CACHAO, CHACO, CHECO, KESHO, KEEHO, Or BAC K1NH, are the various names which have been given to the capital of the empire of Tunkin. The last of these names, which signifies the City of the North, has been recently given to this metropolis, since the extension of the power of the emperor of Tunkin, on account of its situation towards the north of his dominions.
This town, which was formerly the residence of the Tunkinese monarchs, has neither walls nor fortifications. The streets, which are ill paved, are in general narrow, though some of them are wide and airy. The houses are low and mean, and are built of wood and clay, as the people are not permitted to build them of stone, nor above one story high. The great buildings and the pago das, are often made of wood, in order to resist the of of storms ; hut in several of them, the principal walls are built of stones or bricks, and the rest of wood. Hence these edifices, with some appearance of symmetry, are extremely irregular, and represent a shapeless mass of buildings, though amid this disorder they have often a majestic appearance, which indicates the grandeur of their possessor. From the immense quantity of wood in the houses, this town has been subject to frequent conflagrations. In order to prevent this calamity, every family is obliged to keep a cistern of water on the top of the house, and a long pole and bucket for the purpose of throwing the water upon the flame. Every family is likewise furnished with a low brick building like an oven, for the purpose of depositing their valuable property in case of any alarm from fire.
The principal building in Cachao, is the Chowa, or palace, which stood in the centre of the city, and com prehended immense gardens, and a great number of build ings. It occupied a space of two or three leagues in circumference, and was enclosed with a strong wall, in which there were four gates facing the cardinal points, and bearing their names. Before we can arrive at the interior of the palace, it is necessary to pass through several courts, in one of which are the barracks for the guards, and in the other the stables for the elephants and horses. The principal part of the palace is a square building, (a form peculiar to the habitation of the sove reign,) which is ascended by steps of marble. It is two stories high ; the halls are extremely large, and are adorned with great quantities of pillars, and a profusion of gilding. The ornaments, however, are of the most absurd kind, and the gold is laid on without either taste or judgment. The only ornaments which are really fine,
are the pillars, made of iron wood, which is hard and compact, and of a deep brown colour. This wood has veins like marble, and is polished to such a degree by the dry leaves of the pine apple tree, that the gloss re sembles that of the finest varnish, and almost appears like the lustre of glass. The columns, though colossal, are far from being well-proportioned. Those which are placed at the gate of the palace are about 40 feet high ; their circumference at the base is five feet, and they diminish rapidly towards the top. The columns have neither capital nor pedestal, but are placed upon a square stone sunk in the ground. This palace was laid waste in the civil wars which a few years ago desolated the kingdom of Tunkin ; but its ruins still attest its former magnificence.
The arsenal, which is a large building, stands on the banks of that branch of the river Song-kay, which is called Dombea. The house of the English factory is situated on the north side of the city, from which it is separated by the river ; on the south side of this build ing is the Danish factory. The city is protected from the encroachments of the river by a long dike, built with timber and stone, strongly cemented together. In different parts of the city, even in dry weather, there are ditches of stagnant water and stinking mud, which are extremely disagreeable to strangers. The situation of the town, however, is healthy, and it is seldom visited by any of those pestilential diseases which are so com mon in many of the eastern cities.
The Emperor of Tunkin, who resides at Phuxuan, the capital of higher Cochin-china, makes an annual visit to Cachao. The communes which lie in his route are obliged to furnish for the emperor and his suite, which resembles a little army, the necessary provisions, and also to build and furnish houses at the end of every four leagues. The furniture disappears after the emperor has passed, and must be again replaced at the next visit.
In Cachao there is a printing office, which is principal ly used for religious books, and for the promulgation of the laws. The characters are made of wood, and are not separate, but formed into plates as in stereotype printing. Population 40,000. E. Long. 105° 3 it. N. Lat. 22° IV. Sec Expose Statistigur du Tunkin, de la Cochinchine, du Camboge, da Tsiampos, du Laos, du Lac 77u) Par. NI. NI , our la Relation de M. de la Bissachcre, Missionaire dans Ic Tunkin. London, 1811. (o)