Moving to Saigon in 1859

"Cap Saint-Jacques is in sight, that is French soil ... Then begins the fastidious navigation in the yellowish and clayey river which descends from Saigon between low banks, flooded, and green by the eternal mangroves.
After the unending sharp twists of the monotonous river appear the high red towers of the cathedral of Saigon. Soon one discovers the port and the city. The transport ship slowly manoeuvres in the war port and moors at the quay ..."

So wrote Pierre Barrelon in 1859 as he described his visit to the distant French colony which was opening up as a land of opportunity for young and enterprising French people. He described the concerns of the people and the ways in which they adjusted themselves to life in their new home. But first, greetings are exchanged and news is urgently sought:

"One descends a ladder. "Two men at the gangway!" At the appeal of the quartermaster, the sailors on duty press forwards adjusting their always unruly belts and the hurried landing happens amidst shouting, calls and tatters of conversation exchanged from far between friends who are waiting and passengers impatient to get on land. Invitations for the evening, for tomorrow, are crisscrossing. The news about promotions, decorations and sometimes, alas, about the dead circulates at the highest pitch."

It is a scene of almost breathless excitement. One can imagine the slow intensity of the heat which has built up on the long voyage, the desire of the young people to rush about the city, seeking the excitement as they go about forgetting their confinement on board the ship. Inevitably, thoughts turn first of all to creature comforts and so beckons the centre of social life, the Rue Catinat:

"Finally, we are in the Rue Catinat, famous for its splendid boutiques, decorated pubs and unending movement of carriages and strollers. A movement that is, on the days of the arrival of a transport ship, made still more hectic by a few hundreds of young men rushing to find distraction after a long journey."

There is a rush for cold, iced beer, for good meals served with white cloth and clean cutlery and for wide, steady beds. After a day or two, the excitement wears off and the new arrivals must find their way about town and settle in to their lives. There is plenty of advice available: take someone with experience along when dealing with the Chinese merchants who are said to be ruthless in their bargaining; how to find coolies to carry purchases back from the auctions, when to throw a gala dinner for friends and connections at which leg of lamb and artichokes brought in the ocean liner's lockers all the way from Europe and where to go to meet young ladies and see and be seen.

Go To Page: 1 2

Articles in this Topic    Discussions in this Topic