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IN THE FAR EAST.
[Illustration: LAOTIAN BOAT DESCENDING A RAPID.
Page 77.
]
IN THE FAR EAST:
A Narrative of Exploration and Adventure
IN COCHIN-CHINA, CAMBODIA,
LAOS, AND SIAM.
_BY THE AUTHOR OF
“The Arctic World,” “The Mediterranean Illustrated,”
&c. &c._
WITH TWENTY-EIGHT FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS.
LONDON: THOMAS NELSON AND SONS.
EDINBURGH AND NEW YORK.
1879.
Contents.
I. THROUGH LAOS TO CHINA, 9
II. EXPERIENCES AMONG THE CHINESE, 106
III. RETURN TO SAIGON, 133
IV. DR. MORICE AND THE MEKONG, 140
V. M. MOUHOT IN CAMBODIA, 176
List of Illustrations.
LAOTIAN BOAT DESCENDING A RAPID, _Frontispiece_
SCENE ON THE MEKONG, 13
PEACOCK-HUNTING, 29
MOUNTAIN-PEAK NEAR BASSAC, 33
FUNERAL CEREMONY OF THE LAOTIANS, 37
CORONATION OF THE KING OF OUBON, 45
ANNAMITES AT LAKON, 51
NATURAL PILLAR IN THE MOUNTAINS OF LAKON, 55
TAPPING THE BORASSUS PALM, 59
BUDDHIST TAT AT NONG KAY, 63
MONASTERY OF WAT SISAKET, 67
PASSAGE OF A RAPID, 71
RICE-FIELD AND PAGODA AT MUONG MAI, 75
PAGODA AT PAK LAY, 79
BAMBOO BRIDGE AT XIENG KHONG, 83
FOREST ROAD NEAR MUONG LIM, 87
A NIGHT HALT NEAR SIEM-LAP, 91
TRAVELLING IN A RAVINE NEAR SOP YONG, 95
INTERVIEW WITH THE KING OF MUONG YOU, 99
MOUNTAIN VILLAGE AND RICE-FIELDS NEAR POU-EUL, 103
VALLEY OF KON-TCHANG, 109
CROSSING A RAVINE, 113
MERCHANT TRAIN IN YUNNAN, 137
ANNAMITE LADY AND HER SERVANT, 141
CHINESE HOUSE AT KHOLEN, 151
VINH-LONG, 163
SCENE AT TAYNINH, 167
CHINESE MERCHANTS OF SAIGON, 173
IN THE FAR EAST.
CHAPTER I.
THROUGH LAOS TO CHINA.
A considerable portion of the Indo-Chinese peninsula is occupied by
the extensive country of Cambodia, or Camboja, known to the natives
as _Kan-pou-chi_. It extends from lat. 8° 47′ to 15° N., along the
basin of the Mekong, Makiang, or Cambodia river; and is bounded on the
north by Laos; on the south, by the Gulf of Siam and the China Sea; on
the east, by Cochin-China; and on the west, by Siam. Formerly it was
independent; but since 1809 it has been included within the empire of
Annam, except the province of Battabang, which belongs to the kingdom
of Siam. But since the French established themselves at Saigon in
1858, and have gradually obtained a controlling power in Annam (or
Cochin-China), their influence has also extended to Cambodia.
~COURSE OF THE MEKONG.~
The largest river of Cambodia, and of the whole Indo-Chinese peninsula,
is the Mekong, Makiang, or Cambodia, which, rising in the mountains of
China, under the name of the Lan-tsan-kiang, flows in a south-easterly
direction across the province of Yunnan; thence, under the name of the
Kiou-long, traverses the territory of Laos; and afterwards, as the
Mekong, intersects Cambodia, dividing the Annam portion from that which
belongs to Siam; separates into several branches, and finally falls
into the China Sea, after a fertilizing course of about fifteen hundred
miles. Its two principal mouths are those of the Japanese and Oubequum
channels. There are several smaller mouths, however, the southernmost
of which is situated in lat. 9° 30′ N., and long. 106° 20′ E.
Very little was known of this great river until the French had made
themselves masters of Saigon. It has since been explored in parts of
its course by M. Mouhot, Lieutenant Garnier, and others. The country
which it waters possesses many features of interest; and the scenery
through which it flows is often of a romantic and beautiful character.
The manners and customs of the people dwelling on its banks are not
unworthy of consideration; and we propose, therefore, to carry the
reader with us on a voyage up this magnificent stream,--penetrating,
under the guidance of Lieutenant Garnier, into hitherto unexplored
parts of Cambodia, and even into China itself.
* * * * *
~A FRENCH EXPEDITION.~
In 1866 the French Government determined on despatching an expedition
to explore the upper valley of the great Cambodian river, and placed
it in charge of M. de Lagrée, a captain in the French navy. M. Thorel,
a surgeon, was attached to it as botanist; M. Delaporte, as artist;
Dr. Joubert, as physician and geologist; and among the other members
were Lieutenant Garnier, to whose record of the expedition we are
about to be indebted, and M. de Carné. After a visit to Ongcor, the
capital of the ancient kingdom of the Khmers, with those vast memorials
of antiquity described so graphically by M. Mouhot, the expedition
proceeded to ascend the great river, passing the busy villages of
Compong Luong and Pnom Penh--the latter the residence of the king of
Cambodia. Here they abandoned the gun-brigs which had brought them
from Saigon, and embarked themselves and their stores on board boats
better fitted for river navigation.
~BOATING ON THE MEKONG.~
These boats or canoes are manned, according to their size, by a crew
of six to ten men. Each is armed with a long bamboo, one end of which
terminates with an iron hook, the other with a small fork. The men take
up their station on a small platform in the fore part of the boat,
plant their bamboos against some projection on the river-bank, tree
or stone, and then march towards the stern; returning afterwards on
the opposite side to repeat the process. This strange kind of circular
motion suffices to impel the boat at the rate of a man walking at full
speed, when the boatmen are skilful at their work, and the river-bank
is straight and well defined. The master’s attention is wholly
occupied, meanwhile, in keeping the bow of the canoe in the direction
of the current, or rather slightly headed towards the shore. It is
obvious that such a mode of navigation is liable to many interruptions,
and cannot be commended on the score of swiftness or convenience.
[Illustration: SCENE ON THE MEKONG]
~FORMIDABLE RAPIDS.~
On the 13th of July the canoes took their departure from Cratieh, and
soon afterwards arrived at Sombor. They then effected the passage
of the rapids of Sombor-Sombor--no great difficulty being experienced,
owing to the rise of the waters. Beyond this point the broad bed of the
great river was encumbered with a multitude of islands, low and green,
while the banks were covered with magnificent forests. The voyagers
noticed here some trees of great value--the yao; the ban-courg, the
wood of which makes capital oars; and the lam-xe, which should be
highly prized by the European cabinet-makers.
~A WEARY VOYAGE.~
On the 16th of July the voyagers again fell in with a series of
formidable rapids. The sharp and clearly-defined shores of the islands
which had hitherto enclosed the arm of the river they were navigating
were suddenly effaced. The Cambodia was covered with innumerable clumps
of trees, half under water; its muddy torrent rolled impetuously
through a thousand canals, forming an inextricable labyrinth. Huge
blocks of sandstone rose at intervals along the left bank, and
indicated that strata of the same rock extended across the river-bed.
At a considerable distance from the shore the poles of the boatmen
found a depth of fully ten feet; and it was with extreme difficulty
the canoes made way against the strong, fierce current, which in some
confined channels attained a velocity of five miles an hour.
Storms of wind and rain contributed to render the voyage more
wearisome and the progress slower. It was no easy task at night to
find a secure haven for the boats; and the sudden floods of the little
streams at the mouth of which the voyagers sought shelter, several
times subjected them to the risk of being carried away during their
sleep, and cast all unexpectedly into the mid-current of the great
river. They slept on board their boats, because the roof was some
protection from the furious rains; but these soon soaked through the
mats and leaves of which it was composed. The weather was warm, and
thus these douche-baths were not wholly insupportable; and when the
voyagers could not sleep, they found some consolation in admiring the
fantastic illumination which the incessant lightnings kindled in the
gloomy arcades of the forest, and in listening to the peals of thunder,
repeated by a thousand echoes, and mingling with the hoarse continuous
growl of the angry waters.
Such are some of the features of the navigation of the lower part of
the Cambodia. But our limits compel us to pass over several chapters
of Lieutenant Garnier’s narrative, and to take it up after the voyagers
had crossed the boundaries of Siam and Cambodia and entered Laos.
~THE LAOTIANS DESCRIBED.~
~LAOTIAN COSTUME.~
Lieutenant Garnier describes the Laotians as generally well made and
robust. Their physiognomy, he says, is characterized by a singular
combination of cunning and apathy, benevolence and timorousness.
Their eyes are less regular, their cheeks less prominent, the nose
straighter, than is the case with other peoples of Mongolian origin;
and but for their much paler complexion, which closely approaches that
of the Chinese, we should be tempted to credit them with a considerable
admixture of Hindu blood. The male Laotian shaves his head, and, like
the Siamese, preserves only a small tuft of very short hair on the
summit. He dresses himself tastefully, and can wear the finest stuffs
with ease and dignity. He chooses always the liveliest colours; and
the effect of a group of Laotians, with the brilliant hues of their
costume set off by their copper-tinted skin, is very striking. The
common people wear an exceedingly simple garb--the langouti, a piece of
cotton stuff passed between the legs and around the waist. For those
of higher rank the langouti is of silk; and is frequently accompanied
by a small vest buttoned over the chest, with very narrow sleeves, and
another piece of silk folded round the waist as a girdle, or round the
neck as a scarf. Head-gear and foot-gear are things little used in
Laos; but the labourers and boatmen, when working or rowing under a
burning sun, protect the head with an immense straw hat, almost flat,
much like a parasol. Personages of high rank, when they are in “full
dress,” wear a kind of slipper, which appears to inconvenience them
greatly, and is thrown off at the earliest opportunity.
Most of the Laotians tattoo themselves on the stomach or legs, though
the practice is much more prevalent in the north than in the south. The
Laotian women do not wear much more clothing than their husbands. The
langouti, instead of being brought up between the legs, is fastened
round the waist, and allowed to hang down like a short tight petticoat
below the knees. Generally, a second piece of stuff is worn over the
bosom, and thrown back across either the right or left shoulder. The
hair, always of a splendid jetty blackness, is twisted up in a chignon
on the top of the head, and kept in its place by a small strip of
cotton or plaited straw, frequently embellished with a few flowers.
Every woman ornaments her neck, arms, and legs with rings of gold,
silver, or copper, sometimes heaped one upon another in considerable
quantity. The very poor are content with belts of cotton or silk; to
which, in the case of children, are suspended little amulets given by
the priests as talismans against witchcraft or remedies against disease.
* * * * *
Strictly speaking, polygamy does not exist in Laos. Only the well-to-do
indulge in the embarrassing luxury of more wives than one; and even
with these a favoured individual is recognized as the lawful spouse.
~SLAVERY IN LAOS.~
Unhappily, slavery prevails, as it does in Siam and Cambodia. A
debtor may be enslaved, by judicial confiscation; but the “peculiar
institution” is chiefly recruited from the wild tribes in the eastern
provinces. The slaves are employed in tilling the fields, and in
domestic labours; they are treated with great kindness. They often
live so intimately and so familiarly with their masters, that, but for
their long hair and characteristic physiognomy, it would be difficult
to distinguish them in the midst of a Laotian “interior.”
The Laotians are a slothful people, and, when not rich enough to own
slaves, leave the best part of the day’s work to be done by the women,
who not only perform the household labour, but pound the rice, till
the fields, paddle the canoes. Hunting and fishing are almost the only
occupations reserved for the stronger sex.
~FISH-CATCHING PROCESSES.~
We have not space to describe all the engines employed for catching
fish, which, next to rice, is the principal food of all the riverine
populations of the Mekong valley, and is furnished by the great river
in almost inexhaustible quantities. The most common are large tubes of
bamboo and ratan, having one or more funnel-shaped necks, the edges
of which prevent the fish from escaping after they have once entered.
These apparatus are firmly attached, with their openings towards the
current, to a tree on the river-bank, or, by means of some heavy
stones, are completely submerged. Every second or third day their owner
visits them, and empties them of their finny victims. The Laotians
also make use of an ingenious system of floats, which support a row of
hooks, and realize the European “fishing by line,” without the help of
the fisherman. There are various other methods adopted, such as the
net and the harpoon; and in the employment of all these the Laotians
display considerable activity and address.
* * * * *
Let us now accompany our French voyagers in their further ascent of the
river. As we have already hinted, its navigation is not without its
inconveniences, and even its dangers.
~A SUDDEN STORM.~
One evening, for example, they dropped anchor at the mouth of a
small stream which, in foam and spray, came tumbling down from the
mountains of Cambodia. After supper they lay down to rest on the mats
which covered the deck of their vessels. Black was the sky, hot and
oppressive the air; all around were visible the portents of a coming
storm. The distant roar of the hurricane failed, however, to disturb
the sleepers, who were spent and overcome with the fatigues of the day.
But at last they were wakened effectually by a “thunder-plump,” which
quickly flooded their canoes, and drove them upon deck.
~THE FLOOD SUBSIDES.~
In the midst of the elemental disorder, they became aware of a hoarse
growling sound; the waters were violently agitated, and a great crest
of foam rapidly advanced towards their feeble barks. In a few moments
it was upon them. It swept clean over the voyagers and their canoes,
and those of the latter which had been carelessly moored were borne
down the rushing tide. At first an indescribable disorder prevailed;
cries of distress rose in every direction; the canoes dashed violently
against one another, or came into collision with uprooted trunks
floating on the surface of the storm-tossed waters. Fortunately, the
danger was quickly over; and as every boat had contrived to grapple
some branch or rock, the voyagers discovered at daybreak that, whatever
injuries these had sustained, no lives had been lost. The furious gale
they had heard in the distance had raised the waters some twelve feet
during the night; but the inundation subsided as rapidly as it had
risen.
Under the shade of wide-branching trees, and closely hugging the shore,
the expedition continued its voyage. The neighbouring forests were
remarkable for their luxuriant vegetation; troops of apes and squirrels
of various species gambolled among the mighty trees, among which rose
conspicuous the superb yao, the king of these forests, the trunk of
which shoots up, free from knot or bough, to a height of eighty or one
hundred feet; and out of which the Laotians hollow their piraguas. In
the morning a wild beast now and then came down to the river to drink;
and night was rendered hideous by the cries and trumpetings of deer,
and tigers, and elephants.
* * * * *
~THE KHON CATARACT.~
At length the voyagers came within hearing of the tremendous roar of
the Khon cataract. Their boatmen, brisker than on ordinary occasions,
hauled or propelled their vessels through a very labyrinth of rocks,
submerged trees, and prostrate trunks still clinging to earth by their
many roots. They knew that their hard labour was nearly at an end, and
that at Khon the expedition would dismiss them, as fresh boats would
be required above the cataract. As for their homeward voyage, what was
it? To ascend the river had been the work of a week; the swift current
would bear them back in less than a day.
~A PLAGUE OF LEECHES.~
The cataract of Khon is really a series of magnificent falls, of
which one of the grandest is caused by the confluence of the Papheng.
There, in the midst of rocks and grassy islets, an enormous sheet of
water leaps headlong from a height of seventy feet, to fall back in
floods of foam, again to descend from crag to crag, and finally glide
away beneath the dense vegetation of the forest. As the river at this
point is about one thousand yards in width, the effect is singularly
striking. But still more imposing is the Salaphe fall, which extends
over a breadth of a mile and a half, at the very foot of the mountains.
In order to examine it at leisure, Lieutenant Garnier engaged a Laotian
to conduct him to an island lying just above it. Before starting, the
guide made certain preparations, of which Garnier could not understand
the necessity, in spite of the Laotian’s efforts to explain them.
Rolling up about his waist the light langouti, he plastered his feet
and legs with a composition of lime and areca juice. This precaution
proved to be far from useless; for, on landing on the island, they
found the soil covered with thousands of leeches, some no larger than
needles, but others two inches and a half to three inches in length. On
the approach of the strangers, they reared themselves erect upon each
dead leaf and blade of grass; they leaped, so to speak, upon them from
every side. The thick coating which the Laotian guide had so prudently
assumed preserved him from their bites; but Garnier, in a few moments,
was victimized by dozens of these blood-suckers, which crawled up his
legs and bled him in spite of all his efforts. He found it impossible
to get rid of his determined antagonists; for one leech which he tore
off, two fresh assailants seized upon him. Glad was he when he caught
sight of a tall tree. He made towards it, scaled its trunk, and, when
out of reach of his foes, set to work to deliver himself from the
creatures which were feasting at his expense. Throwing off his clothes,
he removed the leeches one by one, though it was not without difficulty
that he loosened their hold. Even his waistband had not arrested their
march, for he found that one audacious persecutor had actually reached
his chest.
~A VIEW OF THE CATARACT.~
He felt more than repaid, however, for all his sufferings, when he
arrived within sight of the cataract. With a breadth of two thousand
yards, a prodigious mass of water came down in blinding foam, roaring
like a furious sea when it breaks against an iron-bound coast. At
another point, the flood was divided into eight or ten different
cascades by as many projecting crags, richly clothed in leafage and
vegetation. Beyond, nothing could be seen but one immense rapid,--a
roaring, tumultuous deluge! The sandstone blocks and boulders which
encumbered the river-bed were completely hidden by the whirl and eddy
of the waves; and their position could be detected only by the foam on
the surface, or the vapour floating wreath-like in the air. Further
still, a few black points, a few ridges of rock, and a chain of small
islets, stretched across to the opposite bank, which it was impossible
to approach, and where, apparently, the cataract seemed to attain its
greatest fury. Such was the great fall of Salaphe,--a scene of sublime
grandeur, conveying the idea of everlasting strength and power.
* * * * *
~VISIT TO BASSAC.~
While preparing to continue their ascent of the river, Lieutenant
Garnier and his companions visited Bassac, one of the most important
towns in Laos. It is situated in the heart of the richest tropical
scenery; and the members of the expedition found it impossible to
ramble in any direction without coming upon some fresh and beautiful
landscape, or some object of the highest interest. The mountains which
surround Bassac are clothed to their very summits with vegetation; and
down the shadowy glens which furrow their rugged sides sparkle bright,
pure streams on their way to the all-absorbing Mekong. The people of
Bassac are a mild and peaceable race, and they received the strangers
with cordial hospitality. The time was spent most agreeably in paying
and receiving visits; in excursions among the beautiful scenery of the
neighbourhood, the choicest “bits” of which they transferred to their
sketch-books; in studying the manners and customs of the inhabitants;
and in essaying their skill as marksmen against the wild denizens of
the forest.
~IN PURSUIT OF GAME~
The larger game are generally caught by the hunters of Bassac in
nets or snares. The chase on a grand scale is almost unknown. In
the forests, however, the hunters sometimes call in the elephant to
their assistance; they are thus able to get close to the wished-for
prey, as the latter do not take alarm at the approach of an animal
so well known. Lieutenant Garnier tells us that he enjoyed his sport
in a modest fashion. Sometimes he spent whole days in traversing the
dried-up swamps, in the shade of dense masses of trees bound together
inextricably by every kind of liana and parasite. To such places resort
numerous companies of peacocks and wild fowl during the hot season; but
their pursuit is always difficult, and frequently dangerous. Indeed,
the Laotians cherish a belief that the tiger and the peacock are
always found in the same localities.
[Illustration: PEACOCK HUNTING.]
* * * * *
~A MOUNTAIN EXCURSION.~
One evening, seated at the foot of a tamarisk-tree, the fruit of which
a troop of squirrels was busily crunching among the branches overhead,
Garnier and his comrade, Dr. Thorel, took counsel together; with the
conclusion that, on the day following, they would undertake a mountain
excursion, and boldly attempt to scale one of the most elevated peaks.
Accordingly, at dawn they started, attended by their usual escort--a
native, christened Luiz.
With swift feet they crossed the rice-plantations and marshes that
separated them from the foot of the mountains; and by a narrow winding
track reached the bed of a dried-up torrent, where they halted for
a brief rest. Thence, plunging into the forest, they slowly climbed
the precipitous heights, occasionally confronted by a rugged steep,
or an immense mass of rock that seemed likely to baffle all their
aspirations, but was eventually conquered by combined skill and
resolution. The forest soon changed its character; the rarefaction of
the air forced itself upon their notice; the daring adventurers rose
above the clouds and vapours of the plain. On arriving at a narrow
ledge of table-land they halted for breakfast. The first requisite was
fresh water; rare enough at that season of the year, and at such a
height! Close beside them, however, was the channel of a spent burn;
and a careful search among the rocks revealed to them a pool, sheltered
from wind and sun, brimming with crystal water,--and tenanted,
moreover, by some mountain-eels, small but delicious. The pool being
very shallow, a supply of the eels was soon obtained.
~DETAILS OF THE ASCENT.~
It did not take long to kindle a fire. The eels were dexterously
grilled; and a savoury and substantial repast concluded with a dessert
of wild bananas. Refreshed and invigorated, the mountain-climbers
resumed their enterprise; and along a narrow crest, so narrow that two
persons could not walk abreast, made their way through a labyrinth of
vegetation. With watchful eye, and hand on trigger, they advanced.
Suddenly a strayed peacock flew in front of them; but as their position
was unfavourable for taking aim, they allowed it to pass by. They
reached at last a kind of natural staircase, the ascent of which was
rendered inconvenient by the showers of pebbles, loosened by their
feet, which rolled to right and left over the precipice. All at
once further progress apparently was rendered impossible by a mass
of withered brushwood; which, on examination, proved to be the den,
happily deserted, of a wild boar.
~A SPLENDID PANORAMA.~
Beyond this point the crest or ridge grew sharper and sharper; the
shattered and accumulated rocks were held together only by the lianas
which close-clasped them; and the adventurers were forced to crawl
on their hands and knees, holding on by plant or crag. At length the
brave effort was crowned with success. They gained the mountain-top,
and enjoyed a panorama of wonderful beauty, in which peaks and forests
blended their various hues, and wide green plains expanded in the
golden sunshine, and the pagodas of Bassac rose like island-pinnacles
out of a sea of verdure. The glorious picture, in all its variety of
form and glow of colouring, was one on which the eye of man had never
before rested; it was a picture of abounding fertility as well as of
beauty and grandeur, and suggested the idea of almost inexhaustible
resources, which in some future time may be developed by the enterprise
and civilization of the West.
[Illustration: MOUNTAIN-PEAK NEAR BASSAC.]
~RETURN TO BASSAC.~
In the course of their descent the explorers gained a broken ridge
of rock, overshadowed by the branches of a stately tree, the
roots of which clung round the weather-worn stones, and seemed to
hold them together. At their approach, a swarm--we might almost say
a cloud--of green pigeons whirled and fluttered out of the depths
of the green foliage; returning to their resting-places after a few
aerial evolutions. The ground beneath was strewn with small fruit, to
which the pigeons are extremely partial; and showers continually fell
about the explorers’ heads, loosened by the movement of the restless
birds. With a little patience, they brought down half a dozen of the
feathered spoilers; and then, through the forest shadows and down the
mountain-declivities, they pursued their homeward march.
* * * * *
The following evening, Garnier and Dr. Thorel were invited to join
a young Laotian in his walk. The latter led them across a pleasant
breadth of garden-ground to an open space, strewn here and there with
ashes and the refuse of wood-fires. Behind a clump of tall bamboos,
some fifty spectators, seated in an oval ring, surrounded a couple
of wrestlers, and displayed a lively interest in the various phases
of their strife. At a few paces distant, three men were engaged in
rekindling a fire which had died out for lack of fuel. Some bonzes,
or priests, clothed in full long robes of yellow stuff, were viewing
the spectacle from afar, or wending their way towards the neighbouring
pagoda. Two or three women crouched on the ground, amidst baskets
of fruit and large earthen vessels full of rice-wine, intended as
refreshment for the spectators or the heated athletes.
~LAOTIAN ATHLETES.~
Among the bystanders was conspicuous a Laotian, attired in a langouti,
and silken vest of dazzling colours, and sheltered by a parasol held
over his head by a boy standing in the rear, who warmly encouraged one
of the combatants, while a portion of the assembly evidently backed his
antagonist. The struggle was protracted. Betting took place vigorously,
and considerable sums were wagered on both sides. The white men seated
themselves apart, in order to study in all its details a scene so
full of animation. It was impossible not to admire the suppleness of
the two athletes,--robust young men, trained to the combat from their
very infancy; impossible not to take an interest in the skill and
agility with which they eluded or endeavoured to surprise one another.
Sometimes they paused, face to face, and regarded each other with
fixed gaze, slightly curving their loins or shoulders; a moment,
and they leaped from end to end of the arena, assuming theatrical
attitudes--and, when occasion offered, dealing a vigorous blow of the
fist which reddened the sun-bronzed skin.
[Illustration: FUNERAL CEREMONY OF THE LAOTIANS.]
~A STRANGE FUNERAL CEREMONY.~
Their Laotian friend informed our travellers that they were witnessing
nothing less than a funeral ceremony! In Laos, cremation is the
universal custom; and the mortuary rites of a Laotian of rank generally
terminate with a gladiatorial combat, at the conclusion and on the very
site of the process of cremation.
The national rule is, that the corpse of a Laotian mandarin shall
be preserved for several days in its shroud within the proper
mortuary-hut. Friends and kinsmen assemble therein, and console
themselves as best they may with abundant eating and drinking; a custom
which prevails elsewhere than in Laos! It does not appear that the
Laotians regard death with any particular apprehension. Their special
anxiety is to prevent the evil spirits from obtaining possession of
the souls of the dead, and playing them malignant tricks. During the
day these spirits will not attempt anything; but at night they gain
courage, and to shelter the deceased from their manœuvres seems to
be no easy task. However, by means of numerous prayers, and more
particularly by keeping up a tremendous clamour, it is generally
possible, the Laotians believe, to avert their disastrous influence.
For this purpose all the bonzes of the neighbourhood are summoned;
and taking up positions around the bier, they chant aloud their
invocations. By day, and especially by night, the family assist them in
keeping watch. The women decorate the coffin with floral offerings, as
well as with ornaments of wax intended to facilitate combustion. The
men, armed with gongs, tomtoms, and any other instrument they can seize
upon, accompany, as noisily as possible, the chants of the bonzes.
“Harmony” is not the object aimed at; but to secure the maximum of
noise.
When the day appointed for the final ceremony arrives, the uproar is
redoubled at early morn, as a signal to the friends and relatives of
the departed, who make their appearance in full costume.
~THE FUNERAL PROCESSION.~
A procession is then arranged for the purpose of carrying the corpse
to the place of burning. The bonzes lead the way, the seniors coming
last. Then follows the coffin, supported on the shoulders of a dozen
young men, and surmounted by a kind of bamboo canopy, embellished with
flowers and foliage, and destined, like the coffin, to be consumed on
the funeral pyre. The men march next, with the wealthiest and most
influential of the kinsmen of the deceased at their head. The rear is
brought up by the women and children, carrying long bamboos ornamented
with banderoles of various colours, which are planted in the ground
during the process of cremation.
~THE FUNERAL PYRE.~
The pile is reared at one extremity of the burial-ground, where bamboo
poles and the trunks of aged palms have been linked together with
long lianas to form a kind of aerial barrier against the invasion of
the evil spirits. It is composed of pieces of wood of equal length,
carefully arranged in intercrossed layers, and it rises to the height
of a man’s shoulders, so that the bearers, passing half to one side
and half to the other, can deposit the coffin without effort. The men
gather round in a circle; the women stand a little in the rear. The
bonzes recite their prayers, and receive once more the offerings which
the relatives of the deceased never fail to bring for them and their
pagoda; after which the chief priest mounts the pile, and standing
erect, with hands extended over the coffin, pronounces with a loud
voice a concluding prayer.
~PROCESS OF CREMATION.~
As soon as he has descended, the attendants set fire to the resinous
materials placed under the pile. A dazzling jet of flame shoots aloft,
and soon envelopes the coffin. The ornaments are consumed in quick
succession; the pile breaks down in a mass of flame and smoke; and
into the midst falls the corpse, released from the charred and burning
coffin. Yet, painful as this spectacle seems, no native exhibits the
slightest emotion. The work of combustion is allowed to complete
itself, and no one touches the ashes of humanity throughout the day.
The women depart, while the men follow the president of the ceremonies
to be present at the gladiatorial show in honour of the deceased which
we have already described.
* * * * *
[Illustration: CORONATION OF THE KING OF OUBON.]
~CORONATION OF THE KING.~
The voyagers next made their way to Oubon, where they arrived in time
to witness the coronation of the king. The chief of every village, and
the leading men of every province, and indeed all the inhabitants,
had been invited to “assist” in the ceremony. On the morning of the
appointed day, the strangers were deafened by an uproar of drums and
gongs and other unmusical instruments. The noisy orchestra surrounded
the palace; while the royal procession wound through the streets of
Oubon, and defiled into its square or market-place. Mounted upon an
elephant of great size, which was armed with a pair of formidable
tusks, the king made his appearance, encircled by guards on foot and on
horseback, and attended by his great dignitaries mounted like himself.
A train of smaller elephants followed, carrying the court ladies.
The _cortége_ finally directed its course to some spacious pavilions
erected for the purpose, where the bonzes of the royal pagoda were
offering up their prayers.
A few minutes passed, and another tableau was presented. The king was
seen enthroned in the largest pavilion. He arose, and, escorted by his
principal officers, advanced into the middle of a wide platform, where
the bonzes, still uttering their prayers, gathered about him. He threw
off his clothes, replacing them by a mantle of white cloth. Then the
bonzes drew apart, so as to open up a passage for him; and he proceeded
to place himself, with his body bent into a curve, immediately
underneath the sacred dragon. Prayers were recommenced, and the king
received the anointing or consecrating _douche_; while a dignitary who
stood at one corner of the dais set free a couple of turtle-doves, as
a sign that all creation, down even to the animals, should be happy on
so auspicious a day.
When the water which was contained in the dragon’s body had completely
douched the royal person, new garments were brought, over which was
thrown a large white robe; and he returned to his place in the centre
of the hall. A grand banquet of rice, and cucumbers, and eggs, and
pork, and delicious bananas, washed down by copious draughts of
rice-wine, concluded the day’s proceedings; and in the evening the town
was lighted up with fireworks, while bands of singers and musicians
traversed the streets.
* * * * *
~THE VOYAGE RESUMED.~
Lieutenant Garnier, after a brief rest, resumed his exploration of
the Mekong, passing through scenery which previously no European had
visited. At night he and his companions halted at the most convenient
spot, lighted a fire, cooked their meal of rice, and took their rest
under the curtain of a starry sky, or beneath such shelter as they
could hastily run up. Fatigue assisted them to a speedy slumber; yet
their repose was often disturbed by the cries of the wild elephants
which, in large numbers, roamed among the hills on the other side of
the river, or by the roar of some tiger prowling along the bank. During
the day their attention was sometimes diverted from the contemplation
of the strange and picturesque scenery which surrounded them, by the
necessity of piloting their boat through the rapids and whirlpools that
obstruct the navigation of the river.
~MOUNTAINS OF LAKON.~
In this way they proceeded to Kemarat and Pennom; and, across an
immense plain, remarkable for its fertility, followed the course of
the river, which runs due north and south, broadening into a lake of
such dimensions that its boundaries cannot be detected by the naked
eye. One morning, as the mists cleared off, they were surprised at the
appearance, on the northern horizon, of dim azure forms, resembling the
deception of the mirage, or clouds of fantastic outline, or rather a
mass of medieval ruins, with lofty towers and pinnacles, and shattered
ramparts. The natives informed them that these were the mountains
of Lakon, at the foot of which they would arrive on the following
day. They found it difficult to believe in the existence of such
mountains, the configuration of which grew stranger and more fantastic
as they drew nearer to them; sometimes exhibiting sheer precipitous
declivities, sometimes overhanging masses, while sometimes each summit
appeared cloven into deep and shadowy chasms. These enormous rocks
of marble of different tints have been heaped up in awful confusion
by some convulsion of the terrestrial crust; and forced, by an
inconceivable subterranean effort, through the sandstone formation
which underlies the superficial strata of the country.
~ARRIVAL AT LAKON.~
Round the projecting angle of the mountain-mass the river lightly
sweeps; and then its broad waters reflect the huts and pagodas of the
important town of Lakon. The bank was lined with the barks of traders
and fishers; ample nets, suspended to rows of bamboos, dried in the
open air. Sheds erected for the convenience of voyagers, piles of
wood and merchandise, and loaded rafts, gave an air of animation and
activity to the approaches to the town. Our voyagers, well pleased to
regain the society of their kind, made haste to unload their boats,
while native porters carried their luggage to the house set apart for
their accommodation: it stood on the margin of the river, overshadowed
by the branches of a huge mango-tree. Here, as soon as the work was
done, they stretched themselves on the floor, postponing until the
morrow their exploration of the town.
~A GLANCE AT THE TOWN.~
At daybreak they were aroused by the noisy gong of a neighbouring
pagoda. Already the river-bank and the town showed signs of life and
movement. Curious faces were gathered round the strangers’ hut. A large
bag of rice, fruit, fish, and some buffalo-steaks dried in the sun,
arrived, sent by the mandarin provisionally intrusted with the charge
of supplying their wants. The fresh genial morning tempted them forth,
and they went from end to end of the town, which seemed both wealthy
and populous. The pagodas were numerous, the huts well-constructed,
the gardens green and admirably kept. The inhabitants appeared
free and happy. Behind the town, in an open space on the border of
the rice-fields, some bands of travellers lay encamped under roofs
of interwoven foliage. The principal street, which ran along the
river-bank, was shaded everywhere by the trees and creepers of the gay
gardens that skirted its entire course. It made a pleasant promenade,
as through each opening in the rich glossy foliage could be seen the
white sands of the shore, the calm crystal river, the forest thickly
crowding the opposite bank, and, beyond, the long line of the marble
mountains.
[Illustration: ANNAMITES AT LAKON.]
~AN ANNAMITE SETTLEMENT.~
After this excursion, our voyagers returned to their hut, which they
found an object of attraction to all the curiosity-mongers of Lakon.
The most distinguished ladies of the town had assembled to see the
strangers, and offer in exchange for European ornaments their richest
fruits and freshest vegetables. If Garnier and his companions were
surprised at their appearance, they were still more surprised to find
in the crowd a group of twenty Annamites, who had emigrated from the
French colony of Cochin-China, and had been established at Lakon
for some years. As Garnier’s escort was also composed of Annamites,
the scene between the compatriots thus singularly brought together
was one of unbounded ecstasy. Garnier went on a visit to the little
Annamite settlement, which repeated in every detail the villages of
Cochin-China. In each hut was to be seen the tiny domestic altar, with
its lights, and incense, and small statue of Buddha, and broad bands of
red paper, inscribed with Chinese characters and symbolical designs.
There, too, were the large central table, a mother-of-pearl _plateau_,
a complete “tea-equipage” (to use the late Lord Lytton’s phrase),
and a bed surrounded by mosquito-curtains. And no less conspicuous
was that want of cleanliness, both in dwelling and person, which
characterize the natives of Cochin-China.
~THE MARBLE MOUNTAINS.~
We cannot describe all the objects of interest at Lakon, or all the
excursions which Garnier made in its neighbourhood. The geologist and
botanist of the expedition adventured a visit to the Marble Mountains.
With a guide and a couple of elephants, they crossed the river, plunged
into the forest-depths, and found their way to the quarries, where
blocks of marble are excavated for the purpose of being made into lime
of a dazzling whiteness. Then they penetrated into the grottoes and
caverns with which the mountains abound. As they advanced, the scenery
became more and more picturesque, and more and more savage: high rugged
peaks rose above the forest trees; bushes and lianas and parasitical
plants decked with festoons every rocky projection; here yawned a
gloomy chasm, there towered aloft a mighty and awful precipice. But the
scene of scenes burst upon them after they had threaded a gloomy maze
of trees and intertangled bamboos. Two immense walls of sombre rock,
several hundred yards in height, enclosed a broad ravine, which, at
the further extremity, opened on a bare and shining plain. On the left,
the wall extended to a great distance, forming a long line, decreasing
in elevation through the natural effect of the perspective. That on
the right towered above a pile of enormous rocks, heaped together in
the wildest confusion; it seemed to turn like the enceinte of a strong
fortification, and was terminated abruptly by a vertical line, broken
by numerous gaps. Between these lofty barriers lay a barren plain;
afar, some miniature pools glittered with a magical effect in the
“pale moonlight.” The prospect was closed in the distance by the steep
declivities of lofty mountains, surrounding and shutting up, as it
were, this gigantic “cirque” or amphitheatre. About three hundred yards
from the entrance rose two vertical rocks, like a couple of slender
spires, or rather like two enormous tapers--rose to a prodigious
height, isolated, and emerging from a clump of luxuriant verdure which
flourished at their feet. One of these rocks was fully nine hundred
feet in elevation. The other was not so lofty, and seemed to have
partially fallen, the ground being everywhere strewn with its wreck.
[Illustration: NATURAL PILLAR IN THE MOUNTAINS OF LAKON.]
From this remarkable spectacle the French _savants_ proceeded to
inspect a superb grotto excavated in the great wall of cliff, near
the two pillar-like masses. By climbing some rocks they obtained an
entry into it, and found it to form a spacious hall, varying from forty
to eighty feet in height, of great depth, with a rounded, vaulted roof.
The ground was thick with stalagmites; while stalactites of the most
various shapes depended from the vault, and glittered, like so many
mirrors, in the light of torches.
* * * * *
~PALM-WINE.~
~HOW THE WINE IS COLLECTED.~
A day or two afterwards, Garnier and his friends, in returning from
a walk in the environs of Lakon, encountered some Laotians carrying
vessels of bamboo, filled with a liquid which at first they supposed
to be water. On tasting it, however, they discovered that it was the
wine of the country; sweet-flavoured, and by no means disagreeable to
the palate; not unlike, indeed, the product of some of the Rhenish
vineyards. It was palm-wine, freshly made; and to enjoy its _bouquet_
and full flavour it should be drunk in this condition, for it will not
keep more than four-and-twenty hours without fermentation. The Laotians
offered to conduct the strangers to a neighbouring plantation, where
they might observe the different processes of its manufacture. The
offer was accepted, and the party soon arrived at a clearing which was
thickly planted with great borassus palms. To collect the wine,--which
is, in fact, the sap of the tree,--nothing more is necessary than to
make an incision in the middle of the head of the tree, at the point
where the leaves branch off, and suspend beneath a bamboo, into which
the sap falls, drop by drop. In order to reach the summit of these huge
palms, which are straight and smooth as the main-mast of a ship, the
Laotians have invented a simple and ingenious process. They transform
the palm into a veritable ladder, by attaching to the trunk, with small
strips of flexible ratan, projecting laths of bamboo, which, jutting
out to right and left at intervals of twelve to fourteen inches, form
so many “rungs,” and enable the ascent of the tree to be rapidly and
easily accomplished.
[Illustration: TAPPING THE BORASSUS PALM.]
* * * * *
~A RUINED CITY.~
But we must no longer tarry at Lakon. We must once more launch the
boats of our adventurous voyagers, and continue our exploration
of the great river. It waters a populous country, and large towns
are of frequent occurrence on its banks. We pass Hoûten, with its
pagodas, its mountains, and green woods; Saniabury, with its rude
pottery-manufacture; verdurous islands and shining sandbanks;
and the mouths of the many streams which help to swell the abundant
volume of the Mekong. From Saniabury the French expedition proceeded
to Bouncang, a large and beautiful village at the mouth of the Nam
San; thence to Nong Kay, where a Buddhist tat or pyramidal landmark,
erected to indicate a sacred spot, or to enshrine a relic, has been
washed away from the shore, and now lies half submerged, like a wrecked
ship; and thence to Vien Chan, where the river widens into a channel
of a thousand yards in width, before it enters the mountain region.
Vien Chan, now a heap of ruins, was the former metropolis of the
kingdom of Laos; and relics of antiquity spread over a considerable
area testify to its ancient prosperity and splendour. The remains of
the royal palace are interesting. It does not seem to have been built
of very durable materials, the walls and staircases being faced with,
and the pavement and flooring composed of, bricks, wood, or a kind of
cement; but the entire structure still exhibits a certain elegance
of character, and a remarkable wealth of decoration--the columns
of wood have been tastefully carved and profusely gilded; and the
whole is embellished with mouldings, and arabesques, and fantastic
animal-figures.
[Illustration: BUDDHIST TAT AT NONG KAY.]
The absolute silence reigning within the precincts of a city formerly
so rich and populous, was, however, much more impressive than any of
its monuments; more impressive even than the deserted topes or Buddhist
temples which raised their domes in the shadow of the surrounding
forest.
~THE BUDDHIST TEMPLES.~
These, abandoned by their priests, and constructed of the same
materials as the palace, are rapidly decaying. The rapid vegetation of
the tropics, which softens happily the pitiful aspect of Desolation
with its flowers and verdure, lends to these ruined sanctuaries, at a
distance, a delusive air of age; tall grasses grow everywhere about the
sacred precincts, creepers and parasites twine round each column, and
vigorous trees force their crests through the shattered roofs in search
of light.
The most considerable temple is Wat Pha Keo, the royal pagoda. Its
timber façade, delicately wrought, and sparkling with those plates
of glass which the Laotians and the Siamese cunningly mingle with
their gilding in order to produce a greater effect of brilliancy,
shines forth in the midst of the forest, gracefully framed with
blooming lianas, and profusely garlanded with foliage. Gold has been
unsparingly lavished on the sides of the square columns which
supported the half-shattered roof; and a Byzantine style of decoration,
very remarkable in effect, has at one time covered every inch of
space. Though this mode of ornamentation is by no means lasting,
it is very charming; and the numerous pagodas in Vien Chan thus
embellished produced, at a distance, a wonderful impression of dazzling
magnificence.
~WAT SISAKET.~
~A BUDDHIST MONASTERY.~
To the north, in the midst of the forest, is situated a smaller pagoda,
which has undergone but little dilapidation,--that of Wat Sisaket.
In its interior a number of small statues of Buddha are enshrined in
gilded niches, which cover the wall from floor to ceiling, rivalling
the terraces of Boro Bodor, the celebrated Buddhist monument of Java.
Before the altar was elevated a candelabrum, remarkable for its
originality of design and exquisite finish of workmanship. A few paces
distant from the pagoda was situated the library, an indispensable
appendage of all the temples of Laos; it was partly destroyed. As no
native was near, the French explorers clambered up the worm-eaten
pillars which supported and isolated from the soil the flooring of this
literary tabernacle: in the interior some sacred books were scattered
about; they were composed of long narrow strips cut from the leaves
of a particular species of palm, gilded on the edges, and stitched
together in books. Each contained seven or eight lines of that rounded
writing peculiar to the peoples of the Indo-Chinese peninsula; which
differs, as is recognized at the first glance, from the writing of
India properly so-called, though derived from it. Finally, attached
directly to the pagoda, the travellers found a rectangular gallery,
opening internally on a court,--its walls covered, like those of the
temple itself, with small niches containing Buddha statues. This was
the vihara (_chon-khon_ in Laotian), or monastery, which served as the
residence of the priests ministering in Wat Sisaket.
[Illustration: MONASTERY OF WAT SISAKET.]
* * * * *
~A DANGEROUS PASS.~
Some miles above Vien Chan, the Mekong enters a narrow valley, which is
sharply defined and enclosed by two ranges of high hills. Its waters,
hitherto majestic and tranquil, which had peacefully unfolded silver
coil after coil over the vast plateau of central Laos, now accelerated
their course, and tumbled and eddied among the rocks, ever restless
and ever noisy. The noble river, which had previously measured its
breadth by thousands of yards, now shut up within two barriers of
constantly-increasing elevation, was now contained in a channel
which rarely attained to five or six hundred yards in width, and from
which it was no more to escape. In dry seasons it occupied only a small
portion of this space, and it had presented a rugged and broken surface
of rock; a grand mosaic, where fragments mingled of all the metamorphic
formations--marbles, schists, serpentines, even jades,--curiously
coloured, and sometimes admirably polished.
[Illustration: PASSAGE OF A RAPID.]
As the travellers advanced the river grew narrower, and, with a width
of three hundred yards and a depth of twenty-five fathoms, flowed
through a wild and wooded valley, uninhabited except by the animals of
the forest. They passed the mouth of the Nam Thon; after which they
came upon a dangerous series of rapids, where the foaming waters,
hurled and driven from side to side, and swung round projecting rocks,
and driven against the foot of precipitous banks, rushed downwards
tumultuously, with all the clang and clash of billows breaking against
a reef. To thread this water-labyrinth, it was necessary to obtain the
assistance of a pilot from a neighbouring village; and even he was
unwilling to promise that the boats of the expedition, light and small
as they were, could be carried up to the next Muong, that of Xieng
Cang. The boats, however, were unloaded, and the stores transferred to
the shoulders of sturdy natives, who bore them along the rocks; while
others towed the boats with many a lusty pull through the whirl and
foam of the rapids. But so laborious and so difficult was the task,
that two whole days were spent in effecting the passage of a few miles.
~AT MUONG MAI.~
~A CENTRE OF TRADE.~
At length they reached Xieng Cang, or, as it is also called, Muong
Mai, the “new Muong,” which is one of the most important centres of
population on the left bank of the Mekong. The river here broadens
considerably, and its waters are as peaceful as those of a woodland
pool. Opposite to the town rises a beautiful chain of green mountains,
in a series of gently-sloping terraces; and these are intersected by
delightful Eden-valleys, finely wooded, enamelled with flowers, and
brightened by the silver thread of a little brook. The village, or
town, is well built; the houses are very lofty; and the inhabitants are
employed, according to the season, in the manufacture of cotton and the
cultivation of rice. The principal pagoda, situated on the threshold
of the rice-fields, near a grove of graceful corypha palms, is richly
ornamented in the interior, and, among other curiosities, contains
an ancient carved _porte-cierges_ of wood. At the time of Garnier’s
visit, some Birman traders had displayed the contents of their packs
on the steps of the temple, and were selling to the natives their
bright-coloured cotton stuffs and English hardware. A road having been
made westward from Hoûten, Muong Mai is only a hundred leagues from
Moulmein, which lies in nearly the same latitude, and is, as the reader
knows, an English colony, and a busy commercial port, at the mouth
of the Saluen. From this point spread over the interior of Laos the
Peguans, or Birmans of the British possessions, whose knowledge of the
wares most readily purchased by European merchants, and the high price
at which they sell to the natives their English goods, enable them to
accumulate considerable wealth.
[Illustration: RICE-FIELD AND PAGODA AT MUONG MAI.]
* * * * *
~ARRIVAL AT PAK LAY.~
Resuming their northward route, and bent upon tracing the river up to
its mountain-source, they passed through a fertile and picturesque
country, which has been made known to the Western nations by the
enterprise of the traveller Mouhot. Leaving behind them the mouth of
the Nam Lim, and diverging somewhat to the west, then again to the
north, the voyagers arrived in the neighbourhood of Pak Lay, where they
fell in with a M. Duyshart, a Hollander in the service of the king of
Siam, and employed by him in a series of geographical researches, who
was descending the river to Bangkok. They exchanged scientific notes,
and it appeared that Duyshart had surveyed the course of the Cambodia
or Mekong for one hundred and twenty miles above Luang Prabang.
A few hours after this interesting rencontre, the French expedition
crossed the boundary-line of the kingdom of Luang Prabang, and reached
the extremity of the great rapid of Keng Sao. Successfully steering
their course through its rocks and islets, they arrived at Pak Lay,
a romantically-situated village, buried in the deep shadows of the
primeval forest. To the north of the village, and almost hidden by the
trees, is situated a small pagoda, entirely deficient in the accessory
buildings which usually surround a temple at Laos, but better placed
for the purpose of assisting the self-absorption of its priests and
votaries.
[Illustration: PAGODA AT PAK LAY.]
* * * * *
As the voyagers proceeded up the river, they now began to notice
a gradual change in the character alike of the inhabitants and
the vegetation. The calcareous mountains which dominated over the
river-valley assumed the most irregular and fantastic forms, and forced
it into a constant succession of broken curves and sharp angular turns.
At times a mass of marble suddenly projected its high precipitous
cliffs, which the river bathed with waters sometimes foaming, sometimes
tranquil.
~FISHING-STATIONS.~
The Mekong was not at its full height at the time our voyagers ascended
it: a great part of its bed lay bare; and a person, on landing, before
he could reach the bank had to traverse wide spans rugged with rocks.
Here and there spread immense sandbanks, on which were erected large
fishing-stations--veritable towns of bamboo--already abandoned by the
fishermen in anticipation of the quick-coming rise of the waters.
For three days the expedition continued its course. Not a single hut
was visible anywhere. The only incidents of their voyage were the
rapids, which occurred at intervals of three or four miles. These, for
the most part, were formed by the shingle and rocks accumulated at
their mouth by the numerous streamlets which the river here receives.
By dint of vigorous exertions, the native boatmen “poled” their light
barks through each swift current. At times the scene was illuminated
by the arrowy flashes of a storm-swept sky; and peals of thunder,
resounding among the mountains in multitudinous reverberations, mingled
with the roar of the waters. Hail frequently fell in heavy showers
during these gales, which lasted usually about half an hour, and
abruptly lowered the temperature four or five degrees.
The river’s course was remarkably direct, and lay almost due north.
At certain points it completely filled its bed; its breadth was then
reduced to about one hundred and fifty yards; and the hills which
bordered it were of so regular an appearance that the stream assumed
all the features of an artificial canal. A series of miniature cascades
flashed their silver spray in all directions, as they descended the
verdurous slopes.
* * * * *
~MODERN CAPITAL OF LAOS.~
~A PICTURESQUE SCENE.~
Luang Prabang, at which our voyagers in due course arrived, is the
modern capital of Laos. It is picturesque and pleasant to the view, and
enjoys the advantage of a favourable situation. Its houses are very
numerous, and are arranged in parallel lines around a small central
hillock, which, like a dome of verdure, rises above the mass of gray
thatched roofs. On the summit a tat or dagoba elevates its sharp arrowy
pinnacle above a belt of trees, so as to form a landmark for all the
surrounding country. Upon the terraced declivities of this quasi-sacred
eminence are situated several pagodas, the red roofs of which are
vividly defined against the sombre green vegetation. At the foot of the
cliffs, which are about fifty feet high, stretches a row of permanent
rafts, on which numerous huts are erected, composing beneath the town a
kind of second town or river-suburb, connected with the capital itself
by zigzag paths, shining like white ribbons in the distance. Hundreds
of boats of all sizes move rapidly along this floating city; while
large and heavy rafts, coming down from the upper waters of the river,
seek a convenient nook for mooring and unloading their cargoes. At the
foot of the cliffs a crowd of boatmen and porters hurry to and fro; and
the hum of voices mingles confusedly with the murmur of the stream, and
the whisper of the palm-trees which wave their feathery crests upon its
smiling and fertile banks.
~UP THE RIVER.~
After a brief sojourn at this interesting and lively city, the French
voyagers, animated by their desire to open up a new channel of
commercial enterprise, and discover a practicable route from Cambodia
to China, resumed their ascent of the Mekong. They found that, above
Luang Prabang, it narrowed considerably, and resumed its wild and
romantic aspect. The mountains on either hand exhibited a succession of
bold, dark, cloven crests; their lowest terraces, impending over the
river-banks, being frequently ornamented by a pyramid, the tomb of a
pious bonze or the shrine of an imaginary relic, the slender form of
which harmonized well with the character of the landscape.
[Illustration: BAMBOO BRIDGE AT XIENG KHONG]
Passing the confluence of the Nam Hou, they came upon the cavern
of Pak Hou, which the Buddhist priests have covered with religious
decoration, and adorned with the gifts of munificent pilgrims. Thence
they proceeded to Ban Tanoun; and from Ban Tanoun to Xieng Khong, the
second in importance of the towns of the great province of Muong Nan.
There they experienced some difficulty in obtaining permission to enter
the Burmese territory; and, moreover, they found that they had nearly
reached the limit of the navigable portion of the river. Few are the
obstacles, however, which cannot be conquered by resolution and energy;
and on the 14th of June the expedition left Xieng Khong in six
light boats, drawing but little water, and continued the ascent of the
river, which here bends to the westward, and flows across an apparently
boundless plain. It is crossed near the town or village by a graceful
but slender bridge of bamboo, from which may be obtained a charming
view of its graceful sweep through a luxuriance of tropical vegetation.
* * * * *
~AT MUONG LIM.~
~A CAUCASIAN PEOPLE.~
At Muong Lim the expedition were compelled to abandon their boats. Its
members found themselves there in the midst of a population differing
in race from any they had previously met with. They seem, these
Mou-tsen, to be of Caucasian origin. Their costume is very complicated,
and even tasteful; and the tinsel and embroidery with which they cover
their persons gives them a certain resemblance to the inhabitants of
some parts of Brittany. The head-gear of the women has, at all events,
the merit of originality. It consists of a series of rings of bamboo,
covered with plaited straw, and fastened on the top of the head. The
brim of this kind of hat is enriched over the forehead with silver
balls; above are two rows of pearl-white glass beads; on the left
side depends a tuft of white and red cotton thread, from which issues
a loop formed of strings of many-coloured pearls. This coiffure,
which is capable of infinite modifications, is completed with an
abundance of leaves and flowers. The women also wear a tight-fitting
bodice, the sleeves and edges of which are trimmed with pearls, and
a short petticoat reaching to the knee. The legs are wrapped round
with leggings, which begin at the ankle, and cover the whole of the
calf. These leggings, too, are ornamented with a row of pearls about
half-way up. The toilette is completed by ear-rings of coloured beads
or balls of blown silver, bracelets, belts, collars, and shoulder-belts
crossed over the bosom. As for the men, they wear the usual turban,
loose short pantaloons, and a waistcoat with silver buttons. With both
sexes a necessary addition to the attire is a kind of cloak or mantle
of leaves, in shape like a book half-open, which is fastened to the
neck, and in rainy weather is brought up over the head like a loose
cover. The women, when carrying burdens, add to their already complex
costume a wooden board across the shoulders, so made as to fit into the
neck; and to this is suspended the basket containing the load. In front
the board is kept in its place by cords, which are attached to the
waist-belt or held in the hand.
[Illustration: FOREST ROAD NEAR MUONG LIM.]
* * * * *
~PLEASANT TRAVEL.~
Having obtained the necessary authorization to push their researches
further, the adventurers set out from Muong Lim on the 1st of July,
with an escort of natives carrying their instruments, provisions, and
stores. At Puleo, finding the demands of the porters more than their
limited funds could afford to meet, they reduced their baggage to the
smallest possible proportions, and were thus enabled to dispense with
the services of some of their attendants. They found the banks of the
Cambodia frequented by numerous caimans, whose eggs are collected and
eaten by the inhabitants. By day the journey was rendered pleasant
through the constant succession of novel scenes. They made their way
over a hilly and richly-wooded country, occasionally coming upon cotton
plantations of exceeding richness; at other times upon delicious
rills of crystal which spread their silver network over a fresh green
expanse of flower-enamelled sward. Then they crossed a stretch of
fertile rice-fields; and again they plunged into fresh glades, where
a path wound in and out of clumps of palms and tropical trees, and
waving ferns and rare flowering shrubs grew in luxuriant masses.
But sometimes, at night, their experience was rather painful. They
generally constructed a rude shelter of boughs and interwoven leaves;
but this was often insufficient to protect them against the heavy
rains that fell during passing storms, and was useless, of course, as
a defence against the legions of leeches and mosquitoes which haunted
the forest-depths.
~HOT WELLS DISCOVERED.~
After leaving a place called Siem-lap, they arrived on the borders
of a half-dried torrent, the rocky bed of which was strangely bare
of vegetation. The stones, among which a thin thread of water found
its way, were a curious appearance; they were white, and covered with
saline incrustations. The travellers tasted the water; it was warm. The
three or four sources of this singular stream rose, a short distance
off, at the foot of a wall of rocks: as they escaped among the shingle
they exhaled a cloud of vapour, and their temperature was shown by the
thermometer to be not less than 154° F.
[Illustration: A NIGHT HALT NEAR SIEM-LAP.]
Through a beautiful ravine they made their way to the picturesque
village of Sop Yong. The richest and most magnificent vegetation
imaginable grew close to the very edge of the river, and the
travellers were frequently compelled to take to its waters, swollen
as they were by the constant rains, and breast as best they could the
violence of the current.
[Illustration: TRAVELLING IN A RAVINE NEAR SOP YONG.]
~A SIGN OF CIVILIZATION.~
The next stage after Sop Yong was Ban Passang, which is described as
an agglomeration of villages situated on a fertile table-land, in the
heart of a rice-growing district. It is situated in the territory of
Muong Yong, the chief town lying further to the westward. For Muong
Yong the travellers set out on the 7th of August. They traversed a
plain abundantly watered by streams which all flow into the Nam Yong, a
branch of the great river. Over the chief of these little tributaries,
the Nam Ouang, is thrown a wooden bridge; and this agreeable
accommodation, a very great rarity in the land of the Laotians,
pleasantly surprised our gallant explorers; they looked upon it as the
sign of a more advanced civilization, which before long would exhibit
itself more completely. A considerable portion of the plain was laid
out in rice-fields; the rest was all swamp and morass. They passed by
several villages which wore an unusual aspect of ease and comfort.
Pagodas with curved roofs attracted the eye, and bore witness to the
influence of Chinese architecture and the vicinity of the Celestial
Empire.
~ARRIVAL AT MUONG YOU.~
At Muong Yong the expedition was delayed until the 8th of September,
owing to the difficulty of obtaining the permission of the king of
Birmah to cross those Laotian territories which are now included within
the borders of his extensive dominions. The interval was occupied in
short excursions in the neighbourhood, and in studying the manners and
customs of the inhabitants. It was with no small pleasure, however,
that the French adventurers took their departure, and continued their
bold advance into regions of which European geographers knew but
little. Their route led them to the important town of Muong You, where
they paid visits of courtesy to the principal mandarins, the Burman
representative, and the king of Muong You himself. This prince received
them with dignified hospitality, and entertained them at a banquet,
which was “served up” in magnificent style, and with a dazzling
display of gold and silver plate. He is described as a young man of
twenty-six, with a graceful figure and handsome countenance. He was
attired in a dress of green satin, embroidered with red flowers; and
the fire of the rubies which hung pendent from his ears illuminated the
silken reflections of his rich costume. He was seated on cushions
glittering with gold tracery. Around him were ranged in respectful
attitudes the mandarins of the palace; at his feet, the sword and
vessels of gold, finely wrought, which are the symbol of royalty.
[Illustration: INTERVIEW WITH THE KING OF MUONG YOU.]
From Muong You the expedition struck across a romantic country--as yet
provided with but few facilities for travellers--to Xieng Hong, where
new impediments were thrown in the way of their further progress.
Having obtained admission to the presence of the king, they succeeded,
however, in obtaining the royal favour, and made their way along the
valley of the Nam Yong, which is bounded on either hand by lofty
mountains, to Muong La, or, as it is also called, Se-mao, situated on
the frontier of China; that mysterious land which has preserved its
own strange civilization intact for upwards of two thousand years, and
still offers a sullen resistance to the progressive influences of the
West.
~ENTERING CHINA.~
~CHANGE OF SCENE.~
Once upon Chinese territory, they found their march comparatively
easy. Order reigned everywhere; and in all directions could be seen
the evidences of a constant and energetic industry. At Pou-eul, a
village of salt-pits, with its smoke, its dusky houses, its hoarse
sounds of active life, our travellers felt that they were once more in
the midst of a thriving civilization, and could almost have believed
that they were located in a small industrial town of Europe. Numerous
convoys of asses, mules, oxen, and horses ascended and descended the
long sloping street along which were erected the different factories,
carrying thither wood and charcoal and cordage, and carrying away
salt. Above the village rose a pagoda, crowning the summit of a hill
so high that the murmur of the life below could not reach it. Groves
of pines stretched far away on either hand; and along the declivities
were ranged abundant rice-fields, situated one above the other in
symmetrical terraces.
[Illustration: MOUNTAIN VILLAGE AND RICE-FIELDS NEAR POU-EUL]
The expedition had now left the valley of the Mekong, and were wholly
uncertain whether the route prescribed for them by the Chinese
authorities would bring them again in contact with the great Cambodian
river. We propose, however, to follow M. Garnier, as his wanderings led
him through a country hitherto unknown to Europeans.
~THE FORTRESS OF THE EAST.~
In the early part of November our adventurers struck the right bank of
the Pa-pien-kiang of the Chinese, which is apparently identical with
the Nam-La, an affluent of the Mekong. Thence they ascended into the
table-land of Yunnan, rendered familiar to English ears in connection
with the enterprise and murder of Mr. Margary; and reached Tong-kuan,
or “the Fortress of the East,”--a strongly-built town, with a large
garrison, posted on a commanding ridge between two river-valleys.
Afterwards they crossed another considerable stream, the Poukou-kiang,
and continued their march through valleys and over hills where the
industry of man has softened the wilder features of the scenery, and
made the wilderness to blossom like a garden. In a few days they made
their appearance at Yuen-kiang, where they seem to have been welcomed
with almost royal honours. The town is large and populous, with every
indication of commercial activity and wealth. It has several handsome
pagodas, which have something of the Buddhist type about them. The
markets are well supplied with provisions of excellent quality and
low price. Oranges are almost “given away;” and potatoes are so cheap
and plentiful that an Irish peasant would think himself in an earthly
paradise. The country around the town is highly cultivated; cotton
being largely grown, and mulberry-trees for the silkworm nurseries.
A rich and radiant plain is watered by the stream of the Ho-ti-kiang,
which, opposite the town, measures about one-fifth of a mile in breadth.
~DESCENDING THE HO-TI-KIANG.~
At Pou-pio M. Garnier hired a light canoe, and, in company with some
trading barks, began the descent of the Ho-ti-kiang, which for some
distance swirled in a narrow channel between mountain-walls of two
thousand five hundred to three thousand feet in height. Each torrent
which rent these rocky barriers brought down with it an immense
quantity of stones and pebbles, that encumbered the river-bed with
shoals and banks, and pent up the waters in foaming rapids. M. Garnier
was bound for Lin-ngan, but these numerous obstacles greatly impeded
his progress. But by degrees the river-bed broadened, the heights
receded on either hand, and the stream flowed with a full and tranquil
current through a gently undulating country, well cultivated, and
studded with populous villages.
~ARRIVAL AT LIN-NGAN.~
In due time he reached Lin-ngan, where, as the first European who had
visited it, he became an object of special attraction. An inspection of
the town showed him that it was neatly and regularly built, and of
rectangular form, measuring about two thousand yards in length, by one
thousand in breadth. In the centre were gardens and pagodas decorated
with much taste; and a large and fully-stocked market was a scene of
very picturesque animation.