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diff --git a/old/54692-0.txt b/old/54692-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index a07ef2d..0000000 --- a/old/54692-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,4238 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's In the Far East, by William Henry Davenport Adams - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - -Title: In the Far East - A Narrative of Exploration and Adventure in Cochin-China, - Cambodia, Laos, and Siam - -Author: William Henry Davenport Adams - -Release Date: May 9, 2017 [EBook #54692] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK IN THE FAR EAST *** - - - - -Produced by Henry Flower and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - - - - - - - - -Transcriber's Note - -Bold text is indicated by =equals signs=, and italics by _underscores_. - -Page headers in the printed text are indicated by ~swung dashes~. - - - - -IN THE FAR EAST. - - - - -[Illustration: LAOTIAN BOAT DESCENDING A RAPID. - - Page 77. -] - - - - - IN THE FAR EAST: - - A Narrative of Exploration and Adventure - - IN COCHIN-CHINA, CAMBODIA, - LAOS, AND SIAM. - - _BY THE AUTHOR OF - “The Arctic World,” “The Mediterranean Illustrated,” - &c. &c._ - - WITH TWENTY-EIGHT FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS. - - LONDON: THOMAS NELSON AND SONS. - EDINBURGH AND NEW YORK. - 1879. - - - - -Contents. - - - I. THROUGH LAOS TO CHINA, 9 - II. EXPERIENCES AMONG THE CHINESE, 106 - III. RETURN TO SAIGON, 133 - IV. DR. MORICE AND THE MEKONG, 140 - V. M. MOUHOT IN CAMBODIA, 176 - - - - -List of Illustrations. - - - LAOTIAN BOAT DESCENDING A RAPID, _Frontispiece_ - SCENE ON THE MEKONG, 13 - PEACOCK-HUNTING, 29 - MOUNTAIN-PEAK NEAR BASSAC, 33 - FUNERAL CEREMONY OF THE LAOTIANS, 37 - CORONATION OF THE KING OF OUBON, 45 - ANNAMITES AT LAKON, 51 - NATURAL PILLAR IN THE MOUNTAINS OF LAKON, 55 - TAPPING THE BORASSUS PALM, 59 - BUDDHIST TAT AT NONG KAY, 63 - MONASTERY OF WAT SISAKET, 67 - PASSAGE OF A RAPID, 71 - RICE-FIELD AND PAGODA AT MUONG MAI, 75 - PAGODA AT PAK LAY, 79 - BAMBOO BRIDGE AT XIENG KHONG, 83 - FOREST ROAD NEAR MUONG LIM, 87 - A NIGHT HALT NEAR SIEM-LAP, 91 - TRAVELLING IN A RAVINE NEAR SOP YONG, 95 - INTERVIEW WITH THE KING OF MUONG YOU, 99 - MOUNTAIN VILLAGE AND RICE-FIELDS NEAR POU-EUL, 103 - VALLEY OF KON-TCHANG, 109 - CROSSING A RAVINE, 113 - MERCHANT TRAIN IN YUNNAN, 137 - ANNAMITE LADY AND HER SERVANT, 141 - CHINESE HOUSE AT KHOLEN, 151 - VINH-LONG, 163 - SCENE AT TAYNINH, 167 - CHINESE MERCHANTS OF SAIGON, 173 - - - - -IN THE FAR EAST. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -THROUGH LAOS TO CHINA. - - -A considerable portion of the Indo-Chinese peninsula is occupied by -the extensive country of Cambodia, or Camboja, known to the natives -as _Kan-pou-chi_. It extends from lat. 8° 47′ to 15° N., along the -basin of the Mekong, Makiang, or Cambodia river; and is bounded on the -north by Laos; on the south, by the Gulf of Siam and the China Sea; on -the east, by Cochin-China; and on the west, by Siam. Formerly it was -independent; but since 1809 it has been included within the empire of -Annam, except the province of Battabang, which belongs to the kingdom -of Siam. But since the French established themselves at Saigon in -1858, and have gradually obtained a controlling power in Annam (or -Cochin-China), their influence has also extended to Cambodia. - -~COURSE OF THE MEKONG.~ - -The largest river of Cambodia, and of the whole Indo-Chinese peninsula, -is the Mekong, Makiang, or Cambodia, which, rising in the mountains of -China, under the name of the Lan-tsan-kiang, flows in a south-easterly -direction across the province of Yunnan; thence, under the name of the -Kiou-long, traverses the territory of Laos; and afterwards, as the -Mekong, intersects Cambodia, dividing the Annam portion from that which -belongs to Siam; separates into several branches, and finally falls -into the China Sea, after a fertilizing course of about fifteen hundred -miles. Its two principal mouths are those of the Japanese and Oubequum -channels. There are several smaller mouths, however, the southernmost -of which is situated in lat. 9° 30′ N., and long. 106° 20′ E. - -Very little was known of this great river until the French had made -themselves masters of Saigon. It has since been explored in parts of -its course by M. Mouhot, Lieutenant Garnier, and others. The country -which it waters possesses many features of interest; and the scenery -through which it flows is often of a romantic and beautiful character. -The manners and customs of the people dwelling on its banks are not -unworthy of consideration; and we propose, therefore, to carry the -reader with us on a voyage up this magnificent stream,--penetrating, -under the guidance of Lieutenant Garnier, into hitherto unexplored -parts of Cambodia, and even into China itself. - - * * * * * - -~A FRENCH EXPEDITION.~ - -In 1866 the French Government determined on despatching an expedition -to explore the upper valley of the great Cambodian river, and placed -it in charge of M. de Lagrée, a captain in the French navy. M. Thorel, -a surgeon, was attached to it as botanist; M. Delaporte, as artist; -Dr. Joubert, as physician and geologist; and among the other members -were Lieutenant Garnier, to whose record of the expedition we are -about to be indebted, and M. de Carné. After a visit to Ongcor, the -capital of the ancient kingdom of the Khmers, with those vast memorials -of antiquity described so graphically by M. Mouhot, the expedition -proceeded to ascend the great river, passing the busy villages of -Compong Luong and Pnom Penh--the latter the residence of the king of -Cambodia. Here they abandoned the gun-brigs which had brought them -from Saigon, and embarked themselves and their stores on board boats -better fitted for river navigation. - -~BOATING ON THE MEKONG.~ - -These boats or canoes are manned, according to their size, by a crew -of six to ten men. Each is armed with a long bamboo, one end of which -terminates with an iron hook, the other with a small fork. The men take -up their station on a small platform in the fore part of the boat, -plant their bamboos against some projection on the river-bank, tree -or stone, and then march towards the stern; returning afterwards on -the opposite side to repeat the process. This strange kind of circular -motion suffices to impel the boat at the rate of a man walking at full -speed, when the boatmen are skilful at their work, and the river-bank -is straight and well defined. The master’s attention is wholly -occupied, meanwhile, in keeping the bow of the canoe in the direction -of the current, or rather slightly headed towards the shore. It is -obvious that such a mode of navigation is liable to many interruptions, -and cannot be commended on the score of swiftness or convenience. - -[Illustration: SCENE ON THE MEKONG] - -~FORMIDABLE RAPIDS.~ - -On the 13th of July the canoes took their departure from Cratieh, and -soon afterwards arrived at Sombor. They then effected the passage -of the rapids of Sombor-Sombor--no great difficulty being experienced, -owing to the rise of the waters. Beyond this point the broad bed of the -great river was encumbered with a multitude of islands, low and green, -while the banks were covered with magnificent forests. The voyagers -noticed here some trees of great value--the yao; the ban-courg, the -wood of which makes capital oars; and the lam-xe, which should be -highly prized by the European cabinet-makers. - -~A WEARY VOYAGE.~ - -On the 16th of July the voyagers again fell in with a series of -formidable rapids. The sharp and clearly-defined shores of the islands -which had hitherto enclosed the arm of the river they were navigating -were suddenly effaced. The Cambodia was covered with innumerable clumps -of trees, half under water; its muddy torrent rolled impetuously -through a thousand canals, forming an inextricable labyrinth. Huge -blocks of sandstone rose at intervals along the left bank, and -indicated that strata of the same rock extended across the river-bed. -At a considerable distance from the shore the poles of the boatmen -found a depth of fully ten feet; and it was with extreme difficulty -the canoes made way against the strong, fierce current, which in some -confined channels attained a velocity of five miles an hour. - -Storms of wind and rain contributed to render the voyage more -wearisome and the progress slower. It was no easy task at night to -find a secure haven for the boats; and the sudden floods of the little -streams at the mouth of which the voyagers sought shelter, several -times subjected them to the risk of being carried away during their -sleep, and cast all unexpectedly into the mid-current of the great -river. They slept on board their boats, because the roof was some -protection from the furious rains; but these soon soaked through the -mats and leaves of which it was composed. The weather was warm, and -thus these douche-baths were not wholly insupportable; and when the -voyagers could not sleep, they found some consolation in admiring the -fantastic illumination which the incessant lightnings kindled in the -gloomy arcades of the forest, and in listening to the peals of thunder, -repeated by a thousand echoes, and mingling with the hoarse continuous -growl of the angry waters. - -Such are some of the features of the navigation of the lower part of -the Cambodia. But our limits compel us to pass over several chapters -of Lieutenant Garnier’s narrative, and to take it up after the voyagers -had crossed the boundaries of Siam and Cambodia and entered Laos. - -~THE LAOTIANS DESCRIBED.~ - -~LAOTIAN COSTUME.~ - -Lieutenant Garnier describes the Laotians as generally well made and -robust. Their physiognomy, he says, is characterized by a singular -combination of cunning and apathy, benevolence and timorousness. -Their eyes are less regular, their cheeks less prominent, the nose -straighter, than is the case with other peoples of Mongolian origin; -and but for their much paler complexion, which closely approaches that -of the Chinese, we should be tempted to credit them with a considerable -admixture of Hindu blood. The male Laotian shaves his head, and, like -the Siamese, preserves only a small tuft of very short hair on the -summit. He dresses himself tastefully, and can wear the finest stuffs -with ease and dignity. He chooses always the liveliest colours; and -the effect of a group of Laotians, with the brilliant hues of their -costume set off by their copper-tinted skin, is very striking. The -common people wear an exceedingly simple garb--the langouti, a piece of -cotton stuff passed between the legs and around the waist. For those -of higher rank the langouti is of silk; and is frequently accompanied -by a small vest buttoned over the chest, with very narrow sleeves, and -another piece of silk folded round the waist as a girdle, or round the -neck as a scarf. Head-gear and foot-gear are things little used in -Laos; but the labourers and boatmen, when working or rowing under a -burning sun, protect the head with an immense straw hat, almost flat, -much like a parasol. Personages of high rank, when they are in “full -dress,” wear a kind of slipper, which appears to inconvenience them -greatly, and is thrown off at the earliest opportunity. - -Most of the Laotians tattoo themselves on the stomach or legs, though -the practice is much more prevalent in the north than in the south. The -Laotian women do not wear much more clothing than their husbands. The -langouti, instead of being brought up between the legs, is fastened -round the waist, and allowed to hang down like a short tight petticoat -below the knees. Generally, a second piece of stuff is worn over the -bosom, and thrown back across either the right or left shoulder. The -hair, always of a splendid jetty blackness, is twisted up in a chignon -on the top of the head, and kept in its place by a small strip of -cotton or plaited straw, frequently embellished with a few flowers. -Every woman ornaments her neck, arms, and legs with rings of gold, -silver, or copper, sometimes heaped one upon another in considerable -quantity. The very poor are content with belts of cotton or silk; to -which, in the case of children, are suspended little amulets given by -the priests as talismans against witchcraft or remedies against disease. - - * * * * * - -Strictly speaking, polygamy does not exist in Laos. Only the well-to-do -indulge in the embarrassing luxury of more wives than one; and even -with these a favoured individual is recognized as the lawful spouse. - -~SLAVERY IN LAOS.~ - -Unhappily, slavery prevails, as it does in Siam and Cambodia. A -debtor may be enslaved, by judicial confiscation; but the “peculiar -institution” is chiefly recruited from the wild tribes in the eastern -provinces. The slaves are employed in tilling the fields, and in -domestic labours; they are treated with great kindness. They often -live so intimately and so familiarly with their masters, that, but for -their long hair and characteristic physiognomy, it would be difficult -to distinguish them in the midst of a Laotian “interior.” - -The Laotians are a slothful people, and, when not rich enough to own -slaves, leave the best part of the day’s work to be done by the women, -who not only perform the household labour, but pound the rice, till -the fields, paddle the canoes. Hunting and fishing are almost the only -occupations reserved for the stronger sex. - -~FISH-CATCHING PROCESSES.~ - -We have not space to describe all the engines employed for catching -fish, which, next to rice, is the principal food of all the riverine -populations of the Mekong valley, and is furnished by the great river -in almost inexhaustible quantities. The most common are large tubes of -bamboo and ratan, having one or more funnel-shaped necks, the edges -of which prevent the fish from escaping after they have once entered. -These apparatus are firmly attached, with their openings towards the -current, to a tree on the river-bank, or, by means of some heavy -stones, are completely submerged. Every second or third day their owner -visits them, and empties them of their finny victims. The Laotians -also make use of an ingenious system of floats, which support a row of -hooks, and realize the European “fishing by line,” without the help of -the fisherman. There are various other methods adopted, such as the -net and the harpoon; and in the employment of all these the Laotians -display considerable activity and address. - - * * * * * - -Let us now accompany our French voyagers in their further ascent of the -river. As we have already hinted, its navigation is not without its -inconveniences, and even its dangers. - -~A SUDDEN STORM.~ - -One evening, for example, they dropped anchor at the mouth of a -small stream which, in foam and spray, came tumbling down from the -mountains of Cambodia. After supper they lay down to rest on the mats -which covered the deck of their vessels. Black was the sky, hot and -oppressive the air; all around were visible the portents of a coming -storm. The distant roar of the hurricane failed, however, to disturb -the sleepers, who were spent and overcome with the fatigues of the day. -But at last they were wakened effectually by a “thunder-plump,” which -quickly flooded their canoes, and drove them upon deck. - -~THE FLOOD SUBSIDES.~ - -In the midst of the elemental disorder, they became aware of a hoarse -growling sound; the waters were violently agitated, and a great crest -of foam rapidly advanced towards their feeble barks. In a few moments -it was upon them. It swept clean over the voyagers and their canoes, -and those of the latter which had been carelessly moored were borne -down the rushing tide. At first an indescribable disorder prevailed; -cries of distress rose in every direction; the canoes dashed violently -against one another, or came into collision with uprooted trunks -floating on the surface of the storm-tossed waters. Fortunately, the -danger was quickly over; and as every boat had contrived to grapple -some branch or rock, the voyagers discovered at daybreak that, whatever -injuries these had sustained, no lives had been lost. The furious gale -they had heard in the distance had raised the waters some twelve feet -during the night; but the inundation subsided as rapidly as it had -risen. - -Under the shade of wide-branching trees, and closely hugging the shore, -the expedition continued its voyage. The neighbouring forests were -remarkable for their luxuriant vegetation; troops of apes and squirrels -of various species gambolled among the mighty trees, among which rose -conspicuous the superb yao, the king of these forests, the trunk of -which shoots up, free from knot or bough, to a height of eighty or one -hundred feet; and out of which the Laotians hollow their piraguas. In -the morning a wild beast now and then came down to the river to drink; -and night was rendered hideous by the cries and trumpetings of deer, -and tigers, and elephants. - - * * * * * - -~THE KHON CATARACT.~ - -At length the voyagers came within hearing of the tremendous roar of -the Khon cataract. Their boatmen, brisker than on ordinary occasions, -hauled or propelled their vessels through a very labyrinth of rocks, -submerged trees, and prostrate trunks still clinging to earth by their -many roots. They knew that their hard labour was nearly at an end, and -that at Khon the expedition would dismiss them, as fresh boats would -be required above the cataract. As for their homeward voyage, what was -it? To ascend the river had been the work of a week; the swift current -would bear them back in less than a day. - -~A PLAGUE OF LEECHES.~ - -The cataract of Khon is really a series of magnificent falls, of -which one of the grandest is caused by the confluence of the Papheng. -There, in the midst of rocks and grassy islets, an enormous sheet of -water leaps headlong from a height of seventy feet, to fall back in -floods of foam, again to descend from crag to crag, and finally glide -away beneath the dense vegetation of the forest. As the river at this -point is about one thousand yards in width, the effect is singularly -striking. But still more imposing is the Salaphe fall, which extends -over a breadth of a mile and a half, at the very foot of the mountains. -In order to examine it at leisure, Lieutenant Garnier engaged a Laotian -to conduct him to an island lying just above it. Before starting, the -guide made certain preparations, of which Garnier could not understand -the necessity, in spite of the Laotian’s efforts to explain them. -Rolling up about his waist the light langouti, he plastered his feet -and legs with a composition of lime and areca juice. This precaution -proved to be far from useless; for, on landing on the island, they -found the soil covered with thousands of leeches, some no larger than -needles, but others two inches and a half to three inches in length. On -the approach of the strangers, they reared themselves erect upon each -dead leaf and blade of grass; they leaped, so to speak, upon them from -every side. The thick coating which the Laotian guide had so prudently -assumed preserved him from their bites; but Garnier, in a few moments, -was victimized by dozens of these blood-suckers, which crawled up his -legs and bled him in spite of all his efforts. He found it impossible -to get rid of his determined antagonists; for one leech which he tore -off, two fresh assailants seized upon him. Glad was he when he caught -sight of a tall tree. He made towards it, scaled its trunk, and, when -out of reach of his foes, set to work to deliver himself from the -creatures which were feasting at his expense. Throwing off his clothes, -he removed the leeches one by one, though it was not without difficulty -that he loosened their hold. Even his waistband had not arrested their -march, for he found that one audacious persecutor had actually reached -his chest. - -~A VIEW OF THE CATARACT.~ - -He felt more than repaid, however, for all his sufferings, when he -arrived within sight of the cataract. With a breadth of two thousand -yards, a prodigious mass of water came down in blinding foam, roaring -like a furious sea when it breaks against an iron-bound coast. At -another point, the flood was divided into eight or ten different -cascades by as many projecting crags, richly clothed in leafage and -vegetation. Beyond, nothing could be seen but one immense rapid,--a -roaring, tumultuous deluge! The sandstone blocks and boulders which -encumbered the river-bed were completely hidden by the whirl and eddy -of the waves; and their position could be detected only by the foam on -the surface, or the vapour floating wreath-like in the air. Further -still, a few black points, a few ridges of rock, and a chain of small -islets, stretched across to the opposite bank, which it was impossible -to approach, and where, apparently, the cataract seemed to attain its -greatest fury. Such was the great fall of Salaphe,--a scene of sublime -grandeur, conveying the idea of everlasting strength and power. - - * * * * * - -~VISIT TO BASSAC.~ - -While preparing to continue their ascent of the river, Lieutenant -Garnier and his companions visited Bassac, one of the most important -towns in Laos. It is situated in the heart of the richest tropical -scenery; and the members of the expedition found it impossible to -ramble in any direction without coming upon some fresh and beautiful -landscape, or some object of the highest interest. The mountains which -surround Bassac are clothed to their very summits with vegetation; and -down the shadowy glens which furrow their rugged sides sparkle bright, -pure streams on their way to the all-absorbing Mekong. The people of -Bassac are a mild and peaceable race, and they received the strangers -with cordial hospitality. The time was spent most agreeably in paying -and receiving visits; in excursions among the beautiful scenery of the -neighbourhood, the choicest “bits” of which they transferred to their -sketch-books; in studying the manners and customs of the inhabitants; -and in essaying their skill as marksmen against the wild denizens of -the forest. - -~IN PURSUIT OF GAME~ - -The larger game are generally caught by the hunters of Bassac in -nets or snares. The chase on a grand scale is almost unknown. In -the forests, however, the hunters sometimes call in the elephant to -their assistance; they are thus able to get close to the wished-for -prey, as the latter do not take alarm at the approach of an animal -so well known. Lieutenant Garnier tells us that he enjoyed his sport -in a modest fashion. Sometimes he spent whole days in traversing the -dried-up swamps, in the shade of dense masses of trees bound together -inextricably by every kind of liana and parasite. To such places resort -numerous companies of peacocks and wild fowl during the hot season; but -their pursuit is always difficult, and frequently dangerous. Indeed, -the Laotians cherish a belief that the tiger and the peacock are -always found in the same localities. - -[Illustration: PEACOCK HUNTING.] - - * * * * * - -~A MOUNTAIN EXCURSION.~ - -One evening, seated at the foot of a tamarisk-tree, the fruit of which -a troop of squirrels was busily crunching among the branches overhead, -Garnier and his comrade, Dr. Thorel, took counsel together; with the -conclusion that, on the day following, they would undertake a mountain -excursion, and boldly attempt to scale one of the most elevated peaks. -Accordingly, at dawn they started, attended by their usual escort--a -native, christened Luiz. - -With swift feet they crossed the rice-plantations and marshes that -separated them from the foot of the mountains; and by a narrow winding -track reached the bed of a dried-up torrent, where they halted for -a brief rest. Thence, plunging into the forest, they slowly climbed -the precipitous heights, occasionally confronted by a rugged steep, -or an immense mass of rock that seemed likely to baffle all their -aspirations, but was eventually conquered by combined skill and -resolution. The forest soon changed its character; the rarefaction of -the air forced itself upon their notice; the daring adventurers rose -above the clouds and vapours of the plain. On arriving at a narrow -ledge of table-land they halted for breakfast. The first requisite was -fresh water; rare enough at that season of the year, and at such a -height! Close beside them, however, was the channel of a spent burn; -and a careful search among the rocks revealed to them a pool, sheltered -from wind and sun, brimming with crystal water,--and tenanted, -moreover, by some mountain-eels, small but delicious. The pool being -very shallow, a supply of the eels was soon obtained. - -~DETAILS OF THE ASCENT.~ - -It did not take long to kindle a fire. The eels were dexterously -grilled; and a savoury and substantial repast concluded with a dessert -of wild bananas. Refreshed and invigorated, the mountain-climbers -resumed their enterprise; and along a narrow crest, so narrow that two -persons could not walk abreast, made their way through a labyrinth of -vegetation. With watchful eye, and hand on trigger, they advanced. -Suddenly a strayed peacock flew in front of them; but as their position -was unfavourable for taking aim, they allowed it to pass by. They -reached at last a kind of natural staircase, the ascent of which was -rendered inconvenient by the showers of pebbles, loosened by their -feet, which rolled to right and left over the precipice. All at -once further progress apparently was rendered impossible by a mass -of withered brushwood; which, on examination, proved to be the den, -happily deserted, of a wild boar. - -~A SPLENDID PANORAMA.~ - -Beyond this point the crest or ridge grew sharper and sharper; the -shattered and accumulated rocks were held together only by the lianas -which close-clasped them; and the adventurers were forced to crawl -on their hands and knees, holding on by plant or crag. At length the -brave effort was crowned with success. They gained the mountain-top, -and enjoyed a panorama of wonderful beauty, in which peaks and forests -blended their various hues, and wide green plains expanded in the -golden sunshine, and the pagodas of Bassac rose like island-pinnacles -out of a sea of verdure. The glorious picture, in all its variety of -form and glow of colouring, was one on which the eye of man had never -before rested; it was a picture of abounding fertility as well as of -beauty and grandeur, and suggested the idea of almost inexhaustible -resources, which in some future time may be developed by the enterprise -and civilization of the West. - -[Illustration: MOUNTAIN-PEAK NEAR BASSAC.] - -~RETURN TO BASSAC.~ - -In the course of their descent the explorers gained a broken ridge -of rock, overshadowed by the branches of a stately tree, the -roots of which clung round the weather-worn stones, and seemed to -hold them together. At their approach, a swarm--we might almost say -a cloud--of green pigeons whirled and fluttered out of the depths -of the green foliage; returning to their resting-places after a few -aerial evolutions. The ground beneath was strewn with small fruit, to -which the pigeons are extremely partial; and showers continually fell -about the explorers’ heads, loosened by the movement of the restless -birds. With a little patience, they brought down half a dozen of the -feathered spoilers; and then, through the forest shadows and down the -mountain-declivities, they pursued their homeward march. - - * * * * * - -The following evening, Garnier and Dr. Thorel were invited to join -a young Laotian in his walk. The latter led them across a pleasant -breadth of garden-ground to an open space, strewn here and there with -ashes and the refuse of wood-fires. Behind a clump of tall bamboos, -some fifty spectators, seated in an oval ring, surrounded a couple -of wrestlers, and displayed a lively interest in the various phases -of their strife. At a few paces distant, three men were engaged in -rekindling a fire which had died out for lack of fuel. Some bonzes, -or priests, clothed in full long robes of yellow stuff, were viewing -the spectacle from afar, or wending their way towards the neighbouring -pagoda. Two or three women crouched on the ground, amidst baskets -of fruit and large earthen vessels full of rice-wine, intended as -refreshment for the spectators or the heated athletes. - -~LAOTIAN ATHLETES.~ - -Among the bystanders was conspicuous a Laotian, attired in a langouti, -and silken vest of dazzling colours, and sheltered by a parasol held -over his head by a boy standing in the rear, who warmly encouraged one -of the combatants, while a portion of the assembly evidently backed his -antagonist. The struggle was protracted. Betting took place vigorously, -and considerable sums were wagered on both sides. The white men seated -themselves apart, in order to study in all its details a scene so -full of animation. It was impossible not to admire the suppleness of -the two athletes,--robust young men, trained to the combat from their -very infancy; impossible not to take an interest in the skill and -agility with which they eluded or endeavoured to surprise one another. -Sometimes they paused, face to face, and regarded each other with -fixed gaze, slightly curving their loins or shoulders; a moment, -and they leaped from end to end of the arena, assuming theatrical -attitudes--and, when occasion offered, dealing a vigorous blow of the -fist which reddened the sun-bronzed skin. - -[Illustration: FUNERAL CEREMONY OF THE LAOTIANS.] - -~A STRANGE FUNERAL CEREMONY.~ - -Their Laotian friend informed our travellers that they were witnessing -nothing less than a funeral ceremony! In Laos, cremation is the -universal custom; and the mortuary rites of a Laotian of rank generally -terminate with a gladiatorial combat, at the conclusion and on the very -site of the process of cremation. - -The national rule is, that the corpse of a Laotian mandarin shall -be preserved for several days in its shroud within the proper -mortuary-hut. Friends and kinsmen assemble therein, and console -themselves as best they may with abundant eating and drinking; a custom -which prevails elsewhere than in Laos! It does not appear that the -Laotians regard death with any particular apprehension. Their special -anxiety is to prevent the evil spirits from obtaining possession of -the souls of the dead, and playing them malignant tricks. During the -day these spirits will not attempt anything; but at night they gain -courage, and to shelter the deceased from their manœuvres seems to -be no easy task. However, by means of numerous prayers, and more -particularly by keeping up a tremendous clamour, it is generally -possible, the Laotians believe, to avert their disastrous influence. - -For this purpose all the bonzes of the neighbourhood are summoned; -and taking up positions around the bier, they chant aloud their -invocations. By day, and especially by night, the family assist them in -keeping watch. The women decorate the coffin with floral offerings, as -well as with ornaments of wax intended to facilitate combustion. The -men, armed with gongs, tomtoms, and any other instrument they can seize -upon, accompany, as noisily as possible, the chants of the bonzes. -“Harmony” is not the object aimed at; but to secure the maximum of -noise. - -When the day appointed for the final ceremony arrives, the uproar is -redoubled at early morn, as a signal to the friends and relatives of -the departed, who make their appearance in full costume. - -~THE FUNERAL PROCESSION.~ - -A procession is then arranged for the purpose of carrying the corpse -to the place of burning. The bonzes lead the way, the seniors coming -last. Then follows the coffin, supported on the shoulders of a dozen -young men, and surmounted by a kind of bamboo canopy, embellished with -flowers and foliage, and destined, like the coffin, to be consumed on -the funeral pyre. The men march next, with the wealthiest and most -influential of the kinsmen of the deceased at their head. The rear is -brought up by the women and children, carrying long bamboos ornamented -with banderoles of various colours, which are planted in the ground -during the process of cremation. - -~THE FUNERAL PYRE.~ - -The pile is reared at one extremity of the burial-ground, where bamboo -poles and the trunks of aged palms have been linked together with -long lianas to form a kind of aerial barrier against the invasion of -the evil spirits. It is composed of pieces of wood of equal length, -carefully arranged in intercrossed layers, and it rises to the height -of a man’s shoulders, so that the bearers, passing half to one side -and half to the other, can deposit the coffin without effort. The men -gather round in a circle; the women stand a little in the rear. The -bonzes recite their prayers, and receive once more the offerings which -the relatives of the deceased never fail to bring for them and their -pagoda; after which the chief priest mounts the pile, and standing -erect, with hands extended over the coffin, pronounces with a loud -voice a concluding prayer. - -~PROCESS OF CREMATION.~ - -As soon as he has descended, the attendants set fire to the resinous -materials placed under the pile. A dazzling jet of flame shoots aloft, -and soon envelopes the coffin. The ornaments are consumed in quick -succession; the pile breaks down in a mass of flame and smoke; and -into the midst falls the corpse, released from the charred and burning -coffin. Yet, painful as this spectacle seems, no native exhibits the -slightest emotion. The work of combustion is allowed to complete -itself, and no one touches the ashes of humanity throughout the day. -The women depart, while the men follow the president of the ceremonies -to be present at the gladiatorial show in honour of the deceased which -we have already described. - - * * * * * - -[Illustration: CORONATION OF THE KING OF OUBON.] - -~CORONATION OF THE KING.~ - -The voyagers next made their way to Oubon, where they arrived in time -to witness the coronation of the king. The chief of every village, and -the leading men of every province, and indeed all the inhabitants, -had been invited to “assist” in the ceremony. On the morning of the -appointed day, the strangers were deafened by an uproar of drums and -gongs and other unmusical instruments. The noisy orchestra surrounded -the palace; while the royal procession wound through the streets of -Oubon, and defiled into its square or market-place. Mounted upon an -elephant of great size, which was armed with a pair of formidable -tusks, the king made his appearance, encircled by guards on foot and on -horseback, and attended by his great dignitaries mounted like himself. -A train of smaller elephants followed, carrying the court ladies. -The _cortége_ finally directed its course to some spacious pavilions -erected for the purpose, where the bonzes of the royal pagoda were -offering up their prayers. - -A few minutes passed, and another tableau was presented. The king was -seen enthroned in the largest pavilion. He arose, and, escorted by his -principal officers, advanced into the middle of a wide platform, where -the bonzes, still uttering their prayers, gathered about him. He threw -off his clothes, replacing them by a mantle of white cloth. Then the -bonzes drew apart, so as to open up a passage for him; and he proceeded -to place himself, with his body bent into a curve, immediately -underneath the sacred dragon. Prayers were recommenced, and the king -received the anointing or consecrating _douche_; while a dignitary who -stood at one corner of the dais set free a couple of turtle-doves, as -a sign that all creation, down even to the animals, should be happy on -so auspicious a day. - -When the water which was contained in the dragon’s body had completely -douched the royal person, new garments were brought, over which was -thrown a large white robe; and he returned to his place in the centre -of the hall. A grand banquet of rice, and cucumbers, and eggs, and -pork, and delicious bananas, washed down by copious draughts of -rice-wine, concluded the day’s proceedings; and in the evening the town -was lighted up with fireworks, while bands of singers and musicians -traversed the streets. - - * * * * * - -~THE VOYAGE RESUMED.~ - -Lieutenant Garnier, after a brief rest, resumed his exploration of -the Mekong, passing through scenery which previously no European had -visited. At night he and his companions halted at the most convenient -spot, lighted a fire, cooked their meal of rice, and took their rest -under the curtain of a starry sky, or beneath such shelter as they -could hastily run up. Fatigue assisted them to a speedy slumber; yet -their repose was often disturbed by the cries of the wild elephants -which, in large numbers, roamed among the hills on the other side of -the river, or by the roar of some tiger prowling along the bank. During -the day their attention was sometimes diverted from the contemplation -of the strange and picturesque scenery which surrounded them, by the -necessity of piloting their boat through the rapids and whirlpools that -obstruct the navigation of the river. - -~MOUNTAINS OF LAKON.~ - -In this way they proceeded to Kemarat and Pennom; and, across an -immense plain, remarkable for its fertility, followed the course of -the river, which runs due north and south, broadening into a lake of -such dimensions that its boundaries cannot be detected by the naked -eye. One morning, as the mists cleared off, they were surprised at the -appearance, on the northern horizon, of dim azure forms, resembling the -deception of the mirage, or clouds of fantastic outline, or rather a -mass of medieval ruins, with lofty towers and pinnacles, and shattered -ramparts. The natives informed them that these were the mountains -of Lakon, at the foot of which they would arrive on the following -day. They found it difficult to believe in the existence of such -mountains, the configuration of which grew stranger and more fantastic -as they drew nearer to them; sometimes exhibiting sheer precipitous -declivities, sometimes overhanging masses, while sometimes each summit -appeared cloven into deep and shadowy chasms. These enormous rocks -of marble of different tints have been heaped up in awful confusion -by some convulsion of the terrestrial crust; and forced, by an -inconceivable subterranean effort, through the sandstone formation -which underlies the superficial strata of the country. - -~ARRIVAL AT LAKON.~ - -Round the projecting angle of the mountain-mass the river lightly -sweeps; and then its broad waters reflect the huts and pagodas of the -important town of Lakon. The bank was lined with the barks of traders -and fishers; ample nets, suspended to rows of bamboos, dried in the -open air. Sheds erected for the convenience of voyagers, piles of -wood and merchandise, and loaded rafts, gave an air of animation and -activity to the approaches to the town. Our voyagers, well pleased to -regain the society of their kind, made haste to unload their boats, -while native porters carried their luggage to the house set apart for -their accommodation: it stood on the margin of the river, overshadowed -by the branches of a huge mango-tree. Here, as soon as the work was -done, they stretched themselves on the floor, postponing until the -morrow their exploration of the town. - -~A GLANCE AT THE TOWN.~ - -At daybreak they were aroused by the noisy gong of a neighbouring -pagoda. Already the river-bank and the town showed signs of life and -movement. Curious faces were gathered round the strangers’ hut. A large -bag of rice, fruit, fish, and some buffalo-steaks dried in the sun, -arrived, sent by the mandarin provisionally intrusted with the charge -of supplying their wants. The fresh genial morning tempted them forth, -and they went from end to end of the town, which seemed both wealthy -and populous. The pagodas were numerous, the huts well-constructed, -the gardens green and admirably kept. The inhabitants appeared -free and happy. Behind the town, in an open space on the border of -the rice-fields, some bands of travellers lay encamped under roofs -of interwoven foliage. The principal street, which ran along the -river-bank, was shaded everywhere by the trees and creepers of the gay -gardens that skirted its entire course. It made a pleasant promenade, -as through each opening in the rich glossy foliage could be seen the -white sands of the shore, the calm crystal river, the forest thickly -crowding the opposite bank, and, beyond, the long line of the marble -mountains. - -[Illustration: ANNAMITES AT LAKON.] - -~AN ANNAMITE SETTLEMENT.~ - -After this excursion, our voyagers returned to their hut, which they -found an object of attraction to all the curiosity-mongers of Lakon. -The most distinguished ladies of the town had assembled to see the -strangers, and offer in exchange for European ornaments their richest -fruits and freshest vegetables. If Garnier and his companions were -surprised at their appearance, they were still more surprised to find -in the crowd a group of twenty Annamites, who had emigrated from the -French colony of Cochin-China, and had been established at Lakon -for some years. As Garnier’s escort was also composed of Annamites, -the scene between the compatriots thus singularly brought together -was one of unbounded ecstasy. Garnier went on a visit to the little -Annamite settlement, which repeated in every detail the villages of -Cochin-China. In each hut was to be seen the tiny domestic altar, with -its lights, and incense, and small statue of Buddha, and broad bands of -red paper, inscribed with Chinese characters and symbolical designs. -There, too, were the large central table, a mother-of-pearl _plateau_, -a complete “tea-equipage” (to use the late Lord Lytton’s phrase), -and a bed surrounded by mosquito-curtains. And no less conspicuous -was that want of cleanliness, both in dwelling and person, which -characterize the natives of Cochin-China. - -~THE MARBLE MOUNTAINS.~ - -We cannot describe all the objects of interest at Lakon, or all the -excursions which Garnier made in its neighbourhood. The geologist and -botanist of the expedition adventured a visit to the Marble Mountains. -With a guide and a couple of elephants, they crossed the river, plunged -into the forest-depths, and found their way to the quarries, where -blocks of marble are excavated for the purpose of being made into lime -of a dazzling whiteness. Then they penetrated into the grottoes and -caverns with which the mountains abound. As they advanced, the scenery -became more and more picturesque, and more and more savage: high rugged -peaks rose above the forest trees; bushes and lianas and parasitical -plants decked with festoons every rocky projection; here yawned a -gloomy chasm, there towered aloft a mighty and awful precipice. But the -scene of scenes burst upon them after they had threaded a gloomy maze -of trees and intertangled bamboos. Two immense walls of sombre rock, -several hundred yards in height, enclosed a broad ravine, which, at -the further extremity, opened on a bare and shining plain. On the left, -the wall extended to a great distance, forming a long line, decreasing -in elevation through the natural effect of the perspective. That on -the right towered above a pile of enormous rocks, heaped together in -the wildest confusion; it seemed to turn like the enceinte of a strong -fortification, and was terminated abruptly by a vertical line, broken -by numerous gaps. Between these lofty barriers lay a barren plain; -afar, some miniature pools glittered with a magical effect in the -“pale moonlight.” The prospect was closed in the distance by the steep -declivities of lofty mountains, surrounding and shutting up, as it -were, this gigantic “cirque” or amphitheatre. About three hundred yards -from the entrance rose two vertical rocks, like a couple of slender -spires, or rather like two enormous tapers--rose to a prodigious -height, isolated, and emerging from a clump of luxuriant verdure which -flourished at their feet. One of these rocks was fully nine hundred -feet in elevation. The other was not so lofty, and seemed to have -partially fallen, the ground being everywhere strewn with its wreck. - -[Illustration: NATURAL PILLAR IN THE MOUNTAINS OF LAKON.] - -From this remarkable spectacle the French _savants_ proceeded to -inspect a superb grotto excavated in the great wall of cliff, near -the two pillar-like masses. By climbing some rocks they obtained an -entry into it, and found it to form a spacious hall, varying from forty -to eighty feet in height, of great depth, with a rounded, vaulted roof. -The ground was thick with stalagmites; while stalactites of the most -various shapes depended from the vault, and glittered, like so many -mirrors, in the light of torches. - - * * * * * - -~PALM-WINE.~ - -~HOW THE WINE IS COLLECTED.~ - -A day or two afterwards, Garnier and his friends, in returning from -a walk in the environs of Lakon, encountered some Laotians carrying -vessels of bamboo, filled with a liquid which at first they supposed -to be water. On tasting it, however, they discovered that it was the -wine of the country; sweet-flavoured, and by no means disagreeable to -the palate; not unlike, indeed, the product of some of the Rhenish -vineyards. It was palm-wine, freshly made; and to enjoy its _bouquet_ -and full flavour it should be drunk in this condition, for it will not -keep more than four-and-twenty hours without fermentation. The Laotians -offered to conduct the strangers to a neighbouring plantation, where -they might observe the different processes of its manufacture. The -offer was accepted, and the party soon arrived at a clearing which was -thickly planted with great borassus palms. To collect the wine,--which -is, in fact, the sap of the tree,--nothing more is necessary than to -make an incision in the middle of the head of the tree, at the point -where the leaves branch off, and suspend beneath a bamboo, into which -the sap falls, drop by drop. In order to reach the summit of these huge -palms, which are straight and smooth as the main-mast of a ship, the -Laotians have invented a simple and ingenious process. They transform -the palm into a veritable ladder, by attaching to the trunk, with small -strips of flexible ratan, projecting laths of bamboo, which, jutting -out to right and left at intervals of twelve to fourteen inches, form -so many “rungs,” and enable the ascent of the tree to be rapidly and -easily accomplished. - - -[Illustration: TAPPING THE BORASSUS PALM.] - - * * * * * - -~A RUINED CITY.~ - -But we must no longer tarry at Lakon. We must once more launch the -boats of our adventurous voyagers, and continue our exploration -of the great river. It waters a populous country, and large towns -are of frequent occurrence on its banks. We pass Hoûten, with its -pagodas, its mountains, and green woods; Saniabury, with its rude -pottery-manufacture; verdurous islands and shining sandbanks; -and the mouths of the many streams which help to swell the abundant -volume of the Mekong. From Saniabury the French expedition proceeded -to Bouncang, a large and beautiful village at the mouth of the Nam -San; thence to Nong Kay, where a Buddhist tat or pyramidal landmark, -erected to indicate a sacred spot, or to enshrine a relic, has been -washed away from the shore, and now lies half submerged, like a wrecked -ship; and thence to Vien Chan, where the river widens into a channel -of a thousand yards in width, before it enters the mountain region. -Vien Chan, now a heap of ruins, was the former metropolis of the -kingdom of Laos; and relics of antiquity spread over a considerable -area testify to its ancient prosperity and splendour. The remains of -the royal palace are interesting. It does not seem to have been built -of very durable materials, the walls and staircases being faced with, -and the pavement and flooring composed of, bricks, wood, or a kind of -cement; but the entire structure still exhibits a certain elegance -of character, and a remarkable wealth of decoration--the columns -of wood have been tastefully carved and profusely gilded; and the -whole is embellished with mouldings, and arabesques, and fantastic -animal-figures. - -[Illustration: BUDDHIST TAT AT NONG KAY.] - -The absolute silence reigning within the precincts of a city formerly -so rich and populous, was, however, much more impressive than any of -its monuments; more impressive even than the deserted topes or Buddhist -temples which raised their domes in the shadow of the surrounding -forest. - -~THE BUDDHIST TEMPLES.~ - -These, abandoned by their priests, and constructed of the same -materials as the palace, are rapidly decaying. The rapid vegetation of -the tropics, which softens happily the pitiful aspect of Desolation -with its flowers and verdure, lends to these ruined sanctuaries, at a -distance, a delusive air of age; tall grasses grow everywhere about the -sacred precincts, creepers and parasites twine round each column, and -vigorous trees force their crests through the shattered roofs in search -of light. - -The most considerable temple is Wat Pha Keo, the royal pagoda. Its -timber façade, delicately wrought, and sparkling with those plates -of glass which the Laotians and the Siamese cunningly mingle with -their gilding in order to produce a greater effect of brilliancy, -shines forth in the midst of the forest, gracefully framed with -blooming lianas, and profusely garlanded with foliage. Gold has been -unsparingly lavished on the sides of the square columns which -supported the half-shattered roof; and a Byzantine style of decoration, -very remarkable in effect, has at one time covered every inch of -space. Though this mode of ornamentation is by no means lasting, -it is very charming; and the numerous pagodas in Vien Chan thus -embellished produced, at a distance, a wonderful impression of dazzling -magnificence. - -~WAT SISAKET.~ - -~A BUDDHIST MONASTERY.~ - -To the north, in the midst of the forest, is situated a smaller pagoda, -which has undergone but little dilapidation,--that of Wat Sisaket. -In its interior a number of small statues of Buddha are enshrined in -gilded niches, which cover the wall from floor to ceiling, rivalling -the terraces of Boro Bodor, the celebrated Buddhist monument of Java. -Before the altar was elevated a candelabrum, remarkable for its -originality of design and exquisite finish of workmanship. A few paces -distant from the pagoda was situated the library, an indispensable -appendage of all the temples of Laos; it was partly destroyed. As no -native was near, the French explorers clambered up the worm-eaten -pillars which supported and isolated from the soil the flooring of this -literary tabernacle: in the interior some sacred books were scattered -about; they were composed of long narrow strips cut from the leaves -of a particular species of palm, gilded on the edges, and stitched -together in books. Each contained seven or eight lines of that rounded -writing peculiar to the peoples of the Indo-Chinese peninsula; which -differs, as is recognized at the first glance, from the writing of -India properly so-called, though derived from it. Finally, attached -directly to the pagoda, the travellers found a rectangular gallery, -opening internally on a court,--its walls covered, like those of the -temple itself, with small niches containing Buddha statues. This was -the vihara (_chon-khon_ in Laotian), or monastery, which served as the -residence of the priests ministering in Wat Sisaket. - -[Illustration: MONASTERY OF WAT SISAKET.] - - * * * * * - -~A DANGEROUS PASS.~ - -Some miles above Vien Chan, the Mekong enters a narrow valley, which is -sharply defined and enclosed by two ranges of high hills. Its waters, -hitherto majestic and tranquil, which had peacefully unfolded silver -coil after coil over the vast plateau of central Laos, now accelerated -their course, and tumbled and eddied among the rocks, ever restless -and ever noisy. The noble river, which had previously measured its -breadth by thousands of yards, now shut up within two barriers of -constantly-increasing elevation, was now contained in a channel -which rarely attained to five or six hundred yards in width, and from -which it was no more to escape. In dry seasons it occupied only a small -portion of this space, and it had presented a rugged and broken surface -of rock; a grand mosaic, where fragments mingled of all the metamorphic -formations--marbles, schists, serpentines, even jades,--curiously -coloured, and sometimes admirably polished. - -[Illustration: PASSAGE OF A RAPID.] - -As the travellers advanced the river grew narrower, and, with a width -of three hundred yards and a depth of twenty-five fathoms, flowed -through a wild and wooded valley, uninhabited except by the animals of -the forest. They passed the mouth of the Nam Thon; after which they -came upon a dangerous series of rapids, where the foaming waters, -hurled and driven from side to side, and swung round projecting rocks, -and driven against the foot of precipitous banks, rushed downwards -tumultuously, with all the clang and clash of billows breaking against -a reef. To thread this water-labyrinth, it was necessary to obtain the -assistance of a pilot from a neighbouring village; and even he was -unwilling to promise that the boats of the expedition, light and small -as they were, could be carried up to the next Muong, that of Xieng -Cang. The boats, however, were unloaded, and the stores transferred to -the shoulders of sturdy natives, who bore them along the rocks; while -others towed the boats with many a lusty pull through the whirl and -foam of the rapids. But so laborious and so difficult was the task, -that two whole days were spent in effecting the passage of a few miles. - -~AT MUONG MAI.~ - -~A CENTRE OF TRADE.~ - -At length they reached Xieng Cang, or, as it is also called, Muong -Mai, the “new Muong,” which is one of the most important centres of -population on the left bank of the Mekong. The river here broadens -considerably, and its waters are as peaceful as those of a woodland -pool. Opposite to the town rises a beautiful chain of green mountains, -in a series of gently-sloping terraces; and these are intersected by -delightful Eden-valleys, finely wooded, enamelled with flowers, and -brightened by the silver thread of a little brook. The village, or -town, is well built; the houses are very lofty; and the inhabitants are -employed, according to the season, in the manufacture of cotton and the -cultivation of rice. The principal pagoda, situated on the threshold -of the rice-fields, near a grove of graceful corypha palms, is richly -ornamented in the interior, and, among other curiosities, contains -an ancient carved _porte-cierges_ of wood. At the time of Garnier’s -visit, some Birman traders had displayed the contents of their packs -on the steps of the temple, and were selling to the natives their -bright-coloured cotton stuffs and English hardware. A road having been -made westward from Hoûten, Muong Mai is only a hundred leagues from -Moulmein, which lies in nearly the same latitude, and is, as the reader -knows, an English colony, and a busy commercial port, at the mouth -of the Saluen. From this point spread over the interior of Laos the -Peguans, or Birmans of the British possessions, whose knowledge of the -wares most readily purchased by European merchants, and the high price -at which they sell to the natives their English goods, enable them to -accumulate considerable wealth. - -[Illustration: RICE-FIELD AND PAGODA AT MUONG MAI.] - - * * * * * - -~ARRIVAL AT PAK LAY.~ - -Resuming their northward route, and bent upon tracing the river up to -its mountain-source, they passed through a fertile and picturesque -country, which has been made known to the Western nations by the -enterprise of the traveller Mouhot. Leaving behind them the mouth of -the Nam Lim, and diverging somewhat to the west, then again to the -north, the voyagers arrived in the neighbourhood of Pak Lay, where they -fell in with a M. Duyshart, a Hollander in the service of the king of -Siam, and employed by him in a series of geographical researches, who -was descending the river to Bangkok. They exchanged scientific notes, -and it appeared that Duyshart had surveyed the course of the Cambodia -or Mekong for one hundred and twenty miles above Luang Prabang. - -A few hours after this interesting rencontre, the French expedition -crossed the boundary-line of the kingdom of Luang Prabang, and reached -the extremity of the great rapid of Keng Sao. Successfully steering -their course through its rocks and islets, they arrived at Pak Lay, -a romantically-situated village, buried in the deep shadows of the -primeval forest. To the north of the village, and almost hidden by the -trees, is situated a small pagoda, entirely deficient in the accessory -buildings which usually surround a temple at Laos, but better placed -for the purpose of assisting the self-absorption of its priests and -votaries. - -[Illustration: PAGODA AT PAK LAY.] - - * * * * * - -As the voyagers proceeded up the river, they now began to notice -a gradual change in the character alike of the inhabitants and -the vegetation. The calcareous mountains which dominated over the -river-valley assumed the most irregular and fantastic forms, and forced -it into a constant succession of broken curves and sharp angular turns. -At times a mass of marble suddenly projected its high precipitous -cliffs, which the river bathed with waters sometimes foaming, sometimes -tranquil. - -~FISHING-STATIONS.~ - -The Mekong was not at its full height at the time our voyagers ascended -it: a great part of its bed lay bare; and a person, on landing, before -he could reach the bank had to traverse wide spans rugged with rocks. -Here and there spread immense sandbanks, on which were erected large -fishing-stations--veritable towns of bamboo--already abandoned by the -fishermen in anticipation of the quick-coming rise of the waters. - -For three days the expedition continued its course. Not a single hut -was visible anywhere. The only incidents of their voyage were the -rapids, which occurred at intervals of three or four miles. These, for -the most part, were formed by the shingle and rocks accumulated at -their mouth by the numerous streamlets which the river here receives. -By dint of vigorous exertions, the native boatmen “poled” their light -barks through each swift current. At times the scene was illuminated -by the arrowy flashes of a storm-swept sky; and peals of thunder, -resounding among the mountains in multitudinous reverberations, mingled -with the roar of the waters. Hail frequently fell in heavy showers -during these gales, which lasted usually about half an hour, and -abruptly lowered the temperature four or five degrees. - -The river’s course was remarkably direct, and lay almost due north. -At certain points it completely filled its bed; its breadth was then -reduced to about one hundred and fifty yards; and the hills which -bordered it were of so regular an appearance that the stream assumed -all the features of an artificial canal. A series of miniature cascades -flashed their silver spray in all directions, as they descended the -verdurous slopes. - - * * * * * - -~MODERN CAPITAL OF LAOS.~ - -~A PICTURESQUE SCENE.~ - -Luang Prabang, at which our voyagers in due course arrived, is the -modern capital of Laos. It is picturesque and pleasant to the view, and -enjoys the advantage of a favourable situation. Its houses are very -numerous, and are arranged in parallel lines around a small central -hillock, which, like a dome of verdure, rises above the mass of gray -thatched roofs. On the summit a tat or dagoba elevates its sharp arrowy -pinnacle above a belt of trees, so as to form a landmark for all the -surrounding country. Upon the terraced declivities of this quasi-sacred -eminence are situated several pagodas, the red roofs of which are -vividly defined against the sombre green vegetation. At the foot of the -cliffs, which are about fifty feet high, stretches a row of permanent -rafts, on which numerous huts are erected, composing beneath the town a -kind of second town or river-suburb, connected with the capital itself -by zigzag paths, shining like white ribbons in the distance. Hundreds -of boats of all sizes move rapidly along this floating city; while -large and heavy rafts, coming down from the upper waters of the river, -seek a convenient nook for mooring and unloading their cargoes. At the -foot of the cliffs a crowd of boatmen and porters hurry to and fro; and -the hum of voices mingles confusedly with the murmur of the stream, and -the whisper of the palm-trees which wave their feathery crests upon its -smiling and fertile banks. - -~UP THE RIVER.~ - -After a brief sojourn at this interesting and lively city, the French -voyagers, animated by their desire to open up a new channel of -commercial enterprise, and discover a practicable route from Cambodia -to China, resumed their ascent of the Mekong. They found that, above -Luang Prabang, it narrowed considerably, and resumed its wild and -romantic aspect. The mountains on either hand exhibited a succession of -bold, dark, cloven crests; their lowest terraces, impending over the -river-banks, being frequently ornamented by a pyramid, the tomb of a -pious bonze or the shrine of an imaginary relic, the slender form of -which harmonized well with the character of the landscape. - -[Illustration: BAMBOO BRIDGE AT XIENG KHONG] - -Passing the confluence of the Nam Hou, they came upon the cavern -of Pak Hou, which the Buddhist priests have covered with religious -decoration, and adorned with the gifts of munificent pilgrims. Thence -they proceeded to Ban Tanoun; and from Ban Tanoun to Xieng Khong, the -second in importance of the towns of the great province of Muong Nan. -There they experienced some difficulty in obtaining permission to enter -the Burmese territory; and, moreover, they found that they had nearly -reached the limit of the navigable portion of the river. Few are the -obstacles, however, which cannot be conquered by resolution and energy; -and on the 14th of June the expedition left Xieng Khong in six -light boats, drawing but little water, and continued the ascent of the -river, which here bends to the westward, and flows across an apparently -boundless plain. It is crossed near the town or village by a graceful -but slender bridge of bamboo, from which may be obtained a charming -view of its graceful sweep through a luxuriance of tropical vegetation. - - * * * * * - -~AT MUONG LIM.~ - -~A CAUCASIAN PEOPLE.~ - -At Muong Lim the expedition were compelled to abandon their boats. Its -members found themselves there in the midst of a population differing -in race from any they had previously met with. They seem, these -Mou-tsen, to be of Caucasian origin. Their costume is very complicated, -and even tasteful; and the tinsel and embroidery with which they cover -their persons gives them a certain resemblance to the inhabitants of -some parts of Brittany. The head-gear of the women has, at all events, -the merit of originality. It consists of a series of rings of bamboo, -covered with plaited straw, and fastened on the top of the head. The -brim of this kind of hat is enriched over the forehead with silver -balls; above are two rows of pearl-white glass beads; on the left -side depends a tuft of white and red cotton thread, from which issues -a loop formed of strings of many-coloured pearls. This coiffure, -which is capable of infinite modifications, is completed with an -abundance of leaves and flowers. The women also wear a tight-fitting -bodice, the sleeves and edges of which are trimmed with pearls, and -a short petticoat reaching to the knee. The legs are wrapped round -with leggings, which begin at the ankle, and cover the whole of the -calf. These leggings, too, are ornamented with a row of pearls about -half-way up. The toilette is completed by ear-rings of coloured beads -or balls of blown silver, bracelets, belts, collars, and shoulder-belts -crossed over the bosom. As for the men, they wear the usual turban, -loose short pantaloons, and a waistcoat with silver buttons. With both -sexes a necessary addition to the attire is a kind of cloak or mantle -of leaves, in shape like a book half-open, which is fastened to the -neck, and in rainy weather is brought up over the head like a loose -cover. The women, when carrying burdens, add to their already complex -costume a wooden board across the shoulders, so made as to fit into the -neck; and to this is suspended the basket containing the load. In front -the board is kept in its place by cords, which are attached to the -waist-belt or held in the hand. - -[Illustration: FOREST ROAD NEAR MUONG LIM.] - - * * * * * - -~PLEASANT TRAVEL.~ - -Having obtained the necessary authorization to push their researches -further, the adventurers set out from Muong Lim on the 1st of July, -with an escort of natives carrying their instruments, provisions, and -stores. At Puleo, finding the demands of the porters more than their -limited funds could afford to meet, they reduced their baggage to the -smallest possible proportions, and were thus enabled to dispense with -the services of some of their attendants. They found the banks of the -Cambodia frequented by numerous caimans, whose eggs are collected and -eaten by the inhabitants. By day the journey was rendered pleasant -through the constant succession of novel scenes. They made their way -over a hilly and richly-wooded country, occasionally coming upon cotton -plantations of exceeding richness; at other times upon delicious -rills of crystal which spread their silver network over a fresh green -expanse of flower-enamelled sward. Then they crossed a stretch of -fertile rice-fields; and again they plunged into fresh glades, where -a path wound in and out of clumps of palms and tropical trees, and -waving ferns and rare flowering shrubs grew in luxuriant masses. -But sometimes, at night, their experience was rather painful. They -generally constructed a rude shelter of boughs and interwoven leaves; -but this was often insufficient to protect them against the heavy -rains that fell during passing storms, and was useless, of course, as -a defence against the legions of leeches and mosquitoes which haunted -the forest-depths. - -~HOT WELLS DISCOVERED.~ - -After leaving a place called Siem-lap, they arrived on the borders -of a half-dried torrent, the rocky bed of which was strangely bare -of vegetation. The stones, among which a thin thread of water found -its way, were a curious appearance; they were white, and covered with -saline incrustations. The travellers tasted the water; it was warm. The -three or four sources of this singular stream rose, a short distance -off, at the foot of a wall of rocks: as they escaped among the shingle -they exhaled a cloud of vapour, and their temperature was shown by the -thermometer to be not less than 154° F. - -[Illustration: A NIGHT HALT NEAR SIEM-LAP.] - -Through a beautiful ravine they made their way to the picturesque -village of Sop Yong. The richest and most magnificent vegetation -imaginable grew close to the very edge of the river, and the -travellers were frequently compelled to take to its waters, swollen -as they were by the constant rains, and breast as best they could the -violence of the current. - -[Illustration: TRAVELLING IN A RAVINE NEAR SOP YONG.] - -~A SIGN OF CIVILIZATION.~ - -The next stage after Sop Yong was Ban Passang, which is described as -an agglomeration of villages situated on a fertile table-land, in the -heart of a rice-growing district. It is situated in the territory of -Muong Yong, the chief town lying further to the westward. For Muong -Yong the travellers set out on the 7th of August. They traversed a -plain abundantly watered by streams which all flow into the Nam Yong, a -branch of the great river. Over the chief of these little tributaries, -the Nam Ouang, is thrown a wooden bridge; and this agreeable -accommodation, a very great rarity in the land of the Laotians, -pleasantly surprised our gallant explorers; they looked upon it as the -sign of a more advanced civilization, which before long would exhibit -itself more completely. A considerable portion of the plain was laid -out in rice-fields; the rest was all swamp and morass. They passed by -several villages which wore an unusual aspect of ease and comfort. -Pagodas with curved roofs attracted the eye, and bore witness to the -influence of Chinese architecture and the vicinity of the Celestial -Empire. - -~ARRIVAL AT MUONG YOU.~ - -At Muong Yong the expedition was delayed until the 8th of September, -owing to the difficulty of obtaining the permission of the king of -Birmah to cross those Laotian territories which are now included within -the borders of his extensive dominions. The interval was occupied in -short excursions in the neighbourhood, and in studying the manners and -customs of the inhabitants. It was with no small pleasure, however, -that the French adventurers took their departure, and continued their -bold advance into regions of which European geographers knew but -little. Their route led them to the important town of Muong You, where -they paid visits of courtesy to the principal mandarins, the Burman -representative, and the king of Muong You himself. This prince received -them with dignified hospitality, and entertained them at a banquet, -which was “served up” in magnificent style, and with a dazzling -display of gold and silver plate. He is described as a young man of -twenty-six, with a graceful figure and handsome countenance. He was -attired in a dress of green satin, embroidered with red flowers; and -the fire of the rubies which hung pendent from his ears illuminated the -silken reflections of his rich costume. He was seated on cushions -glittering with gold tracery. Around him were ranged in respectful -attitudes the mandarins of the palace; at his feet, the sword and -vessels of gold, finely wrought, which are the symbol of royalty. - -[Illustration: INTERVIEW WITH THE KING OF MUONG YOU.] - -From Muong You the expedition struck across a romantic country--as yet -provided with but few facilities for travellers--to Xieng Hong, where -new impediments were thrown in the way of their further progress. -Having obtained admission to the presence of the king, they succeeded, -however, in obtaining the royal favour, and made their way along the -valley of the Nam Yong, which is bounded on either hand by lofty -mountains, to Muong La, or, as it is also called, Se-mao, situated on -the frontier of China; that mysterious land which has preserved its -own strange civilization intact for upwards of two thousand years, and -still offers a sullen resistance to the progressive influences of the -West. - -~ENTERING CHINA.~ - -~CHANGE OF SCENE.~ - -Once upon Chinese territory, they found their march comparatively -easy. Order reigned everywhere; and in all directions could be seen -the evidences of a constant and energetic industry. At Pou-eul, a -village of salt-pits, with its smoke, its dusky houses, its hoarse -sounds of active life, our travellers felt that they were once more in -the midst of a thriving civilization, and could almost have believed -that they were located in a small industrial town of Europe. Numerous -convoys of asses, mules, oxen, and horses ascended and descended the -long sloping street along which were erected the different factories, -carrying thither wood and charcoal and cordage, and carrying away -salt. Above the village rose a pagoda, crowning the summit of a hill -so high that the murmur of the life below could not reach it. Groves -of pines stretched far away on either hand; and along the declivities -were ranged abundant rice-fields, situated one above the other in -symmetrical terraces. - -[Illustration: MOUNTAIN VILLAGE AND RICE-FIELDS NEAR POU-EUL] - -The expedition had now left the valley of the Mekong, and were wholly -uncertain whether the route prescribed for them by the Chinese -authorities would bring them again in contact with the great Cambodian -river. We propose, however, to follow M. Garnier, as his wanderings led -him through a country hitherto unknown to Europeans. - -~THE FORTRESS OF THE EAST.~ - -In the early part of November our adventurers struck the right bank of -the Pa-pien-kiang of the Chinese, which is apparently identical with -the Nam-La, an affluent of the Mekong. Thence they ascended into the -table-land of Yunnan, rendered familiar to English ears in connection -with the enterprise and murder of Mr. Margary; and reached Tong-kuan, -or “the Fortress of the East,”--a strongly-built town, with a large -garrison, posted on a commanding ridge between two river-valleys. -Afterwards they crossed another considerable stream, the Poukou-kiang, -and continued their march through valleys and over hills where the -industry of man has softened the wilder features of the scenery, and -made the wilderness to blossom like a garden. In a few days they made -their appearance at Yuen-kiang, where they seem to have been welcomed -with almost royal honours. The town is large and populous, with every -indication of commercial activity and wealth. It has several handsome -pagodas, which have something of the Buddhist type about them. The -markets are well supplied with provisions of excellent quality and -low price. Oranges are almost “given away;” and potatoes are so cheap -and plentiful that an Irish peasant would think himself in an earthly -paradise. The country around the town is highly cultivated; cotton -being largely grown, and mulberry-trees for the silkworm nurseries. -A rich and radiant plain is watered by the stream of the Ho-ti-kiang, -which, opposite the town, measures about one-fifth of a mile in breadth. - -~DESCENDING THE HO-TI-KIANG.~ - -At Pou-pio M. Garnier hired a light canoe, and, in company with some -trading barks, began the descent of the Ho-ti-kiang, which for some -distance swirled in a narrow channel between mountain-walls of two -thousand five hundred to three thousand feet in height. Each torrent -which rent these rocky barriers brought down with it an immense -quantity of stones and pebbles, that encumbered the river-bed with -shoals and banks, and pent up the waters in foaming rapids. M. Garnier -was bound for Lin-ngan, but these numerous obstacles greatly impeded -his progress. But by degrees the river-bed broadened, the heights -receded on either hand, and the stream flowed with a full and tranquil -current through a gently undulating country, well cultivated, and -studded with populous villages. - -~ARRIVAL AT LIN-NGAN.~ - -In due time he reached Lin-ngan, where, as the first European who had -visited it, he became an object of special attraction. An inspection of -the town showed him that it was neatly and regularly built, and of -rectangular form, measuring about two thousand yards in length, by one -thousand in breadth. In the centre were gardens and pagodas decorated -with much taste; and a large and fully-stocked market was a scene of -very picturesque animation. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -EXPERIENCES AMONG THE CHINESE. - - -The attentions which a curious populace lavish upon a stranger are apt -to become a trouble and a burden, as Garnier experienced, when, after -an interesting survey of the environs of Lin-ngan, he returned to the -town. His steps were closely dogged by crowds of idlers and sightseers. -On his arrival at the pagoda where lodging had been provided for him, -behold! the balconies, the towers, the very roofs, were thronged with -wondering eyes. - -As he entered the court, the multitude pressed in upon him, and hemmed -him up at last in a narrow space, where they evidently designed to hold -him fast until their curiosity was satiated. Angry and ashamed, he bore -their scrutiny for an hour; when, his strength and patience giving -way, he made a sudden exit into his lodgings, closing the door of the -court behind him. It proved, however, an insufficient barrier against -the surging throng. They broke through it in a second, and were with -difficulty kept back a little by Garnier’s small escort of soldiers, -who had attended him from Yuen-kiang. The lieutenant succeeded at last -in closing the door. Then loud and long were the reproaches which the -rearmost ranks heaped on those in front for having recoiled before a -barbarian from the West! - -~ATTACK BY THE CHINESE.~ - -A stone, hurled through the grating, struck Garnier full in the face; -others followed, until there seemed every likelihood of his undergoing -the tortures of the ancient punishment by lapidation! Yet he yielded -not an inch, but leaning against the door, which shook before the storm -of missiles, seized his revolver, and fired it in the air. Firearms -of such deadly powers are not known at Lin-ngan, and the crowd, in -the firm belief that by discharging his weapon Garnier had virtually -disarmed himself, recommenced their volleys of stones. He fired again, -and again, and again; and the people, terrified by a weapon which -apparently was inexhaustible, fell back in a panic, and the danger -proved to be past. - -Soon afterwards Garnier was joined by the rest of the expedition; and -setting out from inhospitable Lin-ngan, the little company of explorers -proceeded on their way to Yunnan, the capital of a province of the same -name. - -Yunnan is a town of some importance, with a very numerous and -industrious population. Every thoroughfare presents a scene of the -liveliest activity. The town is surrounded by a high and massive wall; -and from the south gate extends a long broad street, lined with shops, -each of which has on its front a sign in gilded characters, while the -interior is filled with wares of extraordinary richness and variety. -Some Jesuit missionaries are stationed here. - -[Illustration: VALLEY OF KON-TCHANG.] - -~FROM YUNNAN TO MONG-KOU.~ - -~A WELL-CULTIVATED DISTRICT.~ - -The travellers now entered the green valley of Kon-tchang, through -the leafy shades of which tumbles a sparkling, noisy stream, while on -either hand rise venerable trees, with trunks bent and contorted as -if by some sudden convulsion. Thence they ascended to Mong-kou by a -difficult road, winding round the precipitous flank of a wind-swept -height, the summit of which, some twelve thousand feet above the sea, -was capped with snow. Wild and romantic was the character of the -scenery, reminding the travellers of that of Switzerland. At intervals -the expedition met with a check to its progress from the jealousy of -the Chinese officials, but resolution and tact overcame every obstacle. -Through the broad valley of Tong-chuen they debouched on a small but -well-cultivated plain, where the solid embankment of the bed of a -torrent formed a kind of causeway, raised seven to ten feet above the -surrounding level. From the sides of this elevated dyke issue numerous -canals, which distribute the fertilizing waters of the stream over all -the thirsty fields. Here, as in many other districts of China, the -patient industry of the labourer has transformed a devastating force -into a fountain of wealth and fecundity. The aspect of the plain is -very grateful to the eye. Yellow clusters of the colza mingle with -the white or purple corollas of the poppies. From the ridge which -terminates it is visible a deep cleft in the barrier of mountains that -stretches far along the horizon. This is the valley of the Blue River, -locally known as the Kin-cha-kiang, or “River of the Golden Sand.” - -Our explorers came upon this river on the 31st of January. It rolled -its clear deep waters in a ravine two thousand feet below them. Their -route, however, still lay along the mountain-sides, and they suffered -severely from the rigour of the cold and the heavy storms of snow -which beat continually upon their devoted heads. On the 3rd of February -they crossed the most elevated point they had reached in all their -wanderings,--the barometer indicating an elevation of nearly ten -thousand feet. Then they began to descend, each stage opening up to -their enraptured gaze a succession of glorious mountain-views, relieved -by occasional glimpses of finely wooded valleys, and of bright streams -that leaped and bounded in their haste to join the great river of the -plains. As they descended the temperature necessarily grew warmer, and -out of the inclemencies of winter they rapidly passed into the genial -airs of spring. - -[Illustration: CROSSING A RAVINE.] - -~LAKE OF TALY.~ - -~FORTRESS OF HIANG-KUAN.~ - -On the 29th of February, from the summit of the col which forms the -little valley of Kuang-tsa-pin, they discovered the lake of Taly, one -of the finest and grandest pictures which had excited their admiration -since they entered on their expedition. The background consists of a -lofty chain of snow-capped mountains, at the foot of which the blue -waters of the lake break up the plain into a maze of low promontories -covered with gardens and villages. A short descent brought them to -the borders of the lake, which they passed to the northward in order -to reach its eastern shore. The many villages through which they -took their way exhibited the cruellest traces of devastation. Only -the cultivated fields seem to have been spared, and these presented -a flourishing appearance. In due time they arrived before the gates -of the fortress of Hiang-kuan; which, erected at the very base of the -mountain, and on the margin of the lake, completely barred the passage. -There they learned from the mandarin in charge, that he would not allow -them to continue their journey, until permission had been obtained from -the sultan of Taly. This reached them on the following day; and, on the -2nd of March, the journey was resumed. They passed through Hiang-kuan, -the walls of which bathe on the one side their feet in the waters of -the lake, and on the other ascend the flanks of the mountain, which -forms a tremendous precipice, rendering the defile very easy of defence. - -Beyond, the shore of the lake again expanded into a magnificent plain, -in the centre of which is situated the city of Taly. At the southern -extremity of the lake the mountains again close in upon its waters; and -this second defile is commanded by another fortress--that of Hia-kuan. -Hia-kuan and Hiang-kuan, surrounded by massive crenelated ramparts, -are the two gates of Taly. Defended by brave men they would be -impregnable, and render access to the city impossible except by water. - -~A DISAGREEABLE INCIDENT.~ - -A great paved causeway crosses the plain of Hiang-kuan to Taly. -Escorted by ten soldiers, the French travellers entered the latter -city by its north gate. In a few moments an immense crowd gathered in -their rear, and lined each side of the great street which traverses -Taly from north to south. Having arrived in front of the sultan’s -palace--a crenelated building of sombre and severe aspect--they -halted to parley with a couple of mandarins who had been sent to meet -them. During this vexatious pause they were surrounded and pressed -upon by the crowd, and a soldier violently snatched off the hat of -one of the strangers--probably in order that the sultan, who was -regarding them from an upper balcony, might the better see his face. -This insolence was punished immediately by a blow which drew blood -from the aggressor’s countenance, and gave rise to an indescribable -tumult. The interposition of the two mandarins, the resolute attitude -of the Annamites, who grouped themselves around the French travellers, -and unsheathed their sword-bayonets, arrested, however, the hostile -demonstrations of the crowd, and they reached without further -_contretemps_ the yamen assigned to them for a residence, situated at -the southern extremity of the town. - -~ARRIVAL AT TALY.~ - -Immediately after their arrival, a mandarin of higher rank than any -they had previously seen presented himself as the formal representative -of the sultan, and asked who they were, whence they came, and what they -wanted. - -~THE FRENCHMAN AND THE MANDARIN.~ - -Through the medium of one Père Leguilcher, a Jesuit missionary, -who had accompanied them, Garnier replied, that they had been sent -by the French Government to explore the countries watered by the -Lan-tsan-kiang; that having arrived in Yunnan some months ago, they -had learned that a new kingdom had been established at Taly, and had -desired to pay their respects to its ruler, with the view of opening -up commercial and friendly relations between France and him. Some -explanations of the scientific object and really pacific character of -their mission were added. Garnier offered an excuse also for having -only presents of small value to offer to the sultan; and for being -unable, along with the officers of the expedition, to appear before -him in suitable costume, the length and difficulties of their journey -having compelled them to leave behind almost all the baggage. The -mandarin replied very graciously that there was no need for apologies -on that score, and that as they were, they would be welcome. To -prevent mistakes, Garnier then asked for details as to the ceremonial -observed at an audience of the sovereign. It was customary, said the -mandarin, to make three genuflexions before the sultan. On Garnier -objecting to this servile homage, he consented to allow the French -usage, with the condition that no one carried arms into the august -presence. After an interchange of compliments, the mandarin took his -leave, while the Frenchmen remained enraptured with his cordiality and -straight-forwardness. - - * * * * * - -Before long he returned, accompanied by a ta-seu--that is, by one of -the eight great dignitaries who compose the council of the sultan. -Both requested Lieutenant Garnier to repeat the explanations he had -previously given as to the objects of the expedition; and he did so, in -the fewest words possible. “You were not, then, sent expressly by your -sovereign to Taly?” “How could that be,” replied the lieutenant, “when -at our departure nobody in France knew that the town had a king?” -They then requested M. Garnier to intrust to them, for the purpose -of showing them to the sultan, the Chinese letters, of which he was -the bearer, to the king of Se-chuen. To this he consented; and they -withdrew, apparently quite satisfied. - -The first night at Taly was undisturbed. The lieutenant’s intention -was, if all went well, to leave his companions to rest themselves for -a few days in the city; while he and Père Leguilcher pushed forward -to the banks of the Lan-tsan-kiang, about four days’ journey, and -ascended that river as far as Li-kiang-foo, where the remainder of the -expedition would rejoin him in due course. - -~THE SULTAN’S ORDERS.~ - -~THE SULTAN AND THE PRIEST.~ - -At nine o’clock next morning, when he was collecting all the -information necessary for the execution of this project, a messenger -came from the sultan to fetch Père Leguilcher. He did not return -until noon, and then his face was overclouded. The sultan refused -to see them, and had issued orders that they were to quit the city -on the following morning, and return by the route they came. “Make -known to the strangers,” he had said, “that they may seize all the -lands bordering upon the Lan-tsan-kiang, but they will be compelled -to halt on the frontiers of my kingdom. They may subjugate the -eighteen provinces of China; but that which I govern will cause them -more trouble than all the rest of the empire. Dost thou not know,” -he continued, “that it is but three days since I put to death three -Malays? If I grant their lives to your companions, it is only because -they are strangers, and on account of the letters of recommendation -which they carry. But let them hasten their return. They may have -sketched my mountains, and fathomed the depths of my rivers; but they -will not succeed in conquering them. As for thee,” concluded the -sultan, in a softer tone, “I know thy religion, and have read its -books. Mohammedans and Christians are brothers. Return to thy place of -residence, and I will make thee a mandarin, to the end that thou mayst -govern thy people.” - -Throughout the interview, the father was kept standing, and not allowed -to speak; overwhelmed with questions to which no reply was permitted, -interpellated and hooted at by the crowd. - -To what circumstance, says M. Garnier, was so abrupt a change -attributable? Undoubtedly to the influence of the military advisers of -the king, who would be unable to believe in a purely scientific and -disinterested mission. A despotism sprung from a revolution, abhorred -by the masses whom it overwhelmed with imposts, existing only through -terror and crime, is forced to be cruel and suspicious. The official -relations between the French explorers and the Chinese authorities had -placed the former, with regard to the sultan of Taly, in a delicate -position which justified his mistrust. - -~THE EXPEDITION FOILED.~ - -During the rest of the day, the travellers were visited by a great -number of Mohammedan functionaries, actuated by curiosity or a desire -to watch their doings. They thought it prudent, therefore, to abstain -from sketching or taking notes. About five o’clock, the sultan sent -for the chief of their escort; who returned soon afterwards, and said -that he had orders to conduct them back to Hiang-kuan on the following -morning. He showed M. Garnier at the same time a sealed document, which -he had to convey to the mandarin of that fortress. A few presents -attached him to the interests of the French explorers, who arranged to -start with him at daybreak and avoid traversing the town. For Garnier -feared lest, the sultan’s suspicions and anger being known, the crowd -should break out into open hostility, or a few soldiers attempt to -satisfy their ruler’s secret desire without actually compromising him. - -At nightfall, the lieutenant took care to see that all the weapons of -his party were loaded, and instructed them what steps to take in case -of a surprise. He sought, by liberal promises, to secure the complete -fidelity of the porters. - -~A NIGHT OF SUSPENSE.~ - -The night was spent in a painful condition of expectancy. A sentinel -had been stationed at their door, who followed them each time they -went out. M. Garnier dreaded every moment the arrival of an order to -prohibit their departure, and transform their temporary confinement -into definite captivity. About eleven o’clock one of the great -mandarins of the sultan sent to inquire by what route they intended -to return; and received for reply, that they did not know. The night -passed without any other incident. - -At five in the morning they were on the march, well armed, and -carefully grouped; they turned the city of Taly by the south and east, -and with scarcely a halt crossed the twenty miles that separated them -from Hiang-kuan. As they were about to enter the first gate of the -fortress, the chief of their escort stopped them, and said he was -ordered, pending the arrival of fresh instructions from the sultan, to -lodge them in a small yamen which he obligingly pointed out. - -Garnier pretended to regard as a special act of courtesy what was -evidently neither more nor less than a disguised sequestration, and -replied that, after the cold welcome he had received at Taly, he could -not accept the sultan’s hospitality. Unwilling, however, that this -hurried retreat should look too like a flight, he added that if the -mandarin of Hiang-kuan had any communications to make, he would await -them in the little wayside _auberge_ where he had rested on his way to -Taly. - -~LEAVING HIANG-KUAN.~ - -The Mohammedan officer objected that he would be assuming a grave -responsibility if he allowed any such modification of the sultan’s -orders. But Garnier was resolute; having determined, if necessary, to -force a passage before he could have time to arouse the garrison of -Hiang-kuan. While the sultan’s lieutenant put his horse at a gallop to -forewarn the governor of the dispute which had arisen, Garnier led his -little company through the fortress gates, without encountering any -fresh obstacles, and in a few minutes was encamped at the _auberge_ -already spoken of, with the open country before him. - -He had scarcely arrived when the governor of Hiang-kuan sent for Père -Leguilcher. He offered him an enormous price for the revolver which -Garnier had intended for the sultan, and stated that he had orders to -furnish them with a new escort, and two mandarins to accompany them to -the frontier, and regulate the stages of their journey; and further, -that they were to pass the night at Hiang-kuan, and wait until the -following morning for the arrival of the said mandarins and escort. - -~THE RETURN JOURNEY.~ - -Garnier replied that he would make a present of the weapon, but that -he did not sell arms; that in his journey he reserved to himself full -liberty of action, and that he cared nothing at all about the mandarins -and the promised escort. This he conclusively showed by starting in the -evening for Ma-cha, a village situated at the northern extremity of the -lake. - - * * * * * - -~THE MISSIONARY’S ALARM.~ - -On the 5th of March the journey was continued; and by nightfall the -expedition reached the town of Kuang-tia-pin. Their arrival was -immediately made known to the commandant of the neighbouring fort, who -sent for Père Leguilcher. The good monk was filled with alarm at the -thought of the probable results of the interview. The commandant might -have received orders to separate from their interpreter the little -company of strangers; who, left to themselves, unacquainted with the -language and ignorant of the customs of the country, might the more -easily be entrapped into an ambuscade! On the other hand, the route lay -underneath the guns of the fort, and it was imprudent to come to an -open rupture with its governor. They contented themselves, therefore, -with replying that the evening was too far advanced for a visit, but -that Père Leguilcher would accept the invitation next morning. - -This answer did not satisfy; and three soldiers presented themselves -with orders for the father to follow them. - -The poor missionary, overcome with terror, thought that his last hour -had come. It seemed to him as dangerous to resist as to obey. M. -Garnier had to decide for him; and he repeated to the soldiers the -reply already given, and desired them to be content with it. They -insisted on their instructions with all the insolence and astonishment -inspired by a resistance to which they were unaccustomed. Alarmed by -their threats, which Père Leguilcher understood much better than his -companions, the missionary wished to comply; but Garnier detained him, -while his Annamite attendants showed the soldiers “the way out.” The -latter retired, vowing that they would return in great force, and that -the heads of the strangers should soon be adorning the posts in the -market-place. - -~PRUDENCE AND PRECAUTION.~ - -By this time the travellers had become accustomed to such “brave -words,” and gave little heed to them. They took, however, the necessary -precautions: each man received a revolver in addition to his carbine, -and even Père Leguilcher consented to equip himself with carnal -weapons. All the approaches to the _auberge_ were guarded, and the -utmost vigilance was maintained throughout the night. They were but ten -in number; but as each was equipped with carbine and revolver, they -could discharge seventy shots without reloading, which would suffice to -keep at a respectful distance a whole regiment of Mohammedans. But no -enemy made his appearance. - - * * * * * - -~ARRIVAL AT THE MISSIONARY’S RESIDENCE.~ - -At daybreak, after having passed in review before them all their -porters, and appointed the town of Too-tong-tse as a rendezvous, -Garnier and his companions, on horseback, escorted the Jesuit -missionary to the gate of the fortress. They then informed the -commandant that the father had come to pay the desired visit, but that -it could not be prolonged beyond ten minutes; if at the expiration of -that time the father had not returned, they would come in quest of him. -This peremptory message was intended to produce an impression on people -accustomed to see everybody trembling before them. Such language to -them would be terrifically novel! It had a good effect. The governor of -the fortress contented himself with communicating to Père Leguilcher -the order he had received from Taly to escort them to the frontier. The -father replied in the words which Garnier had addressed to the governor -of Hiang-kuan, and his interlocutor did not insist; he even begged him -to shorten the interview, for fear, he said, he should overstay the -time allotted, and arouse the impatience of the “great men.” And so, an -hour later, the whole party arrived in safety at the worthy father’s -residence, where they enjoyed ten days of entire rest, rendered -necessary by the fatigue and emotion they had recently undergone. - -On the 7th another messenger arrived from the fort, with a request -that Père Leguilcher would come “alone” to consult with the governor -on the stages of the travellers’ journey. No notice was taken of the -communication. - - * * * * * - -~ABOUT THE TALY LAKE.~ - -In spite of the rapidity with which M. Garnier had been compelled to -pursue his march, he contrived to collect some interesting particulars -of the country, its inhabitants, and resources. - -The lake of Taly, situated at an elevation above the sea-level of -upwards of seven thousand five hundred feet, measures about twenty -miles from north to south, with an average breadth of two miles. Its -depth is very considerable,--exceeding three hundred and twenty feet -at some points. There appear to be several islands scattered towards -the south-east. The level of the lake is higher than that of the -neighbouring rivers, and its overflow may possibly help to feed those -on the north and east, which belong to the Blue River basin. Ostensibly -it pours forth its waters at its southern extremity by a river which -empties itself into the Mekong. At the mouth of this river, which is -not navigable, stands the fortress of Hia-kuan, already spoken of. -Shortly after issuing from the lake, it divides into two branches, but -these unite again lower down. During the rainy season the waters rise -fully seventeen feet; in the dry season, the chain of the Tien Song -mountains, on the western shore of the lake, send down a succession of -violent squalls, which greatly impede its navigation. This chain, the -elevation of which is estimated at sixteen thousand feet, is clothed -with snow for nine months in the year. On the opposite bank rises a -mass of heights belonging to a range of inferior importance. Between -these mountains and the lake some richly-cultivated fields slope gently -to the edge of the deep blue waters. - -The lake abounds in fish, which are principally caught by birds trained -for the purpose. The process adopted is better than that known in -Europe as _de pêche au cormoran_. - -~THE LAKE FISHERMEN.~ - -The fishermen set out at early morn, making a tremendous din and -clamour, so as to awaken the attention of the numerous troops of birds -slumbering around them. They embark on board flat-bottomed boats, each -provided with a well, which they allow to drift along slowly, while one -of them, stationed at the bow, throws into the water enormous balls -of rice. The fish hasten in immense shoals to enjoy the banquet; and -the fishing-birds, flocking round the boats in great numbers, dive and -reappear immediately, each with a fish in its bill. As fast as they -fill their pouch, the boatmen empty it into the interior of the bark, -leaving to each winged fisher just enough to satisfy its appetite and -encourage its ardour. In half an hour each boat is loaded, and the -boatmen hasten to dispose of their stores at the nearest market. - - * * * * * - -~THE MIN-KIA POPULATION.~ - -The plain of Taly formerly contained upwards of one hundred and fifty -villages, which the sultan has attempted to repeople almost exclusively -with Mohammedans. The eastern shore is inhabited by the Min-kia and -Pen-ti populations, who are descended from the first Chinese colonists -whom the Mongolian dynasty sent into Yunnan after the conquest of -that province. The Min-kia come from the neighbourhood of Nankin. -The women do not mutilate their feet; and the young people of both -sexes wear a kind of bonnet, of original form, ornamented by a silver -pearl. Evidence of their admixture with the former inhabitants of the -country is found in their costumes and language. These ancient Chinese -emigrants are treated with contempt by pure-blooded Chinese; and hence -results an antagonism which not a little contributed to ensure the -neutrality of the Min-kia, at the beginning of hostilities between -the Mohammedans and the Imperialists. But, after a while, the despotic -and violent acts of the rulers of Taly exasperated even this pacific -race; and, led by an energetic chief named Tong, the Min-kia long -maintained a successful resistance against the Mohammedans. Tong fell -in battle in 1866, and the conquerors pursued his family with merciless -vengeance. At present, the natives of the districts contiguous to -Taly, disorganized and without a leader, submit to, while hating, the -domination of the sultan. The Pen-ti occupy more particularly the plain -of Tong-chuen, north of the lake, and the district of the Pe-yen-tsin. -Their costume is original and characteristic. - -~THE MOUNTAIN TRIBES.~ - -Under different names, the Lolos, or representatives of the -autochthonous race, inhabit the summits of the mountains, and assert -their independence. With their continual forays they harass the -dwellers in the plains. Certain districts in the vicinity of Pien-kio -pay to one of these tribes, the Tcha-Su, an annual sum by way of -blackmail, in order to secure their cattle. Even this payment, however, -does not protect them from occasional depredations; and they cannot -claim, when their herds are carried off, more than half their value. - -A considerable trade is carried on between Taly and Tibet, consisting -of imports of _kuang-lien_, a bitter root much used in Chinese -medicine, woollen stuffs, stag-horns, bear-skins, fox-skins, wax, oils, -and resinous gums. Exports from Yunnan include tea, cottons, rice, -wine, sugar, mercery, and hardware. - -~MINERAL TREASURES.~ - -The industrial production of the kingdom of Taly has diminished -considerably since the war. Formerly, it was of much importance from -a metallurgical point of view. The copper mines of Long-pao, Ta-kong, -and Pe-iang are the most valuable in the whole country, where are also -found deposits of gold, silver, mercury, iron, lead, and zinc. At -Ho-kin paper is made from bamboo. The stems of the plant are made up -into bundles of equal length, which are peeled and macerated in lime. -They are afterwards placed in an oven, and steamed for twenty days; -then they are exposed to a current of cold water, and deposited in -layers in a second oven, each layer being covered with a coating of -pease-meal and lard. After another “cooking,” they are converted into -a kind of paste, which is extended on trellis-work in excessively thin -layers, and dried in the sun. In this way the manufacturers turn out -their sheets of a paper coarse and uneven enough, but very stout. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -RETURN TO SAIGON. - - -The French expedition, finding further progress impossible, resolved -at length on retracing its steps to Saigon, and accordingly set out in -that direction on the 15th of March. On the 3rd of April it arrived at -Tong-chuen, where Lieutenant Garnier heard of the death of his chief, -M. de Lagrée. Four days later, the gallant little band, several of its -members suffering from fever, resumed its march. On the 9th, M. Garnier -crossed the deep swift waters of the Ngieoo-nan in a ferry-boat, which -runs on a cable moored from bank to bank. On the 11th he reached -Tchao-tong. - -~AT TCHAO-TONG.~ - -Here he and his comrades met with a kindly welcome, and were -lodged in the house of a native priest, who had charge of the few -Christian inhabitants of the town. The crowd, as usual, displayed an -extraordinary amount of curiosity and importunity. The _tche-hien_, or -administrator of the Tchao-tong district, paid them a visit immediately -on their arrival, and invited them to dine with him on the following -evening. The repast included fourteen courses at the least, to say -nothing of the cucumber-seed, the mandarinas, and the li-tchi, served -up as preliminaries. There was nothing, however, peculiarly worthy of -the attention of gourmands, except a dainty dish of pigeons’ eggs, and -a particular kind of fish, caught in a neighbouring pond, the flesh -of which had a peculiar flavour. During the repast, the ladies of the -household closely scrutinized the features of the strangers through a -lattice, laughing heartily at their awkwardness in using the Chinese -utensils. - -Tchao-tong, like all Chinese towns of importance, is surrounded by a -bastioned wall, of rectangular plan, measuring about a mile and a half -each way. Considerable suburbs prolong to the north, east, and west -the streets which abut on the gates of the town. The latter has never -been captured by the Mohammedans, and its inhabitants cherish a fierce -hatred against the rebels of Taly. - -The plain of Tchao-tong seems to be the most extensive in Yunnan, -and is carefully cultivated--a large portion of its area being -appropriated to the growth of poppies for the manufacture of opium. Its -inhabitants complain of want of water; and, in fact, their only sources -of supply are some tiny rills, almost dry in the hot season. There are -extensive deposits of anthracite and peat. A small pond, abounding in -fish, lies to the south-west. - -[Illustration: MERCHANT TRAIN IN YUNNAN.] - -~ARTICLES OF COMMERCE.~ - -Tchao-tong is one of the most important commercial _entrepôts_ between -China and Yunnan. Enormous convoys of raw cotton, of English or native -cotton stuffs, and of salt from Se-chuen, are here exchanged for the -metals--tin and zinc more particularly--furnished by the environs -of Tong-chuen, the medicinal substances which come from the west of -Yunnan and the north of Tibet, and the nests of the _coccus sinensis_, -which yield the pe-la wax. This insect breeds on a species of privet -which grows in the mountainous parts of Yunnan and Se-chuen, and -is thence transported to other trees favourable for the production -of wax, which flourish in the warmer lowlands. Necessarily, these -nests must be conveyed from point to point with great rapidity, lest -the newly-hatched insects should die before arriving at their new -abode; they are stored away in large baskets, divided into numerous -compartments, and their bearers frequently accomplish thirty or forty -leagues at double quick marching step. - - * * * * * - -~THE JOURNEY CONTINUED.~ - -Resuming their journey, M. Garnier and his companions traversed a -country of great beauty, studded with villages, and broken up into -romantic highlands and wooded valleys, watered by copious rivers. -On the 20th of April they reached Lao-oua-tan, a busy town on the -Huang-kiang, at the point where the navigation of the river begins. -Here they embarked on board a large boat with a capacity of thirty to -forty tons, and began the descent of the river, admiring the skill with -which the Chinese carried them through the successive rapids. In a -couple of hours they arrived at Pou-eul-tou, a small port on the left -bank, where Garnier and his companions landed, while their baggage and -a part of the escort continued the journey by water. Garnier pressed -forward through a truly Arcadian valley to Long-ki, the residence of -the Vicar-Apostolic of Yunnan, Monseigneur Ponsot. It is needless to -say that he was received with the warmest hospitality. - -~THE BLUE RIVER.~ - -The next stage was Siu-tcheou-fou, a lively and busy town, where -several Roman Catholic missionaries are stationed. Thence, in -a couple of junks, the travellers descended the Blue River to -Tchong-kin-fou, the great commercial centre of the province of -Se-chuen. Resting here a while, they then continued their voyage to -Han-keou, entering a region which has been carefully explored and -described by officers of the British navy. The river all along its -course presents an animated scene,--the junks ascending the stream -being towed by boatmen on the banks, who time their steps to a rude -and noisy song. M. Garnier arrived at Han-keou on the 4th of June, -and once more entered upon the enjoyment of the comfort and security -of civilized life, after a long, difficult, and perilous expedition, -in which he had added largely to our knowledge of a region of vast -commercial resources. On the 10th he embarked on board a steamer -for Shanghai,--arriving there on the 12th. After a week’s stay he -set out for Saigon; where he presented himself on the 29th, and was -received with the honours due to his courage, his patience, and his -perseverance. He has shown that the Mekong must hereafter become -an important highway of commerce, and one of the great channels of -communication with Yunnan and Tibet. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -DR. MORICE AND THE MEKONG. - - -We owe some additional information respecting the great river of -Cambodia to Dr. Morice, who travelled in Cochin-China in 1872. - -[Illustration: ANNAMITE LADY AND HER SERVANT.] - -Of the Annamites, the inhabitants of Cochin-China, he says at the -outset, that his first feeling with respect to them was one of -disgust. Those faces more or less flattened, and often devoid of all -intelligence or animation; those livid eyes; and, especially, that -broad nose, and those thick upturned lips, reddened and discoloured by -the constant use of betel-nut, do not answer to the European ideal of -beauty. But after a long acquaintance with them, he, as is the case -with other Western visitors, began to discern a glimpse of meaning in -most countenances, and even to make distinctions between the ugly ones. -He met with some eyes which were not oblique, some noses which had -an almost Caucasian character, and his repugnance gradually disappeared. - -Still, from the most favourable point of view, they are a race of low -stature and unprepossessing appearance; feeble, deficient in stamina, -and never likely to make a noise in the world. Their French rulers grow -into giants when compared with these dwarfs; and their muscular energy -is far inferior to that of Europeans, whether owing to natural causes -or to want of hygienic knowledge. As for their complexion, while some -are deeply tinted, others are quite wan and pale. In two respects only -can the Annamites be said to surpass their masters: in their ability to -row ten hours consecutively, and in the impunity with which they can -encounter the burning rays of a tropical sun. - -~CHARACTER OF THE ANNAMITES.~ - -As for their character, it is that of a people whom slavery, ignorance, -and sloth have rendered poor, timid, and apathetic. Yet they are -capable of being raised to a higher moral and intellectual standard. -They have many serious defects, it is true; they are deficient, for -example, in the artistic sentiment. Even of the latter evidence is -found in some surprising mural paintings, which reproduce, with loving -fidelity, all that is bright and living in nature,--birds, insects, -flowers. But, as a rule, the Annamites are insensible to the arts. -Their shrill monotonous music is terrible to a cultured ear; and it may -be doubted whether ours is agreeable to them. Of sculpture they know -only the rudiments; their poetry is indifferent; they cannot dance. -Their literary research is confined to an acquaintance with a few -Chinese characters; and their scientific acquirements are a blank. - -~THEIR DRESS AND HABITATIONS.~ - -Then as to their attire. They never abandon their clothes until they -fall into rags and tatters, though they are insufficient to protect -them against the variations of their climate, and more particularly -against the keen frosty mornings of December and January. Their huts or -hovels, nearly all built upon piles, half in the water and half in the -earth or mud, are singularly unhealthy. The cultivation of rice, and -their occupation as fishermen, have rendered them almost amphibious. -Water rises frequently to the floor of an Annamite house, particularly -in high tides, but it does not discompose the owner; who, in such an -event, crouches contentedly on the domestic hearth, or rocks to and -fro in his rude hammock, murmuring some monotonous air, or smoking a -cigarette shaped like a blunderbuss. - -~THE PLAIN OF THE TOMBS.~ - -At Saigon (or Sai-gun), the French settlement and seaport, situated -at the mouth of a river of the same name, the traveller finds much -to interest him. The Botanic Garden, for instance, will well repay -inspection, stocked as it is with rare, beautiful, and curious -specimens of tropical vegetation. Close at hand lies the so-called -Plain of the Tombs; the scene, a century agone, of numerous battles -between the inhabitants of Lower Cochin-China and the Annamites; and, -between 1860 and 1864, of several engagements between the Annamites and -the French. The uniformity of its vast expanse is broken by a number -of mounds or tumuli; some on a modest, others on a splendid scale. -Constructed of earth or brick, they are covered with a kind of cement, -on which are depicted in vivid colours the figures of fantastic animals -and impossible plants, while the name and titles of the deceased are -inscribed in conspicuous characters. - - * * * * * - -Here, one day, Dr. Morice chanced to be the spectator of an Annamite -funeral, which is always celebrated with a certain amount of pomp, -and attended by a numerous train of mourners. The coffin is planted -in the centre of a small portable house, made of paper painted in -brilliant colours, and cut into curious shapes. A score of bearers -carry this miniature temple, resting upon their shoulders the bamboos -which support it. A company of persons with torches scatter along the -road their prayers to Buddha, traced on golden and silver papers, and -set fire to them. In the rear march the friends and relatives of the -departed, some uttering forced lamentations, all smiling “in their -sleeves;” for these singular people are never so moved by their sorrow -that they cannot laugh at a jest, or at any incident of which they -immediately seize, as by intuition, the comic side. - - * * * * * - -~THE GECKO DESCRIBED.~ - -Here too he saw some geckos: indeed, they were numerous enough to -be considered the genii of the place. Inhabiting the forests and -waste places, as well as the huts of the Annamites and the houses -of the French, this large lizard, so common in Cochin-China, is one -of the animals which give to the fauna of the country its peculiar -character. Does the reader know what a gecko is like? If not, let him -try to conceive of a gigantic terrestrial salamander; its skin, of -a bluish-gray, covered with a quantity of tiny tubercles rising in -the middle of an orange-tinted patch; its great eyes having a large -gold-yellow iris; while, owing to the sucker-like lamellæ that line the -under surface of its feet, it is able to walk easily on the smoothest -surfaces, and utterly to defy the laws of gravitation. Its cry, to -which it owes the name given to it in every language, is curiously -sonorous; and when first heard, fairly startles the hearer. A shaky -grumble or grunt serves as prelude; then, five, six, or eight times, -lowering its voice regularly half a tone on each occasion, it jerks out -its cadenced notes, which are sometimes written _gecko_, and sometimes -_tacke_; the performance terminating with a grunt of satisfaction. - -~ITS FAMILIARITY WITH MAN.~ - -The gecko grows as familiar with man as the domestic cat or -dog,--entering human habitations freely, and rendering valuable service -by the eagerness with which it devours flies, spiders, and other -insect-plagues. During the day, it lurks generally in some obscure nook -or dark corner; but at dusk sallies forth in search of prey, running -up or down the steepest walls with wonderful swiftness, and giving -utterance to a quick shrill noise by smacking its tongue against its -palate. So flexible is its body, that it can adapt itself readily to -any depression or irregularity in the surface of the ground, forming -apparently a component part of it. This deception is facilitated by its -dulness of colouring. It is a home-keeping animal, and never strays -to any great distance from the lair which it has chosen. Despite its -ugliness and its cry, which at night, when a dozen are heard replying -to one another, becomes insupportably wearisome, it is one of man’s -most useful allies in the animal-world, and merits his respect. - -A word as to the formation of its wide feet. All the toes are broadened -considerably at the edges, and their under surface is divided into -numerous transverse laminæ, from which exudes an adhesive fluid. Its -claws are sharp, crooked, and retractile like those of a cat. - -~ABOUT THE MARGOUILLA.~ - -Another animal of the same group, but much smaller, and closely -resembling the tarenta of which the Toulonese are so afraid, is the -_margouilla_, the “con-tan-lan” of the Annamites. It inhabits trees -and houses with equal complacency. Every evening, when the tapers -are lighted, it may be seen promenading along the ceiling, where it -pounces upon the insects, uttering from time to time its short cry -of satisfaction, which may be translated by the syllable _toc_ ten -times repeated. It is partial to sugar; but as it is the inveterate -enemy of the mosquitoes, no one begrudges it a dainty morsel from the -sugar-basin. - - * * * * * - -~EXCURSION TO KHOLEN.~ - -From Saigon Dr. Morice made an excursion to Kholen, the second town in -size and population in Cochin-China. It lies about three miles from -Saigon, but is connected with it by a line of villages, of pagodas, and -of the country-houses of the wealthier Chinese merchants. Kholen is the -centre of all the Chinese commerce of the colony. The amount of rice, -stuffs, and products exported from China, which is sold there, almost -passes belief; and the stranger surveys with interest the animation of -its busy streets, and the numerous Chinese junks and Annamite sampans -moored alongside its quays. - -[Illustration: CHINESE HOUSE AT KHOLEN.] - -Among its peculiarities may be specialized its parks or preserves of -crocodiles. A barrier of long and solid piles surrounds a space of -about twenty square yards on the river-bank; in the mud and slime -thus enclosed, and regularly inundated at high water, sprawl from one -hundred to two hundred crocodiles. When the people wish to sacrifice -one of these monsters, two of the piles are lifted up; a running knot -is flung round the neck of the largest of the herd, which is then -hauled outside; its tail is fastened close to its body lengthwise; -its feet are cut off, and used to garnish its back; the jaws are tied -together with ratan; and these vegetable bonds are so firm that the -huge creature is incapable of movement, and can offer no defence. As -for the flesh, though rather leathery, it appears to have a certain -value, and is not so strongly impregnated with the odour of musk as -some writers pretend. On Annamite tables it figures as a favourite dish. - - * * * * * - -~HATIAN-OF-THE-ROSES.~ - -From Saigon Dr. Morice’s next excursion was to Gocong, which lies in -the centre of a district famous for its rice-fields. Thence he made -his way to Hatian (or Cancao), of which he gives a lively description -furnished to him by a French colonist:-- - -“Hatian-of-the-Roses is a small gem of flowers and verdure; magnificent -pagodas, wooded hills, the limestone mass of Bonnet-à-Poil; everything -which one finds nowhere else.” - -But, says Dr. Morice, he forgot the fever. - -There can be no doubt that Hatian is a lovely spot. It is situated -on the borders of a lake which opens into the Gulf of Siam; a lake -bordered on the west by ranges of green hills, luxuriantly clothed -with magnificent trees. To the east extends a vast plain, in the -centre of which rises the isolated mass of limestone known as the -Bonnet-à-Poil. The fields are enamelled with flowers and studded with -flowering bushes; and winding paths lead through a succession of scenes -of the most various beauty. - -~THE PEPPER-PLANT.~ - -The plant chiefly cultivated is the pepper-plant. On a soil raised -several feet above the ordinary level are disposed parallel rows of -sticks like those which are used in the Kentish hop-gardens, and round -each of these coils a vigorous plant. It takes five years for a plant -to become productive. Maize is also cultivated, but not to so large an -extent. - -~FEAST OF THE TÊT.~ - -While Dr. Morice was at Hatian, its Annamite inhabitants celebrated -their feast of the _Têt_ or New-Year’s Day, in which are oddly mingled -the religious rites of Buddhism, and the worship of the manes of -their forefathers, the fear of the devil or _Maqui_, and the noisiest -possible manifestations of popular mirth. It lasts at the least seven -days,--with the rich much longer; and the entire settlement gives -itself up for this period to the most unrestrained enjoyment. - -Before each house, on a table covered with a mat, is to be seen the -offering of meat and drink, rice-spirit in a small white porcelain -teapot, tea, betel with all its ingredients, fish, various kinds of -Annamite vermicelli, roast duck, a quarter of pork, rice, bananas, -and oranges. All this display is set out with flowers; then a couple -of small tapers are lighted, and the manes, or domestic spirits, are -respectfully invited to come and take their share of the consecrated -love-feast. More: on a plate supported on a moderately high post, -other and more delicate offerings are displayed,--composed generally -of a bouquet of only two species of flowers, the one violet-tinted, -the other yellow. As they are seen everywhere, it is probable that -a symbolical meaning attaches to the union of these two flowers. -Moreover, the rich plant an areca, the poor a large bamboo, in front of -the various oblations, and to the top of each fasten a tiny basket of -ratan, divided into five compartments. Finally, the altar of Buddha, -which forms an indispensable appendage of every hut, is decked out with -special pomp; and strips of yellow, red, and violet papers, inscribed -with Chinese characters, are affixed to every door. These are intended -to avert the presence of the evil spirit during the new year. - -~AN ANNAMITE PASTIME.~ - -Meantime everybody, clothed in their best attire,--men, women, and -children,--that is to say, in a striped tunic and pantaloons blue, -red, yellow, violet, green, often with the two legs of different -colours,--sallied forth to exchange greetings, or amuse themselves as -best they might. Among the pastimes most in favour were the following. -Javelin-throwing; in which a long lance of black wood was made to -pass through a ring suspended from a post about three feet high, and -this at a distance of six to nine yards. This game, which resembles -the old Scotch exercise of tilting at a mark, requires considerable -skill on the part of those who engage in it. Still more popular, -especially among women and children, was the swing, single or double. -And it was not without astonishment that the traveller found here, in -the far East, a kind of “merry-go-round,” such as we see at our fairs -and holiday fêtes, with a score of persons enjoying its revolutions. -There was also the game of shuttle-cock, which was launched either -with hand or foot. In the midst of all this turmoil might be heard the -monotonous tomtom, the isolated sounds of some three-stringed guitars, -and especially the sharp reports of petards, which are indispensable at -every festival, and resemble sometimes the file-firing of infantry. - -~THEATRICAL PERFORMANCES.~ - -For this great yearly revel every Annamite saves up his money -for months, and when it comes he disburses his little store most -conscientiously. Frequently an itinerant troop of actors comes--at -least in the principal towns--to contribute its part to the general -rejoicings. As it is the wealthy citizens who in turn defray the -expense of its representations, we need hardly say that they are very -largely attended. The plays included in their repertory are always -of a noisy character, and plentifully sprinkled with coarse jokes, -at the expense of the military mandarins, husbands, and especially -the Chinese. Actors hideously painted, with the view of giving them a -formidable appearance, perform in desperate combats, diversified by -guttural cries and heroic poses of the most ridiculous character. - - * * * * * - -~THE FOUNDER OF HATIAN.~ - -During his sojourn at Hatian, Dr. Morice paid a visit to a singularly -constructed edifice--the ancient Chinese palace of the Maqueuou. This -Chinese worthy, it is said, was a simple fisherman; but as the products -of his avocation did not enrich him with sufficient rapidity, he -began to cultivate a little ground, and started a pepper plantation. -One day, while digging, he turned up a store of money,--a supply so -ample that it enabled him to bring over to Hatian a large number of -his compatriots. He trained them, enrolled them, practised them; and -the result was that, one fine morning, Hatian, enriched and largely -increased in population, declared itself independent of the empire of -Annam, or rather Cambodia, and raised Maqueuou to the throne. He built -for himself a splendid palace, and lived for many years afterwards, -enjoying the rare pleasure of witnessing the realisation of his dreams. -But when he died his organizing genius died with him. Hatian was again -annexed to the empire, and the palace fell into ruin; only its four -walls are now extant. - -The European stranger visits the spot with a feeling of respect for the -memory of a bold and energetic man. With some difficulty he clears a -path through the luxuriant vegetation, and arrives in front of walls of -Cyclopean solidity. Two vast halls, almost choked with balsam, daturas, -caster-oil plants, parasites, and refuse, form the entrance. Then come -four smaller apartments, in better condition, and each provided with a -great circular window. Here some geckos have established their abode, -saluting the stranger with astonished glances and piercing cries. - -~MAQUEUOU’S TOMB.~ - -Next comes an immense chamber, almost exactly square; and several tombs -or memorial buildings are here overshadowed by venerable trees. The -highest, raised in honour of Maqueuou himself, consists of successive -courses of masonry, diminishing gradually from base to summit. -Unfortunately, built of bad materials, it has been seriously injured by -the action of the sun and the rains. A swarm of bees was domiciled in -one of the crannies; and a tree, the seed of which had probably dropped -from the bill of some wandering bird, soared upward from the very -apex of the pyramid. Four smaller monuments, all oblong in shape, and -traditionally appropriated to Maqueuou’s family, are scattered around -the former. They still bear traces of the carving with which they were -formerly decorated. - -Solitude and silence prevail within the precincts of this vast ruin. -The geckos, the birds, and a squirrel or two, are its only inmates. - -Another remarkable object is the so-called pagoda of Maqui, or the -devil. Dr. Morice was greatly surprised to see appended to its walls -a complete series of water-colour sketches, on very stout paper, -representing the tortures of an Inferno which would bear comparison -with Dante’s. The satellites of the Annamite devil are shown in -those pictures as engaged in the variety of occupations which the -old medieval legends attributed to the imps of Beelzebub. They are -roasting, impaling, cutting to pieces, and flaying the guilty; throwing -them into caldrons of boiling water, grilling them over fires, and -flinging them to the hungry jaws of enormous tigers. - -~AN UNPLEASANT GUEST.~ - -~A COBRA CAPELLA.~ - -That Hatian is not without its unpleasantnesses, Dr. Morice discovered -in an unexpected fashion. Some workmen, in pulling down an old wall, -came on the lair of a large serpent, which lay in “multitudinous coils” -hatching its store of eggs. As everybody knew Dr. Morice’s zoological -tastes, the workmen sent him immediate information of their “find,” -and he quickly arrived on the spot, armed with a stick and a long -and strong pair of nippers. Had it not been for its eggs, the animal -would probably have retreated; but it remained rolled up in its hole, -showing only its spotted and dusky-coloured head. To seize its neck -with his nippers, was Dr. Morice’s instant manœuvre; and then, to the -great terror of the Chinese workmen, he raised it up bodily, and -proceeded to carry it off in triumph. Meanwhile, the irritated creature -discharged at its captor’s forehead a jet of liquid, from which, -at the time, he felt no disagreeable sensation. On reaching home, -Dr. Morice deposited the reptile and its eggs in a chest lined with -straw; which he nailed down carefully, and raised above the ground on -vessels of water, as a protection against the attacks of ants. Then, -and not till then, he washed his forehead, bathing, with due caution, -the part touched by the fluid discharge; but still not believing that -the serpent was one of the venomous kind. He troubled himself no more -about his prisoner until, a few days later, he found in his chamber -four tiny serpents, which he took up in his hand, in spite of their -angry hissing. These he transferred to a glass jar. The next morning, -wishing to examine them, he was unpleasantly surprised to find them -rearing their head erect and expanding their neck laterally; and still -more disagreeably surprised to detect on the neck thus expanded the -characteristic V. They belonged to the genus of the spectacled serpent, -the _naja_ of India, the dreaded _cobra capella_! - -~MOTHER AND PROGENY.~ - -Dr. Morice hastened to bore some large holes in the chest containing -the serpent and the eggs, and by means of these he introduced into the -interior a quantity of burning sulphur. When, after a sufficient time -had elapsed, he opened it, he found the mother and eighteen young ones -suffocated, while four eggs still remained intact. How had the others -been hatched? The circumstance was a novel one, for it was supposed -that only the great serpents--the pythons and boas--hatched their eggs. -At all events, it was an interesting fact that this animal had remained -faithful to its brood. Among the sixteen young serpents, only one was a -female, and most of them had already once changed their skin. They were -about thirteen inches long, and their fangs were clearly discernible. -Dr. Morice felt that he had good reason to be thankful that he had not -been wounded by the _cobra capella_ when he so rashly pounced upon it. - - * * * * * - -We next find our unwearied travellers undertaking a journey to Chaudoc, -which is situated near the mouth of the Mekong. On both banks of the -river, but more particularly on the right bank, are arranged the -numerous Annamite huts; and above them frown the grim walls of a fort, -which is in itself of the size of a small town. The province, of which -Chaudoc is the capital, includes one hundred and five villages, and has -a population of eighty-nine thousand souls, of whom eight thousand are -Cambodians and sixteen thousand Malays. - -[Illustration: VINH-LONG.] - -~AT VINH-LONG.~ - -Five days later Dr. Morice was at Vinh-Long, the fort of which is -equal in magnitude to that of Chaudoc. In the rear of the great muddy -moats and embankments of earth, sustained by huge piles, rise the -officers’ barracks, and the entrenched redoubt containing the soldiers’ -quarters and the hospital. Bamboos and tall grasses have overgrown a -portion of the immense enclosure, and in their tangled mass enormous -pythons are frequently killed, while the _najas_ lie asleep in the dank -inextricable vegetation of the trenches. The town itself is not without -a certain agreeableness of aspect; its broad, straight streets are -shaded by gigantic cocoa-nut palms. - - * * * * * - -~THE “BLACK LADY.”~ - -Still continuing his explorations in the districts watered by the -mouths of the Mekong, which forms a considerable delta, traversed by -innumerable canals and branches, Dr. Morice arrived at Tayninh, which -lies to the east of Saigon. It lines the river-bank for some distance; -the houses of the Annamite population being built, not of mud and clay, -as in the western districts of Cochin-China, but of good solid -timber, and with much care and good taste. Their roofs are also of -better construction: instead of the leaves of the water-palm, a close -fine thatch is used, to which the action of the atmosphere soon gives -a pleasant tint of age. Flourishing coffee-plantations surround the -town, in the rear of which spread the shadows of a mighty forest, that -spreads far up the sides of a chain of granite mountains of moderate -elevation. The highest of these is the “Black Lady” (_Nui-ba-dinh_). -On the summit, in a picturesque nook, stands a celebrated pagoda, the -cells of its bonzes being excavated out of the neighbouring rock. The -pagoda owes its repute to the neighbourhood of a miraculous spring; and -this spring rejoices in a legend, which may be told as follows:-- - -~THE PERPETUAL FOUNTAIN.~ - -A bonze of indescribable holiness, who loved to offer up his prayers -in the high places of earth, climbed the mountain one day in order to -make his devotions on its lofty summit. Despite his sanctity, however, -he was human; and as the mountain was of great elevation and equal -barrenness, he soon grew faint with hunger, but more particularly with -thirst. Disdainful, like all sages, of purely physical needs, he had -not taken the precaution of providing himself with these precious -necessaries of food and drink, which are the first thought of ordinary -mortals. What was he to do? He began to pray; and lo! as he prayed, an -enormous rock, which reared its dark front before him, was suddenly -cleft open, and revealed to his delighted gaze a crystal spring falling -into a basin of stone. From that time the well has never ceased to pour -out abundant waters, which heal all the diseases of humanity;--though, -strange to say, men, women, and children still die in Cochin-China! - -Ten minutes’ climbing brought Dr. Morice face to face with this -perpetual marvel. His companions hastened to drink copious draughts of -the fresh cold water; but Dr. Morice, rejecting the legend, and having -less confidence than he ought to have had in temperance principles, -resorted to his pocket flask, poured out a glass of French wine, and -drank to the majesty of the glorious mountain. - -[Illustration: SCENE AT TAYNINH.] - - * * * * * - -On another occasion Dr. Morice took part in an exciting adventure, -which had a painful issue. A tiger, whose depredations had become -intolerable, having carried off the best dog of one of the best -hunters of the country, it was decided that he must undergo immediate -and condign punishment. - -The tiger is not often hunted in Cochin-China, where the elephant, that -living fortress, does not place at the disposal of the European its -high shoulders and formidable tusks. The inhabitants generally resort -to snares. - -~TIGER-HUNTING.~ - -~THE SOLDIER AND THE TIGER.~ - -“An expedition having been resolved upon, we surrounded,” says Dr. -Morice, “the hill which served as a retreat for the monster. More than -one hundred and fifty natives were present, shouting, gesticulating, -and creating the most awful clamour which ever troubled a tiger’s -siesta. As for us, the French inspector, a French soldier, and myself, -we were in the plain, sprinkled with small mounded graves, which -extends behind Tayninh, and waited in patience until it pleased the -tiger to show his precious skin. It seemed to be his opinion that -the boldest policy was the best; for in less than half an hour after -we had drawn our noisy cordon he emerged from the wood, and advanced -towards us. He was received with a rolling fire. Of our four balls -one at least struck him, for he made a movement of pain, and turned -towards the soldier who had accompanied us. That our movements might -be more free, we had separated at some distance from one another. The -soldier immediately leaped upon a mound about three feet high, and -with his loaded gun in his hand bided the wounded animal’s onset. A -second ball from the inspector’s rifle hit him; but disregarding this -new provocation, and yearning for his prey, he dashed towards the -tumulus. With one bound he was at its foot, where he reared himself -erect. Then took place a strange and lamentable scene, which showed -how even the bravest lose their self-possession when face to face -with these terrible beasts. That the soldier was a man of courage, -numerous incidents had proved: it was he who had shown the most ardour -in organizing the expedition; he had in his hand a first-rate rifle, -and only the length of his arm apart was the white chest of the tiger, -which seemed to await his death-dealing bullet. Well, for a few seconds -he contented himself with striking the outstretched paws before him -with the butt-end of his musket. The tiger extended his body, seized -with one of his claws the unfortunate man’s leg, and began to drag him -off.” - -“A man touched by a tiger is a dead man,” says a German naturalist; -“and it is useless to risk the life of another in an attempt to snatch -from the cruel beast the mutilated victim whose sufferings will soon be -terminated by death.” Such cold-blooded reasoning never prevails on the -scene of action. Both the doctor and the inspector pursued the tiger -as he still hauled along their comrade’s body; and two bullets, more -fortunate than their predecessors, arrested his course for ever. - -On examination, they found that their unfortunate companion had -sustained a severe wound. Dr. Morice amputated his thigh in the hut -to which he was transported; but, whether from loss of blood, which -Europeans can ill afford in tropical latitudes, or from the violence of -the shock to the nervous system, he died that same night. - - * * * * * - -~VISIT TO THE MARKET-PLACE.~ - -~ANNAMITE AND CAMBODIAN.~ - -From this painful scene it is pleasant to turn to the market-place of -Tayninh, with its various specimens of the human race. Cambodians are -tolerably numerous; their comparatively tall stature, their dark skin, -their thick and heavy lower jaw, their hair cut close like the bristles -of a brush, and especially their air of passive savagery, give them -an appearance totally different from that of the Annamites. The two -races detest each other cordially. The Annamite, proud of his lighter -complexion, of his more advanced civilization, to say nothing of the -numerous defeats he has inflicted on his neighbour, looks upon him as -little above the Moïs or wild people of the mountains. The Cambodians -are savages, he says, whose nature is radically bad and vicious; they -think nothing of law or order; they are stupid, and almost devoid -of reason. On the other hand, the Cambodian, with his gloomier and -more silent disposition, his deeper religious sentiment, regards with -compassion the volatile Annamite. A cordial understanding between the -two peoples will hardly ever be possible. The Cambodian, in spite -of his somewhat coarse features, is more Hindu than Indo-Chinese; -and both his language and his writing have affinities with those -of the aboriginal inhabitants of the great Indian peninsula. He is -the morose and untamable denizen of the hills and woods; while his -neighbour is the sociable and light-humoured inhabitant of the plains. -Unhappy is the Cambodian! Hemmed in between the Siamese on the one -hand, and the Annamites on the other, who together have robbed him -of his richest provinces; rendered stationary by the operation of a -feudal law which prevents him from acquiring lands of his own,--a -vigorous hand is needed to support him, and enable him to preserve his -autonomy, while the ameliorating influences of European civilization -are gradually brought to bear upon him. - - * * * * * - -~THE CHINESE ELEMENT.~ - -Such are the two races which occupy the provinces watered by the lower -branches of the great Cambodian river. In the large towns and seaports -is found a considerable admixture of the Chinese element. Trade and -commerce are almost entirely in the hands of Chinese merchants, who, -here as elsewhere, exhibit an extraordinary amount of patience, -industry, and thrift; and, here as elsewhere, untiringly amass large -and even enormous fortunes. They preserve their nationality unaffected -by the conditions in which they are placed; always a people apart, and -always as distinct from the races around them as are the Jews from the -nations of Europe. - -[Illustration: CHINESE MERCHANTS OF SAIGON.] - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -M. MOUHOT IN CAMBODIA. - - -Much of the interesting and valuable information we have acquired of -late years in reference to Siam, Cambodia, and Laos, we owe to the -indefatigable labours of Henri Mouhot, the eminent French naturalist, -who penetrated into regions previously unknown to Europeans in the -years 1858, 1859, and 1860, and devoted himself to the service of -Science with equal ability and zeal. He finally fell a victim to his -heroic ardour--being seized with fever while on his way from Na-Lê to -Luang Prabang, in Laos, on the 19th of October 1861, and dying, almost -alone, with the exception of two faithful native servants, on the 10th -of November. - -~TEMPLE OF ONGCOR.~ - -He spent nearly four years in exploring the interior of Siam. As -his biographer tells us, he first travelled through that country, -then entered Cambodia, and afterwards made his way up the Mekong as -far as the frontier of Laos. There he visited one of the wild and -unconquered tribes which occupy the border-land between Cambodia and -Laos and Cochin-China. Crossing the great lake Touli-Sap, he extended -his researches into the remote provinces of Ongcor and Battambang, -discovering some immense ruins of high antiquity, and more particularly -those of the Temple of Ongcor the Great, which, with its terrace, -portico, galleries, and peristyles, is perhaps a monument unparalleled -in the world. The bas-reliefs with which it is adorned indicate -considerable artistic skill on the part of those who designed and -executed them. But what impresses the observer, not less than the -beauty and grandeur of the various parts of the huge pile, is the size -and number of the blocks of stone of which they are constructed. In a -single temple as many as fifteen hundred and thirty-two columns! What -means of transport, as Mouhot remarks, what a multitude of workmen, -must such an enterprise have required, seeing that the mountain whence -the stone was extracted is thirty miles distant! In each block may -be seen holes an inch in diameter, and an inch and a fifth in depth, -varying in number with the size of the blocks; but no traces of them -are found in the columns and sculptured portions of the glorious -structure. According to a Cambodian legend, these are the impressions -of the fingers of a giant, who, after kneading an enormous quantity -of clay, cut it into blocks and carved it, and then converted it into -stone by pouring over it some wonderful liquid. - -“All the mouldings, sculptures, and bas-reliefs,” says Mouhot, “appear -to have been executed after the erection of the building. The stones -are everywhere fitted together in so perfect a manner that you can -scarcely see where are the joinings; there is neither sign of mortar -nor mark of chisel, the surface being as polished as marble. Was this -incomparable edifice the work of a single genius, who conceived the -idea, and watched over the execution of it? One is tempted to think -so, for no part of it is deficient, faulty, or inconsistent. To what -epoch does it owe its origin? As before remarked, neither tradition nor -written inscriptions furnish any certain information upon this point; -or rather, I should say, these latter are as a sealed book, for want of -an interpreter,--and they may, perchance, throw light on the subject -when some European savant shall succeed in deciphering them.” - -From the Mekong valley M. Mouhot passed into that of the great -Siamese river, the Menam, visiting the province of Pechaburi. Thence -he returned to Bangkok, and after suitable preparation started on -an expedition to the north-east of Laos. His wanderings took him -to Phrabat, Saohaïe, Chaiapume, and Korat. Returning to Chaiapume, -he struck off in a westerly direction, and visited Poukieau, -Monang-Mouna-Wa, Nam-kane, and Luang Prabang, capital of West Laos. -At the time of his death he was bound for the provinces south-west of -China. - -It will form, we think, a useful supplement to the account of the -Mekong given in the preceding pages, if we condense M. Mouhot’s -narrative of his partial ascent of that great river. - - * * * * * - -~JOURNEY TO UDONG.~ - - -We will take up our traveller’s route at Kamput, on the sea-coast, -where he had an interview with the king of Cambodia, and obtained -carriages to convey him to Udong, the capital. Udong is situated about -one hundred and thirty-five miles to the north-east of Kamput, and -four miles and a half from an arm of the Mekong which forms the Great -Lake. After traversing a marshy plain he and his followers entered a -noble forest, and “under green leaves” proceeded to Udong, resting at -night in stations provided for the accommodation of travellers. These -are about twelve miles apart, and are not only spacious but handsome. -The road all the way proved to be in excellent order, and averaged -from eighty to one hundred feet in width. A broad track in the middle -is reserved for vehicles and elephants, while on either side extends -a belt of turf, covered with shrubs, and bounded by the lofty and -majestic trees of the forest. On drawing near the capital, M. Mouhot -saw that the country exhibited signs of cultivation: fields of rice -waved luxuriantly, and the country residences of the Cambodian nobles -were surrounded by beautiful gardens. The capital was protected by a -large moat, surmounted by a parapet, and enclosed by a palisade ten -feet high. There were no sentinels at the gate, however, and M. Mouhot -entered unchallenged; nay, more, without let or hindrance passed into -the palace-court of the second king of Cambodia. - -~A CAMBODIAN PALACE.~ - -~MOUHOT AND THE KING.~ - -This distinguished personage soon heard of the stranger’s arrival, -and despatched a couple of pages to summon him to his presence. -Mouhot would have excused himself on the plea that his luggage had -not arrived, and he was not in suitable attire. He was told that the -king had no dress at all; and before he could invent a second excuse, -the king’s Chamberlain arrived with a more peremptory message. Mouhot, -therefore, repaired to the palace, the entrance of which was guarded -by a dozen dismounted cannon, and was shown into the audience-chamber, -the walls of which were whitened with chalk, and the floor paved with -large Chinese tiles. Here, waiting for the king’s appearance, were -collected several Siamese pages, from twenty-five to thirty years -of age, all dressed alike in a langouti of red silk. As the king -entered every forehead touched the ground. His manner was graceful and -self-possessed, and the questions he asked were pertinent and sensible. -Was M. Mouhot French or English? What was his business in Cambodia? -What did he think of Bangkok? Then, with all the ease of a European -sovereign, he held out his hand for Mouhot to kiss; and the latter -withdrew, well pleased with the interview. - -~A BUSY SCENE.~ - -An inspection of the city showed him that it contained a population -of about twelve thousand souls; that it consisted in the main of a -street one mile in length; and that the houses were built of planks -or bamboos. It presents a very lively appearance, however, from the -numbers of persons who are drawn to it by considerations of business -or pleasure. “Every moment,” says Mouhot, “I met mandarins, either -borne in litters or on foot, followed by a crowd of slaves carrying -various articles: some, yellow or scarlet parasols, more or less huge -according to the rank of the persons; others, boxes with betel. I also -encountered horsemen, mounted on pretty, spirited little animals, -richly caparisoned and covered with bells, ambling along, while a troop -of attendants, covered with dust and sweltering with heat, ran after -them. Light carts, drawn by a couple of small oxen, trotting along -rapidly and noisily, were here and there to be seen. Occasionally a -large elephant passed majestically by. On this side were numerous -processions to the pagoda, marching to the sound of music; there, -again, was a band of ecclesiastics in single file, seeking alms, draped -in their yellow cloaks, and with the holy vessels on their backs.” - - * * * * * - -~THE GREAT BAZAAR OF CAMBODIA.~ - -From Udong, with waggons and elephants provided by the king, M. Mouhot -proceeded towards the Great Lake. The road was in excellent condition, -and at some points built up more than ten feet above the level of the -low, wooded country which borders on the great arm of the Mekong. The -watercourses were spanned by handsome bridges of wood or stone. At -Pinhalu, a village on the right bank of the river, is the residence -of the French Vicar-Apostolic of the Cambodia and Laos mission. Here -our traveller embarked in a small boat for Pemptielan, situated on -the Mekong, about forty miles north of Pnom Penh. The branch which he -descended was fifteen hundred yards wide, and its banks were inhabited -by a tribe called the Thiâmes. Pnom Penh, which Mouhot reached after -a perilous voyage, is the great bazaar of Cambodia. It contains a -population of about ten thousand, nearly all Chinese; while double that -number of Cochin-Chinese and Cambodians live upon the river in their -boats. An active trade is carried on here in rice, fish, glass, brass -wire, and cotton yarn. - -~ASCENT OF THE MEKONG.~ - -Just below this busy town M. Mouhot’s boat passed into the main channel -of the Mekong--the “Mother of Rivers”--and began to ascend it, steering -towards the north. Shoals of porpoises accompanied it, occasionally -bounding out of the water with a lively splash; red-billed pelicans -watched for their finny prey from the reedy banks; and storks and -herons stood in silent meditation. - -The current of the Mekong, as we have already stated, flows with great -rapidity, and renders navigation slow and laborious. It took M. Mouhot -five days to pass the island of Ko-Sutin; and the rate of velocity -increasing as he advanced to the northward, he was seldom able to -accomplish more than two miles a day. On arriving at the rapids and -cataracts he was compelled to abandon his boats and embark, with his -followers and stores, in light canoes; and even these it was necessary -at times to carry ashore, and convey along the bank on men’s shoulders -until a smooth part of the river was gained. - -At Pemptielan Mouhot landed, and delivered to its mandarin a letter -from the king, ordering him to furnish the traveller with all the -appliances requisite for his overland journey. He immediately started -him on his way with a suitable number of waggons drawn by oxen, but the -soil in the forests was so marshy that they were continually sinking -in some deep slough, from which they could be extricated only by the -greatest exertions. Thus their progress was limited to sixty miles in -five days. At length he reached the village of Brelum, in the centre -of a district occupied by the savage Stiêns. Here, in order to study -their manners and the physical features of the country, he remained -three months, though it is difficult to conceive of a situation less -pleasing to or suitable for a man of European culture. The gloomy -forests around were infested with elephants, rhinoceroses, tigers, -buffaloes, and wild boars. More formidable, because less easily -avoided, were the snakes, scorpions, and centipedes which swarmed in -every direction, and constantly made their way into the houses. Brelum, -however, is the seat of a Roman Catholic mission, and from its head, -Father Guilloux, the traveller received a cordial hospitality which -alleviated the dreariness of his sojourn. - -~RESIDENCE AT PEMPTIELAN.~ - -He describes the Stiêns as dwelling in villages, each of which forms -a distinct and independent community. They love “the deep shade of -the pathless woods,” where they live on the products of their bow and -arrows. They work with great skill in iron and ivory; and the women -weave and dye a delicate stuff, which they wear in the form of a long -loose scarf. In the neighbourhood of their villages, if the country -be open, they cultivate various kinds of vegetables and fruit-trees, -as well as rice, maize, and tobacco. In the fields thus planted they -spend the rainy season, building small huts, raised above the swampy -ground on piles--a protection at once from the swollen waters and -the leeches, the latter of which are a plague of no inconsiderable -proportions. - -~THE RICE CULTIVATION.~ - -There is a certain peculiarity in their method of cultivating rice. -On the beginning of the rains the Stiên selects his piece of ground, -and with nimble hatchet clears it of its growth of bamboos, but not -attempting to meddle with the large trees. As soon as the canes have -dried he sets fire to them, and in this way clears his ground and -manures it simultaneously. Then he takes two long bamboos and lays -them in a line on the ground; with a dibble in each hand he makes on -either side a row of holes about an inch and a half deep, at short -distances. Having finished _his_ share of the work the man retires to -enjoy his ease, while his wife enters on the scene, and from a basket -slung to her waist dips out a handful of rice, a few grains of which -she drops into each hole with equal neatness and rapidity. No more is -necessary. Nature does the rest. The heavy rains soon wash the soil -over the holes; and the heat of the climate soon causes the seed to -germinate. Meanwhile the cultivator sits and smokes in his hut, or -proves his skill with bow and arrow at the expense of the goats, apes, -or wild boars. At the end of October is reaped the harvest. Generally, -for some weeks previously much privation and distress are experienced, -and the improvident Stiên, who never takes thought of the morrow in -the season of plenty, is reduced to feed upon wild roots, maize seeds, -young bamboo shoots, and even serpents, bats, and toads. For this sorry -fare the Stiên compensates himself as soon as the harvest is gathered. -A general feasting commences: one village inviting the inhabitants -of another; oxen being freely slaughtered; and eating and drinking -prevailing from morn to night, and almost from night to morn, to the -sound of tambourine and tomtom. - - * * * * * - -~ABOUT THE STIÊNS.~ - -Like the Annamites, the Stiêns wear the hair long, but twisted up, -and fastened by a bamboo comb, with a pheasant’s crest on the top -of a piece of brass wire by way of ornament. They are mostly of -tall stature, strong, and well-limbed; with regular features, thick -eyebrows, and a good forehead. Their hospitality is abundant, and a -stranger, on his arrival, is immediately entertained with rice-wine, -a pipe of peace, and a fatted pig or fowl. Their dress is simplicity -itself,--a long scarf about two inches wide; and even with this they -dispense when “at home” in their cabins. They have neither priests nor -temples; and their religion appears to consist of a belief in a supreme -being called _Brâ_; to whom, on occasions of calamity and suffering, -they sacrifice a pig or an ox, and sometimes a human victim. - -~THEIR RESPECT FOR THE DEAD.~ - -They are very careful in burying their dead; and a member of the family -of the deceased invariably visits the grave daily, to sow a few grains -of rice for his sustenance. Prior to any meal, they spill a little rice -for the same purpose; and similar offerings are made in the fields -and places which the dead were accustomed to visit. Plumes of reed -are attached to the top of a long bamboo, and lower down the stem are -fastened smaller bamboos containing a few drops of wine or water; and, -finally, on “a slight trellis-work raised above the ground” some earth -is laid, with an arrow planted in it, and a few grains of cooked rice, -a leaf, a little tobacco, and a bone spread about. - -The Stiêns believe that animals have souls; that these wander about -after death; and that, therefore, it is necessary to propitiate -them, lest they should be troublesome and vexatious. Sacrifices are -accordingly offered, in proportion to the size and strength of the -animal; and the reader will conceive that in the case of an elephant -they are on a very grand scale. The North American Indian, it may be -remarked, cherishes a similar superstition in respect to the bear and -the buffalo. - -~THEIR HUNTING WEAPONS.~ - -According to M. Mouhot, a Stiên is seldom seen without his cross-bow -in his hand, his knife slung over his shoulder, and a basket--for his -arrows, and the game they bring down--on his back. In the chase he -displays the most untiring energy, gliding through the woods “with -the speed of a deer.” In the use of the cross-bow practice brings -perfection. For the larger animals the arrows are steeped in a poison -which is described as being peculiarly rapid and fatal in its effects. - -The Stiêns, let it be said in conclusion, are, like most savage races, -exceedingly partial to ornaments, and particularly to bracelets made of -bright-coloured beads. The men usually wear one above the elbow, and -one at the wrist; but the women load both arms and legs. Brass wire and -glass ornaments form their currency; a buffalo or an ox being valued -at six armfuls of thick brass wire, which is also about the price of a -pig. A pheasant, however, or a hundred ears of maize, may be procured -for a small piece of fine wire or a bead necklace. - -Both men and women perforate their ears, widening the hole annually by -the insertion of plugs of bone or ivory fully three inches in length. -A plurality of wives is allowed to the chiefs and richer men of the -tribe; the poor are content with one wife, simply because they cannot -afford to maintain a harem. - - * * * * * - -~HUNTING THE TIGER.~ - -About the fauna of this portion of the Mekong valley little need be -said, and that little we shall confine to the tiger, which is as strong -and ferocious as his celebrated congener of Bengal. Yet a couple of -men, with no other weapons than pikes, will frequently sally forth to -the attack. When the object of their daring enterprise is discovered, -the stronger of the two hunters lowers his pike. Sometimes, if not -emboldened by hunger, the tiger refuses the challenge, and bounds into -the forest shade; more frequently he charges with a sudden rush, and -then, if the force of his leap do not carry him over the head of the -hunter, he falls upon the pike, which the hunter raises by pressing -the handle on the earth. Immediately his companion rushes forward, -and plunges his weapon into the animal’s flank; then the two, by sheer -force, pin him to the ground, and hold him there until he dies. If the -first man miss his aim, and break his pike, his death is certain; and -not seldom his comrade also perishes. - -~A CIRCLE OF PIKES.~ - -But generally a tiger-hunt brings to the front all the men of the -village, together with volunteers from the neighbouring villages. Led -by the most experienced among them, they track the animal to his lair, -which they proceed to enclose with a circle--each man being posted at -a convenient distance, but so as to leave no space unguarded through -which the tiger may escape. “Some of the most daring then venture into -the centre,” says Mouhot, “and cut away the brushwood, during which -operation they are protected by others armed with pikes. The tiger, -pressed on all sides, rolls his eyes, licks his paws in a convulsive -manner as though preparing for combat; then, with a frightful howl, -he makes his spring. Immediately every pike is raised, and the animal -falls pierced through and through. Accidents not infrequently happen, -and many are often severely hurt; but they have no choice but to wage -war against the tigers, which leave them no rest, force the enclosures, -and carry off domestic animals and even men, not only from the roads -and close vicinity of the houses, but from the interiors of the -buildings. In Annam, the fear inspired by the tigers, elephants, and -other wild animals, makes the people address them with the greatest -respect; they give them the title of ‘grandfather’ or ‘lord,’ fearing -that they may be offended, and show resentment by attacking them.” -It is a pity that poets and romancists, when enlarging on the joys -of a savage life, its freedom from the restraints of civilization, -and the opportunities it affords for communion with Nature, omit all -reference to its inconveniences,--such, for instance, as the immediate -neighbourhood of an elephant or a tiger! - - * * * * * - -~LAKE TOULI-SAP.~ - -After a sojourn of three months among the Stiêns, M. Mouhot returned -to Udong by the route which he had previously followed. Of Pnom Penh, -he says that it is situated at the confluence of the Mekong with its -tributary, which he proposes to name the Mé-Sap. This arm or tributary -it is which forms the great Cambodian lake Touli-Sap; an immense sheet -of water, upwards of one hundred and twenty miles in length, and four -hundred miles in circumference, and as full of motion as a sea. Its -shores are low, and covered with half-submerged trees; but in the -distance may be seen a magnificent range of mountains, with the clouds -resting on their summits. - -~RUINS OF BUDDHIST TEMPLES.~ - -To the east of the Great Lake lies the province of Ongcor, or Nokhor, -in which, and along the banks of the Mekong, lie ruins of immense -grandeur, bearing witness to the ancient wealth and populousness of the -kingdom of Tsiampois (Cochin-China). To the most remarkable of these -monuments, the great temple of Ongcor-Wat, we have already alluded. Its -founders are unknown. Ask the Cambodians, and they reply: “It is the -work of Pra-Enn, the king of the angels;” or else, “It is the work of -giants;” or, “It was built by the leper King;” or, “It made itself.” - -~ON THE MOUNTAIN-SUMMIT.~ - -Two miles and a half to the north of Ongcor, on the summit of Mount -Bakhêng, rises another magnificent Buddhist temple, not less than one -hundred and twenty feet in height. At the foot of the mountain two -stately lions, each formed, with its pedestal, out of a single block of -limestone, keep watch in the silent shadows of the forest-trees. Thence -dilapidated stone staircases lead to the mountain-top, from which a -view of singular beauty and extent is obtained. On the one side are -visible the wooded plain and pyramidal temple of Ongcor, with its noble -colonnades, and the mountain of Crôme,--the horizon being bounded by -the shining waters of the Great Lake. In the opposite direction extends -the long mountain-chain, the quarries of which, it is said, supplied -the materials of the temples; and among the dense masses of foliage at -its feet glimmers a fair and silvery lake. The entire region is now -as lonely and deserted as formerly it must have been full of life and -cheerfulness. The solitude is disturbed only by the occasional song of -bird, or wild, unearthly cry of beast of prey. - -A smooth surface has been obtained on the top of the mountain by -laying down a thick floor of lime. At regular intervals are four rows -of deep holes, in some of which still stand the columns that formerly -supported two roofs, and formed a corridor leading from the staircase -to the body of the building. The arms or branches of this gallery were -connected with four towers, built partly of stone and partly of brick. -In the two of these which are in the best preservation are kept large -rudely-fashioned idols, evidently of great antiquity. In one of the -others is a large stone, with an inscription still visible; the figure -of a king with a long beard is carved upon the outer wall. - -~M. MOUHOT’S DESCRIPTION.~ - -A wall, says Mouhot, surrounds the top of the mountain, and encloses -yet another building--quadrangular in shape, and composed of five -stories, each about ten feet high, while the basement story is two -hundred and twenty feet square. These stories form so many terraces, -which serve as bases to seventy-two small but elegant pavilions; and -they are embellished with mouldings, colonnades, and cornices. M. -Mouhot describes the work as perfect; and is of opinion that, from its -good state of preservation, it must be of later date than the towers. -Each pavilion, it may be assumed, formerly contained an idol. - -On either side of the quadrangle ascends a staircase, seven feet wide, -with nine steps to each story, and lions on each terrace. The centre -of the terrace formed by the last story is simply a mass of ruins from -the shattered towers. Near the staircase lie two gigantic blocks of -fine stone, wrought as smooth as marble, and shaped like pedestals for -statues. - - * * * * * - -~GARNIER’S DESCRIPTION.~ - -[So far from M. Mouhot. It will be interesting, however, to supplement -his description with the details given by Lieutenant Garnier. - -The ascent of the so-called mountain, he says, is easily accomplished: -after a little time the traveller arrives at a kind of platform -excavated in the rock, the surface of which appears formerly to have -been carefully levelled with cement. A small brick building attracts -the eye; it is erected over the imprint of Buddha’s foot, the gilding -and outlines of which are, like the building itself, of very modern -date. But we soon discover, in the rock, numerous holes which served -as foundations for the columns of the temple; and beyond, some of -these columns are still standing. If we follow up the traces of this -colonnade, we arrive at an enclosure which was opened of old, perhaps, -by a monumental gate; but there are not sufficient vestiges extant to -enable us safely to reconstruct this part of the edifice. Within the -enclosure, and symmetrically placed on either side of the colonnade, we -find two ruined buildings; and in their interior numerous statues and -fragments of statues have been carefully preserved by the inhabitants. -Continuing our exploration westward, we arrive at length at the foot -of the principal monument. This consists of five terraces excavated -on the crest of the hill in exact gradation. Their general plan is -rectangular, and one recedes behind the other at least thirteen feet. -We ascend them by means of staircases constructed in the middle of each -side, and guarded by stone lions mounted upon pedestals. At the angle -of each terrace, and about thirty feet from each staircase, are raised -admirably built little turrets, sixteen feet in height. Each of these -sixteen turrets contains a statue. - -~A MASS OF RUINS.~ - -~A PICTURESQUE PANORAMA.~ - -In the centre of the upper terrace is a platform or base, about three -and a quarter feet high, and measuring one hundred feet from north to -south by one hundred and three feet from east to west. On this base -were raised of old the towers which dominated the neighbouring country. -But it is occupied now by a mass of ruins. By carefully examining -them, we are able to make out that these towers were three in number, -of which the central was the largest, and that they faced the east. -The view from the summit of the ruins is truly enchanting. At our feet -extends the verdurous sea of forest, its vague and undefinable murmurs -just audible to the attentive ear. In a northerly direction the dense -forest-shadows stretch far and far away until lost in the dim horizon; -and the eye seeks vainly to discover in its midst the crests of some of -the lofty monuments of Ongcor. To the south-east, however, the towers -and colonnades of Ongcor-Wat are clearly marked out upon the great -open plain; and the few groves of palms and clusters of fruit-trees -which surround it give to the landscape an Oriental character of poetry -and grace. Westward, a small lake reflects in its glassy surface the -surrounding verdure. To the south we catch glimpses, through the warm -vapours which veil the horizon, of the Great Lake. - -What a fairy-like aspect, from the summit of these towers, must the -mountain itself, in the old time, have presented, with its lions, and -its turrets, and its staircases of stone descending even to the plain -and to the city of Ongcor-Thôm, with its ramparts and its innumerable -gilded towers, which the forest now covers with its vast monotonous -shroud of verdure! - -From the extent of the débris accumulated at the foot of the monument, -we may conjecture that formerly a double row of buildings of brick -surrounded it; these were probably occupied by a garrison or a numerous -military guard. The position of Mount Bakhêng with reference to the -neighbouring city made it a kind of Acropolis; and doubtless it was so -used from the very foundation of the city. But while Mouhot ascribes -the monument which it supports to the very infancy of Cambodian art, -the leader of Garnier’s expedition considered it of later date. The -fashion of the ornamentation and the style of the architecture seemed -to him almost identical with those of other Khmer ruins. Moreover, in -his opinion this architecture sprang into existence, so to speak, all -at once; was complete in itself; had neither a period of development -nor one of decay;--as if it had been introduced from without by a -conquering race, which afterwards had been swept away by some sudden -catastrophe.] - - * * * * * - -~MOUHOT AT BANGKOK.~ - -After a careful survey of the ruins of Ongcor and Ongcor-Thôm (or “the -Great”), M. Mouhot returned to Bangkok, and made preparations to visit -the north-eastern provinces of Laos. - -While at Bangkok he witnessed a succession of fêtes, of which he -records details so interesting, that, by way of digression, we venture -to transfer them to these pages. - -~A ROYAL PROCESSION.~ - -The river Menam, he says, was covered with large and handsome boats, -gay with gilding and gorgeous with elaborate carving; among which the -heavy barges of the rice-merchants, and the small craft of poor women -carrying to market their betel-nuts and bananas, seemed out of place. -It is only on such occasions as these that the king, princes, and -mandarins display their wealth and pomp. The king, when Mouhot saw him, -was proceeding to a pagoda to make his offerings; and was followed by -his mandarins, each in a splendid barge, with rowers attired in the -brightest colours. In their train came a number of canoes filled with -red-coated soldiers. The royal barge was easily distinguished by its -throne and canopy, and by the profuseness of its carving and gilding. -Some of the royal children sat at the feet of the king, who waved a -recognition to every European he saw. - -All the vessels lying in the river were dressed out with flags; while -every floating house had an altar erected, on which various objects -were placed, and aromatic woods burned with pleasant odours. In the -court barges the various dignitaries, mostly men of “good round -paunch,” lay indolently upon triangular embroidered cushions spread on -a kind of dais. They were surrounded by officials, women, and children, -either kneeling or lying flat, and holding the golden urns which are -used for spittoons, or the golden tea-pots and betel-boxes. Each boat -carried from eighty to a hundred rowers, wearing a large white scarf -round the loins, and a red langouti, but leaving the head and greater -part of the body bare. They lifted their paddles simultaneously, and -struck the water in excellent concert; while at the prow stood a slave -with an oar to prevent collisions, and another at the stern employed -an oar for steering purposes. At intervals the rowers raised “a wild, -exulting cry of ‘Ouah! ouah!’” while the voice of the steersman, in a -louder and more sustained note, rose above the rest. - - * * * * * - -~MOUHOT’S JOURNEY TO KHAO-KHOC.~ - -From this holiday city, however, M. Mouhot tore himself away, and -entered on his lonely and hazardous journey. He soon reached the pure -breezy air and picturesque scenery of the mountains of Nophaburi and -Phrabat, and ascended the Menam to Saohaïe, the starting-point for all -caravans going to Korat. He thence continued his voyage to Khao-Khoc, -which has been fortified by the king of Siam as an asylum in case of a -European invasion of the south. Here he resided for some months, on the -borders of a vast unexplored forest, studying the manners and customs -of the Laotians. In February 1861 he arrived at Chaiapune. It was -not until he had encountered and conquered obstacles that would have -broken the heart of any man less enthusiastic or less courageous that -he succeeded in making his way to Korat. As he describes it as “a nest -of robbers and assassins, the resort of all the scum of the Laotian -and Siamese races,” the rendezvous of “bandits and vagrants escaped -from slavery or from prison,” he would hardly have found it a pleasant -resting-place; and as soon as he could obtain a supply of elephants for -himself and his followers, he resumed his journey, striking, across the -country to Poukieau. - -~“ACROSS COUNTRY.”~ - -Here he ascended gradually a range of mountains abounding in resinous -trees and frequented by deer, tigers, elephants, and rhinoceros. This -chain extends directly north, continually increasing in height and -breadth, and throwing off numerous spurs towards the east, where the -deep shadowy valleys collect their waters, and pour them into the -Mekong. - -~THE ELEPHANT “AT HOME.”~ - -Throughout this mountainous region elephants are the only means -of transport. Every village, consequently, possesses one of these -valuable animals; some no fewer than fifty or a hundred. Otherwise, -intercommunication would be impossible for seven months out of the -twelve. “The elephant,” says Mouhot, “ought to be seen on these roads, -which I can only call devil’s pathways, and are nothing but ravines, -ruts two or three feet deep, full of mud; sometimes sliding with his -feet close together on the wet clay of the steep slopes, sometimes -half-buried in mire,--an instant afterwards mounted on sharp rocks -where one would think a Blondin alone could stand; striding across -enormous trunks of fallen trees, crushing down the smaller trees and -bamboos which oppose his progress, or lying down flat on his stomach, -that the cornacs (drivers) may the easier place the saddle on his back; -a hundred times a day making his way, without injuring them, between -trees where there is barely room to pass; sounding with his trunk the -depth of the water in the streams or marshes; constantly kneeling down -and rising again, and never making a false step. It is necessary, I -repeat, to see him at work like this in his own country, to form any -idea of his intelligence, docility, and strength, or how all these -wonderful joints of his are adapted to their work--fully to understand -that this colossus is no rough specimen of Nature’s handiwork, but a -creature of especial amiability and sagacity, designed for the service -of man.” - -After leaving Korat, Mouhot crossed five considerable rivers--the -Menam-Chie, the Menam-Leuye, the Menam-Ouan, the Nam-Pouye, and the -Nam-Houn,--all tributaries of the mighty Mekong; and the last-named -river he once more reached, at Pak Lay, in lat. 19° 16′ 58″, on June -the 24th, 1861. The Mekong here is much broader than the Menam at -Bangkok, and dashes through the mountain ravine with the impetuosity of -a torrent and the roar of the sea. Its navigation between Pak Lay and -Luang Prabang is interrupted by several rapids. - -~AT LUANG PRABANG.~ - -Luang Prabang, where Mouhot arrived on the 25th of July, is a -pleasantly-situated town, occupying an area of one square mile, and -containing a population of eight thousand. The mountains which, both -above and below it, enclose the broad and copious Mekong, form at -this point a kind of circular valley or amphitheatre, nine miles in -diameter, and, with their woods, and luxuriant verdure, and lawny -slopes, combine in a picturesque panorama, reminding one of the Alpine -lakes. - -The town extends on both banks of the stream, but chiefly on the left -bank, where the houses surround an isolated mount about three hundred -and fifty feet in height, covered by a pagoda.[*] - -[*] A fuller description of Luang Prabang, as given by Garnier, who -visited it six years after Mouhot, will be found on page 78. - -~THE RIVER NAM KAN.~ - -An important tributary of the Mekong, the Nam Kan, skirts on the -east and north the little hill at the foot of which Luang Prabang is -situated, and divides the latter into two unequal parts, the larger -of which lies to the south of the point of confluence. The banks of -this stream, for a considerable distance inland, are lined with an -uninterrupted series of pagodas and great gardens, in the latter -of which the betel-nut is cultivated, and peaches, plum-trees, and -oleanders flourish: a sign that the traveller here enters a very -temperate region, where the fruits and plants of Central Asia may be -successfully cultivated. - -In the southern district of the city is placed the palace of the -king, an enormous aggregate of huts, enclosed by a high and strong -palisade, and forming a rectangle, one side of which is contiguous to -the base of the central mount. As this sacred hillock is there almost -perpendicular, the ascent to its pagoda-crowned summit is effected by -a flight of several hundred steps excavated in the rock. A daily and -excessively animated market is held under some sheds situated near -the junction of the Nam Kan and the Mekong; but they are insufficient -to accommodate all the vendors, and open booths, stalls, or shops are -prolonged for upwards of half a mile in a wide street parallel to the -river. - -~COMMERCIAL LIFE AT LUANG PRABANG.~ - -M. Garnier remarks that this was the first market, in the European -sense of the word, which he had seen since leaving Pnom Penh. This -sudden activity, he adds, and comparatively considerable commerce, -to judge from the numerous and diverse types which at Luang Prabang -represented all the nations of Indo-China and India, were obviously -due less to a change of race or increased product of the soil than to -a radical difference of government. The countries of Southern Laos, in -their era of independence, had been celebrated for their wealth and -commercial enterprise; but Siamese tyranny and monopoly have blighted -their prosperity. If life be reviving at Luang Prabang, it is because -the Siamese court have awakened to a perception of the fact that a -milder rule was essential for so powerful a province. - -~HISTORICAL NOTES.~ - -The foundation of Luang Prabang appears to date only from the early -part of the eighteenth century. No reference to it occurs in the -careful account of Siam compiled by the Jesuit missionary La Loubère -in 1687-88. Its distance from the theatre of the wars which desolated -Indo-China in the eighteenth century, greatly contributed to assure -its prosperity, and was probably one of the principal causes which led -to its foundation. Its government skilfully contrived to obtain the -nominal protection of China, by sending an envoy once every eight years -with a couple of elephants, as a sign of homage; and it has secured the -goodwill of the Annamite empire, by consenting to pay a small triennial -tribute. The mountainous country to be traversed before an army can -reach Luang Prabang, and the energy which its population owes to the -admixture of numerous savage and warlike tribes inhabiting the borders -of Tonquin and Laos, invest this province with exceptional means for -resisting aggression on the part of Siam. - - * * * * * - -But we have exhausted our space; and, after leading the reader into -territories which have before them a splendid future, and following -with him the course of the great Cambodian river into regions almost -unknown to Europeans--regions the resources of which are immense, but -need the science and energy of Europe for their development--we must -bring our narrative to a close. - -We have accompanied Mouhot to Luang Prabang. Thence he returned to Pak -Lay, where, he says, he had the pleasure of again seeing the beautiful -stream which he had come to regard as an old friend. “I have so long -drunk of its waters,” he writes; “it has so long either cradled me on -its bosom or tried my patience,--at one time flowing majestically among -the mountains, at another muddy and yellow as the Arno at Florence.” - -~DEATH OF MOUHOT.~ - -Revisiting Luang Prabang on the 25th of July, he left it again on the -9th of August. A few months later his adventurous career, as we have -already stated, was terminated by an attack of jungle fever. - -Hitherto, it has been to the research and adventure of French -travellers that geographers have principally owed their knowledge of -the Mekong. Let us hope that before long some Englishmen will follow in -their steps! - - -THE END. - - - - -“_Better suited to the wants of the TEACHER than any other -Series._”--=S. S. TIMES.= - -“_The most PURE and FAULTLESS of all Editions of the BIBLE._”--=N. W. -ADVOCATE.= - - -THE FAC-SIMILE SERIES OF - -“Oxford” Teachers’ Bibles - -WITH 50,000 REFERENCES - -has received the universal approbation of the MINISTRY, the PRESS, -and the PUBLIC, and is conceded by ALL to be the very Best “TEACHERS’ -BIBLE” in the market. - - -From the “SUNDAY SCHOOL TIMES.” - -In an OXFORD BIBLE one is always sure of a good thing. The OXFORD PRESS -has done good service by the issue of these TEACHERS’ BIBLES, with -their full and admirable series of helps. So far as we can see, the new -_fac-simile_ series of Oxford Bibles for Sunday school Teachers is, -all things considered, better suited to the wants of the Sunday School -Teacher than any other series yet offered to the public. In typography, -paper, binding, varied and excellent helps to study, these Bibles are -with the very foremost; and their range of styles and prices gives a -choice to all. - - -From the “NORTH-WESTERN ADVOCATE.” - -OXFORD BIBLES are printed from _standing_ type, _not_ from plates. -The OXFORD PRESS cast their own types, make their own paper from rags -_only_, and bind their books themselves. The manipulation of a genuine -OXFORD BIBLE, both as to paper and binding, will satisfy the most -minute scrutiny. The clearness of the printed page leaves nothing to -be desired. As to the binding, the book _may be doubled flat back, may -be thrown down and even trampled upon, without a leaf starting, or it -may be suspended by a single leaf without sustaining injury_. The back -of the book is so supple it cannot be broken, and in order to take -the book to pieces, the leaves must be torn out separately. The paper -itself possesses a toughness which cannot be surpassed, but the binding -will, for durability, outlast the paper. The information contained in -the Notes, etc., is nearly all new, or rewritten in such a way as to -embrace the greatest amount of knowledge in the smallest compass. The -most eminent scholars and professors of OXFORD UNIVERSITY have been -employed on these articles, and they have been revised by the most -eminent Divines, so as to make the matter as perfect as possible, and -acceptable to _all_. - -_For Prices, Sizes, etc., see next pages._ - -THE OXFORD BIBLE WAREHOUSE, 42 BLEECKER STREET, NEW YORK. - - - - - PRICES AND SIZES - OF THE FAC-SIMILE SERIES OF - “Oxford” Teachers’ Bibles - WITH 50,000 REFERENCES. - - -=PEARL 24mo.= (Size 4 × 5-1/2 × 1-3/4 inches.) Postage, 9 cents. - - - NOS. - - 500 French Morocco, gilt edge, stiff covers, silk book mark. $1 50 - 501 French Morocco, „ circuit covers, „ „ 1 75 - 502 Venetian Morocco, „ „ „ „ 2 00 - 505 Persian Morocco, „ flexible covers, „ „ 2 10 - 508 Imitation Seal Skin, „ Divinity circuit, silk sewed, - lined with leather, and band 2 50 - 510 Turkey Morocco gilt edge, stiff covers 2 60 - 511 Turkey Morocco, „ flexible covers 2 60 - 512 Turkey Morocco, „ circuit covers 3 50 - 515 Levant Morocco, „ Divinity circuit, kid-lined and - band, _silk sewed_, flexible back 4 60 - -=PEARL 8vo.= (Size 4 × 6-1/2 × 1-1/4 inches.) Postage, 12 cents. - - 815 Levant Morocco, Divinity circuit, kid-lined and band, - _silk sewed_, flexible back $5 75 - - 816 Levant Morocco, Divinity circuit, kid-lined and band, - _best_ silk sewed, flexible back 7 25 - - -=RUBY 16mo.= (Size 4 × 6-1/2 × 1-1/2 inches.) Postage, 12 cents. - - 565 Levant Morocco, Divinity circuit, kid-lined and band, silk - sewed, flexible back $5 25 - - 566 Levant Morocco, Divinity circuit, kid-lined and band, _best_ - silk sewed, flexible back, red and gold edges 6 75 - -_Other styles are in preparation and will be ready shortly._ - - -=NONPAREIL 16mo.= (Size 4 × 6-1/4 × 1-3/4 inches.) Postage, 12 cents. - - 600 French Morocco, gilt edges, stiff covers, silk book mark $2 35 - - 601 French Morocco, „ circuit covers, „ „ 2 75 - - 605 Persian Morocco, „ flexible covers, „ „ 2 75 - - 608 Imitation Seal Skin, „ Divinity circuit, silk sewed, lined - with leather, and band 3 50 - - 610 Turkey Morocco, gilt edges, stiff covers 3 25 - - 611 Turkey Morocco, gilt edges, flexible covers $3 25 - - 612 Turkey Morocco, „ circuit covers 4 50 - - 615 Levant Morocco, „ Divinity circuit, kid-lined - and band, silk sewed, flexible back 5 75 - - 616 Levant Morocco, Divinity circuit, kid-lined and band, - _best_ silk sewed, flexible back, red and gold edges 7 25 - - -=NONPAREIL 8vo.= (Size 4-1/2 × 7 × 1-3/4 inches.) Postage, 16 cents. - - 661 Turkey Morocco, gilt edges, flexible covers $4 25 - - 665 Levant Morocco, Divinity circuit, kid-lined and band, - silk sewed, flexible back 6 75 - - 666 Levant Morocco, Divinity circuit, kid-lined and band, - _best_ silk sewed, flexible back, red and gold edges 8 25 - -_Other styles are in preparation and will be ready shortly._ - - -=MINION 8vo.= (Size 5 × 7-3/4 × 1-1/2 inches.) Postage, 18 cents. - - 705 Persian Morocco, gilt edges, flexible covers $4 25 - - 708 Imitation Seal Skin, gilt edges, Divinity circuit, - silk sewed, lined with leather, and band 5 25 - - 710 Turkey Morocco, gilt edges, stiff covers 5 00 - - 711 Turkey Morocco, „ flexible covers 5 00 - - 715 Levant Morocco, „ Divinity circuit, kid-lined - and band, silk sewed, flexible back 7 50 - - 716 Levant Morocco, Divinity circuit, kid-lined and band, - _best_ silk sewed, flexible back, red and gold edges 10 25 - - 718 Seal Skin, Divinity circuit, kid-lined and band, _best_ - silk sewed, flexible back, red and gold _solid_ edges 14 00 - - -=LARGE MARGIN, MINION 8vo. FOR MSS. NOTES.= Postage, 28 cents. - - 905 Persian Morocco, gilt edges, stiff covers $7 50 - - 910 Turkey Morocco, „ stiff covers 10 50 - - 911 Turkey Morocco, „ flexible covers 10 50 - - 915 Levant Morocco „ Divinity circuit, kid-lined - and band, silk sewed, flexible back 14 00 - -For samples of type and further information apply to all Booksellers, -or to - - THOMAS NELSON & SONS, - Agents for the Oxford University Bible House, - 42 BLEECKER ST., NEW YORK. - - - - -Sunday School Aids, Bible History &c. - - -=BLAIKIE= (Rev. W. G.), =D.D.--BIBLE GEOGRAPHY.= With colored Maps. -16mo, cloth, 50 cts. - ----- =BIBLE HISTORY=, in connection with the General History of the -World, with Notices of Scripture Localities, and Sketches of Social and -Religious Life. 12mo, cloth, $1.50. - -=COMPER GRAY= (James).--=CLASS AND DESK= (The). A Manual for Sunday -School Teachers. 4 vols. 12mo, cloth, $5.00; or sold separately, each, -$1.25, namely: - - Vol. 1. The Old Testament--Genesis to Esther. - Vol. 2. The Old Testament--Job to Malachi. - Vol. 3. The New Testament--The Gospels. - Vol. 4. The New Testament--The Epistles. - -=DICTIONARY OF SCRIPTURE PROPER NAMES=, with their Pronunciations and -Explanations. 16mo, paper covers, 13 cts. 16mo, cloth limp, 25 cts. - -=EDERSHEIM= (Dr.).--=THE TEMPLE=, Its Ministry and Services. Small 4to, -gilt edges, $2.50. - -=GREEN= (Rev. S. G.).--=LECTURES TO CHILDREN ON SCRIPTURE DOCTRINES.= -32mo, cloth, 50 cts. - -=GROSER= (W. H.).--=BIBLE MONTHS=; Or, The Seasons in Palestine as -Illustrative of Scripture. Illustrated. 16mo, cloth, 25 cts. - ----- =OUR WORK.= Four Lectures on the Principles and Practice of Sunday -School Teaching. 18mo, cloth, 25 cts. - -=HELPS TO THE STUDY OF THE BIBLE=, Containing the Notes, Tables, Index, -Concordance, Maps, &c., &c., in the “OXFORD TEACHERS’ BIBLE.” 16mo, -cloth, 75 cts. - -=JOSEPHUS’ COMPLETE WORKS.= Translated by W. Whiston, M.A. 8vo, cloth, -$1.75. - -=NEW COMPANION TO THE BIBLE= for Bible Classes, etc. Maps. 12mo, cloth, -$1.25. - -=PHILIPS’ SCRIPTURE ATLAS.= 32mo, paper covers, 25 cts. - -=TREASURY OF SCRIPTURE KNOWLEDGE.= 500,000 Scripture references and -parallel passages from Canne, Brown, Blayney, Scott, etc., etc. 16mo, -Turkey morocco, gilt edges, $5.00. - - - - -Selected List of Sunday School Books. - -_JUVENILES, &c._, - -PUBLISHED BY T. NELSON & SONS. - - -=ADA AND GERTY=; Or, Hand in Hand Heavenward. By LOUISA M. GRAY. 12mo, -cloth extra, beveled, $1.50. - -=AFAR IN THE FOREST=; Or, Pictures of Life and Scenery in the Wilds of -Canada. By MRS. TRAILL. With colored frontispiece and vignette and many -illustrations. 16mo, cloth extra, $1.00. - -=A. L. O. E.--FLORA=; Or, Self-Deception. Illustrated. 12mo, cloth -extra, gilt edges, $1.25. - -=ANNALS OF THE POOR.= By the Rev. LEIGH RICHMOND, M.A. 32mo, cloth -extra, beveled, with illustrations, 50 cts.; 18mo, cloth extra, -beveled, with tinted illustrations, 75 cts.; 12mo, cloth, chromo side, -with numerous illustrations, $1.25.; 12mo, cloth, chromo side, gilt -edges, with numerous illustrations, $1.50. - -=BECKWITH= (General)--=HIS LIFE AND LABORS AMONG THE WALDENSES OF -PIEDMONT.= By J. P. MEILLE, Pastor of the Waldensian Church in Turin. -With an INTRODUCTORY NOTICE by the late Rev. WM. ARNOT. 12mo, cloth, -$1.25. - -=BRIGHTWELL= (C. L.).--=LIVES OF LABOR=; Or, Incidents in the Career -of Eminent Naturalists and Celebrated Travelers. By author of “Above -Rubies,” etc. Colored plates. 12mo, cloth extra, $1.50. - -=BUNYAN’S PILGRIM’S PROGRESS.= 18mo, cloth, beveled, tinted -illustrations, 75 cts.; 12mo, cloth extra, beveled, $1.00. - -=CITY AND CASTLE= (The). A Story of the Reformation in Switzerland. By -ANNIE LUCAS. 12mo, cloth, $2.00. - -=CROWN OF GLORY= (The); Or, “Faithful Unto Death.” A Scottish Story of -Martyr Times. By the author of “Little Hazel, the King’s Messenger,” -etc. 12mo, cloth extra, $1.00. - -=CUPPLES= (Mrs. George).--=FABLES=. Illustrated by Stories from Real -Life. With numerous woodcuts. 18mo, cloth extra. First series, 75 cts.; -Second series, 75 cts. - ----- =MAMMA’S STORIES ABOUT DOMESTIC PETS.= Fully illustrated. 18mo, -cloth extra, 75 cts. - ----- =MY PRETTY SCRAP-BOOK=; Or, Picture Pages and Pleasant Stories for -Little Readers. With illustration on every page. 18mo, cloth, 50 cts. - ----- =SHADOWS ON THE SCREEN=; Or, an Evening with the Children. With -illustration on every page. 18mo, cloth, 50 cts. - -=CUPPLES= (Mrs. George).--=STORY OF OUR DOLL.= Large Type, 40 -illustrations. 16mo, cloth, illuminated side, 60 cts. - ----- =STORY OF MISS DOLLIKINS= (The). With colored frontispiece, -vignette, and 47 engravings. Oblong 24mo, illuminated side, 75 cts. - ----- =WALKS AND TALKS WITH GRANDPAPA.= With illustration on every page. -18mo, cloth, 50 cts. - -=DOUDNEY= (Sarah).--=GREAT SALTERNS.= Illustrated. 12mo, cloth extra, -gilt edges, $1.75. - -=EARLY GENIUS=, As Illustrated by Bacon, Galileo, Newton, Cimabue, -Giotto, Michael Angelo, Julius II., etc. By the author of “Success in -Life,” etc. Finely illustrated. 16mo, cloth extra, $1.50. - -=FALL OF JERUSALEM, AND THE ROMAN CONQUEST OF JUDEA.= Illustrated. -18mo, cloth extra, 75 cts. - -=GALILEO, THE ASTRONOMER OF PISA.= Colored frontispiece. 18mo, cloth, -50 cts. - -=GAUSSEN=, (Prof. L.).--=WORLD’S BIRTHDAY= (The). A book for the young. -Translated by Mrs. CAMPBELL OVEREND. With colored plates. 16mo, cloth, -$1.25. - -=GOOD OUT OF EVIL.= A Tale for Children. By Mrs. SURR, author of -“Sea-Birds and the Story of their Lives,” etc. With 32 illustrations. -16mo, cloth extra, 75 cts. - -=HAPPY HOLIDAYS AT WOODLEIGH HOUSE=; Or, Aunt Elsie and her Guests. 8 -tinted illustrations. 16mo, cloth extra, $1.25. - -=HERSCHELS= (Story of the). A Family of Astronomers. Colored -frontispiece. 18mo, cloth, 50 cents. - -=HOLY WELL= (The). An Irish Story. With colored frontispiece. 18mo, -cloth extra, 25 cts. - -=IN THE FAR EAST.= A Narrative of Exploration and Adventure in -Cochin-China, Cambodia, Laos and Siam. 16mo, cloth extra, many -illustrations, 75 cts. - -=KANE= (Dr.), =THE ARCTIC HERO=. A Narrative of his Adventures and -Explorations in the Polar Regions. By M. JONES. Fully illustrated. -16mo, cloth extra, $1.00. - -=KIRBY= (Mary and Elizabeth).--=AUNT MARTHA’S CORNER CUPBOARD.= Stories -about Tea, Coffee, Sugar, Honey, etc. With colored frontispiece, -vignette, and numerous woodcuts. 12mo, cloth extra, $1.00. - -=LEONIE=; Or, Light Out of Darkness; and, =WITHIN IRON WALLS=; A Tale -of the Siege of Paris. Twin Stories of the Franco-German War. By ANNIE -LUCAS. 12mo, cloth extra, $2.00. - -=LITTLE ROBINSON OF PARIS=; Or, The Triumph of Industry. From the -French by LUCY LANDON. Tinted frontispiece and vignette, 18mo, cloth, -$1.00. - -=LITTLE SNOWDROP AND HER GOLDEN CASKET.= By the author of “Little -Hazel,” etc. With colored frontispiece and vignette. 12mo, cloth extra, -$1.00. - -=MASTER AND SERVANT=; Or, Richard Owen’s Choice. By Mrs. LAMB. 18mo, -cloth limp, gilt edges, 10 cts. - -=MERCHANT ENTERPRISE=; Or, Pictures of the History of Commerce from the -Earliest Times. By J. HAMILTON FYFE. With illustrations. 12mo, cloth, -$1.50. - -=MILLER= (Mrs. Hugh).--=STORIES OF THE CAT=, and her Cousins, the -Lion, the Tiger, and the Leopard. Colored frontispiece, and many -illustrations. 18mo, cloth extra, 75 cts. - ----- =STORIES OF THE DOG=, and His Cousins, the Wolf, the Jackal, and -the Hyena. With Stories illustrating their place in the Animal World. -Illustrated. 18mo, cloth extra, 75 cts. - -=NELLY’S TEACHERS. AND WHAT THEY LEARNED.= A Story for the Young. By -KATE THORNE. 12mo, cloth extra, $1.50. - -=NEBULÆ AND COMETS.= Colored frontispiece and vignette, and numerous -illustrations. 16mo, cloth, 50 cts. - -=NOBLE WOMEN= (Stories of the Lives of). By W. H. DAVENPORT ADAMS. -12mo, cloth, $1.25. - -=NO CROSS, NO CROWN=; Or, The Dark Year of Dundee. A Tale of the -Scottish Reformation. By the author of “Spanish Brothers.” Illustrated. -12mo, cloth, $1.50. - -=PAULL= (M. A.).--=VIVIANS OF WOODIFORD=; Or, True Hearts make Happy -Homes. By the author of “Tim’s Troubles,” etc. Illustrated. 12mo, -cloth, $1.50. - -=PENDOWER.= A Story of Cornwall, in the Time of Henry the Eighth. By M. -FILLEUL. 12mo, cloth extra, $2.00. - -=PLANETARY SYSTEM= (The). Colored frontispiece and vignette, with -numerous illustrations. 18mo, cloth, 50 cts. - -=PORTER= (Rev. J. L.), A.M.--=GIANT CITIES OF BASHAN= (The), and -Syria’s Holy Places. Illustrated. 12mo, cloth, $1.50. - -=SEA AND THE SEA-SHORE= (The). Lessons in the Study of Nature and -Natural History. With numerous engravings. 12mo, cloth extra, $1.00. - -=SNOWDROP=; Or, the Adventures of a White Rabbit. With colored -frontispiece and vignette, and twenty illustrations. 16mo, cloth extra, -$1.00. - -=SPANISH BROTHERS.= A Tale of the Sixteenth Century. By the author of -“Dark Year of Dundee.” 12mo, cloth, $2.00. - -=STARS= (The). Colored frontispiece and vignette, and numerous -illustrations. 18mo, cloth. 50 cts. - -=STORY OF BENVENUTO CELLINI, THE ITALIAN GOLDSMITH.= Colored -frontispiece and vignette. 18mo, cloth extra, 50 cts. - -=STORY OF SIR HUMPHREY DAVY AND THE INVENTION OF THE SAFETY LAMP.= -Colored frontispiece and vignette. 18mo, cloth, 50 cts. - -=SUN AND MOON=--Their Physical Character, Appearance and Phenomena. -Colored frontispiece and vignette, and numerous illustrations. 18mo, -cloth, 50 cts. - -=SWEDISH TWINS= (The). A Tale for the Young. By the author of “The -Babes in the Basket.” 18mo, cloth extra, illustrated, 75 cts. - -=THRESHOLD OF LIFE= (The). A Book of Illustrations and Lessons for the -Encouragement and Counsel of Youth. By W. H. DAVENPORT ADAMS. 12mo, -cloth, illustrated, $1.50. - -=TROT’S LETTERS TO HER DOLL.= By MARY E. BROMFIELD. With beautiful -colored frontispiece and vignette. 12mo, cloth extra, $1.00. - -=UNDER THE OAKS=; Or, Won by Love. BY AUTHOR OF “LITTLE HAZEL,” etc. -Colored frontispiece and vignette. 12mo, cloth extra, $1.00. - -=UNDER THE SOUTHERN CROSS.= A Tale of the New World. By the author of -“Spanish Brothers.” 12mo, cloth, $2.00. - -=WHICH IS MY LIKENESS?= Or, Seeing Ourselves as We See Others. By -COUSIN KATE. With tinted plates. 12mo, cloth extra, $1.50. - -=WHITE-ROCK COVE= (The). A Tale for the Young. With six colored plates. -12mo, cloth extra, gilt edges, $1.50. - -THOMAS NELSON AND SONS, 42 BLEECKER STREET, NEW YORK. - -AGENTS FOR OXFORD UNIVERSITY BIBLES, ETC., ETC. - - - - -Transcriber's Note - -Illustrations have been moved next to the relevant text, and may no -longer match the locations in the List of Illustrations. - - -The following apparent errors have been corrected: - -advertisement "CAMPBELL OVERON" changed to "CAMPBELL OVEREND" - -advertisement "Reformation," changed to "Reformation." - - -Archaic or inconsistent spelling and punctuation have otherwise been kept as printed. - - -The following are used inconsistently in the text: - -Battambang and Battabang - -Birman and Burman - - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's In the Far East, by William Henry Davenport Adams - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK IN THE FAR EAST *** - -***** This file should be named 54692-0.txt or 54692-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/4/6/9/54692/ - -Produced by Henry Flower and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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