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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.) - - - - - - -</pre> - - - -<div class="transnote"> -In the html version of this eBook, images with blue borders are linked to larger versions of the illustration. -</div> - -<div class="nomobile figcenter" style="width: 561px;"> -<img src="images/coverspine.jpg" width="625" height="800" alt="cover" /> -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[1]</a></span></p> - - - - - - - -<h1 class="nobreak">IN THE FAR EAST.</h1> - -</div> - - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 561px;"> -<a id="LAOTIAN_BOAT_DESCENDING_A_RAPID"></a> -<a href="images/zill_t002bh.jpg"> -<img src="images/zill_t002b.jpg" width="561" height="800" alt="" /> -</a> -<div><p class="caption center">LAOTIAN BOAT DESCENDING A RAPID.</p> - - -<p class="right">Page <a href="#Page_77">77</a>. -</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[3]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="p4 center"> -<span class="x-large">IN THE FAR EAST:</span><br /> - -<span class="blackletter">A Narrative of Exploration and Adventure</span><br /> - -IN COCHIN-CHINA, CAMBODIA, LAOS, AND SIAM.</p> - -<p class="p2 center"> -<i>BY THE AUTHOR OF<br /> -<span class="small">“The Arctic World,” “The Mediterranean Illustrated,”<br /> -&c. &c.</span></i></p> - -<p class="p2 center small"> -WITH TWENTY-EIGHT FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS.</p> - -<p class="p2 center"> -LONDON: THOMAS NELSON AND SONS.<br /> -<span class="small">EDINBURGH AND NEW YORK.</span><br /> -1879. -</p> - -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[5]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2>Contents.</h2> - - -<div class="center"> -<table class="toc" border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary=""> -<tr><td align="right">I.</td><td>THROUGH LAOS TO CHINA,</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_9">9</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="right">II.</td><td>EXPERIENCES AMONG THE CHINESE,</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_106">106</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="right">III.</td><td>RETURN TO SAIGON,</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_133">133</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="right">IV.</td><td>DR. MORICE AND THE MEKONG,</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_140">140</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="right">V.</td><td>M. MOUHOT IN CAMBODIA,</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_176">176</a></td></tr> -</table></div> - -</div> -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[7]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2>List of Illustrations.</h2> - - -<div class="center"> -<table class="toc" border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary=""> -<tr><td align="left">LAOTIAN BOAT DESCENDING A RAPID,</td><td class="right"><a href="#LAOTIAN_BOAT_DESCENDING_A_RAPID"><i>Frontispiece</i></a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">SCENE ON THE MEKONG,</td><td align="right"><a href="#SCENE_ON_THE_MEKONG">13</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">PEACOCK-HUNTING,</td><td align="right"><a href="#PEACOCK_HUNTING">29</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">MOUNTAIN-PEAK NEAR BASSAC,</td><td align="right"><a href="#MOUNTAIN-PEAK_NEAR_BASSAC">33</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">FUNERAL CEREMONY OF THE LAOTIANS,</td><td align="right"><a href="#FUNERAL_CEREMONY_OF_THE_LAOTIANS">37</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">CORONATION OF THE KING OF OUBON,</td><td align="right"><a href="#CORONATION_OF_THE_KING_OF_OUBON">45</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">ANNAMITES AT LAKON,</td><td align="right"><a href="#ANNAMITES_AT_LAKON">51</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">NATURAL PILLAR IN THE MOUNTAINS OF LAKON,</td><td align="right"><a href="#NATURAL_PILLAR">55</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">TAPPING THE BORASSUS PALM,</td><td align="right"><a href="#TAPPING_THE_BORASSUS_PALM">59</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">BUDDHIST TAT AT NONG KAY,</td><td align="right"><a href="#BUDDHIST_TAT_AT_NONG_KAY">63</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">MONASTERY OF WAT SISAKET,</td><td align="right"><a href="#MONASTERY_OF_WAT_SISAKET">67</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">PASSAGE OF A RAPID,</td><td align="right"><a href="#PASSAGE_OF_A_RAPID">71</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">RICE-FIELD AND PAGODA AT MUONG MAI,</td><td align="right"><a href="#RICE-FIELD_AND_PAGODA_AT_MUONG_MAI">75</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">PAGODA AT PAK LAY,</td><td align="right"><a href="#PAGODA_AT_PAK_LAY">79</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">BAMBOO BRIDGE AT XIENG KHONG,</td><td align="right"><a href="#BAMBOO_BRIDGE_AT_XIENG_KHONG">83</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">FOREST ROAD NEAR MUONG LIM,</td><td align="right"><a href="#FOREST_ROAD">87</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">A NIGHT HALT NEAR SIEM-LAP,</td><td align="right"><a href="#A_NIGHT_HALT_NEAR_SIEM-LAP">91</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">TRAVELLING IN A RAVINE NEAR SOP YONG,</td><td align="right"><a href="#TRAVELLING_IN_A_RAVINE">95</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">INTERVIEW WITH THE KING OF MUONG YOU,</td><td align="right"><a href="#INTERVIEW_WITH_THE_KING">99</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">MOUNTAIN VILLAGE AND RICE-FIELDS NEAR POU-EUL,</td><td align="right"><a href="#MOUNTAIN_VILLAGE_AND_RICE-FIELDS">103</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">VALLEY OF KON-TCHANG,</td><td align="right"><a href="#VALLEY_OF_KON-TCHANG">109</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">CROSSING A RAVINE,</td><td align="right"><a href="#CROSSING_A_RAVINE">113</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">MERCHANT TRAIN IN YUNNAN,</td><td align="right"><a href="#MERCHANT_TRAIN_IN_YUNNAN">137</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">ANNAMITE LADY AND HER SERVANT,</td><td align="right"><a href="#ANNAMITE_LADY_AND_HER_SERVANT">141</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">CHINESE HOUSE AT KHOLEN,</td><td align="right"><a href="#CHINESE_HOUSE_AT_KHOLEN">151</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">VINH-LONG,</td><td align="right"><a href="#VINH-LONG">163</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">SCENE AT TAYNINH,</td><td align="right"><a href="#SCENE_AT_TAYNINH">167</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">CHINESE MERCHANTS OF SAIGON,</td><td align="right"><a href="#CHINESE_MERCHANTS_OF_SAIGON">173</a></td></tr> -</table></div> - - -</div> -<div class="chapter"> - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[9]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="p4 x-large center">IN THE FAR EAST.</p> - - - - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER I.<br /> - -<span class="smaller">THROUGH LAOS TO CHINA.</span></h2> - -</div> - -<div> - <img class="drop-cap" src="images/zill_t009.png" width="122" height="125" alt=""/> -</div> - -<p class="drop-cap"><span class="upper-case">A considerable</span> portion of the Indo-Chinese -peninsula is occupied by the -extensive country of Cambodia, or Camboja, -known to the natives as <i>Kan-pou-chi</i>. 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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[10]</a></span> -obtained a controlling power in Annam (or Cochin-China), -their influence has also extended to Cambodia.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">COURSE OF THE MEKONG.</div> - -<p>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.</p> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[11]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="sidenote">A FRENCH EXPEDITION.</div> - -<p>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 aban<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[12]</a></span>doned -the gun-brigs which had brought them from -Saigon, and embarked themselves and their stores -on board boats better fitted for river navigation.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">BOATING ON THE MEKONG.</div> - -<p>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.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 550px;"> -<a id="SCENE_ON_THE_MEKONG"></a> -<a href="images/zill_t013h.jpg"> -<img src="images/zill_t013.jpg" width="550" height="359" alt="" /> -</a> -<div class="caption"><p>SCENE ON THE MEKONG</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="sidenote">FORMIDABLE RAPIDS.</div> - -<p>On the 13th of July the canoes took their -departure from Cratieh, and soon afterwards arrived<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[15]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">A WEARY VOYAGE.</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[16]</a></span> -against the strong, fierce current, which in some -confined channels attained a velocity of five miles -an hour.</p> - -<p>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.</p> - -<p>Such are some of the features of the navigation -of the lower part of the Cambodia. But our limits<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[17]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE LAOTIANS DESCRIBED.</div> - - -<p>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. - - -<span class="sidenote">LAOTIAN COSTUME.</span> - -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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[18]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[19]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">SLAVERY IN LAOS.</div> - -<p>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.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[20]</a></span></p> - -<p>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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">FISH-CATCHING PROCESSES.</div> - -<p>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,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[21]</a></span> -such as the net and the harpoon; and in the employment -of all these the Laotians display considerable -activity and address.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">A SUDDEN STORM.</div> - -<p>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.</p> - - - -<p>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.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[22]</a></span> -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. - -<span class="sidenote">THE FLOOD SUBSIDES.</span> - -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.</p> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[23]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="sidenote">THE KHON CATARACT.</div> - -<p>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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">A PLAGUE OF LEECHES.</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[24]</a></span> -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-<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[25]</a></span>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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">A VIEW OF THE CATARACT.</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[26]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="sidenote">VISIT TO BASSAC.</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[27]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">IN PURSUIT OF GAME</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[28]</a></span> -and the peacock are always found in the same -localities.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 550px;"> -<a id="PEACOCK_HUNTING"></a> -<a href="images/zill_t029h.jpg"> -<img src="images/zill_t029.jpg" width="550" height="374" alt="" /> -</a> -<div class="caption"><p>PEACOCK HUNTING.</p></div> -</div> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="sidenote">A MOUNTAIN EXCURSION.</div> - -<p>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.</p> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[31]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">DETAILS OF THE ASCENT.</div> - -<p>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 preci<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[32]</a></span>pice. -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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">A SPLENDID PANORAMA.</div> - -<p>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.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 519px;"> -<a id="MOUNTAIN-PEAK_NEAR_BASSAC"></a> -<a href="images/zill_t033h.jpg"> -<img src="images/zill_t033.jpg" width="519" height="800" alt="" /> -</a> -<div class="caption"><p>MOUNTAIN-PEAK NEAR BASSAC.</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="sidenote">RETURN TO BASSAC.</div> - -<p>In the course of their descent the explorers -gained a broken ridge of rock, overshadowed by the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[35]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[36]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">LAOTIAN ATHLETES.</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[39]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 550px;"> -<a id="FUNERAL_CEREMONY_OF_THE_LAOTIANS"></a> -<a href="images/zill_t037h.jpg"> -<img src="images/zill_t037.jpg" width="550" height="371" alt="" /> -</a> -<div class="caption"><p>FUNERAL CEREMONY OF THE LAOTIANS.</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="sidenote">A STRANGE FUNERAL CEREMONY.</div> - -<p>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.</p> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[40]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<p>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.</p> - -<p>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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE FUNERAL PROCESSION.</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[41]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE FUNERAL PYRE.</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[42]</a></span> -extended over the coffin, pronounces with a loud -voice a concluding prayer.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">PROCESS OF CREMATION.</div> - -<p>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.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 550px;"> -<a id="CORONATION_OF_THE_KING_OF_OUBON"></a> -<a href="images/zill_t045h.jpg"> -<img src="images/zill_t045.jpg" width="550" height="360" alt="" /> -</a> -<div class="caption"><p>CORONATION OF THE KING OF OUBON.</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="sidenote">CORONATION OF THE KING.</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[43]</a></span> -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 -<i>cortége</i> finally directed its course to some spacious -pavilions erected for the purpose, where the bonzes -of the royal pagoda were offering up their prayers.</p> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[44]</a></span> -consecrating <i>douche</i>; 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.</p> - -<p>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.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="sidenote">THE VOYAGE RESUMED.</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[47]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">MOUNTAINS OF LAKON.</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[48]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">ARRIVAL AT LAKON.</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[49]</a></span> -done, they stretched themselves on the floor, postponing -until the morrow their exploration of the -town.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">A GLANCE AT THE TOWN.</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[50]</a></span> -crowding the opposite bank, and, beyond, the long -line of the marble mountains.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 531px;"> -<a id="ANNAMITES_AT_LAKON"></a> -<a href="images/zill_t051h.jpg"> -<img src="images/zill_t051.jpg" width="531" height="800" alt="" /> -</a> -<div class="caption"><p>ANNAMITES AT LAKON.</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="sidenote">AN ANNAMITE SETTLEMENT.</div> - -<p>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 <i>plateau</i>, a -complete “tea-equipage” (to use the late Lord Lyt<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[53]</a></span>ton’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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE MARBLE MOUNTAINS.</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[54]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 541px;"> -<a id="NATURAL_PILLAR"></a> -<a href="images/zill_t055h.jpg"> -<img src="images/zill_t055.jpg" width="541" height="800" alt="" /> -</a> -<div class="caption"><p>NATURAL PILLAR IN THE MOUNTAINS OF LAKON.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>From this remarkable spectacle the French <i>savants</i> -proceeded to inspect a superb grotto excavated in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[57]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="sidenote">PALM-WINE.</div> - -<p>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 <i>bouquet</i> 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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[58]</a></span> -arrived at a clearing which was thickly planted -with great borassus palms. - - - -<span class="sidenote">HOW THE WINE IS COLLECTED.</span> - -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.</p> - - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 505px;"> -<a id="TAPPING_THE_BORASSUS_PALM"></a> -<a href="images/zill_t059h.jpg"> -<img src="images/zill_t059.jpg" width="505" height="800" alt="" /> -</a> -<div class="caption"><p>TAPPING THE BORASSUS PALM.</p></div> -</div> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="sidenote">A RUINED CITY.</div> - -<p>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 sand<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[59]</a><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[61]</a></span>banks; -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.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[62]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 550px;"> -<a id="BUDDHIST_TAT_AT_NONG_KAY"></a> -<a href="images/zill_t063h.jpg"> -<img src="images/zill_t063.jpg" width="550" height="354" alt="" /> -</a> -<div class="caption"><p>BUDDHIST TAT AT NONG KAY.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE BUDDHIST TEMPLES.</div> - -<p>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.</p> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[65]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">WAT SISAKET.</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[66]</a></span> -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. - - - -<span class="sidenote">A BUDDHIST MONASTERY.</span> - - -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 (<i>chon-khon</i> -in Laotian), or monastery, which served as the residence -of the priests ministering in Wat Sisaket.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 539px;"> -<a id="MONASTERY_OF_WAT_SISAKET"></a> -<a href="images/zill_t067h.jpg"> -<img src="images/zill_t067.jpg" width="539" height="800" alt="" /> -</a> -<div class="caption"><p>MONASTERY OF WAT SISAKET.</p></div> -</div> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="sidenote">A DANGEROUS PASS.</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[69]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 550px;"> -<a id="PASSAGE_OF_A_RAPID"></a> -<a href="images/zill_t071h.jpg"> -<img src="images/zill_t071.jpg" width="550" height="355" alt="" /> -</a> -<div class="caption"><p>PASSAGE OF A RAPID.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[70]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">AT MUONG MAI.</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[73]</a></span> -other curiosities, contains an ancient carved <i>porte-cierges</i> -of wood. - - - -<span class="sidenote">A CENTRE OF TRADE.</span> - -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.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 530px;"> -<a id="RICE-FIELD_AND_PAGODA_AT_MUONG_MAI"></a> -<a href="images/zill_t075h.jpg"> -<img src="images/zill_t075.jpg" width="530" height="800" alt="" /> -</a> -<div class="caption"><p>RICE-FIELD AND PAGODA AT MUONG MAI.</p></div> -</div> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="sidenote">ARRIVAL AT PAK LAY.</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[74]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<p>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.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 550px;"> -<a id="PAGODA_AT_PAK_LAY"></a> -<a href="images/zill_t079h.jpg"> -<img src="images/zill_t079.jpg" width="550" height="372" alt="" /> -</a> -<div class="caption"><p>PAGODA AT PAK LAY.</p></div> -</div> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>As the voyagers proceeded up the river, they -now began to notice a gradual change in the char<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[77]</a></span>acter -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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">FISHING-STATIONS.</div> - -<p>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.</p> - -<p>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”<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[78]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<p>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.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="sidenote">MODERN CAPITAL OF LAOS.</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[81]</a></span> -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. - - - -<span class="sidenote">A PICTURESQUE SCENE.</span> - -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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">UP THE RIVER.</div> - -<p>After a brief sojourn at this interesting and lively -city, the French voyagers, animated by their desire<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[82]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 550px;"> -<a id="BAMBOO_BRIDGE_AT_XIENG_KHONG"></a> -<a href="images/zill_t083h.jpg"> -<img src="images/zill_t083.jpg" width="550" height="358" alt="" /> -</a> -<div class="caption"><p>BAMBOO BRIDGE AT XIENG KHONG</p></div> -</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[85]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="sidenote">AT MUONG LIM.</div> - -<p>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. - - -<span class="sidenote">A CAUCASIAN PEOPLE.</span> - - -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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[86]</a></span> -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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[89]</a></span> -place by cords, which are attached to the waist-belt -or held in the hand.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 519px;"> -<a id="FOREST_ROAD"></a> -<a href="images/zill_t087h.jpg"> -<img src="images/zill_t087.jpg" width="519" height="800" alt="" /> -</a> -<div class="caption"><p>FOREST ROAD NEAR MUONG LIM.</p></div> -</div> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="sidenote">PLEASANT TRAVEL.</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[90]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">HOT WELLS DISCOVERED.</div> - -<p>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.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 550px;"> -<a id="A_NIGHT_HALT_NEAR_SIEM-LAP"></a> -<a href="images/zill_t091h.jpg"> -<img src="images/zill_t091.jpg" width="550" height="358" alt="" /> -</a> -<div class="caption"><p>A NIGHT HALT NEAR SIEM-LAP.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[93]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 523px;"> -<a id="TRAVELLING_IN_A_RAVINE"></a> -<a href="images/zill_t095h.jpg"> -<img src="images/zill_t095.jpg" width="523" height="800" alt="" /> -</a> -<div class="caption"><p>TRAVELLING IN A RAVINE NEAR SOP YONG.</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="sidenote">A SIGN OF CIVILIZATION.</div> - -<p>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.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[94]</a></span></p> - -<div class="sidenote">ARRIVAL AT MUONG YOU.</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[97]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 550px;"> -<a id="INTERVIEW_WITH_THE_KING"></a> -<a href="images/zill_t099h.jpg"> -<img src="images/zill_t099.jpg" width="550" height="362" alt="" /> -</a> -<div class="caption"><p>INTERVIEW WITH THE KING OF MUONG YOU.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">ENTERING CHINA.</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[98]</a></span> -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. - - - -<span class="sidenote">CHANGE OF SCENE.</span> - -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.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 550px;"> -<a id="MOUNTAIN_VILLAGE_AND_RICE-FIELDS"></a> -<a href="images/zill_t103h.jpg"> -<img src="images/zill_t103.jpg" width="550" height="352" alt="" /> -</a> -<div class="caption"><p>MOUNTAIN VILLAGE AND RICE-FIELDS NEAR POU-EUL</p></div> -</div> - -<p>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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE FORTRESS OF THE EAST.</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[101]</a></span> -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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[102]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">DESCENDING THE HO-TI-KIANG.</div> - -<p>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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">ARRIVAL AT LIN-NGAN.</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[105]</a></span> -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.</p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[106]</a></span></p> - - - - - - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER II.<br /> - -<span class="smaller">EXPERIENCES AMONG THE CHINESE.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<div> - <img class="drop-cap" src="images/zill_t106.png" width="122" height="125" alt=""/> -</div> - -<p class="drop-cap"><span class="upper-case">The</span> 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.</p> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[107]</a></span> -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!</p> - -<div class="sidenote">ATTACK BY THE CHINESE.</div> - -<p>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.</p> - -<p>Soon afterwards Garnier was joined by the rest<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[108]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<p>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.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 519px;"> -<a id="VALLEY_OF_KON-TCHANG"></a> -<a href="images/zill_t109h.jpg"> -<img src="images/zill_t109.jpg" width="519" height="800" alt="" /> -</a> -<div class="caption"><p>VALLEY OF KON-TCHANG.</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="sidenote">FROM YUNNAN TO MONG-KOU.</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[111]</a></span> -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. - - - -<span class="sidenote">A WELL-CULTIVATED DISTRICT.</span> - -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.”</p> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[112]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 521px;"> -<a id="CROSSING_A_RAVINE"></a> -<a href="images/zill_t113h.jpg"> -<img src="images/zill_t113.jpg" width="521" height="800" alt="" /> -</a> -<div class="caption"><p>CROSSING A RAVINE.</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="sidenote">LAKE OF TALY.</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[115]</a></span> -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. - - - -<span class="sidenote">FORTRESS OF HIANG-KUAN.</span> - -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.</p> - -<p>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 ram<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[116]</a></span>parts, -are the two gates of Taly. Defended by -brave men they would be impregnable, and render -access to the city impossible except by water.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">A DISAGREEABLE INCIDENT.</div> - -<p>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 demonstra<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[117]</a></span>tions -of the crowd, and they reached without further -<i>contretemps</i> the yamen assigned to them for a residence, -situated at the southern extremity of the -town.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">ARRIVAL AT TALY.</div> - -<p>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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE FRENCHMAN AND THE MANDARIN.</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[118]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[119]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<p>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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE SULTAN’S ORDERS.</div> - -<p>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. - - - -<span class="sidenote">THE SULTAN AND THE PRIEST.</span> - -“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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[120]</a></span> -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.”</p> - -<p>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.</p> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[121]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE EXPEDITION FOILED.</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[122]</a></span> -ruler’s secret desire without actually compromising -him.</p> - -<p>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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">A NIGHT OF SUSPENSE.</div> - -<p>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.</p> - -<p>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,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[123]</a></span> -pending the arrival of fresh instructions from the -sultan, to lodge them in a small yamen which he -obligingly pointed out.</p> - -<p>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 <i>auberge</i> where he -had rested on his way to Taly.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">LEAVING HIANG-KUAN.</div> - -<p>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 <i>auberge</i> already -spoken of, with the open country before him.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[124]</a></span></p> - -<p>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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE RETURN JOURNEY.</div> - -<p>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.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="sidenote">THE MISSIONARY’S ALARM.</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[125]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<p>This answer did not satisfy; and three soldiers -presented themselves with orders for the father to -follow them.</p> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[126]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">PRUDENCE AND PRECAUTION.</div> - -<p>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 <i>auberge</i> 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.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="sidenote">ARRIVAL AT THE MISSIONARY’S RESIDENCE.</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[127]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[128]</a></span> -of the travellers’ journey. No notice was taken of -the communication.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="sidenote">ABOUT THE TALY LAKE.</div> - -<p>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.</p> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[129]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<p>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 -<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">de pêche au cormoran</i>.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE LAKE FISHERMEN.</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[130]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="sidenote">THE MIN-KIA POPULATION.</div> - -<p>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 hos<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[131]</a></span>tilities -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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE MOUNTAIN TRIBES.</div> - -<p>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.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[132]</a></span></p> - -<p>A considerable trade is carried on between Taly -and Tibet, consisting of imports of <i>kuang-lien</i>, 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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">MINERAL TREASURES.</div> - -<p>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.</p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[133]</a></span></p> - - - - - - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER III.<br /> - -<span class="smaller">RETURN TO SAIGON.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<div> - <img class="drop-cap" src="images/zill_t133.png" width="121" height="125" alt=""/> -</div> - -<p class="drop-cap"><span class="upper-case">The</span> 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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">AT TCHAO-TONG.</div> - -<p>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 impor<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[134]</a></span>tunity. -The <i>tche-hien</i>, 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.</p> - -<p>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.</p> - -<p>The plain of Tchao-tong seems to be the most -extensive in Yunnan, and is carefully cultivated—a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[135]</a></span> -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.</p> - - - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 526px;"> -<a id="MERCHANT_TRAIN_IN_YUNNAN"></a> -<a href="images/zill_t137h.jpg"> -<img src="images/zill_t137.jpg" width="526" height="800" alt="" /> -</a> -<div class="caption"><p>MERCHANT TRAIN IN YUNNAN.</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="sidenote">ARTICLES OF COMMERCE.</div> - -<p>Tchao-tong is one of the most important commercial -<i>entrepôts</i> 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 -<i>coccus sinensis</i>, 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 compart<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[136]</a></span>ments, -and their bearers frequently accomplish thirty -or forty leagues at double quick marching step.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="sidenote">THE JOURNEY CONTINUED.</div> - -<p>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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE BLUE RIVER.</div> - -<p>The next stage was Siu-tcheou-fou, a lively and -busy town, where several Roman Catholic mis<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[139]</a></span>sionaries -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.</p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[140]</a></span></p> - - - - - - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER IV.<br /> - -<span class="smaller">DR. MORICE AND THE MEKONG.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<div> - <img class="drop-cap" src="images/zill_t140.png" width="124" height="125" alt=""/> -</div> - -<p class="drop-cap"><span class="upper-case">We</span> owe some additional information respecting -the great river of Cambodia to Dr. -Morice, who travelled in Cochin-China -in 1872.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 503px;"> -<a id="ANNAMITE_LADY_AND_HER_SERVANT"></a> -<a href="images/zill_t141h.jpg"> -<img src="images/zill_t141.jpg" width="503" height="800" alt="" /> -</a> -<div class="caption"><p>ANNAMITE LADY AND HER SERVANT.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[143]</a></span> -oblique, some noses which had an almost Caucasian -character, and his repugnance gradually disappeared.</p> - -<p>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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">CHARACTER OF THE ANNAMITES.</div> - -<p>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,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[144]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THEIR DRESS AND HABITATIONS.</div> - -<p>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.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[145]</a></span></p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE PLAIN OF THE TOMBS.</div> - -<p>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.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>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,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[146]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="sidenote">THE GECKO DESCRIBED.</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[147]</a></span> -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 <i>gecko</i>, and sometimes <i>tacke</i>; -the performance terminating with a grunt of satisfaction.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">ITS FAMILIARITY WITH MAN.</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[148]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<p>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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">ABOUT THE MARGOUILLA.</div> - -<p>Another animal of the same group, but much -smaller, and closely resembling the tarenta of which -the Toulonese are so afraid, is the <i>margouilla</i>, 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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[149]</a></span> -by the syllable <i>toc</i> 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.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="sidenote">EXCURSION TO KHOLEN.</div> - -<p>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.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 550px;"> -<a id="CHINESE_HOUSE_AT_KHOLEN"></a> -<a href="images/zill_t151h.jpg"> -<img src="images/zill_t151.jpg" width="550" height="336" alt="" /> -</a> -<div class="caption"><p>CHINESE HOUSE AT KHOLEN.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[150]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="sidenote">HATIAN-OF-THE-ROSES.</div> - -<p>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 <span class="lock">colonist:—</span></p> - -<p>“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.”</p> - -<p>But, says Dr. Morice, he forgot the fever.</p> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[153]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE PEPPER-PLANT.</div> - -<p>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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">FEAST OF THE TÊT.</div> - -<p>While Dr. Morice was at Hatian, its Annamite -inhabitants celebrated their feast of the <i>Têt</i> 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 <i>Maqui</i>, -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.</p> - -<p>Before each house, on a table covered with a mat,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[154]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[155]</a></span></p> - -<div class="sidenote">AN ANNAMITE PASTIME.</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[156]</a></span> -festival, and resemble sometimes the file-firing of -infantry.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THEATRICAL PERFORMANCES.</div> - -<p>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.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="sidenote">THE FOUNDER OF HATIAN.</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[157]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<p>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.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[158]</a></span> -Here some geckos have established their abode, -saluting the stranger with astonished glances and -piercing cries.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">MAQUEUOU’S TOMB.</div> - -<p>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.</p> - -<p>Solitude and silence prevail within the precincts -of this vast ruin. The geckos, the birds, and a -squirrel or two, are its only inmates.</p> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[159]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">AN UNPLEASANT GUEST.</div> - -<p>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,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[160]</a></span> -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. - - - -<span class="sidenote">A COBRA CAPELLA.</span> - -They -belonged to the genus of the spectacled serpent, the -<i>naja</i> of India, the dreaded <i>cobra capella</i>!</p> - -<div class="sidenote">MOTHER AND PROGENY.</div> - -<p>Dr. Morice hastened to bore some large holes in -the chest containing the serpent and the eggs, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[161]</a></span> -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 <i>cobra capella</i> when he so -rashly pounced upon it.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[162]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 550px;"> -<a id="VINH-LONG"></a> -<a href="images/zill_t163h.jpg"> -<img src="images/zill_t163.jpg" width="550" height="360" alt="" /> -</a> -<div class="caption"><p>VINH-LONG.</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="sidenote">AT VINH-LONG.</div> - -<p>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 -<i>najas</i> 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.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="sidenote">THE “BLACK LADY.”</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[165]</a></span> -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” (<i>Nui-ba-dinh</i>). 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 -<span class="lock">follows:—</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE PERPETUAL FOUNTAIN.</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[166]</a></span> -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!</p> - -<p>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.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 550px;"> -<a id="SCENE_AT_TAYNINH"></a> -<a href="images/zill_t167h.jpg"> -<img src="images/zill_t167.jpg" width="550" height="363" alt="" /> -</a> -<div class="caption"><p>SCENE AT TAYNINH.</p></div> -</div> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[169]</a></span> -hunters of the country, it was decided that he must -undergo immediate and condign punishment.</p> - -<p>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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">TIGER-HUNTING.</div> - -<p>“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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[170]</a></span> -be more free, we had separated at some distance -from one another. - - - -<span class="sidenote">THE SOLDIER AND THE TIGER.</span> - -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.”</p> - -<p>“A man touched by a tiger is a dead man,” says -a German naturalist; “and it is useless to risk the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[171]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<p>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.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="sidenote">VISIT TO THE MARKET-PLACE.</div> - -<p>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 cor<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[172]</a></span>dially. -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. - - - -<span class="sidenote">ANNAMITE AND CAMBODIAN.</span> - -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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[175]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="sidenote">THE CHINESE ELEMENT.</div> - -<p>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.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 550px;"> -<a id="CHINESE_MERCHANTS_OF_SAIGON"></a> -<a href="images/zill_t173h.jpg"> -<img src="images/zill_t173.jpg" width="550" height="376" alt="" /> -</a> -<div class="caption"><p>CHINESE MERCHANTS OF SAIGON.</p></div> -</div> - - - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[176]</a></span></p> - - - - - - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER V.<br /> - -<span class="smaller">M. MOUHOT IN CAMBODIA.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<div> - <img class="drop-cap" src="images/zill_t176.png" width="125" height="125" alt=""/> -</div> - -<p class="drop-cap"><span class="upper-case">Much</span> 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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">TEMPLE OF ONGCOR.</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[177]</a></span> -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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[178]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<p>“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.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[179]</a></span></p> - -<p>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.</p> - -<p>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.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="sidenote">JOURNEY TO UDONG.</div> - - -<p>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,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[180]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">A CAMBODIAN PALACE.</div> - -<p>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.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[181]</a></span> -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. - - - -<span class="sidenote">MOUHOT AND THE KING.</span> - -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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">A BUSY SCENE.</div> - -<p>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,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[182]</a></span> -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.”</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="sidenote">THE GREAT BAZAAR OF CAMBODIA.</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[183]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">ASCENT OF THE MEKONG.</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[184]</a></span> -banks; and storks and herons stood in silent meditation.</p> - -<p>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.</p> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[185]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">RESIDENCE AT PEMPTIELAN.</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[186]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE RICE CULTIVATION.</div> - -<p>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 <i>his</i> 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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[187]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="sidenote">ABOUT THE STIÊNS.</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[188]</a></span> -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 <i>Brâ</i>; to whom, on -occasions of calamity and suffering, they sacrifice a -pig or an ox, and sometimes a human victim.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THEIR RESPECT FOR THE DEAD.</div> - -<p>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.</p> - -<p>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 accord<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[189]</a></span>ingly -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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THEIR HUNTING WEAPONS.</div> - -<p>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.</p> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[190]</a></span> -a hundred ears of maize, may be procured for a -small piece of fine wire or a bead necklace.</p> - -<p>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.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="sidenote">HUNTING THE TIGER.</div> - -<p>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,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[191]</a></span> -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.</p> - - - -<div class="sidenote">A CIRCLE OF PIKES.</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[192]</a></span> -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!</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="sidenote">LAKE TOULI-SAP.</div> - -<p>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.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[193]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">RUINS OF BUDDHIST TEMPLES.</div> - -<p>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.”</p> - -<div class="sidenote">ON THE MOUNTAIN-SUMMIT.</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[194]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<p>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;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[195]</a></span> -the figure of a king with a long beard is carved -upon the outer wall.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">M. MOUHOT’S DESCRIPTION.</div> - -<p>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.</p> - -<p>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.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="sidenote">GARNIER’S DESCRIPTION.</div> - -<p>[So far from M. Mouhot. It will be interesting, -however, to supplement his description with the -details given by Lieutenant Garnier.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[196]</a></span></p> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[197]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">A MASS OF RUINS.</div> - -<p>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. - - - -<span class="sidenote">A PICTURESQUE PANORAMA.</span> - - -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,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[198]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<p>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!</p> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[199]</a></span> -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.]</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="sidenote">MOUHOT AT BANGKOK.</div> - -<p>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.</p> - -<p>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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">A ROYAL PROCESSION.</div> - -<p>The river Menam, he says, was covered with -large and handsome boats, gay with gilding and -gorgeous with elaborate carving; among which the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[200]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<p>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 spit<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[201]</a></span>toons, -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.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="sidenote">MOUHOT’S JOURNEY TO KHAO-KHOC.</div> - -<p>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 Feb<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[202]</a></span>ruary -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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">“ACROSS COUNTRY.”</div> - -<p>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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE ELEPHANT “AT HOME.”</div> - -<p>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.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[203]</a></span> -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,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[204]</a></span> -but a creature of especial amiability and sagacity, -designed for the service of man.”</p> - -<p>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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">AT LUANG PRABANG.</div> - -<p>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.</p> - -<p>The town extends on both banks of the stream,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[205]</a></span> -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 name="FNanchor_A_1" id="FNanchor_A_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_A_1" class="fnanchor">*</a></p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE RIVER NAM KAN.</div> - -<p>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.</p> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[206]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">COMMERCIAL LIFE AT LUANG PRABANG.</div> - -<p>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.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">HISTORICAL NOTES.</div> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[207]</a></span> -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.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[208]</a></span> -energy of Europe for their development—we must -bring our narrative to a close.</p> - -<p>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.”</p> - -<div class="sidenote">DEATH OF MOUHOT.</div> - -<p>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.</p> - -<p>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!</p> - - -<p class="p2 center">THE END.</p> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[209]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="p6">“<i>Better suited to the wants of the TEACHER than any other -Series.</i>”—<b>S. S. TIMES.</b></p> - -<p>“<i>The most PURE and FAULTLESS of all Editions of the -BIBLE.</i>”—<b>N. W. 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The clearness of the printed page leaves nothing to be desired. -As to the binding, the book <i>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</i>. 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 <span class="smcap">Oxford University</span> 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 <i>all</i>.</p> - -<p class="center"><i>For Prices, Sizes, etc., see next pages.</i></p> - -<p class="p2 center">THE OXFORD BIBLE WAREHOUSE, 42 BLEECKER STREET, NEW YORK.</p> - - - -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[210]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="p4 center"> -<span class="large">PRICES AND SIZES</span><br /> - -<span class="b">OF THE FAC-SIMILE SERIES OF</span><br /> - -<span class="blackletter x-large">“Oxford” Teachers’ Bibles</span><br /> - -WITH 50,000 REFERENCES.<br /> -</p> - - -<p><b>PEARL 24mo.</b> (Size 4 × 5½ × 1¾ inches.) Postage, 9 cents.</p> - - -<div class="center"> -<table class="left" border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary=""> -<tr><td>NOS.</td></tr> -<tr><td>500</td><td>French Morocco,</td><td>gilt edge,</td><td>stiff covers,</td><td>silk</td><td>book mark.</td><td class="right">$1</td><td>50</td></tr> -<tr><td>501</td><td>French Morocco,</td><td class="center">„</td><td>circuit covers,</td><td class="center">„</td><td class="center">„</td><td class="right">1</td><td>75</td></tr> -<tr><td>502</td><td>Venetian Morocco,</td><td class="center">„</td><td class="center">„</td><td class="center">„</td><td class="center">„</td><td class="right">2</td><td>00</td></tr> -<tr><td>505</td><td>Persian Morocco,</td><td class="center">„</td><td>flexible covers,</td><td class="center">„</td><td class="center">„</td><td class="right">2</td><td>10</td></tr> -<tr><td>508</td><td>Imitation Seal Skin,</td><td class="center">„</td><td colspan="3">Divinity circuit, silk sewed, lined with leather, and band</td><td class="right">2</td><td>50</td></tr> -<tr><td>510</td><td>Turkey Morocco</td><td>gilt edge,</td><td colspan="3">stiff covers</td><td class="right">2</td><td>60</td></tr> -<tr><td>511</td><td>Turkey Morocco,</td><td class="center">„</td><td colspan="3">flexible covers</td><td class="right">2</td><td>60</td></tr> -<tr><td>512</td><td>Turkey Morocco,</td><td class="center">„</td><td colspan="3">circuit covers</td><td class="right">3</td><td>50</td></tr> -<tr><td>515</td><td>Levant Morocco,</td><td class="center">„</td><td colspan="3">Divinity circuit, kid-lined and band, <i>silk sewed</i>, flexible back</td><td class="right">4</td><td>60</td></tr> -</table></div> - -<p><b>PEARL 8vo.</b> (Size 4 × 6½ × 1¼ inches.) Postage, 12 cents.</p> - - -<div class="center"> -<table class="left" border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary=""> -<tr><td>815</td><td>Levant Morocco, Divinity circuit, kid-lined and band, <i>silk sewed</i>, flexible back</td><td class="right">$5</td><td>75</td></tr> -<tr><td>816</td><td>Levant Morocco, Divinity circuit, kid-lined and band, <i>best</i> silk sewed, flexible back</td><td class="right">7</td><td>25</td></tr> -</table></div> - - -<p><b>RUBY 16mo.</b> (Size 4 × 6½ × 1½ inches.) Postage, 12 cents.</p> - - -<div class="center"> -<table class="left" border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary=""> -<tr><td>565</td><td>Levant Morocco, Divinity circuit, kid-lined and band, silk sewed, flexible back</td><td class="right">$5</td><td>25</td></tr> -<tr><td>566</td><td>Levant Morocco, Divinity circuit, kid-lined and band, <i>best</i> silk sewed, flexible back, red and gold edges</td><td class="right">6</td><td>75</td></tr> -</table></div> -<p><i>Other styles are in preparation and will be ready shortly.</i></p> - - -<p><b>NONPAREIL 16mo.</b> (Size 4 × 6¼ × 1¾ inches.) Postage, 12 cents.</p> - -<div class="center"> -<table class="left" border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary=""> -<tr><td>600</td><td>French Morocco,</td><td>gilt edges,</td><td>stiff covers,</td><td>silk</td><td>book mark</td><td class="right">$2</td><td>35</td></tr> -<tr><td>601</td><td>French Morocco,</td><td class="center">„</td><td>circuit covers,</td><td class="center">„</td><td class="center">„</td><td class="right">2</td><td>75</td></tr> -<tr><td>605</td><td>Persian Morocco,</td><td class="center">„</td><td>flexible covers,</td><td class="center">„</td><td class="center">„</td><td class="right">2</td><td>75</td></tr> -<tr><td>608</td><td>Imitation Seal Skin,</td><td class="center">„</td><td colspan="3">Divinity circuit, silk sewed, lined with leather, and band</td><td class="right">3</td><td>50</td></tr> -<tr><td>610</td><td>Turkey Morocco,</td><td>gilt edges,</td><td colspan="3">stiff covers</td><td class="right">3</td><td>25</td></tr> -<tr><td><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[211]</a></span>611</td><td>Turkey Morocco,</td><td>gilt edges,</td><td colspan="3">flexible covers</td><td class="right">$3</td><td>25</td></tr> -<tr><td>612</td><td>Turkey Morocco,</td><td class="center">„</td><td colspan="3">circuit covers</td><td class="right">4</td><td>50</td></tr> -<tr><td>615</td><td>Levant Morocco,</td><td class="center">„</td><td colspan="3">Divinity circuit, kid-lined and band, silk sewed, flexible back</td><td class="right">5</td><td>75</td></tr> -<tr><td>616</td><td colspan="5">Levant Morocco, Divinity circuit, kid-lined and band, <i>best</i> silk sewed, flexible back, red and gold edges</td><td class="right">7</td><td>25</td></tr> -</table></div> - - -<p><b>NONPAREIL 8vo.</b> (Size 4½ × 7 × 1¾ inches.) Postage, 16 cents.</p> - -<div class="center"> -<table class="left" border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary=""> -<tr><td>661</td><td>Turkey Morocco, gilt edges, flexible covers</td><td class="right">$4</td><td>25</td></tr> -<tr><td>665</td><td>Levant Morocco, Divinity circuit, kid-lined and band, silk sewed, flexible back</td><td class="right">6</td><td>75</td></tr> -<tr><td>666</td><td>Levant Morocco, Divinity circuit, kid-lined and band, <i>best</i> silk sewed, flexible back, red and gold edges</td><td class="right">8</td><td>25</td></tr> -</table></div> -<p><i>Other styles are in preparation and will be ready shortly.</i></p> - - -<p><b>MINION 8vo.</b> (Size 5 × 7¾ × 1½ inches.) Postage, 18 cents.</p> - - -<div class="center"> -<table class="left" border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary=""> -<tr><td>705</td><td colspan="3">Persian Morocco, gilt edges, flexible covers</td><td class="right">$4</td><td>25</td></tr> -<tr><td>708</td><td colspan="3">Imitation Seal Skin, gilt edges, Divinity circuit, silk sewed, lined with leather, and band</td><td class="right">5</td><td>25</td></tr> -<tr><td>710</td><td>Turkey Morocco,</td><td>gilt edges,</td><td>stiff covers</td><td class="right">5</td><td>00</td></tr> -<tr><td>711</td><td>Turkey Morocco,</td><td class="center">„</td><td>flexible covers</td><td class="right">5</td><td>00</td></tr> -<tr><td>715</td><td>Levant Morocco,</td><td class="center">„</td><td>Divinity circuit, kid-lined and band, silk sewed, flexible back</td><td class="right">7</td><td>50</td></tr> -<tr><td>716</td><td colspan="3">Levant Morocco, Divinity circuit, kid-lined and band, <i>best</i> silk sewed, flexible back, red and gold edges</td><td class="right">10</td><td>25</td></tr> -<tr><td>718</td><td colspan="3">Seal Skin, Divinity circuit, kid-lined and band, <i>best</i> silk sewed, flexible back, red and gold <i>solid</i> edges</td><td class="right">14</td><td>00</td></tr> -</table></div> - - -<p><b>LARGE MARGIN, MINION 8vo. FOR MSS. NOTES.</b> -Postage, 28 cents.</p> - -<div class="center"> -<table class="left" border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary=""> -<tr><td>905</td><td>Persian Morocco,</td><td>gilt edges,</td><td>stiff covers</td><td class="right">$7</td><td>50</td></tr> -<tr><td>910</td><td>Turkey Morocco,</td><td class="center">„</td><td>stiff covers</td><td class="right">10</td><td>50</td></tr> -<tr><td>911</td><td>Turkey Morocco,</td><td class="center">„</td><td>flexible covers</td><td class="right">10</td><td>50</td></tr> -<tr><td>915</td><td>Levant Morocco</td><td class="center">„</td><td>Divinity circuit, kid-lined and band, silk sewed, flexible back</td><td>14</td><td>00</td></tr> -</table></div> - -<p class="p2">For samples of type and further information apply to all Booksellers, or to</p> - -<p class="center"> -<span class="large">THOMAS NELSON & SONS,</span><br /> -Agents for the Oxford University Bible House,<br /> -42 BLEECKER ST., NEW YORK.<br /> -</p> - -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[212]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="p4 large center blackletter">Sunday School Aids, Bible History &c.</p> - - -<p class="p2"><b>BLAIKIE</b> (Rev. W. G.), <b>D.D.—BIBLE GEOGRAPHY.</b> With -colored Maps. 16mo, cloth, 50 cts.</p> - -<p>---- <b>BIBLE HISTORY</b>, 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.</p> - -<p><b>COMPER GRAY</b> (James).—<b>CLASS AND DESK</b> (The). A -Manual for Sunday School Teachers. 4 vols. 12mo, cloth, $5.00; or -sold separately, each, $1.25, namely:</p> - -<p> -Vol. 1. The Old Testament—Genesis to Esther.<br /> -Vol. 2. The Old Testament—Job to Malachi.<br /> -Vol. 3. The New Testament—The Gospels.<br /> -Vol. 4. The New Testament—The Epistles.<br /> -</p> - -<p><b>DICTIONARY OF SCRIPTURE PROPER NAMES</b>, with -their Pronunciations and Explanations. 16mo, paper covers, 13 cts. -16mo, cloth limp, 25 cts.</p> - -<p><b>EDERSHEIM</b> (Dr.).—<b>THE TEMPLE</b>, Its Ministry and Services. -Small 4to, gilt edges, $2.50.</p> - -<p><b>GREEN</b> (Rev. S. G.).—<b>LECTURES TO CHILDREN ON -SCRIPTURE DOCTRINES.</b> 32mo, cloth, 50 cts.</p> - -<p><b>GROSER</b> (W. H.).—<b>BIBLE MONTHS</b>; Or, The Seasons in Palestine -as Illustrative of Scripture. Illustrated. 16mo, cloth, 25 cts.</p> - -<p>---- <b>OUR WORK.</b> Four Lectures on the Principles and Practice of -Sunday School Teaching. 18mo, cloth, 25 cts.</p> - -<p><b>HELPS TO THE STUDY OF THE BIBLE</b>, Containing the -Notes, Tables, Index, Concordance, Maps, &c., &c., in the “<span class="smcap">Oxford -Teachers’ Bible</span>.” 16mo, cloth, 75 cts.</p> - -<p><b>JOSEPHUS’ COMPLETE WORKS.</b> Translated by W. Whiston, -M.A. 8vo, cloth, $1.75.</p> - -<p><b>NEW COMPANION TO THE BIBLE</b> for Bible Classes, etc. -Maps. 12mo, cloth, $1.25.</p> - -<p><b>PHILIPS’ SCRIPTURE ATLAS.</b> 32mo, paper covers, 25 cts.</p> - -<p><b>TREASURY OF SCRIPTURE KNOWLEDGE.</b> 500,000 -Scripture references and parallel passages from Canne, Brown, Blayney, -Scott, etc., etc. 16mo, Turkey morocco, gilt edges, $5.00.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[213]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="p4 center large blackletter">Selected List of Sunday School Books.</p> - -<p class="center"><i>JUVENILES, &c.</i>,</p> - -<p class="center">PUBLISHED BY T. NELSON & SONS.</p> - - -<p><b>ADA AND GERTY</b>; Or, Hand in Hand Heavenward. By <span class="smcap">Louisa -M. Gray</span>. 12mo, cloth extra, beveled, $1.50.</p> - -<p><b>AFAR IN THE FOREST</b>; Or, Pictures of Life and Scenery in the -Wilds of Canada. By <span class="smcap">Mrs. Traill</span>. With colored frontispiece and -vignette and many illustrations. 16mo, cloth extra, $1.00.</p> - -<p><b>A. L. O. E.—FLORA</b>; Or, Self-Deception. Illustrated. 12mo, cloth -extra, gilt edges, $1.25.</p> - -<p><b>ANNALS OF THE POOR.</b> By the Rev. <span class="smcap">Leigh Richmond</span>, 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.</p> - -<p><b>BECKWITH</b> (General)—<b>HIS LIFE AND LABORS AMONG -THE WALDENSES OF PIEDMONT.</b> By <span class="smcap">J. P. Meille</span>, Pastor -of the Waldensian Church in Turin. With an <span class="smcap">Introductory Notice</span> -by the late Rev. <span class="smcap">Wm. Arnot</span>. 12mo, cloth, $1.25.</p> - -<p><b>BRIGHTWELL</b> (C. L.).—<b>LIVES OF LABOR</b>; Or, Incidents in -the Career of Eminent Naturalists and Celebrated Travelers. By -author of “Above Rubies,” etc. Colored plates. 12mo, cloth extra, -$1.50.</p> - -<p><b>BUNYAN’S PILGRIM’S PROGRESS.</b> 18mo, cloth, beveled, -tinted illustrations, 75 cts.; 12mo, cloth extra, beveled, $1.00.</p> - -<p><b>CITY AND CASTLE</b> (The). A Story of the Reformation in Switzerland. -By <span class="smcap">Annie Lucas</span>. 12mo, cloth, $2.00.</p> - -<p><b>CROWN OF GLORY</b> (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.</p> - -<p><b>CUPPLES</b> (Mrs. George).—<b>FABLES</b>. Illustrated by Stories from -Real Life. With numerous woodcuts. 18mo, cloth extra. First -series, 75 cts.; Second series, 75 cts.</p> - -<p>---- <b>MAMMA’S STORIES ABOUT DOMESTIC PETS.</b> -Fully illustrated. 18mo, cloth extra, 75 cts.</p> - -<p>---- <b>MY PRETTY SCRAP-BOOK</b>; Or, Picture Pages and Pleasant -Stories for Little Readers. With illustration on every page. 18mo, -cloth, 50 cts.</p> - -<p>---- <b>SHADOWS ON THE SCREEN</b>; Or, an Evening with the -Children. With illustration on every page. 18mo, cloth, 50 cts.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[214]</a></span></p> - - -<p><b>CUPPLES</b> (Mrs. George).—<b>STORY OF OUR DOLL.</b> Large -Type, 40 illustrations. 16mo, cloth, illuminated side, 60 cts.</p> - -<p>---- <b>STORY OF MISS DOLLIKINS</b> (The). With colored -frontispiece, vignette, and 47 engravings. Oblong 24mo, illuminated -side, 75 cts.</p> - -<p>---- <b>WALKS AND TALKS WITH GRANDPAPA.</b> With -illustration on every page. 18mo, cloth, 50 cts.</p> - -<p><b>DOUDNEY</b> (Sarah).—<b>GREAT SALTERNS.</b> Illustrated. 12mo, -cloth extra, gilt edges, $1.75.</p> - -<p><b>EARLY GENIUS</b>, 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.</p> - -<p><b>FALL OF JERUSALEM, AND THE ROMAN CONQUEST -OF JUDEA.</b> Illustrated. 18mo, cloth extra, 75 cts.</p> - -<p><b>GALILEO, THE ASTRONOMER OF PISA.</b> Colored frontispiece. -18mo, cloth, 50 cts.</p> - -<p><b>GAUSSEN</b>, (Prof. L.).—<b>WORLD’S BIRTHDAY</b> (The). A -book for the young. Translated by Mrs. <span class="smcap">Campbell Overend</span>. With -colored plates. 16mo, cloth, $1.25.</p> - -<p><b>GOOD OUT OF EVIL.</b> A Tale for Children. By Mrs. <span class="smcap">Surr</span>, -author of “Sea-Birds and the Story of their Lives,” etc. With 32 -illustrations. 16mo, cloth extra, 75 cts.</p> - -<p><b>HAPPY HOLIDAYS AT WOODLEIGH HOUSE</b>; Or, Aunt -Elsie and her Guests. 8 tinted illustrations. 16mo, cloth extra, $1.25.</p> - -<p><b>HERSCHELS</b> (Story of the). A Family of Astronomers. Colored -frontispiece. 18mo, cloth, 50 cents.</p> - -<p><b>HOLY WELL</b> (The). An Irish Story. With colored frontispiece. -18mo, cloth extra, 25 cts.</p> - -<p><b>IN THE FAR EAST.</b> A Narrative of Exploration and Adventure -in Cochin-China, Cambodia, Laos and Siam. 16mo, cloth extra, many -illustrations, 75 cts.</p> - -<p><b>KANE</b> (Dr.), <b>THE ARCTIC HERO</b>. A Narrative of his Adventures -and Explorations in the Polar Regions. By <span class="smcap">M. Jones</span>. Fully -illustrated. 16mo, cloth extra, $1.00.</p> - -<p><b>KIRBY</b> (Mary and Elizabeth).—<b>AUNT MARTHA’S CORNER -CUPBOARD.</b> Stories about Tea, Coffee, Sugar, Honey, etc. With -colored frontispiece, vignette, and numerous woodcuts. 12mo, cloth -extra, $1.00.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[215]</a></span></p> - -<p><b>LEONIE</b>; Or, Light Out of Darkness; and, <b>WITHIN IRON -WALLS</b>; A Tale of the Siege of Paris. Twin Stories of the Franco-German -War. By <span class="smcap">Annie Lucas</span>. 12mo, cloth extra, $2.00.</p> - -<p><b>LITTLE ROBINSON OF PARIS</b>; Or, The Triumph of Industry. -From the French by <span class="smcap">Lucy Landon</span>. Tinted frontispiece and -vignette, 18mo, cloth, $1.00.</p> - -<p><b>LITTLE SNOWDROP AND HER GOLDEN CASKET.</b> -By the author of “Little Hazel,” etc. With colored frontispiece and -vignette. 12mo, cloth extra, $1.00.</p> - -<p><b>MASTER AND SERVANT</b>; Or, Richard Owen’s Choice. By -Mrs. <span class="smcap">Lamb</span>. 18mo, cloth limp, gilt edges, 10 cts.</p> - -<p><b>MERCHANT ENTERPRISE</b>; Or, Pictures of the History of -Commerce from the Earliest Times. By <span class="smcap">J. Hamilton Fyfe</span>. With -illustrations. 12mo, cloth, $1.50.</p> - -<p><b>MILLER</b> (Mrs. Hugh).—<b>STORIES OF THE CAT</b>, and her -Cousins, the Lion, the Tiger, and the Leopard. Colored frontispiece, -and many illustrations. 18mo, cloth extra, 75 cts.</p> - -<p>---- <b>STORIES OF THE DOG</b>, 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.</p> - -<p><b>NELLY’S TEACHERS. AND WHAT THEY LEARNED.</b> -A Story for the Young. By <span class="smcap">Kate Thorne</span>. 12mo, cloth extra, $1.50.</p> - -<p><b>NEBULÆ AND COMETS.</b> Colored frontispiece and vignette, -and numerous illustrations. 16mo, cloth, 50 cts.</p> - -<p><b>NOBLE WOMEN</b> (Stories of the Lives of). By <span class="smcap">W. H. Davenport -Adams</span>. 12mo, cloth, $1.25.</p> - -<p><b>NO CROSS, NO CROWN</b>; Or, The Dark Year of Dundee. A -Tale of the Scottish Reformation. By the author of “Spanish -Brothers.” Illustrated. 12mo, cloth, $1.50.</p> - -<p><b>PAULL</b> (M. A.).—<b>VIVIANS OF WOODIFORD</b>; Or, True -Hearts make Happy Homes. By the author of “Tim’s Troubles,” -etc. Illustrated. 12mo, cloth, $1.50.</p> - -<p><b>PENDOWER.</b> A Story of Cornwall, in the Time of Henry the -Eighth. By <span class="smcap">M. Filleul</span>. 12mo, cloth extra, $2.00.</p> - -<p><b>PLANETARY SYSTEM</b> (The). Colored frontispiece and vignette, -with numerous illustrations. 18mo, cloth, 50 cts.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[216]</a></span></p> - -<p><b>PORTER</b> (Rev. J. L.), A.M.—<b>GIANT CITIES OF BASHAN</b> -(The), and Syria’s Holy Places. Illustrated. 12mo, cloth, $1.50.</p> - -<p><b>SEA AND THE SEA-SHORE</b> (The). Lessons in the Study of -Nature and Natural History. With numerous engravings. 12mo, -cloth extra, $1.00.</p> - -<p><b>SNOWDROP</b>; Or, the Adventures of a White Rabbit. With colored -frontispiece and vignette, and twenty illustrations. 16mo, cloth -extra, $1.00.</p> - -<p><b>SPANISH BROTHERS.</b> A Tale of the Sixteenth Century. By -the author of “Dark Year of Dundee.” 12mo, cloth, $2.00.</p> - -<p><b>STARS</b> (The). Colored frontispiece and vignette, and numerous illustrations. -18mo, cloth. 50 cts.</p> - -<p><b>STORY OF BENVENUTO CELLINI, THE ITALIAN -GOLDSMITH.</b> Colored frontispiece and vignette. 18mo, cloth -extra, 50 cts.</p> - -<p><b>STORY OF SIR HUMPHREY DAVY AND THE INVENTION -OF THE SAFETY LAMP.</b> Colored frontispiece and -vignette. 18mo, cloth, 50 cts.</p> - -<p><b>SUN AND MOON</b>—Their Physical Character, Appearance and -Phenomena. Colored frontispiece and vignette, and numerous illustrations. -18mo, cloth, 50 cts.</p> - -<p><b>SWEDISH TWINS</b> (The). A Tale for the Young. By the author -of “The Babes in the Basket.” 18mo, cloth extra, illustrated, 75 cts.</p> - -<p><b>THRESHOLD OF LIFE</b> (The). A Book of Illustrations and Lessons -for the Encouragement and Counsel of Youth. By <span class="smcap">W. H. Davenport -Adams</span>. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, $1.50.</p> - -<p><b>TROT’S LETTERS TO HER DOLL.</b> By <span class="smcap">Mary E. Bromfield</span>. -With beautiful colored frontispiece and vignette. 12mo, cloth extra, -$1.00.</p> - -<p><b>UNDER THE OAKS</b>; Or, Won by Love. <span class="smcap">By Author of</span> “<span class="smcap">Little -Hazel</span>,” etc. Colored frontispiece and vignette. 12mo, cloth extra, -$1.00.</p> - -<p><b>UNDER THE SOUTHERN CROSS.</b> A Tale of the New -World. By the author of “Spanish Brothers.” 12mo, cloth, $2.00.</p> - -<p><b>WHICH IS MY LIKENESS?</b> Or, Seeing Ourselves as We See -Others. By <span class="smcap">Cousin Kate</span>. With tinted plates. 12mo, cloth extra, -$1.50.</p> - -<p><b>WHITE-ROCK COVE</b> (The). A Tale for the Young. With six -colored plates. 12mo, cloth extra, gilt edges, $1.50.</p> - -<p class="p2 center">THOMAS NELSON AND SONS, 42 BLEECKER STREET, NEW YORK.</p> - -<p class="p2 center">AGENTS FOR OXFORD UNIVERSITY BIBLES, ETC., ETC.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnotes"> - - -<h2 class="nobreak">FOOTNOTE</h2> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_A_1" id="Footnote_A_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_A_1"><span class="label">*</span></a> A fuller description of Luang Prabang, as given by Garnier, who visited it -six years after Mouhot, will be found on page <a href="#Page_78">78</a>.</p></div> - -</div> - -<hr class="full" /> - -<div class="transnote"> - - -<h2 class="nobreak">Transcriber's Note</h2> - -<p>Illustrations have been moved next to the relevant text, and may no longer match the locations in the List of Illustrations.</p> - -<p>Page headers in the printed text are presented as sidenotes.</p> - -<p>The following apparent errors have been corrected:</p> - -<ul><li>advertisement "<span class="smcap">Campbell Overon</span>" changed to "<span class="smcap">Campbell Overend</span>"</li> - -<li>advertisement "Reformation," changed to "Reformation."</li> -</ul> - -<p>Archaic or inconsistent spelling and punctuation have otherwise been kept as printed.</p> - - -<p>The following are used inconsistently in the text:</p> -<ul> -<li>Battambang and Battabang</li> - -<li>Birman and Burman</li> -</ul> - -</div> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -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-h.htm or 54692-h.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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