The entourage of the Annamite ambassadors

Foreign intelligence reported in the Times (20 August 1863) by its Paris correspondent informed readers that: ‘The Annamite Embassy is expected in France in the course of the next month. It is to consist of a First Ambassador, a Second Ambassador, and an adjunct Ambassador, and their names are given as Phan-Thanh-Giang, Pham-Phu-Thus, and Nguy-Khaedan, appellations of remarkable orthography and difficult pronunciation. The First Secretary of these Cochin-Chinese Phans and Phams is called Van-Chat, which would seem to indicate a combined Dutch and French origin. The remaining portion of the embassy – secretaries, doctors, interpreter, military officers, 24 soldiers and workmen – numbers nearly 60 persons. They bring with them presents – for France, 45 bales, a palanquin, and four parasols; for Spain, 24 bales. Their own baggage is moderate in quantity (owing, doubtless, to there being no ladies with them), and consists of only 100 bales and cases, besides 500 bales for the nourishment of the members of the mission, from which we may infer that these people are particular in their food, or are under the impression that nothing fit to eat is to be got in Europe.’