of their religion, if so it may be called. Beyond the graves the shore is bordered by low, swampy forest, extending a considerable distance to the eastward, behind which the N.E. ridge rises; and still further away are seen lofty peaks with patches of snow on them. To the west all is closed in by a range of mountains, with a high sharp peak to the north-west. There is a slight rise and fall of tide here, not more than four feet, which seems greatly dependant on the winds; our stay was too short to ascertain exactly about the tides. From July 9th to 13th, when in Aniwa Bay, we had two days of light airs and calms. Highest reading of thermometer 69° dry bulb; wet bulb 62°. Barometer 29.896 and steady. The rest of the time the wind was from E. and S.E., greatest force 4. Highest reading of thermometer 65° dry, 59° wet. Lowest reading 48° dry, 47° wet, at 4 a.m. The sea water was about 57° average. I have observed that on the coast of Saghalien in the early part of the season, say from April to June, the winds are generally from the south-eastward, with more or less fog; the nearer east the wind the denser the fog; but there is generally a belt of two to three miles off the west coast which is clear of fog. If the barometer falls suddenly with a S.E. wind, the wind will freshen and blow hard for a few hours, and then fall light, probably finishing at N.W., when there will be a day or two clear weather. In July, northerly and N.E. winds prevail in the Gulf of Tartary. On the Saghalien coast the wind generally comes off the land at night. In August the fogs clear away. Storms of a revolving character are experienced as far north as the Amoor. On the 19th of last August it blew with hurricane force at the mouth of the river, the wind beginning at south and finishing at N. W., with the low rapid scud so well known. From 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. the gale was at its height, the barometer falling all the time. After 10 p.m. the barometer began to rise, and the weather rapidly improved. August however is about the finest month for weather in the year. In Sep tember the weather breaks up, and heavy gales may be expected from anywhere between N.E. and west. Easterly winds bring snow and rain. Vessels have no business to be on the west coast of Saghalien between the 15th and 26th of September, as the weather is very uncertain just before and after the equinox. October is considered a fine month, but liable to N. W. gales, which however generally give good warning. With the close of October winter fairly sets in. HEIGHTS OF MOUNTAINS ON SAGHALIEN COAST. (BY TRIANGULATION.) Western Peak of Kaitsiska Range. Dist. 14 Miles.=3,221 feet Middle Peak of Kaitsiska Range. دو دو 16 18 وو دو =3,397,, =3,695", Taken at noon July 7th, 1881. Fine clear weather. Stoukambiso Point bore N. 6° W. Eastern Peak N. 37° E. true. Lat. by Obs. 48° 30 N. Long. 141° 55 E. Mount Lopatinsky. Dist. 18 Miles.=2,866 feet. Mount Lopatinsky bore S. 35° E. Mayatchnoi Point ARTICLE IV. ANNAM AND ITS MINOR CURRENCY.* BY ED. TODA. PART I. I. S PRELIMINARY REMARKS. ince the year 1858 the Kingdom of Annam has ceased to be an unknown country, for Missionaries now travel freely in every direction, and the ports of Haiphong, Hanoi, and Quinhon are open to foreign trade. Bold explorers, either in the interest of science or gain, have gone through the country to China, to Siam, or to Burmah, following the course of the rivers or the mountain paths, sometimes peaceably, at other times armed as conquerors and fighting their way through the land. Finally, the occupation of Lower Cochinchina by the French has done more than anything else to throw light upon this country, which, if it does not occupy so important a position historically amongst Orientals as China and Japan, yet from its favourable geographical situation and from the interest Europe takes in the surrounding countries, will be obliged sooner or later to enter the comity of nations, and change the condition of its people, at present probably the most miserable in the world. Annam became known to the civilized world through the Catholic Missionaries who went there during the sixteenth *Read before the Society on the 15th December, 1881. century, though their works on the subject did not have a large circulation; some never having been even published, and all being very scarce at the present time. Father MARINI wrote at the end of the seventeenth century a relation of Tunquin, and the Jesuit priest ALEXANDER OF RHODES also published a history of that country. In the Lettres édifiantes et curieuses écrites des Missions Etrangères there will be found many references by Father GAUBIL and others to the history of Annam, and with reference to the religious aspect of the kingdom also in the Chronicles published during the last century by the Dominican and Augustinian Fathers of the Philippines. JOHN BARROW, a well. known traveller, has likewise published a narrative of a voyage to Cochinchina made in 1793. Books relating to Annam have considerably increased in number during the last thirty years; most of these have been issued in Saigon and in France, and treat of the Annamese, their history, laws, customs, etc. It is to be regretted, however, that in these works the Chinese characters have not been used for the names of people and places; and this has caused more or less confusion in their identification. In their attempts to avoid this inconvenience, the French and Spanish Missionaries have introduced a system by which Roman letters with various dots and signs are made to represent Annamese words phonetically; but this is useful only to Annamese who wish to write their own language in Roman characters. In these pages an endeavour has been made to give the Chinese characters for all names which it has been possible to identify. The literature of Annam is very poor. Except the Annals, written by order of the King THANH-TONG in 1477 by NGO-SI-LIEN, and continued at later periods, and other compilations of laws, such as the Hoang-viet-luat-le published with an introduction by the King GIA-LONG in the 11th year of his reign, all the books found in the country are of Chinese origin, the literature taught in the schools being |