last, the t3th inst. with a very novel spec-

p. 92: tacle, by the arrival, in our harbour, of his Cochin Chinese Majesty’s frigate, Toy Lang, mounting thirty-two guns, commanded by Woyang Wanfang. On Sunday came in also, his Cochin Chinese Majesty’s brig Bucluang, Huong Kongton commander. These vessels touched at Singapore, where they remained a few days. They were lately built under the superintendence of a Frenchman. The ship is a neat model of a vessel, measuring, we believe, about 35O tons. The hull, masts, &c. are painted in a very fantastic manner. Our contemporary of Singapore states that the commanders gave it out that trade was not their object, and that they have been sent out by their government to gain nautical and geographical experience, and a knowledge of naval tactics ; but it appears they have each a cargo of Tonquin lead and sugar, raw silk, rice, &c. We are happy to recognize, in the head mandarin, the same person who visited this settlement last year in quality of a supercargo, and who found so ready a sale for the cargoes of four large junks, that he bas been induced to return to our port in the expectation of meeting with similar success this season. We trust that the encouragement they will receive by the disposal of their cargoes upon advantageous terms, may be the means of creating a further extension of trade between the ports of Cochin China and this island. A large Cochin China junk, with a valuable cargo, also came in on Saturday last. This vessel was bound, we understand, for Batavia ; but encountering bad weather, or missing her intended port, she made for the straits of Malacca.—[Penang Gazette, May 18. In our last number we announced the arrival of three vessels belonging to the king of Cochin China. The three mandarines and the commanders paid a visit of ceremony to the hon. the governor, at Suffolk, on Wednesday last, and were received with every mark of attention. It does not appear they have brought any letters for our government from his Cochin Chinese Majesty ; but they are furnished with a commission. They report that several trading junks may be expected here during the present season. We have no doubt our mercantile readers will, be gratified to learn that, in compliment to the king of Cochin China, on the fir*t occasion of his sending two squarerigged armed vessels to this port, and with the view of encouraging and promoting the commercial intercourse between this island and Cochin China, the Government had been pleased liberally to grant a remission of duties such articles of merchandize on board the three vessels lately arrived, as might be Liable to duty under existing regulations. So handsome a compliment will, we trust, have its due effect of increasing the confidence of his Cochin Chinese Majesty, and inducing a reciprocal accommodation to any vessels of our nation visiting the ports of his kingdom for commercial purposes. The man-of-war junk which proceeded to Tavoy last year, and remained several months in this harbour, had arrived at Singapore. Several of her guns and other warlike stores which had been landed at Tavoy, prior to the arrival of the British force which captured it, were detained, and, we are informed, our Government offered them a handsome supply here in return, which the mandarines did not feel themselves at liberty to accept, and politely declined, with many acknowledgments for the attention to their wants evinced by Government, in supplying them with a pilot, anchors, cables, &c. when the junk proceeded to Tavoy to return the Burman ambassadors. The mandarines complained much of the ingratitude of the Burmans, and their shabby treatment of them upon their arrival at Tavoy. They expressed a hope that his golden-footed majesty of Ava would not trouble them with any more missions, and added, that any future envoys from him would, in all probability, meet with a rough reception. [Penang Gazette May 21.]”

Vol 22, December 1826, p. 721

“A Cochin-Chinese ship and two junks arrived from the capital of this country on the 19tb instant, after a passage of fifteen days. These vessels belong to the king, and are ostensibly despatched on the same errand as the vessels which arrived here last year in the month of April. Like these, however, they have brought full cargoes, consisting of sugar, tutenague, and Tonquin lead, with a few cases of silk piece-goods. From this we presume that the voyage of last season had proved a profitable one, and we hope that his majesty may continue to prosecute the trade. We learn that the government of Cochin-China have lately increased their navy, and that they now possess eleven sail of square-rigged vessels, fully equipped. From the appearance of the ship at present in our harbour, the Cochin-Chinese do not seem to have made much progress in naval tactics ; one-half of her crew are Chinese, and she is navigated by a Chinese native of Sygun.— [Singapore Chron. March 30.”