378 Boundaries and Beyond
to Malacca but ceased operations owing to the strong competition from
the Indian traders from British India.^100
The trade with Vietnam^101 reached its peak in the early nineteenth
century. As John Crawfurd observes, although trade between the
European countries and Vietnam was minimal, the Chinese maintained
an active presence on the Vietnam coast.^102
Thanks to John Crawfurd’s detailed account written around 1820,
we are able to get an overview of the trade on the Vietnam coast.^ The
China ports on the trade route included Canton, Chaozhou, Hainan,
Amoy, Ningbo and Soochow. On the Vietnam side, Saigon and Cachao
were the principal ports. The voyages to Saigon were made by 15 to 25
junks of 120 to 150 tons from Hainan, two junks of 300 to 500 tons from
Canton, one from Amoy weighing about 400 tons and six of about 400
tons from Soochow. These Chinese ports also traded to Fai-fo, which was
“almost entirely a Chinese establishment”.^103 Three junks of 150 tons
sailed from Hainan, six of 180 tons from Canton, four of 180 tons from
Amoy and three of 150 tons from Soochow. In total, there were 16 junks
weighing nearly 3,000 tons. Sailing to Hue, the capital, from the Chinese
ports were about 12 junks of 150 to 240 tons. Trading to Tonkin were 18
junks of 120 tons from Hainan, six of 120 to 150 tons from Canton, seven
of similar tonnage from Amoy, and seven from Soochow with an average
tonnage of 150. There were some 20 junks of below 120 tons trading
with the minor ports of Vietnam. The total number of Chinese junks
visiting Vietnam amounted to 116 with a total tonnage of about 20,000
tons. From the information provided by John Crawfurd, it is possible to
infer that the trade route from these ports extended to the smaller ports
on the Vietnam coast, and beyond that to Siam and the British Straits
Settlements.^104
A few words might be necessary about the port of Soochow that is
mentioned in the account. Soochow is not a seaport, but lies on an inland
- John Crawfurd, History of the Indian Archipelago, Vol. 3, p. 182.
- The name Vietnam was ofβicially adopted in 1804. Prior to that, the kingdom
was known to the natives and to the Chinese by the commonly-used name of
Annam. The name Cochin China used by John Crawfurd and in European sources
for the country was somewhat vague. It referred generally to the southern and
central parts to the south of Tonkin. After the French had annexed Vietnam,
the country was divided into Cochin China in the south, Annam in the center
and Tonkin in the north, under the control of the French Governor-General of
Cochin China. - John Crawfurd, Journal of the Embassy, p. 514.
- Ibid., p. 289.
- The shipping information is cited from ibid., pp. 510‒3.
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