NOTE. The figures given in the tables relating to British shipping in the consular report are exclusive of vessels arriving at the port to which the tables refer from other ports in the same country, unless they landed cargo at that port from another country; and similarly of vessels departing for other ports in the same country, unless they loaded cargo for another country. The figures differ in consequence in some cases from the figures given in the tables relating to the shipping of all nationalities, which are based on the local shipping returns supplied by the customs authorities. In this report there is a further discrepancy between the two tables owing to the fact that the local shipping returns always give the gross tonnage, whereas the consular statistics of British shipping always give the net tonnage.

(600)

A 2

Currency. The dollar, or the piastre de commerce, is a silver coin divided into 100 c. Its value varies with the rate of exchange. The bank demand rate on London for the year worked out as follows:

Weights and measures.-The French metric system is in force, and its principal British equivalents for the purposes of this report have been taken as follows:

The following weight is also much used in the export trade :—

1 picul

...

...

= About 133} lbs. (avoir.)

The statistics of the colony are kept in francs and not in piastres. Throughout this report when converting francs into sterling and vice versâ 17. has been taken to be the equivalent of 25 fr.

Geographical notes. Saigon is the port and capital of Cochin-China, and is further the commercial centre of French Indo-China. The greater part of the trade of Cambodia and a portion of that of the French Laos States passes through it. Saigon is situated on a branch of the River Donai, about 25 miles from the sea as the crow flies but about twice that distance following the windings of the stream.

Population and chief towns.-Cochin-China, about 3,000,000, of whom 12,000 are Europeans (not including the military forces); Cambodia, about 1,450,000. Owing to the war the number of Europeans in the colony is really much below 12,000, as numbers have left for the Front as reservists or volunteers, but no recent statistics are available.

Cochin-China.
Saigon

...

The chief towns in Cochin-China are as follows:-
Capital and port of Cochin-China and the most im-
portant commercial centre in French Indo-China.
Population about 72,000, of whom some 6,100 are
French, 460 other Europeans, 40,000 Annamites,
Tonkinese, Laotiens and Cambodgiens; some 5,200
are soldiers of whom 2,250 are European troops
Cholon... The centre of the rice milling industry. It is now practi-
cally a suburb of Saigon, is linked thereto by a
steam tramway some 3 miles in length, and a canal
by which almost all the rice reaches the main river
for shipment in the foreign-going steamers and also
by good roads. It has a population of nearly
168,100, of whom about 76,000 are Chinese and
400 Europeans

Mytho... Population 7,000. It is connected with Saigon by a
railway some 45 miles in length. Several services of
launches and river steamers touching at or starting
from Mytho navigate the various branches of the
Mekong delta

Other towns are Bienhoa, Chaudoc, Baria, Tayninh, Cantho, Goeong, Vinhlong and Soctrang.

Cambodia. The capital and port is Pnom-Penh, on the Mekong. It has a population of 60,000, of whom some 600 are Europeans.