The men of this nation are dull and apathetic and full of small vices. The women are generally better, and some of them are even pretty in spite of their yellow skins, but they have little idea of modesty. The men and women all bathe together without any clothing. But for the people, Louang Prabang would be one of the most charming places in the world: the lake of Geneva does not present scenes more beautiful than many here by the river.
After waiting for ten days I have at length been presented to the king with great pomp. The reception room was a shed such as they build in our villages on fête-days, but larger and hung with every possible colour. His Majesty was enthroned at one end of the hall, lazily reclining on a divan, having on his right hand four guards squatting down, and each holding a sabre: behind were the princes all prostrated, and farther off thesenators, with their backs to the public and their faces in the dust; then in front of his Majesty was your poor brother, dressed all in white, and seated on a carpet, with teacups, basins, and spittoons in silver placed by his side, contemplating this grotesque scene, and having some trouble to preserve his gravity as he smoked his pipe. This visit cost me a gun for the king and various small presents for the princes, for one cannot travel here without being well furnished with presents for the kings, princes, and mandarins. Luckily it is not here as in Siam; the natives are willing to help me, and for a few inches of brass wire I get a beautiful longicorn or some other insect, and these are brought to me on all sides: thus I have succeeded in largely increasing my collection, but five pieces of red cloth have disappeared already.
The day after my first audience I had another from the second king, who wished also for a present. I sought among my stock, which anywhere else would cause me to be taken for a dealer in old stores, and found a magnifying glass and a pair of old-fashioned spectacles with round glasses, which make him look like a gorilla without hair, a little cake of soap (he had great need of it), a bottle of eau-de-cologne, and a bottle of brandy. This last was opened on the spot and duly appreciated. You see all this is expensive, but I am obliged to pay these good people, and the king has been kind to me, and is going to carry my letters for me. It is lucky that he does not understand French; for if at Bangkok the same system of postal curiosity was carried on as was established in Europe by the great king who betrayed La Vallière, I should be hung from the highest tree they could find, without even a warning. I afterwards distributed among the princes some engravings which I had bought at Bangkok—fine Cossack cavalry, lance in rest; some Napoleons (the First), for which I gave a penny; and some battles of Magenta, portraits of Victor Emmanuel and of Garibaldi, very white, blue, and red, and some Zouaves; alsosome brass-headed nails and some brandy; and it was quite pleasing to see how delighted they were, regretting only that I should go away before I had given them my whole stock.
[To be communicated to the Royal Geographical Society.]
Louang Prabang, 1st August, 1861. Lat. 20° 50′, long. 102° 35′ 3″, merid. Greenwich.
Dear Mr. Stevens,
Being entirely cut off from all communication with Bangkok, from which I am nearly 700 miles distant, is the only reason why you have not heard from me for so long a time.
In January last I quitted the Siamese province of Saraburi, where during four months I had been making active exertions in order to enable me to penetrate into Western Laos, and to explore the basin of the Mekon. Unluckily in March I was forced, after having at great expense proceeded 350 miles, to return to Bangkok, in order to claim more assistance and protection than had hitherto been accorded to me, and a passport to counteract the difficulties continually thrown in my way by the mandarins, a class not less jealous and greedy here than in China. A letter of recommendation which had been voluntarily given to me (on my departure in October, 1860) by the Khrôme Louang Wougsâ, who is considered to be the prince best disposed towards Europeans in all Siam, and who has the superintendence of all the country which I intended to visit, turned out after all to be only a kind of letter of Bellerophon’s. In spite of all my entreaties and valuable presents I obtained nothing better; still I set off again.
I have passed three times through the forest of the Dong Phya Phia, which separates Korat from the ancient Siamese provinces of the south and east. This thick jungle covers a space of thirty miles in breadth,—that is to say, the chain of mountains which separates the basin of the Mekon from that of the Menam.
After passing the mountains you reach a sandy and generally arid plain, where nothing is to be seen but resinous trees of stunted growth, bamboos, underwood, and sometimes only grass; but in some places a richer soil permits cultivation, and there fields of rice and bananas have been established. I found in this district both oligist and magnetic iron.
In the bed of a torrent I also discovered gold and copper in two different places. This district is rich and abundant in precious minerals, neglected or unknown until now, except by a small tribe of 400 or 500 Kariens, without doubt a remnant of the aborigines, who a short time ago, in order to preserve their independence, retired into almost inaccessible places, thirty or forty miles eastward of the tracts traversed by the caravans. Monkeys, panthers, elephants, and other wild beasts are the only inhabitants of this mountain, which the natives regard as the abode of death on account of its insalubrity.
Korat Ongcor Aithe of the Cambodians was formerly the bulwark of Cambodia on the north and west: a solid rampart supported by a large épaulement, the work of Khmer Dôme (the ancient Cambodians), still surrounds the town. It is at present governed by a Siamese mandarin of the first class, a kind of viceroy, but the ancient inhabitants have nearly disappeared, and it contains only about 300 Chinese or their descendants, small resident merchants, 300 other individuals who go about the country trading, and 1500 or 2000 Laotians, Cambodians, and Siamese, who, like wolves or jackals which follow an army or caravan, have come there from all parts of the kingdom, or have remained there after the wars of Laos and Cambodia, inorder to lead a life in harmony with their inclinations, attacking travellers and Chinese merchants, in fact a hand of miscreants, with few exceptions destitute of all good qualities.
In the environs are two temples, which would do honour to the founders of the Cambodian edifices: one of them is in good preservation, and of this I have made a drawing. The style, architecture, and workmanship are all alike; one would say that the same artists and workmen had drawn the plans and executed them. Again you see those immense blocks, beautifully cut, joined without cement, and covered with carving and bas-reliefs.
One of these temples is situated about thirty miles from the town, and is said to have been founded by a Queen; the other, nine miles to the east, is supposed to have been built by the King her husband. Much farther east it is said that there are others containing beautiful sculptures, but I have not been able to visit them, as they are out of my route.
Want of means for the easy and advantageous removal of merchandise, causes Korat to be the central market for all the eastern part of the country. There they bring all the silk of Laos, langoutis, skins, horns, ivory, peacocks’ tails, &c., which the active Chinese merchants sell again at a good profit at Bangkok, notwithstanding all the taxes they have to pay, having brought from thence cotton and other useful articles of Chinese and European manufacture for the use of the natives. Thus there passes daily through the forest of Dong Phya Phia, on the average, a caravan of from 100 to 150 oxen. With protective instead of restrictive laws, and an enlightened and civilized government, this commerce would increase threefold in a very short time.
Notwithstanding the small population of Korat, it is the chief town of a province, or rather an extensive state, containing eleven towns or boroughs, chief towns of districts, and a great number of villages, more or less populated. Fifteen days’journey brings you from Korat to Bassac on the banks of the Mekon, and in the same latitude.
My intention was to proceed northwards, only stopping in the province of Louang Prabang, and then to descend the river as far as Cambodia. I hired elephants, and five days after, having passed through several villages inhabited by the descendants of ancient Siamese colonists who had taken refuge there in time of war, passing continually through forests of resin trees thinly scattered, I arrived at Ban Prang, a village where I discovered a ruined tower, and also the remains of an ancient temple. The next place I arrived at was Chaiapoune, the principal Laotian town in the north, and the chief town of the district. Here also I found ruins; but they were inconsiderable, and seemed more like a Laotian imitation than the work of Khmer Dôme. The inscriptions on the other temples in the province of Korat resemble those of Ongcor: here I found upon a block of broken slate-stone an inscription in Laotian characters, but which is unintelligible even to the inhabitants of the country. These, with some remains of idols and towers at the foot of a mountain in the district, were the only vestiges of that ancient civilization which I discovered in the north. Everything leads me to suppose that here also were the limits which separated the kingdom of Cambodia from that of Vieng Thiane, destroyed during the last war which the Siamese raised against the Western Laotians orwhite-bellies. It was in this district that I was stopped in my travels by the authorities of the country, who treated me with great rudeness, and who forbade the people to let me have any means of transport, even after seeing my passport. I was therefore obliged to retrace my steps, deploring the expense and loss of time in the best part of the year, and which will cause me serious inconvenience.
Brelum, among the Stiêns, 12th August, 1859.
Dear M. Mouhot,
It must be allowed that you have plenty of courage; and before knowing you, I feel a strong interest in you; indeed, I feel as though I loved you already. You will be very welcome, and must share pot-luck with me, like a brother, will you not? I trust you will not be scandalized at any of our ways; for among the savages we live in rather an uncivilized fashion. But with good hearts all will go well.
Your servant Nhu arrived yesterday among the Stiêns at Brelum, quite tired with the journey, and with his feet in a sad state. A few days’ rest, however, will restore him. He looks to me like a good fellow. You may be sure we shall take care of him, as well as of your little Chinese when he arrives.
You must never trust to the word of a Cambodian, dear M. Mouhot; they are terrible boasters.
You are two long days’ journey from us, and will have to pass one night in the forest. We will try to send you one or two vehicles. These, with a good covering and a fire, will preserve you from injury from the night air. You say, too, that you are accustomed to sleep on the ground; it is well to be able to do everything.
Unluckily, my feet are very bad just now, or I should have been delighted to come and meet you. I will send the threecarriages—carriages! wretched carts rather! There will be an Annamite seminarist to lead the caravan; he is a good fellow, and clever at that kind of work. You can talk to him in Latin. Two of the carts are drawn by oxen, and one by buffaloes; but if they are not enough to bring your luggage, ask the Cambodians boldly for more, and show them your letter from the king.
Our carts will arrive one day after the return of the Cambodians; when you arrive I will explain why. I trust that will be soon. I wish you a good journey. Keep your gun loaded, for animals of all kinds abound. But you will find here warm hearts, patriotism, and, above all, no ceremony.
Pinhalú, Cambodia.
Dear M. Mouhot,
I think of you in your peregrinations, and I feel sure that you must meet with many obstacles and difficulties; but with patience, perseverance, and help from on high, a great deal may be done.
As for myself, I have not got rid of my atony—for such is my illness. At first I obtained some relief by means of opium as an astringent and quinine as a tonic, and by great attention to diet, living almost wholly on broth; a piece of meat, or even an egg, throws me back for a week.
M. Guilloux set off in good health on the 9th January. He tells me that you have promised to go and see his relations when you return to France.
I shall never forget, dear M. Mouhot, the pleasure that I experienced in the few days that I passed in your society; such days are so rare in our missionary life.
All is quiet just now in Cambodia; the forts or redoubtsare guarded only by a few men. Mgr. Miche is expected to return from Komput about the end of March. Shall I be so happy as to receive news of you? It would give me great pleasure, and recall that which I have already experienced in our meeting in this life. Let us hope to be re-united, no more to part, in a happier one.
Pray receive my kindest remembrances, and believe me, dear M. Mouhot,
Your true friend in the Lord,Marie Chs. Fontaine.
Singapore, 29th May, 1860.
My very dear Friend, M. Mouhot,
Your two kind and welcome letters, one from Battambong on the 7th March, and the other from Bangkok on the 3rd May, reached me when I was about three days’ distance from Singapore, where I had gone for my health, and which I reached in April, after having passed the whole month of March in Bangkok.
I must tell you that MM. Arnoux and Guilloux have been able to buy five or six little savage children, and that they now meet with a little more kindness from the natives than they did. When France shall reign in Cochin China, and the natives can shake off the yoke of the Cambodians, it is to be hoped that they will be better disposed towards religion. The king has already discovered the mistake he made in attacking the Annamites, who may fall upon him without dread of the French. Mgr. Miche thinks that the daily flight of the Cambodian soldiers will avoid new provocation, and that the war may not take place; but every one is on thequi vive. The king has sent aletter to ask for silence on the part of M. Miche. They are fawning curs now; but on the slightest return of good fortune, their arrogance will be redoubled.
You gave me much pleasure, dear M. Mouhot, by your promise to visit my family at Laval. If you go near there, I shall expect no less from your kindness.
I hope to see you again, either at Singapore or at Saigon, before your return to Europe. May the good God guide your steps and preserve your life in this country, where death finds so many victims! I beg it through the intercession of our common mother.
Believe in my cordial friendship.
Yours most truly, in Jesus and Mary,M. Ch. Fontaine.
Among the Stiêns at Brelum, 1st October, 1860.
Dear M. Mouhot,
I received your welcome letter of the 4th May, and it is impossible to tell you the pleasure it gave me. I was much pleased to hear that you were still in good health. May the good God aid and bless your efforts, and send you home safe and well to your family and country!
I sympathize sincerely with you in your disappointment at not meeting at Bangkok with more kindness among those from whom you had a right to expect aid and protection, and who are paid well for that purpose. Alas! how weak we all are when we rely for aid only on men like ourselves. But you, dear M. Mouhot, do not do so; you know how to seek support from a higher source; and while you remain the submissive child of God, be sure He will not abandon you.
I went to Pinhalú last month, and brought back a young Annamite with me, but the poor fellow died.
You see I can travel; but I am not strong. I have been often ill since your departure; and M. Arnoux is going this time to undertake the journey to Cambodia. May God bring him back safe and well!
The affairs of Cochin China are very bad; debauchery and infamy are rife at Saigon. So many crimes cannot bring a blessing on the colony.
No news from China.
Adieu, dear M. Mouhot. Believe me ever one of your most faithful friends,
Guilloux.
Bangkok, 15th Dec. 1860.
My dear M. Mouhot,
Your letters of the 30th October and 20th November were duly delivered to me on the 12th instant. I was naturally rejoiced to find you continue in good health and spirits; and I sincerely trust you will be able, on each occasion you write, to give me a like favourable account.
Since you left there has been little or no change in Bangkok, the only domestic item I have to communicate being the recent marriage of Dr. Brady’s eldest daughter to one of the missionaries named M’Gilvary, who used to stay with Dr. House.
Only one European letter has arrived for you, but I enclose others from Mr. Wilson and Mr. Adamson, and, by the way, some newspapers from him and M. Malherbe. The latter will probably write to you; if so, I shall enclose his letter. The box from Europe also accompanies this letter. Luckily it hasarrived in time; but I only received it yesterday. I forward you the evening mails just arrived by last vessel. I could send you all that have come to hand since you left; but as it is a voluminous paper, it would take up much space, and you might not care to wade through all of them, in spite of the stirring events in Europe. Garibaldi, you will perceive, has liberated Sicily, and all but done likewise for the Neapolitan kingdom. The King of Naples left his capital without firing a shot; but made a stand at Capua, where his Neapolitans and mercenaries made a determined though ineffectual resistance. The King of Sardinia in the mean time has invaded the Marches, and now it is believed the states of the Pope are wrested from him, Rome and the suburban villages alone being retained for him by the French army stationed at Rome. It is not believed that an attempt will be made to take Rome or Venice, as that would be encountering the two great military Continental Powers, Austria and France. And it is supposed that the aim of the King of Sardinia, in invading the states of the Church and Naples, is to prevent the too ardent Garibaldi from fulfilling his threat of no peace till the Quirinal and the palace of the Doges be emancipated. However, all this you will see by the papers herewith.
The China war is over. The combined forces advanced and took Pekin. The emperor fled; but a treaty has been signed, and a large sum as indemnity—though, I believe, not equal to the outlay—is to be given to the European belligerents.
A Dutch ship is now here with an ambassador to make a treaty.
At Bangkok we have had higher tides this season than there have been for several years. The place continues healthy.
I forward you some calomel as requested. Calomel is a good purgative, and it might be well occasionally to take one such in preference to others; but castor oil is the safest where there is any irritation of the bowels. In such cases it should alone beused; though, if you fancy there be derangement of the liver, it would be well to use the mineral.
M. Malherbe has made up his mind to stay in Bangkok. As soon as his successor comes out, he (M. M.) will live near Santa Cruz, at the house owned by Mr. Hunter.
There is a chance of the second king going to Saraburi shortly in a steamer; so, if I think newspapers would reach you before the Chinaman, I may send you some, if a mail arrives by that time. However, I shall not, you may depend upon it, forget to attend to your wishes; but I really fear, after leaving Korat, it will be difficult to send you letters. Even to Korat it will not be easy; but though you did not tell me to send thither, I will do so, if possible, within two or three months; after that date it would be precarious, and I shall not do so. However, you can often, by the governors, have an opportunity of writing to me; and if you have altered any of your plans, or think of doing so, let me know, so that I may forward news if an opportunity offers for doing so.
The articles sent are: one large box from Mr. Adamson, one small ditto from Malherbe, one ditto from England, one parcel of papers from Mr. Swainson, one ditto from myself; three letters (besides this one) are enclosed in the box from M. Malherbe, which I will seal after enclosing this. The calomel is also in the same box.
And now, wishing you a prosperous, pleasant journey, believe me,
Yours very sincerely,Jas. Campbell.
P.S.—Remember, whenever you return, I shall expect you to come direct to my house, and make it your own.
Battambong, 26th Nov. 1860.
Dear M. Mouhot,
I had the honour of writing to you in September last; did you receive my letter? As I did not know the courier, and am ignorant whether his fidelity was to be depended upon, I do not wish to lose a sure occasion which presents itself of recalling myself to your remembrance.
It is now the end of the rainy season, and I think that you must have returned from your expedition. I trust it has been successful, and that you have not left your courage and good health behind you on the banks of the Mekon or in the forests of Laos.
I had promised to collect for you some “sinsei;” but the ants, true Garibaldians, have annexed them during my journey to Pinhalú, and all that I have been able to collect since are as nothing compared to what the first rains brought with them. Such as they are, I send them to you; they are few in number, but for that you must blame the ants.
I have just had a visit from M. Miche and M. Arnoux. They only remained a few days; and in spite of his wish to see Ongcor, M. Arnoux was unable to go there.
They are raising troops here, preparing arms, and getting ready to assist the Cambodians against the Annamites. The death of the King of Cambodia will perhaps put an end to these fine projects.
The mandarin who was sent by the King of Siam to carry away the stones from Ongcor, and bring them to Bangkok, has been assassinated in the “Pra Sat Ea proum,” and the mandarins of Ongcor are accused of the murder; but they say that those of Battambong had a hand in it. They have, therefore, all been sent for to Bangkok for judgment, and among them the son ofour late governor. You see we are not over tranquil here. The war particularly terrifies my poor Battambongians.
Mgr. Miche is going to Bangkok in January or February; perhaps you may be there.
Receive the assurance, &c.,E. Silvestre.
Pakprio, 25th January, 1861.
My dear Friend, M. Mouhot,
I have just received the two letters which you were kind enough to write to me from Kong Khoc, containing enclosures for MM. Arnoux and Silvestre. I much regretted not finding you here, that I might have had the pleasure of seeing you once more, and of conversing with you again before your departure for Laos. I am glad to hear that you have been able to do something at Khao-Khoc in spite of the advanced season.
I wish you much success in your new sphere of action. Do you know that I sometimes envy you? Do not forget to procure some skins of the argus pheasant; I think it differs from those of the Malayan peninsula. Take great care of your health; and if you are in want of anything which can be sent to you by way of Korat, write to me for it.
The young man who will give you this is a Christian and an associate of Cheek-Ke; he is a worthy lad, and you may trust him with your collections, if you have been able to make any in going through Don Phya Phia. All the Laotians declare that in that forest there is a kind of orang-outang which theycall Bua, and which they say is only to be distinguished from an old man by its having no joints in its knees. Among all their fables there is probably some truth; try to find out.
Excuse this scrawl; I write on my knees.
Your sincere friend,Larnaudie.
Battambong, 4th January, 1862.[12]
Dear M. Mouhot,
Imagine my surprise and joy when, a week ago, a worthy Chinese from Korat entered my house, bringing me your letter of the 8th April. Blessed be God for granting you good health and courage. With these you can go far, even to the source of the Mekon; and if you return through Cambodia, with what pleasure I shall see you again! But your letter is dated more than eight months ago, and where are you now—I trust that the rainy season induced you to descend the Menam instead of the Mekon. Should you ever return to Battambong, you will find something new there. A pretty little church now replaces the old one; it is not yet quite finished, but I trust will be so very shortly.
Since I last wrote to you, grave events have taken place in Cambodia; the mandarins and people have risen against the young king in favour of his brother. It has been less a revolt than a universal pillage; nothing has been spared. Mgr. Miche had great trouble to guard his house, with the help of a young missionary and M. Aussoleil, for all the Christians fled. For a fortnight he was subject to constant attacks, and more than once saw sabres uplifted over his head; but his firmnessand bravery awed the mob, and he was lucky enough to preserve his house.
Some damage was done to the Annamite church at the end of the village. M. Miche wrote letter after letter to the French commander in Cochin China, but his messengers were all murdered, or else robbed, and their boats taken away from them.
At last, out of six letters, one reached its destination, and two days after the French flag appeared in the rivers of Cambodia; and at Pinhalú, six or seven cannon-shots spread terror among the rebels for twenty-five leagues round.
The mandarins who had pillaged the village were fined, and since then the Christians in Cambodia have been respected; and a letter sealed by M. Miche is the best possible passport. All this is well, you will say, and our countrymen did their duty.
You must excuse my lengthiness; at least, it will show that you are not forgotten at Battambong, but that we preserve here a happy remembrance of your too short stay. May you return in a few months, and recruit after your fatigues.
I must conclude with offering you my good wishes on the new year, and praying God to have you always and everywhere in his holy keeping.
I am yours very sincerely,E. Silvestre.
Bangkok, 25th May, 1861.
My dear Friend,
On my return from Singapore I was much astonished to hear that you had been forced to go back again, and was much pained to think of all the troubles and discomforts you must have had to endure. How much I regret not having been with you!perhaps I might have succeeded in persuading you against making a new attempt, and have induced you rather to pass some years here with me. Your task is a glorious one; but when life is at stake, one must take care and not risk it rashly. In any case do not attempt the impossible; and if your troubles recommence, return here; you will always find a friend ready to receive you.
Your letter from Korat reached me a few days ago. I thank you for it; it gave me great pleasure. In a few days I shall set out for Europe; but I have given my orders, and you will find my house ready for you at any time of the day or night. If you do not make use of it, I shall be really angry.
Every one here is interested for you, and asks for news of you. Where are you now? Doubtless much fatigued andennuyéwherever you are; yet you must be travelling through a fine country. If you want anything which it is possible to send you, have no scruples; I have given my clerks all necessary instructions, if by chance or any unforeseen circumstance—such as may easily occur on a journey—you find yourself in want of what they call here “ticals.” We are friends,—dispose freely of my purse; we will divide like brothers. Do not be offended at this offer, it comes from a heart devoted to you; therefore, have no false pride. Ask, and I will help you.
The heat is dreadful just now, and every one is ill of dysentery.
Au revoir, dear M. Mouhot. Take care of yourself, and do not be discouraged by the dreadful climate. That we may have, please God, many pleasant days together yet, is the earnest wish of your real friend,
L. Malherbe.
Bangkok, April 7th, 1862.
My dear Madame Mouhot,
About three weeks ago I had the pleasure of forwarding a letter from your husband, and I mentioned the probability of a second one, written before the one sent, reaching me in time for this mail. This has been realized, and I enclose the letter referred to. News from Luang Prabang, up to the middle of November, have also reached Bangkok, and oh! my dear madam, what a sad duty devolves upon me in narrating certainties that have transpired since my last communication. Would that I had some relation in London to whom I could write and request him to call upon you, to divulge the painful truth that your husband—my valued friend—is, alas! now no more. It may perhaps in a measure tend to soothe your sorrow under this severe trial, to say that I never knew a person who was so universally esteemed as he was by the foreign community of this city; and that all who had the pleasure of his acquaintance deeply regret his sudden and premature loss. The last letter he wrote me was dated from Louang Prabang, on the 30th August; in it he was satisfied with his success, and altogether buoyant in spirits. He continued in the neighbourhood of the above-named city, which is the capital of north-east Laos, till the middle of October, when he returned to the city. On the 19th he has written in his journal, “Attacked with fever;” but his servantand the Laos official account of his illness make it the 18th. On the 29th he made an entry, but nothing subsequently, and departed this life on Sunday the 10th November, at 7P.M., being twenty-eight days subsequent to the attack. His servants, after seeing him interred, commenced their journey hither, taking with them his baggage and everything he had collected. M. D’Istria, the present French Consul, has to officiate as administrator to the late M. Mouhot’s estate, but has assigned to me the care of all your late husband’s manuscripts and collections. These I thought of forwarding forthwith for Singapore, and thence, by the kindness of Mr. Pady, to Europe; but as I expect to leave for England on a short leave of absence by the middle of next month, I think it better to retain them till then, and convey them home myself.
On your late husband arriving here, he brought me a small parcel from Dr. Norton Shaw, Secretary to the Royal Geographical Society, Whitehall-place; and as it is only proper that the Society should be made aware of this martyr to science, I enclose two letters—the last he wrote me—for your perusal, and that they may be handed to the above-named gentleman for his information, forwarding, at the same time, the announcement of M. Mouhot’s untimely death. On looking over the charts he has left behind him, I find Louang Prabang placed 3° to the north and about 1° to the east of that denoted in the map given by Bishop Pallegoix; but as it would be improper to write about his discoveries till you have received the documents, and given them to some person for publication, I shall not dilate further on that topic.
And now, my dear madam, I beg to tender you my sincere condolence under the heavy bereavement which it has pleased the Almighty to inflict upon you,
And remain yours very sincerely,James Campbell.
Foreign Missions, Paris, 128, Rue du Bac,15th August, 1862.
Dear Friend,
Permit me to give you this title; all the sentiments expressed in your letter authorise it. What a worthy brother you weep for! and I, what an honoured friend!
I had the pleasure of knowing M. H. Mouhot. I saw him first at Bangkok, and six or eight months after at Pinhalú, in Cambodia, where he remained with us ten days, sharing with us our house and our table, which is always open to any worthy fellow-countryman whom chance may lead to those parts. In both places all our brotherhood were charmed to make the acquaintance of so devoted a scion of learning, so polished a Frenchman, and so exemplary a Christian. All these qualities rendered him dear to the whole of the missionaries who had the pleasure of his acquaintance; and it was a real happiness to us to render him any little service possible in the performance of the troublesome task which he had imposed upon himself, of exploring countries so wild and destitute of comfort.
On his return from among the Stiêns, where he met MM. Guilloux and Arnoux, this dear friend lavished on me the greatest care, and expended for me all his medical science; for I had then been several months suffering from the malady which afterwards obliged me to return to France to recruit.
He left us to go to Battambong to M. Silvestre, and at the parting we experienced the deepest regret at losing the society of a friend who had so much cheered our solitude. From Battambong he was to return to Siam, and thence to Birmah, Bengal, and Europe. I wrote to him several times, both from Bangkok, from Pinhalú, and from Singapore, where my illness had induced me to go to consult an English physician; but M. Mouhot hadchanged his plans; he wished to explore Laos, a country whose climate is always so fatal to foreigners. There God saw fit to summon him to a better world. This I read with great sorrow in a Parisian newspaper; it was an extract from a London journal.
When I was abroad I heard of the death of my father, then of that of my mother, and I declare that these two announcements did not make more impression upon me than did the news of the death of a man whose equal I had not met with for twenty years; and the thought of his death, without any help but that of his servants during his illness and in his last moments, was more than enough to bring tears to my eyes as I remembered this good and benevolent friend. Be assured, dear Sir, that my feelings are shared by all the brothers who knew him. The natives themselves must have felt regret at his death; for all who knew him had only praises to repeat of his conduct towards them; and all acknowledged his gentleness and generosity—both qualities invaluable in the eyes of those people.
Permit me, then, dear Sir, to unite my regrets to your grief, and to present my respects to Madame Mouhot, together with my warmest sympathy with her in her affliction; also with your father and your wife. Receive my thanks for your having honoured me with your friendship; and be assured of my desire to be useful to you if ever it should lie in my power.
Marie Ch. Fontaine,Missionary at Saigon, Cochin China.
P.S.—Twelve of us are about to set out for Indo-China, and I will not fail to express to Mgr. Miche and his companions the kind feelings which you express with regard to them. On the 20th we shall sail from Marseilles in theHydaspe. Write to the Seminary of Foreign Missions, whence our correspondence will be forwarded to us. My family live at Laval, and you will be always welcome there.
Mr. Stevenshas the honour to inform M. C. Mouhot that the collection made by his late brother in the mountains of Laos is very fine, particularly the insects and shells. Among the former are a great number of beautiful and new species, one of which, a splendid Carabus, has been described in the ‘Zoological Review’ at Paris, under the name of Mouhotia gloriosa, in compliment to the late lamented M. Mouhot. This name is very appropriate, as it is one of the most beautiful and remarkable beetles which has been seen for years. There is also a beautiful set of Longicorns, and other insects of the order of Coleoptera, of which a great number are new to science.
The land and fresh-water shells are also very beautiful. Among the former there are twenty-five different genera; eight or ten are quite new, and some of them very remarkable. They will shortly be described by Dr. Pfeiffer and others.
I can truly say that the insects and shells equal, if they do not surpass, the most beautiful collections I have ever received; and clearly demonstrate how rich a country for the naturalist lies between Siam and Cochin China.
There is also a small collection of birds and some monkeys, small animals, reptiles, and serpents in spirits, of which some are quite new.
The collection of insects and shells made in Cambodia was also very beautiful, and contained the large and fineHelix Cambojiensis, one of the best and most beautiful specimens known; also, theBulimus Cambojiensis, and a splendidBuprestida, new and unique, besides a great number of others, new to science.[13]
Bangkok, Nov. 1862.
Dear Sir,
On my return from Java a few days ago, I found waiting for me your kind letter, for which I thank you, although I should have wished to make your acquaintance under happier circumstances. All consolation from me, I know, would be ineffectual. The friendship I felt for your brother was not that of a stranger, but rather as though he were a member of my family; and I felt most painfully the news which met me on my return, of his death so far away: for I had been pleasing myself with the idea of his return, and long before my arrival here had given orders for his reception, and that he should be welcomed as though I were present.
One great consolation to the survivors is the feeling of how much he is regretted; here he had not a single enemy, but every one spoke of him as the best of men. I vainly tried to dissuade him from undertaking this dangerous expedition, for I had already lost a dear friend in that country. He was treacherously assassinated there by his boatmen.
I am much pleased with the frank manner in which you offer me your friendship. I thank you, and accept it with all my heart.
10th March, 1862.
LORD ASHBURTON,President.
M. Mouhot traversed Cambodia from east to west, and also ascended the Mekon river to the frontier of Laos. He returned to the coast by crossing the water-parting between it and the basin of the Menam river, and descending to Bangkok.
The Mekon is a vast melancholy-looking river, three miles broad, covered with islands, and flowing with the rapidity of a torrent. Its shores are covered with aquatic birds, but its waters are almost deserted by canoes.[14]A plain covered with coarse herbage separates it from the forest by which Cambodia is overspread, and which can rarely be traversed except by cutting a way. That forest is exceedingly unhealthy.
M. Mouhot reached Brelum, a village in lat. 11° 58′, long. 107° 12′, inhabited by a secluded race of wild people, whose customs are minutely described, differing in features from the Cambodian and Laos tribes, and forming one of a series of similar groups widely distributed in the less accessible parts of Cochin China, Cambodia, and Burmah. They are believed by M. Mouhot to be the aborigines of the land. Two Catholic missionaries were resident at Brelum.
Subsequently the author visited the large Buddhist ruins of Ongcor, of which he has brought back numerous sketches. Hespeaks of the mineral wealth of Cambodia—its iron, gold, lead, and copper. In the islands of Phu-Quoc or Koh Tron, belonging to Cochin China and near to Komput, there are rich mines of coal, similar to our Cannel coal, from which ornaments are made. Several extinct volcanoes exist in Pechaburi, of heights not exceeding 2000 feet above the sea-level, and there are two active ones in an island called Ko-man, lat. 12° 30′, long. 101° 50′, in the Gulf of Siam.
Dr. Hodgkin stated that, besides the two letters, portions of which had been read, and the drawings and charts, M. Mouhot had likewise sent an elaborate description of the ruins which he found at Ongcor and in its vicinity. The plans on the table would give some idea of the magnitude of these ruins. A great part of the manuscript which accompanied them described their structure and workmanship. They were constructed chiefly of granite, and many of the stones were not only of very large size, but were elaborately carved. The workmanship of some of them was described as exquisite, and the designs not so deficient in artistic taste as one might suppose. Many of them represented imaginary animals, such as serpents with many heads; others, beasts of burden—horses, elephants, and bullocks. These temples were situated in a district which was now completely imbedded in a forest very difficult of access, and were so much in ruins that trees were growing on the roofs, and many of the galleries were in a state of great decay. The base and a large portion of the elevation were constructed of a ferruginous rock, but for the upper part blocks of granite were used—so exquisitely cut as to require no mortar to fill the interstices, and carved with relievos relating to mythological subjects indicative of Buddhism. M. Mouhot had copied some of the inscriptions, which from their antiquity the natives who accompanied him were unable to read. The characters so nearly resembled the Siamese that Dr. H. had no doubt that a skilful archæologistwould have very little difficulty in deciphering them. He believed that the remains in question would be found equal in value to those which had recently been explored in Central America; and he felt convinced that when the descriptions were published, M. Mouhot would be thought deserving of great respect.
Mr. Crawfurd said it was about forty years since he visited the country, but his recollection of it continued vivid to this day. Most people knew very little about Cambodia; its very name was only familiar to us in that of its product, gamboge, which word was nothing else than a corruption of Cambodia. It was one of five or six states lying between India and China, whose inhabitants had lived under a second or third-rate civilisation at all times—never equal, whether physically, morally, or intellectually, to the Chinese, or even the Hindoos. At the present time Cambodia was a poor little state, having been encroached upon by the Siamese to the north, and by Cochin China to the south. M. Mouhot had given us an account of a country that no European had ever visited before. With respect to that gentleman’s belief that certain wild tribes whom he described had descended from Thibet, he (Mr. Crawfurd) believed that his ethnology was at fault. For his part, he believed these wild people to be no other than natives of the country—mere mountaineers, who had escaped from the bondage, and hence from the civilisation, of the plain. Such people existed in Hindoostan, in Siam, in the Burmese empire, in Cochin China, and in China itself—in fact, they were of no distinct origin, but simply the natives in a rude, savage, uncivilised state.
With respect to the French, he did not know on what grounds they had gone to Cambodia. They had obtained possession of one spot which was eminently fitted for a settlement. The finest river in all India, as far as European shipping was concerned, was the river at Saigon, which he had himself ascendedabout 14 miles, and found it navigable even for an old “seventy-four.” He believed it was the intention of the French to attempt the conquest of the whole of Cochin China. If they effected it, and occupied it, they would find it a monstrous difficulty. It would prove another Algeria, with the additional disadvantage of being 15,000 miles off instead of 500, and within the torrid instead of the temperate zone. The climate was very hot, the country was covered with forests, the malaria and the heat rendered it unsuitable for the European constitution. If they made an advance upon the Cochin Chinese capital, they would find the enterprise one of great difficulty. From Saigon to the northern confines of Cochin China the distance is 1500 miles, and the capital itself could not be less than 700 or 800 miles from Saigon, situated on a small river navigable only for large boats, with a narrow mouth, and two considerable fortresses, one on each side, at its mouth. When they arrived, they would find one of the largest and most regular fortifications in the East. He believed it was the most regular, after Fort William in Bengal, and a great deal larger than Fort William. It was constructed by the French, and now they will have considerable difficulty in conquering their own work. The French had a perfect right to be in Cochin China, and their being there would do no harm, but rather good, however questionable the benefit to themselves; for their presence amounted to the substitution of a friendly and civilised power for a rude and inhospitable one.
The drawings on the table were exceedingly curious and interesting; they were admirably done, and exhibited representations of some remarkable monuments, evidently of Buddhist origin. They reminded him very much, though inferior in quality and beauty, of the monuments of the island of Java. He never heard of volcanoes when he was in Cambodia, but he had no doubt M. Mouhot’s information was correct, thoughit appeared he did not describe them from his own personal experience. He would add a word upon the alphabets which were on the table. The Cambodians had invented a written phonetic character, which they used at the present time; therefore there could be no difficulty in understanding a Cambodian manuscript. But there were several of those now exhibited which were of more or less antiquity. One of them seemed to be the alphabet which was used by the Cambodians in their religious rites. The figure of Buddha showed that the Cambodians were worshippers of Buddha.
Montbéliard,[15]13th June, 1862.