17th Century Descriptions of Vietnam

Elephants:
There are an abundance of elephants in Cochin-China, although they make no use of it nor know how to tame or train it. They bring them tamed and well taught from Cambogia (Cambodia). These elephants are twice the size of the ones in India and Europe. They could live to be greater than 100 years old. They could carry up to thirteen or fourteen persons through land or water. The coach has two doors on the sides, where six peeople sit, three on a side; and another behind, where there are two more; and lastly,the nayre, who supplies the place of a coachman, sits over the elephant head and guide him.

How do you fit that many people on one elephant?

The Language

Borri described the language of Cochin-Chineses to be like that of the Chinese. Both use monosyllables, delivered in several tones and accents; yet they utterly differ in the word itself, the Cochin-Chineses being more full of vowels, and consequently softer and sweeter, more copious in tone and accents, and therefore more harmonious. The language of Cochin-China is in my opinion, the easiest of any, for those that have a musical ear, to take the tones and accents; for it has no variety by the way of conjugation of verbs, or declination of nouns, but one and the same word, with the addition of an adverb, or pronoun, signifies the present, the preterit, and future tenses, the singular number, and the plural; and in fine, serves for all moods, tenses, and persons, and the diversity of numbers and case.

(Borri lived in Cochin-China for 5 years and by the fourth year he was fluent in Vietnamese and was skilled enough to fully understand the Cochin-Chinese people confessions).

Education:
There were several universities in Cochin-China, in which there were professors, scholars, and degrees conferred by way of examination, the the same manner as is practiced in China. The same sciences and book were taught in Cochin0China as in China ( Zinfu or Confucius). It is comical to see and hear them, when they are staduying, read and repeat their lessons in such a tone as if they were singing, which they do to familiarize and memorize themselves to it. The language they generally speak is different from what they read and teach at schools.

So do they learn in Chinese at those universities?

Trials at Law:
The civil government govern in a military manner by judges, counselors, and lawyers. Every day they manage civil cases with the public for four hours (2 in the morning and 2 hours after dinner). During this period all suits and complaints are brought, and the vice-Roy or governor sitting on a tribunal raised like a balcony, hears every man in his turn; and these governors being generally men of sound judgement, capacity, and experience, they easily discover the truth of matter by the questions they put, and much more by the common consent of stander-by, which is gathered by the applause they give the plaintiff, or defendant accordingly. The punishment for crimes include: death, banishment, whipping, fine; every crime is punished as the law appoints.

The most severe crimes include: false witnesses, thieves, and adulterers. These crimes are punishable by deaths.
In regard to thieves; if the theft was considerable one will be beheaded; if small, as for example a stolen hen, the finger will be cut off.

Adulterers, bot men and women, indifferently are cast to the elephants to be killed. They lead the criminal out into the field, where in the presence of bystanders and people flocking together, he is set up in the middle with his hands and feet bound, near an elephant to whom the condemned person's sentence is read, so that he may be execute every part in order. The elephant then will grasp him with his trunk and throw him in the air so that all the people can see him, catch him with its teeth, an that his own weight may strike them through him; that then, he dash him against the ground; and lastly bruise and crush him to pieces with his feet.
^^ It is similar to what you described Doraemon, but in Borri's description instead of being pierced with the tusk, the person is crushed to death. I cannot decide which is more brutal.

Matrimony:
Matrimony is lawful to every man with only one woman; though rich men use to have many concubines. These marriages by law are not indissoluble, the laws of Cochin-China allow divorces, but not at the will of either party, it being first requisite, that the person suing for it, convict the other many offenses; which being made out, it is lawful to dissolve the first marriage, and marry again. The husbands bring the portion, and leave their own houses to go to the wife's; upon whose fortunes they live, the women managing all the household affairs, and governing the family, whilst the husband lives idle at home, hardly knowing what there is in the house, satisfied that they have meat and clothes.

Their Skill in cannon and small arms:
The Cochin-Chinese are such expert in managing artillery, that they perform it better than the Europeans, practicing continually to shoot at a mark, with such success, that being proud of their skill, at soon as any European ship arrives in their points, the King gunners would challenged the Europeans in a competition. They were also fine marksmanship with cannons, and were able to hit anything with precision.

They had Gallies, scymitars, and horses (some of which they traded with Japan) and were skilled in fighting on horses.

Trade of Cochin-China:

Due to their great wealth and fruitfulness of their country. They traded with many nations near and from afar. They traded with Tonchin, Cambodia, Chincheos ( a province in China south from Canton). They also traded with China, Macao, Japan, Manila, and Malacca, all of them carrying silver to Cochin-China, and to carry away commodities that were native to Cochin-China. Goods were also exchanged for other goods. The Japanese and Chinese are the chief traders of Cochin-China. The Chineses, in their vessels, they call junks, bring the value of four or five millions in plate; and the Japanese, in their ships called sommes, an infinite quantity of very fine silk, and other commodities of their country. The Cochin-Chineses applying themselves very little to arts, because plenty makes them lazy; and being soon taken with curiosities of other countries, it comes to pass, that they put a great value upon, and buy at great rates, many things, which to others are very small worth; as for instance, combs, needles, bracelets, and pendants of glass. In short, they out-bid one another in buying anything that is very new and strange without sparing for price. They were fond of European hats, caps, girdles, shirts, and all other sorts of garments, because they were different from theirs; but above all, they put a great value upon coral.

Is that common personality trait among Vietnamese people still? Do we still find new things exciting, intriguing, and interesting? I know I do.

Of the Kingdom of Tunchin: (What and where is Tunchin) ---Borri's account description

This kingdom, besides Cochin-China which belongs to it, contains four other provinces. In the very center of them is the royal city of Tunchin, where the court and king resides. Tunchin is encompassed on all sides by four provinces, composing a square four times as big as Cochin-China. (Is this Hue?) On the east side of this kingdom is the gulf of Ainam, of which Japanese ships called Jonks dock at. On the south are the frontiers of Sinuva, the court of Cochin-China. On the north of it is China, without the defense of the great wall, the trade and commerce between the Chinese and Tunchineses are mutual and constant, that it will not allow of walls and gates shut, as they are against other foreigners. Lastly, on the west it borders the kingdom of Lai.

The Government:
As for the government of this kingdom it is hereditary, and ruled as follows: The supreme regal dignity resides in one they called Buna (the original word is Bua, which translates to Vua in modern Vietnamese); but he does nothing at all and Chiuua ( or Chua) take care of all affairs. The Chiuaua determine peace and war white Buna remain in the royal palace, cut off of all management of the public and affairs.

The Chichua's power is so great, that he is able to bring into the field three or four times the number of men as the king of Cochin-China, whose army amounts to 80,000 men. It is not difficult for the Chiuua to raise 300,000 armed men or more, because the prime lords of his kingdom, such as among us, dukes, marquesses, strength is not above 40,000 men for his guard. Yet he is always owned as superior to the Chiuua of Tunchim (Trinh, by the king of Cochin-China (Nguyen), and by that other Chiuua (Mac) who are continually at war against one another; and the king of Lais bordering upton Tunchim, pays him a certain tribute. (Is Lais Laos)