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Title: Travels in the Central Parts of Indo-China (Siam), Cambodia, and Laos (Vol. 1 of 2) - During the Years 1858, 1859, and 1860
Author: Mouhot, Henri
Language: English
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TRAVELS
IN THE
CENTRAL PARTS OF INDO-CHINA
(SIAM),
CAMBODIA, AND LAOS.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Bocourt, from a Photograph.
THE KING AND QUEEN OF SIAM.]
TRAVELS
IN THE
CENTRAL PARTS OF INDO-CHINA
(SIAM),
CAMBODIA, AND LAOS,
DURING THE YEARS 1858, 1859, AND 1860.
BY THE LATE
M. HENRI MOUHOT,
FRENCH NATURALIST.
IN TWO VOLUMES.--VOL. I.
WITH ILLUSTRATIONS.
LONDON:
JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET,
1864.
LONDON: PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, STAMFORD STREET,
AND CHARING CROSS.
DEDICATION.
TO THE LEARNED SOCIETIES OF ENGLAND, WHO HAVE FAVOURED WITH THEIR
ENCOURAGEMENT THE JOURNEY OF M. HENRI MOUHOT TO THE REMOTE LANDS OF
SIAM, LAOS, AND CAMBODIA.
I trust that the members of those scientific societies who kindly
supported and encouraged my brother in his travels and labours, will
receive favourably the documents collected by the family of the
intrepid traveller, whom death carried off in the flower of his age, in
the midst of his discoveries.
Had he been able to accomplish fully the end at which he aimed, it
would certainly have been to you that he would have offered the fruits
of his travels: he would have felt it his first duty to testify his
gratitude and esteem to the worthy representatives of science in
that great, free, and generous English nation who adopted him. Half
English by his marriage, M. Mouhot still preserved his love for his
own country: there, however, for various reasons he did not receive
the encouragement he anticipated, and it was on the hospitable soil
of England that he met with that aid and support, which not only
her scientific men, but the whole nation, delight in affording to
explorations in unknown countries, ever attended by perils and
hardships. The journal of the unfortunate traveller shows his feelings
of affection for the two countries which he loved equally, and his
devotion to science, art, and the progress of civilization.
I therefore feel it an imperative duty to express to you and to the
whole English nation the sentiments of gratitude to which this good and
loyal Frenchman so often gave utterance, while engaged in the work to
which he spontaneously devoted himself, and in which he was sustained
by your counsels and assistance.
Receive therefore from Madame Mouhot and myself, as a legacy left by
her dear husband and my affectionate brother, the expression of our
gratitude; and accept the work, left imperfect, it is true, but which
we hope will prove how much has been lost by the death of a brave
man, who, allied to the family of Mungo Park, met the same fate in
the East that that illustrious explorer did in Africa. M. Mouhot’s
premature end did not permit him to correct and arrange his journal,
which is an additional reason for claiming indulgence from you, whose
enlightened minds and generous benevolence will know how to appreciate
the circumstances under which this posthumous work sees the light.
CHARLES MOUHOT.
_Jersey, 1st December, 1862._
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Bocourt, from a Photograph.
ONE OF THE SONS OF THE KING OF SIAM.]
PREFACE.
As will be seen, this work is compiled from the private letters of M.
Mouhot to his family and friends, and from his journal. I had also
the benefit of the paper destined by my brother for the Archæological
Society of London, on the interesting ruins of Ongcor. Among the
documents which, thanks to the active kindness of Sir R. Schomburgh,
British Consul at Bangkok, of Dr. Campbell, R.N., and of M. D’Istria,
French Consul, reached me as early as possible after my brother’s
death, I found valuable sketches and drawings, together with various
unfinished papers relative to his different scientific researches in
the countries he had visited and in districts which had only recently
been brought into notice by the advance of commerce, and by the
military expeditions which had been sent to the extreme East.
The family of M. Mouhot were divided in opinion as to the course to be
adopted with regard to these varied materials. Should they be kept in a
portfolio as a sacred but barren deposit, or should they be arranged in
the best manner possible and laid before the public?
After grave consideration they yielded to the representations of
friends of the deceased, and to myself was confided the painful but
interesting task of superintending the arrangement of the notes,
sketches, and documents for publication. I accordingly set about it at
once, under the first impressions of grief at the loss I had sustained,
and guided only by fraternal love, for I lay no claim to the title of
author. I have simply classified the masses of papers, the fruit of
four years’ travel, and added a few explanatory notes.
I have already stated the motives which induced me to dedicate this
work to the Savans of England, more especially to those with whom my
brother was connected through science or literature.
Let me give a short sketch of the work for which we claim the
indulgence of the public. I have first, preserving the chronological
order, divided the journal into chapters, inserting in their
appropriate places such portions of the private letters as served to
throw light on the subject. This forms the body of the work.
In an Appendix I have inserted the Chinese tales translated by the
author during his residence in Siam--some unfinished papers which
are only specimens of a zoological work which my brother intended
to publish--the descriptions of the principal entomological and
conchological specimens discovered by him, and which are now deposited
in the Museums of London and Paris--the Cambodian vocabulary, a proof
of his industry, of the variety of his knowledge, and of the care with
which he collected everything which might be useful to his successors
in the difficult path which he opened to them.
Lastly, I have collected the letters of my brother to his family and
other correspondents, together with some letters addressed to him,
a few of which were never even received, while others only reached
their destination after his death, or remained in the hands of friends
who were charged to deliver them. This correspondence tends, I think,
to display my brother’s character, the delicacy of his mind, and the
goodness of his heart, qualities which have been recognised by so many,
both during his life and after his death.
The engravings from his drawings will impart interest to the
descriptions of the ruins and vast buildings which he discovered in
the interior of Siam and Cambodia, testifying to an advanced state of
civilization in former times, and which, I venture to think, deserve
to be brought into notice. They will also familiarize the reader with
the manners, customs, and appearance of the country. My aim has been to
be useful to those who deign to read these pages; and, if fidelity be
merit in a book, I trust the reader will be satisfied.
Even should there be any errors in the numbers of the population, and
similar details concerning the little-known countries which my brother
traversed, I beg the reader to view them with indulgence, bearing in
mind that most of this journal was written in pencil, sent home from
a long distance, and some of it half effaced;--illegible, indeed, to
any one to whom his writing was not as well known as it was to Madame
Mouhot and myself, and who were not as intimate with the heart and
thoughts of the writer.
All these reasons induce me to reckon on the indulgence of the public.
The Memoir which follows was written by a friend in Holland. The
historical notice which I have thus introduced, appeared to me useful,
in order to give a clearer idea of the country which my brother has
contributed to make better known, and where he sealed with his death
his devotion to travel and scientific pursuits.
Let me add, in conclusion, that the family of M. Mouhot gladly embrace
the opportunity of thanking publicly all those who have given aid to
the traveller, and have testified their friendship for him; several are
mentioned in the course of the book by my brother himself, but others,
from whom he received equal kindness and support before embarking
on his perilous journey into unknown regions, have not perhaps been
noticed as they deserved. It was neither forgetfulness nor ingratitude
on his part; his death is his excuse.
CHARLES MOUHOT.
_Adelaide Lodge, Jersey,
January, 1863._
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. H. Rousseau, from a Photograph.
HENRI MOUHOT]
MEMOIR OF M. HENRI MOUHOT.
Alexander Henri Mouhot was born at Montbéliard on 15th May, 1826, of
parents not rich, but respectable. His father occupied a subordinate
post in the administration under Louis Philippe and the Republic, and
expended nearly the whole of his salary in the education of his two
sons, even undergoing many privations for that purpose. His mother,
a teacher of considerable merit, whose memory is held in respect by
all who knew her, died young, greatly through overwork and fatigue,
incurred in providing for the wants of her family and the education
of her children. Two months after the departure of her son Henri for
Russia--a separation which was heartbreaking to her--she took to her
bed, from which she never rose again. This was in 1844. M. Mouhot first
studied philology in his own country, intending to become a teacher;
but before long a strong leaning for the natural sciences, easy to
be understood in the country of Cuvier and of Laurillard, gave a new
direction to his mind; and this, with his ardent desire to see other
countries, determined his vocation. His first profession enabled him
to extend his researches, and while he perfected himself in science
he continued to follow the arduous and thorny path of the professor.
Having a thorough knowledge of his own language, and being a good Greek
scholar, it was not difficult for him to acquire with facility both
Russian and Polish during his stay in that vast northern empire, which
he traversed from St. Petersburgh to Sebastopol, and from Warsaw to
Moscow.
He began as a teacher, but soon became an artist, after the discovery
of Daguerre, which impressed him strongly; he mastered its mechanical
parts, and determined to carry the new invention into foreign lands.
This afforded to him the means of an existence conformable to his
wishes. He soon made affectionate friends in the highest classes of
society in Russia; took out his professor’s diploma there, and in that
capacity was admitted into several establishments, both public and
private; among others, to that of the cadets of Voronége, &c. Devoting
himself in his hours of leisure, and at night, to the cultivation of
the arts and sciences, and profiting by his visits to various towns and
departments of the empire, he constantly augmented his collection of
drawings and photographs, comprising landscapes illustrating different
parts of the country, portraits of distinguished men, specimens from
museums, and buildings in the semi-Byzantine style, equally interesting
to artists and to archæologists.
He scrupulously refrained from politics, and fully appreciated the
difficulty of governing a country so immense, and in which the manners,
religion, and language differ so much in its various parts; still he
felt deeply the condition of the serfs, a condition which Alexander
II., moved by generous sentiments, wishes now to reform. This state of
things made a painful impression on the heart of the young Frenchman,
and on his return to his own country he gave vent to his feelings in
a book called ‘Slavery in Russia;’ and in order to engage better the
attention of the reader he wove it into the form of a novel, in which
he was enabled to employ the resources of illustration, and to depict
the manners of the country. This work, however, which touched on many
of the leading questions of the day, was never published, and is only
mentioned here as an illustration of his generous feelings.
The war which broke out in the East induced him to leave Russia,
although, doubtless, owing to his numerous friends, he might safely
have awaited there the return of a time more propitious to the
cultivation of art and science; but his feelings as a Frenchman
revolted from this, and he also felt that the gravity of the events
about to take place would turn every mind from all but warlike subjects.
M. Mouhot, therefore, returned to France to his father and to a loved
brother, who became the companion of his new travels in Germany,
Belgium, and the north of Italy; and everywhere they laboured by means
of photography to make known the works of the great masters and the
beauties of the country, exercising their profession like real artists.
They afterwards resolved to visit Holland, where photography was less
widely known than in other countries. After staying there some time
they removed their establishment to England in 1856, the more willingly
as they had both married English ladies, relatives of Mungo Park, and
having friends willing to push on the two young men, who, full of
energy, possessed the qualities necessary for success in an artistic
or scientific career. During some ensuing years the two brothers
pursued their calling together, and shared each other’s pleasures
and cares; but Henri afterwards found in a peaceful life at Jersey
an opportunity of resuming his studies in Natural History, devoting
himself particularly to Ornithology and Conchology. These studies
revived in him the desire for foreign travel; and beautiful as was the
island where he lived--and where his time was divided between his home,
his books, and out-door pursuits--his thirst for knowledge made him
long for a wider field of research, and one less explored by modern
travellers. An English book on Siam came into his possession about
this time, as though sent by the hand of destiny, and to visit that
country became the object of his aspirations. The great Geographical
and Zoological Societies of London, capable of appreciating the man
of merit, approved of his project, and aided him efficaciously in its
prosecution; and M. H. Mouhot quitted his wife, brother, and all his
friends and every advantage of civilization, in order to visit, in the
cause of science, regions little known, but where, through much fatigue
and danger, the prospect of a glorious future opened itself before him.
He was already well prepared for the life; active, strong, and blessed
with an excellent constitution: his physical strength was beyond
the average--a result of the gymnastic sports in which he had taken
pleasure in his youth, and of his habitual sobriety. He had never had
an attack of fever, nor any other illness; and he resisted for four
years the effects of a tropical climate, incredible fatigue, bad food,
and nights passed in forests, without any apparent loss of health or
strength, which is doubtless to be attributed to his never taking
spirits, and wine only very sparingly.
His intellectual and moral qualities did not seem less to promise
success; both a _savant_ and an artist, he was also an indefatigable
hunter, and had a degree of kindness mingled with his courage which was
sure to gain the good-will of the uncivilized people among whom he had
to live. In all these respects M. Mouhot fulfilled the expectations of
the savans of England and of his numerous friends, as is evident by
the rich collections made by him in so short a time, by the cordial
welcome which he met with throughout his travels, by the respect paid
to him by all learned men, and by the unanimous feelings of regret at
his death, both in England and on the Continent. Although a Protestant,
he inspired sincere friendships among the Catholic missionaries in Siam
and the other countries he visited from 1858 to 1861, friendships which
are clearly shown in his journal and letters.
We shall not say much about his travels; they form the subject of this
work, which, even in its unfinished state, we trust will present much
important information to the geographer and archæologist, to the
naturalist and linguist. Many capable of judging have already hastened
to pay their tribute of praise to the traveller who has enriched such
various branches of science, and displayed to the world the riches of
the extreme East.
M. Mouhot dedicated the last four years of his life to exploring the
interior of Siam; he first travelled through that country, then through
Cambodia, and afterwards re-ascended the Mekong as far as the frontiers
of Laos; visited one of the savage and independent tribes inhabiting
the district between those two countries and Cochin China; then, after
having crossed the great lake Touli-Sap, he explored the provinces of
Ongcor and Battambong, where he discovered splendid ruins, especially
the Temple of Ongcor the Great, which is nearly perfect, and perhaps
unparalleled in the world.
Passing from the basin of the Mekong into that of the Menam, he saw
mountains of which the principal peak was more than 6000 feet high.
He returned occasionally to Bangkok, the capital of Siam, in order
to make preparations for fresh expeditions. The loss, by the wreck
of the _Sir James Brooke_, of a very valuable collection, did not
discourage him; but he set about at once to replace it. At the time of
his death, which happened on 10th November, 1861, he was _en route_
for the provinces south-west of China, when, having already penetrated
far into the interior, he was attacked by the jungle fever, and died
after twenty-two days’ illness. His energetic mind, full of the task he
had to perform, remained clear to the end, and a few last words were
written by him, his strength of will overcoming his weakness.
He set out for Louang-Prabang on 15th October, and on the 18th halted
at H---- (the name is unfinished in the manuscript); the next day he
felt the first symptoms of the fever to which he fell a victim. From
the 29th October he wrote nothing. The last words in the journal, “Have
pity on me, O my God,” show the religious principles which had guided
his life.
All that we know of his last days and his lamentable end, was learned
from his two native servants, who were strongly attached to him; and
through Sir R. Schomburgh, the English Consul at Bangkok, and Dr.
Campbell, Surgeon R.N., who was attached to the British consulate,
and who returned shortly afterwards to England, when he placed all
the papers, notes, and drawings left by M. Mouhot in the hands of his
widow and of M. Charles Mouhot, whose task it has been to arrange this
legacy as methodically as possible, considering the great difficulty of
finding the connecting links of his various descriptions.
The ‘Athenæum’ and the ‘Illustrated London News’[1] both inserted an
account of the death of M. H. Mouhot; and the latter journal justly
designated his death as another addition to the long list of martyrs
to science. It likewise gave a short sketch of the discoveries and
scientific services of this intrepid traveller.
[1] Number for August 9, 1862, which also contained a tolerably good
portrait of M. Mouhot.
Ornithology, entomology, and other branches of natural history, were
represented in the collection sent by M. Mouhot to his agent, Mr.
S. Stevens, of Bloomsbury Street, London, and were the subject of
several papers by Dr. Gray, Dr. Gunter, Dr. Louis Pfeiffer, and other
naturalists, members of the Zoological Society of London, and published
in the ‘Annals and Magazine of Natural History.’ At a meeting of the
Royal Geographical Society on the 10th of March, 1862, Sir R. Murchison
seized the occasion of reading some letters from the traveller relating
to the topography of Cambodia, to pay a tribute of gratitude to his
merit as a zoological collector and explorer. “His loss,” he observed,
“will be much felt by men of science, and a long time may elapse before
another man will be found bold enough to follow his steps in that
country of virgin forests and fever, and to the exploring of which he
sacrificed his home, his health, and his life.”
Mr. Stevens, in acquainting the brother of the traveller with the fact
of his having received a new zoological collection which had been
consigned to him, says, “I can truly say that the insects and shells
equal, if they do not surpass, any in the most beautiful collections I
have ever received, and show clearly what a marvellously rich country
for the naturalist lies between Siam and Cochin-China.” A splendid
_scarabæus_ was also sent to Mr. Stevens, who remarks, that “this
insect was described in the ‘Zoological Review’ of Paris under the name
of _Mouhotia gloriosa_, as a mark of respect to the late M. Mouhot, and
stated to be one of the most magnificent known.”
The Society of Montbéliard hastened, on the first news of his death,
to write to his brother, and the letter contains these words:--“His
work was left unfinished, but it was gloriously commenced, and his name
will not perish!”
Amidst all these eulogiums of a life, short but well spent, one of the
most touching is a letter from M. Marie Ch. Fontaine, missionary at
Saigon in Cochin-China, who was in Paris in August, 1862, and saw in a
newspaper the death of the man whom he had met in Siam and Cambodia,
which was soon confirmed by a letter from his brother. This worthy
missionary addressed to M. Charles Mouhot a letter, of which the whole
should be read; we only extract the following passage:--“I learned,
when on my mission, the death of my father, and then that of my mother.
I assure you that these two cruel blows scarcely made more impression
on me than the news of the death of a man whose equal I had not met
with during the twenty years that I have inhabited that country; and
to hear of his dying without any help, and having no one near him but
his servants throughout his illness, in a country so barbarous, was
more than sufficient to make tears flow at the memory of this good and
benevolent friend. Be assured, my dear Sir, that my sentiments are
shared by all here who knew M. Mouhot. The natives themselves must have
felt regret at his loss, for all whom he came near praised him for his
behaviour towards them, and his gentleness and generosity; qualities
invaluable in the eyes of that people.”
In a letter recently addressed by Sir R. Schomburgh to M. C. Mouhot,
enclosing the portraits of the King and Queen of Siam, that gentleman
thus expresses himself:--“I admired the zeal and knowledge of your
late brother; and his manners were so amiable and modest that one
would have thought that every one with whom he came in contact would
have exercised all their influence to assist him in his plans. I often
regretted that he was not an English subject, that I might have been
able to do more for him. I shall look impatiently for the publication
of his book, and have given orders that the French edition may be
forwarded to me at once.”
I can add nothing to these touching testimonies, which paint faithfully
the man as I knew him in Holland. The affectionate heart of Henri
Mouhot awakened in others an affection which the tomb does not destroy,
but which grows stronger with time.
J. J. BELINFANTE.
_The Hague, December 15, 1862._
CONTENTS OF VOL. I.
PAGE
DEDICATION 7
PREFACE 11
MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR 19
CHAPTER I.
THE VOYAGE--FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF SIAM; AND OF BANGKOK, ITS
CAPITAL--RECEPTION IN THE PALACE--THE TWO KINGS OF SIAM 37
CHAPTER II.
GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY OF THE KINGDOM OF SIAM 54
CHAPTER III.
VOYAGE UP THE MENAM TO AYUTHIA THE ANCIENT CAPITAL--THE
RUINS--EXCURSION TO MOUNT PHRABAT--ITS TEMPLE--ITS SACRED AND
GEOLOGICAL FOOTSTEPS--SARABURI AND PATAVI 106
CHAPTER IV.
CHANTABOUN--ITS PRODUCTS AND COMMERCE--APPEARANCE OF THE COUNTRY--
THE ISLES OF KO-MAN--ISLES OF PATATES--THE ISLAND OF KO-KRAM--PAKNAM
VEN--MANNER IN WHICH THE APES PLAY WITH THE CROCODILES 141
CHAPTER V.
LIFE IN THE HILL-COUNTRY--MOUNT SABAT--HUNTING--TIGERS--SERPENTS--
RICH VEGETATION OF CHANTABURI 155
CHAPTER VI.
RETURN TO CHANTABOUN--EXCURSION TO BATTAMBONG--THE ISLANDS OF
KOH KONG--ISLAND OF PHU QUOC--BEAUTIFUL PROSPECT IN THE GULF OF
KOMPUT--CAMBODIA--COMMERCE OF THESE COUNTRIES--MISERABLE STATE
OF THE PEOPLE--VISIT TO THE KING OF CAMBODIA 174
CHAPTER VII.
DETAILS RESPECTING CAMBODIA--UDONG, ITS PRESENT
CAPITAL--INTERVIEWS WITH THE SECOND KING 192
CHAPTER VIII.
DEPARTURE FROM UDONG--TRAIN OF ELEPHANTS--PINHALU--KIND
TREATMENT BY THE MISSIONARIES--THE GREAT LAKE OF
CAMBODIA--TOULI-SAP--THE THIÂMES--SPECULATIONS AS TO THEIR
ORIGIN--ANCIENT KINGDOM OF TSIAMPA--ISRAELITE TRADITIONS OF THE
THIÂMES OR TSIAMPOIS 213
CHAPTER IX.
THE GREAT BAZAAR OF CAMBODIA, PENOM-PEUH--THE RIVER MÉKON--THE
ISLAND KO-SUTIN--PEMPTIÉLAN--PUMP-KA-DAYE, ON THE BORDERS
OF CAMBODIA--SOME FURTHER NOTES ON THE COUNTRY--FATHER
GUILLOUX--JOURNEY TO BRELUM AND THE NEIGHBOURING COUNTRY
INHABITED BY THE SAVAGE STIENS 226
CHAPTER X.
SOJOURN OF THREE MONTHS AMONG THE SAVAGE STIENS--MANNERS OF THIS
TRIBE--PRODUCTS OF THE COUNTRY--FAUNA--MANNERS OF THE ANNAMITES 240
CHAPTER XI.
RETURN TO PINHALU AND UDONG--THE GREAT LAKE TOULI-SAP--MEETING
WITH NINE ELEPHANTS--RECENT ACTS OF OPPRESSION TOWARDS THE
PEOPLE--ON THE EVENTUAL REGENERATION OF THE PEOPLE--THE PROVINCE
OF BATTAMBOURG--GRAND RUINS 265
CHAPTER XII.
DESCRIPTION OF THE TEMPLE OF ONGCOR--OBSERVATIONS ON THESE
RUINS, AND ON OTHERS IN THE PROVINCES OF ONGCOR AND BATTAMBONG 278
ILLUSTRATIONS TO VOL. I.
PAGE
THE KING AND QUEEN OF SIAM _Frontispiece._
ONE OF THE SONS OF THE KING OF SIAM 10
PORTRAIT OF M. HENRI MOUHOT 18
THE RIVER MENAM 36
VIEW IN THE GULF OF SIAM 39
GENERAL VIEW OF BANGKOK 43
THE SECOND KING OF SIAM 47
TWO OF THE WIVES OF THE KING OF SIAM 51
PAGODA AT AYUTHIA 57
SIAMESE WOMEN _To face_ 60
PERFORATED ROCK IN THE ISLE OF EBOULON, GULF OF SIAM 63
RUINS OF A TEMPLE AND STATUE OF BUDDHA AT AYUTHIA 67
THE PAGODA OF AYUTHIA, FROM THE RIVER 71
VIEW TAKEN FROM THE CANAL OF AYUTHIA 75
RUINS OF A PAGODA AT AYUTHIA 79
THE GREAT TOWER OF THE PAGODA WAT-CHING AT BANGKOK _To face_ 82
PRIEST’S HOUSE NEAR AYUTHIA 87
DETAILS OF THE PAGODA WAT-CHANG AT BANGKOK _To face_ 90
RUINS AT AYUTHIA 93
SIAMESE LADIES AT DINNER _To face_ 98
SIAMESE ROPE-DANCER 101
INUNDATION OF THE MENAM 107
RUINS OF A PAGODA AT AYUTHIA 112
ELEPHANTS IN AN ENCLOSURE OR “PARK” AT AYUTHIA _To face_ 114
ROCK AT THE SUMMIT OF MOUNT PHRABAT 117
RELICS FOUND ON MOUNT PHRABAT 119
PAGODA AT MOUNT PHRABAT, WHERE IS PRESERVED THE
FOOTPRINT OF BUDDHA _To face_ 120
VIEW OF THE MOUNTAINS OF KORAT, TAKEN FROM PATAWI 123
A LAOTIAN 129
SIAMESE NURSE AND BABY 133
PORT OF CHANTABOUN _To face_ 136
THE LION ROCK AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE PORT OF CHANTABOUN 139
CHAPEL OF THE MISSION, CHANTABOUN 145
VIEW OF PAKNAM, ON THE MENAM 150
MONKEYS PLAYING WITH A CROCODILE _To face_ 152
SIAMESE ACTORS 170
VIEW OF BATTAMBONG _To face_ 174
LEECH-FISHERS ON THE ISLE OF SAMET 177
FAVOURITE WIFE OF THE KING OF CAMBODIA 185
PORTRAIT OF THE SECOND KING OF CAMBODIA (NOW THE FIRST KING) 198
CAMBODIAN CART 200
A PAGE OF THE KING OF CAMBODIA 207
A NATIVE ACTRESS 211
A SIAMESE OF THE LOWER CLASS 215
CHINESE MONUMENT AT BANGKOK 219
THE RIVER MEKON AT PENOM-PEUH 229
CAMBODIAN HUT AT PEMPTIELAN, ON THE MEKON 233
CAMBODIAN HOUSE 238
A SAVAGE STIEN 242
ANOTHER SAVAGE STIEN 244
SAVAGE STIENS SOWING RICE 247
AMAZON OF THE KING’S FEMALE GUARDS 257
SCENE IN THE JUNGLE BETWEEN BATTAMBONG AND BANGKOK 261
HALT OF THE CARAVAN IN THE JUNGLE BETWEEN BATTAMBONG AND BANGKOK 267
TOWER AT BANOME, NEAR BATTAMBONG 273
FAÇADE OF THE TEMPLE OF ONGCOR-WAT _To face_ 279
STATUE OF THE LEPROUS KING 281
PRINCIPAL ENTRANCE OF THE GREAT TEMPLE OF ONGCOR-WAT 284
TEMPLE OF ONGCOR-WAT, NORTH SIDE 288
CARVINGS OF ARMS, UTENSILS, AND ORNAMENTS AT ONGCOR-WAT 292
PAVILION IN THE INTERIOR OF THE TEMPLE OF ONGCOR-WAT 297
CENTRAL PORTICO OF THE GREAT TEMPLE OF ONGCOR-WAT _To face_ 298
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Sabatier, from a Sketch by M. Mouhot.
THE RIVER MENAM.]
TRAVELS IN INDO-CHINA, ETC.
CHAPTER I.
THE VOYAGE--FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF SIAM; AND OF BANGKOK, ITS
CAPITAL--RECEPTION IN THE PALACE--THE TWO KINGS OF SIAM.
On the 27th April, 1858, I embarked at London, in a sailing ship of
very modest pretensions, in order to put in execution my long-cherished
project of exploring the kingdoms of Siam, Cambodia, and Laos, and
visiting the tribes who occupy the banks of the great river Mekon.
I spare the reader the details of the voyage and of my life on board
ship, and shall merely state that there were annoyances in plenty, both
as regards the accommodation for the passengers and the conduct of the
captain, whose sobriety was more than doubtful.
SINGAPORE.
We arrived at Singapore on the 3rd September. The census, taken
in May, 1859, of the population of this beautiful and flourishing
settlement, gave the following results.--Total, 81,792, of whom only
450 were Europeans, and 1995 Eurasians, or of a mixed race, such as
Indo-English, Indo-Portuguese, and Indo-Dutch. The Chinese numbered
50,043, the Klings 11,735, and Malays 10,880; the women belonging
to these races being computed at no more than 3248, 963, and 3700
respectively. The remainder of the population was composed of Bengalese
1236, Burmese and Siamese 14, Bugese 916, Javanese 3408, and Arabs 117.
There are in the island 13 schools, 70 temples or pagodas, 13 hotels
and taverns, 26 pawnbrokers, 87 spirit-merchants, 144 houses licensed
for opium-smoking, and 11 houses for the sale of a peculiar spirit
unknown in France, but which is extracted from rice, and known under
the name of arrack. The fishing-boats number 750. Facilities for
locomotion and traffic are provided by 589 public carriages, 1180
passenger-boats, and 600 carts for the transport of merchandise.
In addition to the population of Singapore itself, the islands in the
immediate vicinity, and forming a part of the settlement, contain
1500 inhabitants, making the entire population of Singapore and its
dependencies nearly 83,000. I made only a short stay there, my chief
object being to gain information respecting the country I was about
to visit. On the 12th of the same month, after a very monotonous
voyage, we arrived at the mouth of the river Menam, on whose banks
Bangkok is built. A vast sandbank here bars the entrance of large
ships, and compels them to go eight or nine miles farther up the
gulf, and discharge their cargoes at great additional expense. Our
vessel, however, only drawing eight feet of water, passed without much
difficulty, and anchored at Paknam in front of the Governor’s house,
whither the captain and myself proceeded without loss of time, in order
to obtain the necessary permission to continue our route.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Sabatier, from a Sketch by M. Mouhot.
VIEW IN THE GULF OF SIAM.]
PAKNAM--THE MENAM.
This formality over, I hastened to visit the forts, which are of
brick and battlemented, the markets, and some of the streets. Paknam
is the Sebastopol or Cronstadt of the Kings of Siam; nevertheless, I
fancied that a European squadron could easily master it, and that the
commander, after breakfasting there, might dine the same day at Bangkok.
On a little island in the middle of the river rises a famous and rather
remarkable pagoda, containing, I was told, the bodies of their last
kings. The effect of this pyramidal structure reflected in the deep
and limpid water, with its background of tropical verdure, was most
striking. As for the town, all that I saw of it was disgustingly dirty.
The Menam deserves its beautiful name--Mother of Waters--for its depth
permits the largest vessels to coast along its banks without danger:
so closely, indeed, that the birds may be heard singing gaily in the
overhanging branches, and the hum of numberless insects enlivens the
deck by night and day. The whole effect is picturesque and beautiful.
Here and there houses are dotted about on either bank, and numerous
villages give variety to the distant landscape.
We met a great number of canoes managed with incredible dexterity
by men and women, and often even by children, who are here early
familiarised with the water. I saw the Governor’s children, almost
infants, throw themselves into the river, and swim and dive like
water-fowl. It was a curious and interesting sight, particularly from
the strong contrast between the little ones and the adults. Here, as
in the whole plain of Siam, which I afterwards visited, I met most
attractive children, tempting one to stop and caress them; but as they
grow older they rapidly lose all beauty, the habit of chewing the
betel-nut producing an unsightly blackening of the teeth and swelling
of the lips.
BANGKOK.
It is impossible to state the exact population of Bangkok, the census
of all Eastern countries being extremely imperfect. It is estimated,
however, at from three to four hundred thousand inhabitants. Owing to
its semi-aquatic site, we had reached the centre of the city while I
believed myself still in the country; I was only undeceived by the
sight of various European buildings, and the steamers which plough this
majestic river, whose margins are studded with floating houses and
shops.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Bocourt, from a Sketch by M. Mouhot.
GENERAL VIEW OF BANGKOK.]
Bangkok is the Venice of the East, and whether bent on business or
pleasure you must go by water. In place of the noise of carriages and
horses, nothing is heard but the dip of oars, the songs of sailors, or
the cries of the Cipayes (Siamese rowers). The river is the high street
and the boulevard, while the canals are the cross streets, along which
you glide, lying luxuriously at the bottom of your canoe.
We cast anchor in front of the cathedral of the French Mission and of
the modest palace of Monseigneur Pallegoix, the worthy archbishop,
who, for nearly thirty years, without any assistance but that of
missionaries as devoted as himself, has made the revered emblem of
Christianity and the name of France respected in these distant regions.
The sight of the Cross in foreign lands speaks to the heart like
meeting with an old friend; one feels comforted and no longer alone.
It is beautiful to see the devotion, self-denial, and courage of
these poor and pious missionaries; a blessing as they are, also, to
travellers, it would be ungrateful not to render them the gratitude
which is their just due.
FOREIGN MERCHANTS.
For some time past, particularly since the wars in China and
Cochin-China, Siam has been much talked of in Europe; and, relying on
the faith of treaties of peace and commerce, several French and English
houses of business have been established there. Unfortunately, there
was much deception on the part of the native authorities, which has
given rise to general and well-founded complaints from the merchants.
The fact is, that they have dangerous competitors in the mandarins and
even in the princes, who monopolise the greater part of the trade in
rice and sugar, their chief articles of commerce, which they despatch
in their junks and other vessels. Moreover, the people were not
prepared for the change which had taken place in the laws, and had
scarcely cultivated more than enough for home consumption; add to
this that the population is far from numerous, and, the Siamese being
an indolent race, most of the agriculture falls into the hands of the
Chinese, who flock to Singapore, Australia, and California.
The country certainly merits the reputation which it enjoys for beauty,
but it is especially in its mountain scenery that nature displays its
grandeur.
During a ten years’ residence in Russia I witnessed the frightful
effects of despotism and slavery. At Siam, results not less sad and
deplorable obtruded themselves on my notice; every inferior crouches
before a higher in rank; he receives his orders kneeling, or with some
other sign of abject submission and respect. The whole of society is in
a state of prostration.
PRESENTED TO THE KING OF SIAM.
I was making my preparations for departure on the 16th October, my
purpose being to penetrate into the north of the country and visit
Cambodia and the savage tribes belonging to it, when I received an
invitation from the King of Siam to be present at the great dinner
which this monarch gives every year, on his birthday, to the European
residents in Bangkok. I was presented by Monseigneur Pallegoix, and his
Majesty’s reception was kind and courteous. His costume consisted of a
pair of large trousers, a short brown jacket of some thin material, and
slippers; on his head he wore a little copper helmet like those worn by
the naval officers, and at his side a rich sabre.
Most of the Europeans in Bangkok were present at the dinner, and
enthusiastic toasts were drunk to the health of his Majesty, who,
instead of being seated, stood or walked round the table, chewing
betel and addressing some pleasant observation to each of his guests
in turn. The repast was served in a vast hall, from whence we could
see a platoon of the royal guard, with flags and drums, drawn up in
the courtyard. When I went to take leave of the King, he graciously
presented me with a little bag of green silk, containing some of
the gold and silver coin of the country,--a courtesy which was most
unexpected, and for which I expressed my gratitude.
KING SOMDEL PHRA.
This King, whose official title is Somdel Phra, Paramanda,
Maha-Mangkut--that is, His Majesty the King, encircled with the Great
Crown--was born on the 18th October, 1804, and mounted the throne
of Siam in the year 1851. The first part of his life was passed in
complete retirement in a monastery, in this following the example of
many of his predecessors: for all sects emanating from Buddhism think
it necessary that the rulers of nations should prepare themselves for
supreme power by a previous life of repose and sanctity.
ACQUIREMENTS OF THE KING.
It was only after the accession of Somdel Phra that the mastery he had
gained over the most difficult sciences became known. After having
applied himself to the history and geography of his country, he turned
to the study of astronomy, natural philosophy, politics, and philology.
He was familiar not only with all the dialects of Siam and Indo-China,
but also with ancient Sanscrit and English, in which latter language
he had written several treatises. The English journals at Hong-Kong
have been honoured by articles from his pen, and no one who reads them
can be surprised that the august contributor should have been elected
a member of the Asiatic Society in London, a body which reckons on its
list so many savans of the first rank.
His Majesty had also acquired a fair knowledge of Latin from the French
missionaries, especially from Archbishop Pallegoix, who has been
his friend for thirty years. He studied astronomy almost without a
master, and had gained such proficiency in that science as to be able
to calculate an eclipse and determine the latitude and longitude of a
place. He introduced a printing-press into his dominions, in which both
Siamese and Roman characters are used. His language testifies to his
education and intelligence, though it more resembles the phraseology of
books than that of ordinary conversation.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. H. Rousseau, from a Photograph.
TWO OF THE WIVES OF THE KING OF SIAM.]
His predecessor had several hundred wives, and I believe the present
King does not possess fewer than some dozen; but he only bestowed the
title of queen on one, whose portrait hangs by the side of his own, and
whose death, soon after my visit, left him inconsolable.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Bocourt, from a Photograph
THE SECOND KING OF SIAM.]
THE SECOND KING.
A singular institution, peculiar to Siam, Cambodia, and Laos, exists
in a second king, slightly inferior to the other, and having a sort
of reflected authority, the limits of which are not easily defined.
His official title is Wangna, a word which literally signifies “the
youngest King.” He has his court, his mandarins, and his little army,
and they pay him royal honours; but in reality he is merely the
first subject of his colleague. His sole prerogative is exemption from
the customary prostration before the King, instead of which he salutes
him by raising both hands in the air. It is true, he is allowed to draw
largely from the royal treasury, but never without an order from the
King, which, however, is rarely refused.
The present Wangna, Pin-Klau Chan You Hona, is the legitimate brother
of the First King and his intended successor. He is a perfect
gentleman, of a cultivated mind, writing and speaking English, and
leading in his palace--which is arranged and furnished in our Western
fashion--the life of a rich, noble, and learned European. He is fond of
books and scientific researches, and familiar with all the improvements
of modern civilization; he possesses in a higher degree than his
brother the capacity for government and statesmanship, and deplores
more than any one the sad condition in which his country languishes.
Before asking the reader to accompany me into the interior of Siam, it
will not be amiss, in the next chapter, to give a short sketch of the
kingdom itself and of its past history.
CHAPTER II.
GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY OF THE KINGDOM OF SIAM.
HISTORY OF SIAM.
The name of Siam was first heard in Europe in the year 1502. Nine years
after Alphonso d’Albuquerque had conquered the peninsula of Malacca,
some intercourse took place between Portugal and Siam, which, however,
was interrupted by the long wars between this country and the Burmese.
In 1632 an English vessel touched at the ancient capital Ayuthia.
Shortly afterwards the Portuguese at Goa sent a party of Dominican and
Franciscan missionaries to Siam, and the communication between the two
nations became more frequent. The King engaged in his service three
hundred Portuguese soldiers, who were distributed over the country,
having lands allotted to them for cultivation, and who contracted
marriage with native women. The missionaries built two churches, and
established a school.
After a while the Dutch power began to supplant that of Portugal in
the East, and, in the course of the seventeenth century, the empire of
Siam was brought into contact with the new conquerors of the Indies.
The Portuguese colonies gradually became extinct; and the influence
of the Batavian settlers increased so much, that they established at
Ayuthia a Dutch factory, which, under its director Schonten, attained
its greatest prosperity about the year 1690. Various articles of
merchandise were introduced into Siam, from whence, in return, were
exported skins, sapan-wood, &c.; and the country, from its position
and the richness of its natural productions, became at that time an
important station for the commerce of the Dutch between China and
Japan, and the valuable islands of Ceylon and Java.
France herself, at the height of her maritime power under Louis
XIV., could not equal the power of the Dutch Company, though, at one
period, chances eminently favourable presented themselves to her. A
Greek adventurer named Constantine Phaulcon, of whom we shall have
subsequently to speak, opened for himself a remarkable career in Siam,
where he was converted to Romanism by the missionaries. He suggested
to the King to send envoys to Louis XIV., and their arrival in France
produced a sensation, the echo of which we have heard in our own day in
the embassy from the same country to Napoleon III. His Most Christian
Majesty replied by accrediting ambassadors to the Siamese Court--De
Chaumont in 1685, and La Loubéze in 1687. Each was accompanied by
several Jesuit priests; and a force of 500 men, under the command of
General de Fargues, was stationed at Bangkok. The General, however, was
not able to maintain his position; Constantine met with a tragic end,
and the Jesuit fathers were kept as hostages. These failures destroyed
the French influence for more than a century and a half, and for a
time strengthened the power of Holland.
This brief glance at the intercourse between Europe and Siam in the
sixteenth and seventeenth centuries will suffice.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Thérond, from a Photograph.
PAGODA AT AYUTHIA.]
The celebrated German traveller Mandelslohe visited the capital Ayuthia
in 1537, and called it the Venice of the East--a title which, as we
have seen, is equally applicable to the modern capital Bangkok. The
Portuguese explorer Mendez Pinto, who also paid a visit to Siam in
the sixteenth century, gives a favourable picture of the country, and
all that has since come to our knowledge respecting it shows that he
merited a greater faith in his statements than was accorded to him by
his contemporaries.
EXTENT OF SIAM.
The empire of Siam is of great extent. Its limits have varied much
at different epochs of its history; and even now, with the exception
of the western frontier, the lines of demarcation cannot be exactly
traced, most of the border-lands being occupied by tribes more or less
independent, and there are perpetual wars between the Malay and Burmese
races on the one side, and the Cambodian or Chinese on the other. As
nearly as can be calculated, the country extends, at present, from the
4th to the 20th or 22nd degree of north latitude, and from the 96th to
the 102nd degree of east longitude; and according to this computation,
its length would be about 1200 miles and its breadth 400 miles.
PROVINCES OF SIAM.
The Siamese dominions are divided into forty-one provinces, each
presided over by a phaja or governor, and these, again, are subdivided
into numerous districts under the authority of functionaries of
inferior rank, of whose administration little can be said in praise.
The northern provinces are five in number--Sangkalôk, Phitsalôk or
Phitsanulôk, Kumphang-Phet, Phixai, and Tahëng. In the centre are nine
provinces--Nantaburi or Jalat-Khuan, Pak-Pret, Patummatoni or Samkuk,
Ayuthia or Krung-Kao, Ang-Thong, Monang-Phrom, Monang-In, Xainat, and
Nakhon-Savan.
There are seven in the west--Monang-Pin, Suphan or Suphanaburi,
Kan-Chanaburi or Pak-Phrëk, Rapri or Raxaburi, Nakhon-Xaisi, Sakhonburi
or Tha-Chin, Samut-Songkhram or Mei-Khlong.
The eastern provinces number ten--Phetsjaboun, Bua-Xum, Sara-Buri,
Nopha-Buri, Nakhon-Najok, Patsjin, Kabin, Sasong-Sao or Petriu,
Battabâng, and Phanatsani-Khom.
In the south are--Pakhlat or Nakhon-Khuen-Khan, Paknam or
Sananthaprakan, Bangplasor or Xalaburi, Rajong, Chantaboun or
Chantabouri, Thung-Jai, Phiphri or Phetxaburi, Xumphon, Xaya, and
Xalang or Salang.
Siam has been distinguished by the historians of the country under
two great divisions--Monang-Nona, the region of the north, at first
the more populous portion, and Monang-Tai, the southern region.
The Chronicles of the south are sometimes called ‘The Chronicles
of the Royal City’ (Ayuthia), and commence at the period when this
place became the capital. De Barrios relates that, in his time (the
fifteenth century), nine states were in subjection to the monarchs of
Siam, two only of which were peopled by the Siamese race--viz., the
southern kingdom, and that of the north, whose chief city was Chaumua.
The Siamese language, likewise, was spoken only in these two countries.
Siam is called by the natives Thaï, or Monang-Thaï, which means “free”
or “the kingdom of the free.” Archbishop Pallegoix, who is a great
authority in these matters, maintains that the modern name Siam is
derived from Sajam, or “the brown race.”[2]
[2] The word Siam is Malay, from which language this name, as well
as many others of Indian places, has been borrowed by Europeans. The
Siamese know it not.
CONNECTION WITH NEIGHBOURING STATES.
While several districts in the north and east are tributary to this
country, it appears to have been itself originally a great fief of
China. Thus the King of Siam receives from this neighbouring empire a
special confirmation of his authority, much resembling the patronage
accorded by the Sultan to the Barbary states. However, if the external
forms of this vassalage are observed, it is rather from a profound
respect for tradition and ancient custom than from any virtual
recognition of the power of the Emperor of China to acknowledge or
interfere with the rights of sovereignty. One of the dependencies of
this country, Cambodia, is also claimed by Cochin-China, and its ruler,
unable to resist either of his more powerful neighbours, is forced to
pay tribute to both.
POPULATION.
The population of Siam cannot yet be determined with any great
exactness, but it is certain that it bears no proportion to the extent
of territory. Archbishop Pallegoix estimates it at only 6,000,000--a
computation, however, very different from that of Sir John Bowring.
The difficulty of arriving at any correct result is augmented by the
Siamese custom of numbering only the men. Thus, the native registers
showed, a few years ago, for the male sex, 2,000,000 Siamese, 1,000,000
Laotians, 1,000,000 Malays, 1,500,000 Chinese, 350,000 Cambodians,
50,000 Peguans, and a like number composed of various tribes inhabiting
the mountain ranges.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Bocourt from a Photograph.
SIAMESE WOMEN.]
PHYSICAL FEATURES.
In the north, a chain of mountains, covered with snow, extends from
the province of Yunan to China, and its ramifications form two
great divisions, between which is situated the fertile valley of
Siam. Another chain stretches towards the west, as far as the Malay
peninsula. The great river Menam, already mentioned, traverses the
level country from north to south, taking its rise in the southern
slopes of the mountains of Yunan, and empties itself into the Gulf
of Siam. It is the Nile of this region, the great fertility of which
is owing to the annual overflowing of its waters, an event eagerly
looked for by the inhabitants, and welcomed as a blessing from
Heaven. The Menam begins to rise in the month of June, and in August
the inundation reaches its height, and then the waves of the ocean,
opposing themselves to the current, force the waters of the river back
upon its banks. The lands situated towards the middle of the great
plain receive most benefit from this operation of nature, the higher
districts being too much surrounded by mountains, while the lower are
impregnated with so much salt water as to render the cultivation of
rice difficult. If the regular inundations are, as a general rule,
productive of immense benefit, they now and then, as in Egypt, lay
waste the country: thus, for example, that of 1851 destroyed all the
sugar-plantations; and the water, to a depth of three or four feet,
resting on the earth for some time, a large number of cattle perished,
the rice-crops suffered seriously, and many valuable fruit-trees were
carried away. Some years afterwards, however, in accordance with
nature’s beneficent law of compensation, the produce was only the more
abundant.
The ancient annals of Siam relate that, about the seventh century,
Chinese junks used to ascend the stream as far as Sang-Khalak,
a distance of 120 leagues from the sea; at present it is only
navigable for 30 leagues at most. This alteration has arisen from a
gradually-increasing collection of sand and alluvial deposit--a process
which goes on in some of our western rivers, as, for instance, the
Rhine and the Meuse.
The low grounds, as is usually the case in hot climates, are less
healthy than the mountainous districts, and the forests especially are
the seat of malignant fevers. Several other rivers, and numberless
canals, fringed with bamboos and fruit-trees, round which fly a
multitude of birds, give a pleasing aspect to the country, which is
bounded on the horizon by richly-wooded hills.
The rivers are rich in fish, which, in addition to rice, forms the
principal food of the people.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Sabatier, from a Sketch by M. Mouhot.
PERFORATED ROCK IN THE ISLE OF EBOULON, GULF OF SIAM.]
The shores of the sea are very picturesque, and the coast is studded
with islands covered with the most luxuriant vegetation. “The Gulf
of Siam,” says Mgr. Pallegoix, “is not subject to storms, nor to
the destructive typhoons experienced on the Chinese seaboard; thus
shipwrecks are of rare occurrence.”
Sir John Bowring recommends to his countrymen a project which he
believes feasible, and which would scarcely be secondary in importance
to the intersection of the Isthmus of Darien or that of Suez. It is
the union of the Bay of Bengal with the Gulf of Siam. He hopes that
the establishment of amicable relations between Great Britain and the
Siamese Empire will lead to the ventilation and eventual solution of a
question so interesting both in a geographical and commercial point of
view. It would be, in reality, as he says, a noble enterprise, which
would considerably shorten the voyage between India and Eastern Asia,
by making no longer necessary the tedious détour through the Straits of
Malacca, a passage which occupies not days, but weeks.
MINERALS.
The soil of this country, composed in great part of alluvial earth,
in Siam watered by its great river, and in Cambodia by the Nekong and
many other streams, refreshed by the periodical rains, and glowing
beneath a tropical sky, possesses almost unlimited capabilities. The
mountains in the north contain precious metals, but the working of them
is as yet very imperfectly attempted. The tin of Siam has been long in
repute; copper, lead, and iron have also been discovered. Diamonds and
other precious stones exist, although the exact localities where they
are met with are not known, for the natives are very mysterious on
the subject; but it is supposed that diamonds are found on the eastern
boundary of the Gulf.
ARCHIVES.
The history of the empire, arranged in the form of chronicles, is
preserved in the archives, and not permitted to be inspected by
strangers. The late king made investigations into these documents,
which, previously to the foundation of Ayuthia, towards the middle of
the fourteenth century, only presented a mass of confused materials,
in which truth and fable are curiously intermingled, as in the annals
of all nations, and pre-eminently those of the Orientals, who love to
substitute highly-coloured narratives, in the style of the Arabian
Nights, for plain history.
The Siamese trace their genealogy up to the first disciples of
Buddha (Gandama), and commence their records five centuries before
the Christian era. A succession of dynasties, varying their seat of
government, figure in the earlier volumes; and the miracles of Buddha,
and the intervention of supernatural beings, are frequently introduced.
Later on there are accounts of matrimonial alliances between Siamese
princes and the Imperial families of China, and of embassies to, and
wars with, neighbouring countries, the whole interwoven with relations
of prodigies and marvellous legends respecting Sudra and other
divinities. After the establishment of Ayuthia as the capital, history
assumes its rightful place, and the succession of the sovereigns and
the course of events are registered with tolerable correctness. The
city of Ayuthia was founded by Phaja-Utong, who took the title of
Phra-Rama-Thibaldi.[3]
[3] “The word Phra, which so frequently occurs in this work, here
appears for the first time; I have to remark that it is probably
derived from, or of common origin with, the Pharaoh of antiquity. It
is given in the Siamese dictionaries as synonymous with God, ruler,
priest, and teacher. It is in fact the word by which sovereignty
and sanctity are associated in the popular mind. As the title Divus
was appropriated by the Roman Emperor, as in most monarchies a sort
of sacredness is attached to the royal person, the orientals have
made gods of their kings, their heroes, and their sages, without any
scruple. Image-worship is in fact only the materialising or incarnating
of the idea of Deity.”--_The Kingdom and People of Siam_, Sir John
Bowring.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Catenacci, from a Photograph.
RUINS OF A TEMPLE AND STATUE OF BUDDHA AT AYUTHIA.]
EPOCHS.
The following dates, drawn from the annals, and marking important
epochs in the sacred history of Siam, are believed to be nearly
correct:--
Christian Buddhist
Era. Era.
The reigning Buddha died on the 3rd day
of the 6th month of the year of the
serpent, corresponding with the year B.C. 543
The first great Buddhist Council was
convoked under Ajatra-Sutra (in India)
the year of the death of Buddha
The second grand Council was convoked
under Hala-Sokkaraja B.C. 443 100
The third, under the rule of Sri Dhamma
Soka B.C. 325 218
The fourth grand Council B.C. 143 400
The Buddhist doctor, Phra Buddha Ghosa,
introduced Buddhism into Cambodia A.D. 422 965
It was in the year 1000 of the Buddhist era, A.D. 457, that King
Tuang, whose accession and glorious reign had been announced by a
communication from Gandama himself, and who possessed, in addition to
his other claims to distinction, “a white elephant with black tusks,”
introduced the alphabet Tai, which was communicated to a numerous
conclave of Buddhist priests. The ancient chronicles terminate with the
establishment of Chao-Utonng in the new city of Si-Ayo-Thaya (Ayuthia),
but leave the date of this event rather doubtful.
SIAMESE MONARCHS.
The following is the list of Siamese monarchs since the foundation of
this capital:--
Siamese Era. Christian Era.
712 1350 Phra Rama Phiobodi.
731 1369 ---- Rama Suen (his son).
732 1370 ---- Borom Raxa (his brother).
744 1382 ---- Rama Suen II.
747 1385 ---- Phaja Ram (his son).
763 1401 Inthaxara.
792 1430 Borom Raxa Phirat.
805 1442 Boronua Irai Lokharat.
834 1472 Phra Rama Phibodi.
875 1513 Raxa Kuman.
876 1514 Xaja Raxa Phirat.
889 1527 Phra Jot Fa.
891 1529 Maha Cha Kraphat Raxa Ihirat.
909 1547 Phra Chao Xang Phuok.
914 1552 Mahinthara Thirat.
926 1564 Phra Naret.
957 1595 Eka Thotsarot.
963 1601 Chao Fa.
964 1602 Phra Chao Song Iham.
989 1627 Phra Chao Prasal Ihong.
1017 1655 Chao Fa Xai.
1018 1656 Phra Chao Xam Phuok.
1050 1688 Phra Phet Raxa.
1059 1697 Chao Dua.
1068 1706 Name unknown.
1120 1758 Chao Dok Ma Dua.
1128 1766 Interregnum.
1129 1767 Phyja Tak.
1173 1811 Phra Phuti Chao Luang (the
founder of the present dynasty).
1187 1825 Phen Din Prasat Ihong.
1213 1851 Phra Chao Prasat Ihong.
HISTORICAL SKETCH.
Instead of dwelling on the ancient history of Siam, we prefer to
give an extract from the appendix to the celebrated work of Sir John
Bowring, ‘The Kingdom and People of Siam:’ the passage originally
appeared in ‘The Chinese Repository,’ and is from the pen of the late
king:--
“Our ancient capital Ayuthia, before the year A.D. 1350, was but the
ruin of an ancient place belonging to Kambuja (now known as Cambodia),
formerly called Lawék, whose inhabitants then possessed Southern Siam,
or Western Kambuja. Ayuthia is situated in lat. 14° 19′ N., and long.
100° 37′ E. from Greenwich. There were other cities, not far remote,
also possessed by the Kambujans; but their precise locality or much
of their history cannot now be satisfactorily ascertained. Some time
near the year A.D. 1300, the former inhabitants were much diminished by
frequent wars with the northern Siamese and the Peguans, or _Mous_, so
that these cities were vacated, or left in a ruinous state, and nothing
remained but their names.
“Former inhabitants declared that the people of Chiang-rái, a
province of what is now called Chiang-mái (North Laos), and Kampengpet,
being frequently subjected to great annoyance from their enemies,
deserted their native country, and formed a new establishment at
Ch’á-liang, in the western part of Siam proper, and built a city,
which they called Thepha-mahá-na-khon, whence has been preserved in
the national records the name of our capital down to the present day,
Krung-Thepha-mahá-na-khon. Their city was about lat. 16° N., and long.
99° E., and there five kings of the first dynasty reigned, until the
sixth, named U-T’ong Rámá-thi-bodi, ascended the throne in 1344. This
king, it is said, was son-in-law of his predecessor, who was named
Sirichai Chiang Seu, who was without male issue, and therefore the
throne descended to the son-in-law by right of the royal daughter.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Thérond, from a Photograph.
THE PAGODA OF AYUTHIA, FROM THE RIVER.]
“U-T’ong Rámá-thi-bodi was a mightier prince than any of his
predecessors, and subsequently conquered and subjected to his sway
all Southern Siam, and some provinces in the Malayan peninsula. He
made Ch’á-liang the seat of his government for six years, and then, in
consequence of the prevalence of disease of a pestilential character,
he caused various researches to be made for some more healthy location,
and finally fixed upon the site of Ayuthia, and there founded his new
capital in April, 1350. This date is an ascertained fact. From this
period our Siamese annals are more exact and the accounts generally
reliable, being accompanied by dates of days, months, and years, from
1350 to 1767.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Thérond, from a Photograph.
VIEW TAKEN FROM THE CANAL OF AYUTHIA.]
“Ayuthia, when founded, was gradually improved and became more and
more populous by natural increase, and the settlement there of families
of Laos, Kambujans, Peguans, people from Yunnán in China, who had
been brought there as captives, and by Chinese and Mussulmans from
India, who came for the purposes of trade. Here reigned fifteen kings
of one dynasty, successors of and belonging to the family of U-T’ong
Rámá-thi-bodi, who, after his death, was honourably designated as
Phra Chetha Bida--_i. e._ ‘Royal Elder Brother Father.’ This line was
interrupted by one interloping usurper between the thirteenth and
fourteenth. The last king was Ma-híntrá-thi-rát. During his reign the
renowned King of Pegu, named Chamna-dischop, gathered an immense army,
consisting of Peguans, Burmese, and inhabitants of Northern Siam, and
made an attack upon Ayuthia. The ruler of Northern Siam was Mahá-thamma
rájá, related to the fourteenth king as son-in-law, and to the last as
brother-in-law.
“After a siege of three months the Peguans took Ayuthia, but did not
destroy it or its inhabitants, the Peguan monarch contenting himself
with capturing the king and royal family, to take with him as trophies
to Pegu, and delivered the country over to be governed by Mahá-thamma
rájá, as a dependency. The King of Pegu also took back with him the
oldest son of Mahá-thamma rájá as a hostage: his name was Phra Náret.
This conquest of Ayuthia by the King of Pegu took place A.D. 1556.
“This state of dependence and tribute continued but a few years. The
King of Pegu died, and in the confusion incident to the elevation of
his son as his successor, Prince Náret escaped with his family, and,
attended by many Peguans of influence, commenced his return to his
native land. The new king, on hearing of his escape, despatched an army
to seize and bring him back. They followed him till he had crossed the
Si-thong (Burman, Sit-thaung) River, where he turned against the Peguan
army, shot the commander, who fell from his elephant dead, and then
proceeded in safety to Ayuthia.
“War with Pegu followed, and Siam again became independent. On the
demise of Mahá-thamma rájá, Prince Náret succeeded to the throne,
and became one of the mightiest and most renowned rulers Siam ever
had. In his wars with Pegu he was accompanied by his younger brother,
Eká-tassa-rot, who succeeded Náret on the throne, but, on account of
mental derangement, was soon removed, and Phra Siri Sin Wi-mon-tham
was called by the nobles from the priesthood to the throne. He had
been very popular as a learned and religious teacher, and commanded
the respect of all the public counsellors; but he was not of the royal
family. His coronation took place A.D. 1602. There had preceded him a
race of nineteen kings, excepting one usurper. The new king submitted
all authority in government to a descendant of the former line of
kings, and to him also he intrusted his sons for education, reposing
confidence in him as capable of maintaining the royal authority over
all the tributary provinces. This officer thus became possessed of the
highest dignity and power. His master had been raised to the throne at
an advanced age. During the twenty-six years he was on the throne he
had three sons, born under the royal canopy--_i. e._ the great white
umbrella, one of the insignia of royalty.
“After the demise of the king, at an extreme old age, the personage
whom he had appointed as regent, in full council of the nobles, raised
his eldest son, then sixteen years old, to the throne. A short time
after the regent caused the second son to be slain, under the pretext
of a rebellion against his elder brother. Those who were envious of the
regent, excited the king to revenge his brother’s death as causeless,
and plan the regent’s assassination; but he, being seasonably apprised
of it, called a council of the nobles and dethroned him after one
year’s reign, and then raised his youngest brother, the third son, to
the throne.
“He was only eleven years old. His extreme youth and fondness for play,
rather than politics or government, soon created discontent. Men of
office saw that it was exposing their country to contempt, and sought
for some one who might fill the place with dignity. The regent was long
accustomed to all the duties of the government, and had enjoyed the
confidence of their late venerable king; so, with one voice, the child
was dethroned and the regent exalted under the title of Phra Chau Pra
Sath-thong. This event occurred A.D. 1630.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Thérond, from a Photograph.
RUINS OF A PAGODA AT AYUTHIA.]
“The king was said to have been connected with the former dynasty, both
paternally and maternally; but the connection must have been quite
remote and obscure. Under the reign of the priest-king he bore the
title Raja Suriwong, as indicating a remote connection with the royal
family. From him descended a line of ten kings, who reigned at Ayuthia
and Lopha-buri--Louvo of French writers. This line was once interrupted
by an usurper between the fourth and fifth reigns. This usurper was
the foster-father of an unacknowledged though real son of the fourth
king Chau Nárái. During his reign many European merchants established
themselves and their trade in the country, among whom was Constantine
Phaulkon (Faulkon). He became a great favourite through his skill in
business, his suggestions and superintendence of public works after
European models, and by his presents of many articles regarded by the
people of those days as great curiosities, such as telescopes, &c.
“King Nárái, the most distinguished of all Siamese rulers, before or
since, being highly pleased with the services of Constantine, conferred
on him the title of Chau Phyá Wicha-yentrá-thé-bodi, under which title
there devolved on him the management of the government in all the
northern provinces of the country. He suggested to the king the plan of
erecting a fort on European principles as a protection to the capital.
This was so acceptable a proposal, that at the king’s direction he was
authorised to select the location and construct the fort.
“He selected a territory which was then employed as garden-ground, but
is now the territory of Bangkok. On the west bank, near the mouth of
a canal, now called Báng-luang, he constructed a fort, which bears
the name of Wichayeiw Fort to this day. It is close to the residence
of his Royal Highness Chaufá-noi Kromma Khun Isaret rangsan. This fort
and circumjacent territory was called Thana-buri. A wall was erected,
enclosing a space of about 100 yards square. Another fort was built
on the east side of the river, where the walled city of Bangkok now
stands. The ancient name Bangkok was in use when the whole region was
a garden.[4] The above-mentioned fort was erected about the year A.D.
1675.
[4] Such names abound now, as Bang-cha, Bang-phra, Bang-plá-soi, &c.;
_Báng_ signifying a small stream or canal, such as is seen in gardens.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Thérond, from a Photograph.
THE GREAT TOWER OF THE PAGODA WAT-CHING AT BANGKOK.]
“This extraordinary European also induced his grateful sovereign King
Nárái to repair the old city of Lopha-buri (Louvo), and construct there
an extensive royal palace on the principles of European architecture.
On the north of this palace Constantine erected an extensive and
beautiful collection of buildings for his own residence. Here also he
built a Romish church, on which are still to be seen some inscriptions
in European letters, supposed to be Dutch or German; they assuredly
are neither French nor English (perhaps they are Greek, as he was of
Greek extraction, and born at Cephalonia). The ruins of all these
edifices and their walls are still to be seen, and are said to be a
great curiosity. It is moreover stated that he planned the construction
of canals, with reservoirs at intervals for bringing water from the
mountains on the north-east to the city Lopha-buri, and conveying
it through earthen and copper pipes and syphons, so as to supply the
city in the dry season on the same principle as that adopted in Europe.
He commenced also a canal, with embankments, to the holy place called
Phra-Bat, about twenty-five miles south-west from the city. He made
an artificial pond on the summit of Phra-Bat mountain, and thence, by
means of copper tubes and stop-cocks, conveyed abundance of water to
the kitchen and bath-rooms of the royal residence at the foot of the
mountain. His works were not completed when misfortune overtook him.
“Many Siamese officers and royal ministers were jealous of his
influence, and murmured their suspicions of his being a secret rebel.
At length he was accused of designing to put the king to death by
inviting him to visit the church he had built, between the walls of
which, it is said, he had inserted a quantity of gunpowder, which was
to be ignited by a match at a given signal, and thus involve the death
of the king. On this serious charge he was assassinated by private
order of the king. (This is the traditional story: the written annals
state that he was slain in his sedan while faithful to his king, by
order of a rebel prince, who perceived he could not succeed in his
nefarious plans against the throne while Constantine lived.) The works
which he left half done are now generally in ruins, viz. the canal to
Phra-Bat and the aqueduct at the mountains.
“After the demise of Nárái, his unacknowledged son, born of a princess
of Yunnan or Chiang-Mai, and intrusted for training to the care of
Phya Petcha raja, slew Nárái’s son and heir, and constituted his
foster-father king, himself acting as prime minister till the death
of his foster-father, fifteen years after; he then assumed the royal
state himself. He is ordinarily spoken of as Nai Dua. Two of his sons
and two of his grandsons subsequently reigned at Ayuthia. The youngest
of these grandsons reigned only a short time, and then surrendered the
royal authority to his brother and entered the priesthood. While this
brother reigned, in the year 1759, the Burman king, Meng-luang Alaung
Barah-gyi, came with an immense army, marching in three divisions on as
many distinct routes, and combined at last in the siege of Ayuthia.
“The Siamese king, Chaufa Ekadwat Anurak Moutri, made no resolute
effort of resistance. His great officers disagreed in their measures.
The inhabitants of all the smaller towns were indeed called behind the
walls of the city, and ordered to defend it to their utmost ability;
but jealousy and dissension rendered all their bravery useless. Sallies
and skirmishes were frequent, in which the Burmese were generally the
victorious party. The siege was continued for two years. The Burmese
commander-in-chief, Mahá Nōratha, died, but his principal officers
elected another in his place. At the end of the two years the Burmese,
favoured by the dry season, when the waters were shallow, crossed in
safety, battered the walls, broke down the gates, and entered without
resistance. The provisions of the Siamese were exhausted, confusion
reigned, and the Burmese fired the city and public buildings. The
king, badly wounded, escaped with his flying subjects, but soon died
alone of his wounds and his sorrows. He was subsequently discovered and
buried.
“His brother, who was in the priesthood and now the most important
personage in the country, was captured by the Burmans, to be conveyed
in triumph to Burmah. They perceived that the country was too remote
from their own to be governed by them; they therefore freely plundered
the inhabitants, beating, wounding, and even killing many families, to
induce them to disclose treasures which they supposed were hidden by
them. By these measures the Burmese officers enriched themselves with
most of the wealth of the country. After two or three months spent in
plunder they appointed a person of Mon or Peguan origin as ruler over
Siam, and withdrew with numerous captives, leaving this Peguan officer
to gather fugitives and property to convey to Burmah at some subsequent
opportunity. This officer was named Phrá Nái Kông, and made his
head-quarters about three miles north of the city, at a place called
Phō Sam-ton, _i. e._ ‘the three Sacred Fig-trees.’ One account relates
that the last king mentioned above, when he fled from the city wounded,
was apprehended by a party of travellers and brought into the presence
of Phyá Nái Kông in a state of great exhaustion and illness; that he
was kindly received and respectfully treated, as though he was still
the sovereign; and that Phyá Nái Kông promised to confirm him again as
ruler of Siam, but his strength failed and he died a few days after his
apprehension.
“The conquest by Burmah, the destruction of Ayuthia, and appointment
of Phyá Nái Kông, took place in March, A.D. 1767. This date is
unquestionable. The period between the foundation of Ayuthia and its
overthrow by the Burmans embraces 417 years, during which there were
thirty-three kings of three distinct dynasties, of which the first
dynasty had nineteen kings with one usurper, the second had three
kings, and the third had nine kings and one usurper.
“When Ayuthia was conquered by the Burmese, in March, 1767, there
remained in the country many bands of robbers associated under brave
men as their leaders. These parties had continued their depredations
since the first appearance of the Burman army, and during about
two years had lived by plundering the quiet inhabitants, having no
government to fear. On the return of the Burman troops to their own
country, these parties of robbers had various skirmishes with each
other during the year 1767.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Thérond from a Photograph.
PRIEST’S HOUSE NEAR AYUTHIA.]
“The first king established at Bangkok was an extraordinary man, of
Chinese origin, named Pin Tat. He was called by the Chinese Tia Sin
Tat, or Tuat. He was born at a village called Bánták, in Northern Siam,
in lat. 16° N. The date of his birth was in March, 1734. At the capture
of Ayuthia he was thirty-three years old. Previous to that time he had
obtained the office of second governor of his own township, Ták, and
he next obtained the office of governor of his own town, under the
dignified title of Phyá Ták, which name he bears to the present
day. During the reign of the last King of Ayuthia, he was promoted to
the office and dignity of governor of the city of Kam-Cheng-philet,
which from times of antiquity was called the capital of the western
province of Northern Siam. He obtained this office by bribing the high
minister of the king, Chaufá Ekadwat Anurak Moutri; and being a brave
warrior, he was called to Ayuthia on the arrival of the Burman troops,
as a member of the council. But when sent to resist the Burman troops,
who were harassing the eastern side of the city, perceiving that the
Ayuthian government was unable to resist the enemy, he, with his
followers, fled to Chautaburi (Chautabun), a town on the eastern shore
of the Gulf of Siam, in lat. 12-1/2° N. and long. 101° 21′ E. There he
united with many brave men, who were robbers and pirates, and subsisted
by robbing the villages and merchant-vessels. In this way he became the
great military leader of the district, and had a force of more than
ten thousand men. He soon formed a treaty of peace with the headman of
Báng-plásoi, a district on the north, and with Kambuja and Annam (or
Cochin China) on the south-east.”
Such is the short historical sketch, given by the late King of Siam, up
to this date, and which we must complete from other sources.
As much by stratagem as by force of arms, he gained possession of the
northern districts; but, not deeming himself secure enough from hostile
attacks in that part of the country, he decided on falling back towards
the south, and established himself at Bangkok, having previously
surprised and put to death Phrá-Nai-Kông, the Burman governor of that
place, and seized on a quantity of money, provisions, and ammunition.
Its proximity to the sea afforded many advantages, one being that
escape would be tolerably easy should fortune prove adverse to him. He
there built a palace on the western bank of the river, near the fort,
which is now standing.
After various encounters with the Burmans, he reduced them into
subjection, mainly through the assistance of his flotilla; and on one
occasion he overpowered their whole camp, recovering great part of the
booty they had amassed, and finally freeing the country from those
bitter foes, who had brought into it so much desolation and terror.
The people, in gratitude to their deliverer, gladly aided him in his
assumption of royal authority. He issued his mandates from Bangkok,
appointed viceroys, and distributed colonists far and wide for the
repeopling of the country. Thus, by the end of 1768, he found himself
sovereign of all the southern part of Siam and the eastern provinces on
the shores of the Gulf.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Bocourt from a Photograph.
DETAILS OF THE PAGODA WAT-CHANG AT BANGKOK.]
Profiting by a sanguinary war between China and Burmah, he reconquered
the northern district of Horahh. He had still to contend with a revolt
organised by a prince of the old dynasty, who, pending the struggle
with the Burmans, had taken refuge in Ceylon. This, however, was
soon quelled; and two more provinces were recovered, which had taken
advantage of the foreign invasion to assert their independence. At the
end of three years Phya-Jak was master of the whole of the north,
and had everywhere re-established peace and order. His dominion being
now set on a firm foundation, it was a comparatively easy matter
successfully to resist a new attack of the Burmans in 1771; and the
year following he sent an expedition into the Malay peninsula to take
possession of Lagor, whose governor, formerly a vassal of the king,
had assumed the sovereignty, and proclaimed Phya-Jak a usurper. The
governor, being worsted in several engagements, took refuge with the
chief of Patawi, a town in the peninsula, by whom he was surrendered
to the followers of Phya-Jak. The king himself, meanwhile, had entered
Lagor, made captives of all the governor’s family, and carried off
his treasures. Among his relatives was a daughter possessed of great
beauty: the King gave her a place in his harem; and, through her
intercession, her father and all the family were spared. Three or four
years afterwards she procured his reinstatement as prince of that
district, which at the present day is governed by his descendants.
Phya-Jak’s reign did not end happily: in the latter part of his life
he fell into a state of morbid melancholy, treated his subjects
with cruelty, and lost his popularity. One of his generals, Chakri,
commanding in Cambodia, took advantage of these circumstances to
concert a plot against the King, who was taken prisoner at Bangkok,
and assassinated in the year 1782. Chakri ascended the throne, and,
dying soon afterwards, was succeeded by his son. The old quarrels
with the Burmans were renewed about some disputed districts on the
northern frontier; and the Siamese monarch came victoriously out of two
encounters, but, in a third, was overcome, and lost the western part of
the country lying towards Burmah.
This king died in 1809, and his son and successor, fearing, or
feigning to dread, conspiracies against him, put to death one hundred
and seventeen Siamese nobles, among whom were several generals who
had fought by his father’s side against the Burmans. This atrocious
massacre, and the murder of a cousin much beloved by the people,
alienated their affections from him. In other respects he ruled with
wisdom and moderation: keeping in check the turbulent Malays, he also
successfully repulsed the incursions of the Burmans, bringing his
prisoners to Bangkok, where he gave them lands to cultivate, and thus
extended his capital.
The English Government, wishing to form a commercial treaty with this
prince, sent Mr. Crawfurd on a mission to Siam; but although that
gentleman obtained much interesting information respecting the country,
he failed in attaining his purpose. Allowed to remain with his suite
for some time at Bangkok, they were treated rather as prisoners than
guests. Their propositions were rejected; and the only concession
obtained from his Majesty was a promise not to increase the export
and import duties, the entire abolition of which had been the object
of the negotiation. The King died in 1824, and was succeeded by his
illegitimate son, Crom-Chiat.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Catenacci, from a Photograph.
RUINS AT AYUTHIA.]
TREATY WITH GREAT BRITAIN.
This prince, although he feared the English, saw the advantages
of an extended commerce, and, in 1826, concluded a treaty with Great
Britain, then represented by Captain Burney; but it did not effect
all that had been desired. Direct mercantile intercourse between the
two countries was certainly guaranteed, and assistance in all cases
of shipwreck on the coast; but English subjects, during their stay,
were to be subject to the laws of the empire; and in each province the
commerce could be extended or limited at the will of the governor.
As these functionaries constantly infringed the terms of the treaty,
and imposed heavy charges on the native articles exported, as well as
on British goods introduced, disappointment naturally resulted; and
the Siamese, fearing a resort to arms on the part of England, made
preparations for defence, and fortified the mouth of the Menam.
MISSIONS IN SIAM.
Meanwhile France was attempting to resume her old intercourse with
Siam; but at first great distrust was manifested of the Catholic
missionaries. In 1780 they had been ordered, on pain of death, to
quit the kingdom; they retired for a time, but again gradually
insinuated themselves, and met with considerable success. We owe to
Mgr. Pallegoix, in addition to an interesting relation of the progress
of the mission, very important information concerning this empire in
the far East--its literature, and the character and the manners of the
inhabitants. He established there seven churches and four chapels; a
seminary in which are thirty native pupils, several other schools, and
four monasteries; and has baptized eight thousand Siamese. The King,
annoyed at the advance of the new religion, issued, in 1848, an edict
against the missionaries, commanding the destruction of all their
places of worship; but it was very partially carried into execution.
The Protestant mission has had a more restricted sphere of action.
The celebrated Dr. Gutzlaff made a long stay at Bangkok in 1828, and
finished there his translation of the New Testament into Siamese. This
work was published at Singapore, and has since been widely circulated.
In 1830 he revisited Siam, and translated the greater part of the
Scriptures into the languages of Cambodia and Laos. At his request the
American Baptists founded the first Protestant mission at Siam; the
Presbyterians established a second in 1840; and a third was founded, in
1850, by the Society of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign
Missions. Their labours, however, have not yet been crowned with any
great success; nevertheless, by uniting to their ministerial office the
practice of medicine, they have done much good, and been favourably
received by the people.
The French priests have recently made efforts to gain an influence
over the government of Siam. At the death of the King Orom-Chiat, his
son Chao-Fa, then twenty years of age, should have been his rightful
successor, but an elder illegitimate son seized on the throne,
promising his brother to resign it in a few years. This promise not
having been fulfilled, the prince, as we have before mentioned, went
into complete retirement, and gave himself up to scientific pursuits.
He then came into contact with the Catholic missionaries, and, at their
persuasion, made himself acquainted with their religion.
ARCHBISHOP PALLEGOIX.
In 1851 the King fell ill, and, in spite of the promise to his brother,
wished to appoint one of his own sons as his successor; but he was
answered that the country had already a sovereign; and, on his decease,
Prince Chao-Fa mounted the throne, under the name of Somdet Phra. Mgr.
Pallegoix addressed to him a letter of congratulation, and presented
him with a portrait of Louis Napoleon, then President of the French
Republic. The King, in return, made him a gift of money, and revoked
the decree of banishment against the five Catholic priests; and at an
audience granted to the bishop before his departure for Europe, in
1852, he charged him with messages to Prince Louis Napoleon and the
Pope,--intrusting to him an autograph letter for the latter, written
in English, and expressing a great regard for his Holiness, as well as
his resolution to grant full toleration in his kingdom to the Catholic
religion.
He also declared to the archbishop[5] his intention of assuring to his
subjects entire religious liberty, with which view he made inquiries
from time to time respecting the work of the Catholic missionaries, so
as to protect the converted natives against the heathen governors. From
that time the friendship with France has never been interrupted, but
has become more and more intimate.
[5] Mgr. Pallegoix died April, 1862, at Bangkok, where the king had him
buried with great pomp.
TREATY WITH FRANCE.
Negotiations were commenced at Bangkok in 1856, in the name of the
French Government, which terminated in a highly satisfactory manner,
a treaty of friendship and commerce being signed on the 15th August
between the two countries, which was ratified in the following year.
The reception accorded to M. de Montigny, the French envoy, on this
occasion by the two kings, was as brilliant as it was cordial; nor was
he entertained less kindly by any of the authorities with whom he came
in contact, which proved that Siam has preserved a pleasing remembrance
of the embassies exchanged with Louis XIV.
All this augured favourably for the future friendly relations between
the two Crowns; and these were confirmed in the year 1861, when his
Siamese Majesty sent an embassy to Paris, where it arrived in June, and
was received with great magnificence.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Bocourt from a photograph
SIAMESE LADIES AT DINNER.]
COMMERCE.
A French publication[6] gave the following account of the commerce with
Siam:--“According to the information obtained from M. de Montigny,
the commercial and maritime relations between the kingdom of Siam
and Europe are capable of great development. Already more than sixty
European ships, have since 1854 entered yearly the port of Bangkok, to
which must be added a considerable number of junks and _prahus_, which
navigate the China Sea and the Malayan Archipelago. The markets of
Siam and Laos abound in natural products, such as tobacco, cotton,
sugar, spice, and dyes. The forests abound with magnificent trees,
particularly teak. By the terms of the treaty with France, the duties,
whether import or export, are but three per cent. on the value of the
merchandise. There is therefore room for hope that commerce, favoured
by the moderation of this tariff, will rapidly increase, and that the
French navy will profit by it.”
[6] ‘L’Annuaire des Deux Mondes.’ 1856-1857.
In ‘Les Annales du Commerce Extérieur’ we find the following
account:--“The greater part of the commerce of Siam, Laos, and
Cambodia is in the hands of the Chinese, who are much more active
and intelligent than the natives. Their mercantile transactions are
generally characterised by dishonesty, and we cannot too strongly warn
our traders against the frauds of every kind common in this country,
such as mixing diverse qualities, adulteration, and saturating various
articles with moisture to increase the weight. Raw silk, cotton,
and hemp, tobacco, and other merchandise sold by weight, should be
carefully examined when delivered, and always compared with the
samples, which it is prudent to demand beforehand. The treaty concluded
between the Siamese Government and France abolishes all monopolies, and
obliges the authorities to watch over the strict and faithful execution
of all bargains; therefore, in case of fraud, traders should show a
bold face and demand indemnity. They should be careful themselves to
set an example of strict probity, this being the surest way to improve
the morality of the Siamese merchants, who, in dealing with people of
proved honesty, will have less temptation to employ fraud.
“The best commerce will be, doubtless, that of barter; but it will
be difficult to carry this to any great extent, as these people have
few wants. Their ordinary dress, for example, consists simply of
drawers in the hot season, to which in winter they add one or more
scarves, to cover the upper part of the body. The dignitaries and
wealthy individuals on state occasions wear a rich suit, consisting
of drawers, vest, belt, and a large tunic. They go barefoot, rarely
having even sandals. They are not of a migratory nature, but have their
fixed habitations, and are fond of elegance and luxury. Very imitative
in their ways, they feel a pride in putting on a European dress; and
some of those made after the fashion of Louis XIV.’s reign are still
preserved, especially among the descendants of the Portuguese, who are
numerous. The uniforms of the soldiers are copied from those of Europe;
and the whole nation has a great taste for our Parisian furniture,
cotton, silk, and woollen fabrics, porcelain, china, glass, bronzes,
cutlery, ironmongery, and toys. Other articles in much esteem with
them, and exported by us, are fire-arms, side-arms, saddlery, quilts,
carpets, clocks, and windows. Our champagne, brandy, gin, and kirsch,
would find in Siam a certain and ready sale in exchange for the produce
of the country.”
TREATY WITH AMERICA.
The efforts of the Americans to obtain from the Siamese Government
favourable terms of commerce were for a time fruitless, but in 1833 a
treaty was concluded with the United States, which proved of but little
material benefit. A second embassy from the Western Republic failed
completely. Balestier, the envoy, could not even obtain an audience
from the king, and consequently was unable to deliver his letters of
credit. The Americans had been unfortunate in their choice of Balestier
as their representative, he having formerly been in a mercantile house
at Singapore, and in no favour either with the king or his ministers. A
treaty was, however, eventually concluded between the two nations.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Bocourt, from a Photograph.
SIAMESE ROPE-DANCER.]
TREATY WITH ENGLAND.
Sir James Brooke, the English ambassador at Bangkok, found his advances
coldly received. Possibly the Court felt aggrieved by the attitude
assumed by that gentleman; but, whatever may have been the reason,
matters nearly approached to an open rupture. In September, 1850,
he abandoned the negotiation, and Great Britain and Siam remained
estranged, until the English Government, desirous to establish friendly
relations with the Eastern monarch, despatched Sir John Bowring to
Bangkok, with instructions to arrange a commercial treaty, which he
effected in 1855. His travels have been published in two volumes, and
contain, perhaps, the most accurate and full information we possess
of Siam. It was particularly from his acquaintance with the language
and manners of the nation that Sir John Bowring acquitted himself so
well of his task. He was received at Court with great favour, and had
several interviews with the king, whose thirst for knowledge pleased
him, and whose good will he managed to secure. In all his negotiations
with the Siamese ministers he displayed skill and adroitness. Knowing
by experience what would be the most profitable conditions, he
succeeded in effecting the ratification of an advantageous agreement
on the 18th April, 1855, by which the Crown of Siam consented to the
appointment of a British consul at the capital, and granted entire
liberty of commerce to English merchants in all the maritime districts
of the empire. All duties were lowered; those upon opium almost
entirely abolished, provision being made that this article should
only be sold to parties specially licensed by the Government. On the
other hand, the English traders might purchase all the productions
of the country directly from the producer. It is only in times of
scarcity that the king reserves to himself the right of forbidding the
exportation of rice, salt, and fish. English subjects are permitted to
settle at Bangkok, to hold landed property there, build or purchase
houses, and to lease land to others; but this last privilege is only
accorded after a ten years’ possession.
Full toleration in religious matters was guaranteed; and if the
presence of a British ship of war was at any time thought requisite for
protection of their interests, it was permitted to lie in the Gulf, but
not to pass beyond Paknam without express leave from the Government.
INCREASED FAVOUR TO EUROPEANS.
Holland has also renewed her ancient dealings with the country, and
ratified a treaty during the present year (1862). Even before the
arrival of the Siamese ambassadors in Europe, a French publication[7]
said very justly, “The Government of Siam is showing itself more
and more favourable towards Europeans, who find at Bangkok not only
protection, but sympathy and toleration for their religion. Bangkok has
become one of the most considerable markets of Asia; and the kingdom
of Siam is reaping the reward of the liberal politics which it has
introduced into the extreme East, and which is warmly seconded by
France, England, and the United States.”
[7] ‘L’Annuaire des Deux Mondes.’ 1858-1859.
CHAPTER III.
VOYAGE UP THE MENAM TO AYUTHIA THE ANCIENT CAPITAL--THE
RUINS--EXCURSION TO MOUNT PHRABAT--ITS TEMPLE--ITS SACRED AND
GEOLOGICAL FOOTSTEPS--SARABURI AND PATAVI.
After my visits of ceremony to the two kings, I hastened to finish the
preparations for my voyage. I bought a light boat capable of holding
all my chests, reserving a narrow space for myself, and another for
the bipeds and quadrupeds forming my adopted family--viz., two rowers,
one of whom also officiated as cook, a parroquet, an ape, and a dog.
One of the boatmen was a Cambodian, and the other an Annamite, both
Christians, and knowing a few words of Latin[8] and English, so that,
as I had already picked up a little Siamese, I could make myself pretty
well understood.
[8] Latin is much esteemed among the native Christians, thanks to the
ritual of the Catholic mission.
VOYAGE UP THE MENAM.
On the 19th October I quitted Bangkok, and commenced my voyage up the
Menam. The current runs very strongly at this season, and it took us
five days to go about seventy miles. At night we suffered terribly from
the mosquitoes, and even during the day had to keep up an incessant
fanning to drive off these pestilent little vampires. They were so
numerous that you could catch them by handfuls, and their humming
resembled that of a hive of bees. These insects are the curse of all
tropical countries, but here they peculiarly abound in the marshes and
lands covered with slime and mud left by the retiring waters, where the
heat of the sun and the moisture combined, favour their rapid increase.
My legs suffered especially from their attacks.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Sabatier, from a Sketch by M. Mouhot.
THE INUNDATION OF THE MENAM.]
As the country was entirely inundated, we could not land anywhere, and
even after killing a bird I frequently could not get at it. All this
was very tantalising, for the banks of the stream are very gay and
attractive, nature wearing here her richest dress.
At this time of the year the rains have entirely ceased, and do not
return for several months. For some days the north-eastern monsoon
had been blowing, the weather was constantly fine, and the heat
tempered by the wind. The waters, also, were beginning to subside.
It was the period of the religious _fêtes_ of the Siamese, and the
river was almost incessantly crowded with long and handsome boats
bearing flags, many of them manned by more than fifty rowers, all
in new and bright-coloured dresses, trying to pass each other, and
exciting themselves by piercing cries and all sorts of noises. In some
cases, however, sweet and agreeable music formed an accompaniment more
grateful to the ear. One boat, belonging to a mandarin, was escorted by
a number of others; it was remarkable for its elaborate carving and the
magnificence of its gilding, and was carrying yellow stuffs and other
presents to the neighbouring pagodas.
The king rarely shows himself in public more than twice a year, once
during the month of October, and a second time on board his barge,
when a procession is formed consisting of three or four hundred boats,
often containing more than 1200 persons. The effect produced by this
aquatic pageant, with the rowers in their brilliant dresses, and the
multitude of rich flags, is extremely gorgeous, and such as is only to
be witnessed in the East.
I was surprised to see the gaiety and light-heartedness of the people,
in spite of the yoke which weighs on them and the exorbitant taxes they
have to pay; but the softness of the climate, the native gentleness of
the race, and the long duration of their servitude from generation to
generation, have made them oblivious of the bitterness and hardships
inseparable from despotism.
Everywhere they were making preparations for their fishing season, for
when the waters subside from the fields, the fish are most plentiful.
Dried in the sun, they furnish food for the whole year, and are also
exported in large quantities. My boat was so encumbered with chests,
boxes, and instruments, that the space left for me was very confined,
and I suffered from heat and want of air; but these were trifles
compared with the mosquitoes.
ARRIVAL AT AYUTHIA.
On arriving at Ayuthia, my rowers conducted me direct to the excellent
Father Larmandy, a French missionary, by whom I was expected. The good
priest received me with great kindness, and placed at my disposal all
he had to offer in his little house. He employs his leisure time in the
study of natural history and in hunting, and frequently accompanied
me in my rambles. As we explored the woods we talked of our own
charming country--France.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Beaumont, from a Photograph.
RUINS OF A PAGODA AT AYUTHIA.]
AYUTHIA.
After a long hunting or rowing expedition, we always, on our return
home, found our repast prepared by my servant Niou, who excelled in
Siamese cookery, and which our fatigue made us doubly appreciate. Rice
and omelette, or curried fish, bamboo-stalks, haricots, and other wild
vegetables, formed our diet, with the addition of roast fowls and game
when the chase had been fortunate. Three chickens cost a “fuand” (37
centimes).
The heat was sometimes overwhelming; for a week we had 90 degrees
of Fahrenheit in the shade throughout the twenty-four hours, but
the mosquitoes were fewer in number, which was a great relief. In
our excursions we visited some ruins amid the woods, and I made a
collection of beautiful butterflies, and found several insects new to
me. When I reach Pakpriau, which is a few days’ journey to the north,
on the frontier of the lake, I shall find a mountain country, where I
am sure of a plentiful harvest of insects and land shells.
The comet, which I had already observed on my journey, shone here with
increased brilliancy, and it was difficult not to believe that the
extreme heat was owing to the influence of this meteor.
I drank nothing but tea, hoping by abstinence from cold water and from
all wine and spirits, to escape fever. So far, my health had certainly
never been better, not even in the north of Russia. Since the ports
have been opened to English and other European vessels everything
has been doubled in price, but still remained cheap as compared with
Europe, and I did not spend more than a franc a day for my own living
and that of my men. The people flocked to see my collections, and could
not imagine what I should do with so many animals and insects. I have
before mentioned the skilful management of boats, and the fearlessness
in swimming and diving, displayed by very young children. I used to
amuse myself by offering some of them my cigar-ends to smoke, in return
for which they would run after butterflies, and bring them to me
uninjured.
REMARKABLE SPIDER.
I discovered here a sort of spider, which is also, I believe, found at
the Cape, from which a silken thread may be drawn out by taking hold of
the end hanging from its body. One has but to go on winding; the thread
is very strong, and never breaks.
It requires some time to become accustomed to the shrill chirpings
during the night of myriads of grasshoppers and other insects, which
seem never to sleep. There appears to be no such thing as silence or
repose; everywhere is a continual stir, the gushing overflow of life in
this exuberant region.
What a contrast between the subdued tints and cold skies of Europe,
and this burning clime and glittering firmament! How pleasant it was
to rise in the early morning before the glowing sun had begun his
course; and sweeter still in the evening to listen to the thousand
sounds, the sharp and metallic cries, which seemed as though an army of
goldsmiths were at work!
The people here might be extremely happy, were they not kept in such
abject slavery; bountiful nature, that second mother, treats them as
her spoilt children, and does all for them. The forests abound with
vegetables and exquisite fruits; the rivers, the lakes, and the ponds
teem with fish; a few bamboos suffice to construct a house; while the
periodical inundations render the lands wonderfully fertile. Man has
but to sow and to plant; the sun saves him all further trouble; and he
neither knows nor feels the want of all those articles of luxury which
form part of the very existence of a European.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. J. Lange, from a Sketch by M. Mouhot.
ELEPHANTS IN AN ENCLOSURE OR “PARK” AT AYUTHIA.]
ARRIVAL AT ARAJIK.
On the 13th November we arrived at a village called Arajik, where the
land was more elevated. Here I killed several white squirrels, animals
which I had not met with in the neighbourhood of Bangkok. It is only
in the solitude and depth of the woods that one can fully admire and
enter into the sort of harmony and concord which reigns in the songs of
the various birds, forming such a pleasing kind of symphony that the
voice of one is rarely overpowered by that of another; one can enjoy
at once the general effect and the melodious note of the particular
winged musician we prefer. Scarcely does the sun begin to gild the tops
of the trees, when, alert and gay, they commence their morning hymn.
The martins, the warblers, the drongos, and the dominicans, respond
to the turtle-doves’ cooing in the highest branches. Music of a less
dulcet nature is discoursed by the aquatic and rapacious tribes, such
as cranes, herons, and kingfishers, who from time to time utter their
piercing cries.
VISIT TO MOUNT PHRABAT.
I procured a guide in the mandarin of the village, who received me
courteously, and offered me, in return for some trifling presents, a
breakfast of rice, fish, and bananas. I requested his aid in arranging
my purposed visit to Mount Phrabat, a favourite object of pilgrimage
among the Siamese, who resort thither yearly in great numbers to adore
the sacred footprint of Buddha. He volunteered to accompany me, an
offer which I gratefully accepted.
MOUNT PHRABAT.
The next morning, at seven o’clock, my host was waiting for me at the
door, with elephants mounted by their drivers, and other attendants
necessary for our expedition. At the same hour in the evening we
reached our destination, and, before many minutes had elapsed, all the
inhabitants were informed of our arrival; priests and mountaineers were
all full of curiosity to look at the stranger. Among the principal
people of the place I distributed some little presents, with which they
were delighted; but my fire-arms and other weapons were especially the
subject of admiration. I paid a visit to the prince of the mountain,
who was detained at home by illness. He ordered breakfast for me; and,
expressing his regret at not being able to accompany me, sent four men
to serve as guides and assistants. As a return for his kindness and
urbanity I presented him with a small pistol, which he received with
extreme gratification.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Catenacci, from a Sketch by M. Mouhot.
ROCK AT THE SUMMIT OF MOUNT PHRABAT.]
TEMPLE ON MOUNT PHRABAT.
We proceeded afterwards to the western side of the mountain, where
is the famous temple containing the footprint of Samona-Kodom, the
Buddha of Indo-China. I was filled with astonishment and admiration on
arriving at this point, and feel utterly incapable of describing the
spectacle which met my view. What convulsion of Nature--what force
could have upheaved those immense rocks, piled one upon another in such
fantastic forms? Beholding such a chaos, I could well understand how
the imagination of this simple people, who are ignorant of the true
God, should have here discovered signs of the marvellous, and traces
of their false divinities. It was as if a second and recent Deluge had
just abated; this sight alone was enough to recompense me for all my
fatigues.
On the mountain summit, in the crevices of the rocks, in the valleys,
in the caverns, all around, could be seen the footprints of animals,
those of elephants and tigers being most strongly marked; but I am
convinced that many of them were formed by antediluvian and unknown
animals. All these creatures, according to the Siamese, formed the
_cortège_ of Buddha in his passage over the mountain.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Catenacci, from a Sketch by M. Mouhot.
RELICS FOUND ON MOUNT PHRABAT.]
As for the temple itself, there is nothing remarkable about it; it
is like most of the pagodas in Siam--on the one hand unfinished, and
on the other in a state of dilapidation; and it is built of brick,
although both stone and marble abound at Phrabat. The approach to it
is by a flight of large steps, and the walls are covered with little
pieces of coloured glass, forming arabesques in great variety, which
glitter in the sun with striking effect. The panels and cornices are
gilt; but what chiefly attracts attention by the exquisite workmanship
are the massive ebony doors, inlaid with mother-of-pearl of different
colours, and arranged in beautiful designs. The interior of the temple
does not correspond with the outside; the floor is covered with silver
matting, and the walls bear traces of gilding, but they are blackened
by time and smoke. A catafalque rises in the centre, surrounded with
strips of gilded serge, and there is to be seen the famous footprint
of Buddha. To this sacred spot the pilgrims bring their offerings, cut
paper, cups, dolls, and an immense number of toys, many of them being
wrought in gold and silver.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Catenacci, from a sketch by M. Mouhot.
PAGODA AT MOUNT PHRABAT, WHERE IS PRESERVED THE FOOTPRINT OF BUDDHA.]
After staying a week on the mountain, and adding many pretty and
interesting objects to my collection, our party returned to Arajik, the
Prince of Phrabat insisting on sending another guide with me, although
my friend the mandarin, with his attendants and elephants, had kindly
remained to escort me back to his village. There I again partook of his
hospitality, and, taking leave of him the day following, I resumed my
voyage up the river. Before night I arrived at Saraburi, the chief town
of the province of Pakpriau, and the residence of the governor.
SARABURI.
Saraburi is a place of some extent, the population consisting chiefly
of Siamese, Chinese, and Laotian agriculturists; and consists, like
all towns and villages in Siam, of houses constructed of bamboo. They
peep out, half hidden among the foliage along the banks of the river;
beyond are rice-plantations, and, farther in the background, extensive
forests, inhabited solely by wild animals.
On the morning of the 26th we passed Pakpriau, near which the cataracts
begin. The waters were still high, and we had much trouble to fight
against the current. A little to the north of this town I met with a
poor family of Laotian Christians, of whom the good Father Larmandy
had spoken to me.[9] We moored our boat near their house, hoping
that it would remain in safety while I explored the mountains in the
neighbourhood, and visited Patawi, which is the resort of the Laotian
pilgrims, as Phrabat is of the Siamese.
[9] Father Larmandy was the interpreter of the Siamese embassy to
France in 1860-1861.
WILD ANIMALS.
All the country from the banks of the river to the hills, a distance
of about eight or nine miles, and the whole surface of this mountain
range, is covered with brown iron-ore and aërolites; where they
occur in the greatest abundance, vegetation is scanty and consists
principally of bamboo, but it is rich and varied in those places
where the detritus has formed a thicker surface of soil. The dense
forests furnish gum and oil, which would be valuable for commerce if
the indolent natives could be prevailed on to collect them. They are,
however, infested with leopards, tigers, and tiger-cats. Two dogs and
a pig were carried off from the immediate vicinity of the hut of the
Christian guardians of our boat during our stay at Pakpriau; but the
following day I had the pleasure of making the offending leopard pay
for the robbery with his life, and his skin served me for a mat.
Where the soil is damp and sandy I found numerous traces of these
animals, but those of the royal tiger are more uncommon. During the
night the inhabitants dare not venture out of doors; but in the
day-time the creatures, satisfied with the fruits of their predatory
rambles, skulk into their dens in the recesses of the woods. One day
I went to explore the eastern part of the chain of Pakpriau, and,
becoming excited in the chase of a wild boar, we soon lost ourselves
in the forest. The animal made his way through the brushwood much more
easily than we could--encumbered as we were with guns, hatchets, and
boxes--and we ere long missed the scent. By the terrified cries of
the monkeys we knew we could not be far from some tiger or leopard,
doubtless, like ourselves, in search of prey; and, as night was drawing
in, it became necessary to retrace our steps homeward for fear of some
disagreeable adventure. With all our efforts, however, we could not
find the path. We were far from the border of the forest, and were
forced to take up our abode in a tree, among the branches of which we
made a sort of hammock. On the following morning we regained the river.
WALK TO PATAWI.
I endeavoured fruitlessly to obtain oxen or elephants to carry our
baggage with a view of exploring the country, but all beasts of
burden were in use for the rice-harvest. I therefore left my boat
and its contents in charge of the Laotian family, and we set off,
like pilgrims, on foot for Patawi on a fine morning with a somewhat
cloudy sky, which recalled to me the pleasant autumn days of my own
country. My only companions were Küe and my young Laotian guide. We
followed for three hours, through forests infested with wild beasts,
the road to Korat, and at last reached Patawi. As at Phrabat, there
is a bell, both at the foot of the mount and at the entrance of a
long and wide avenue leading to the pagoda, which the pilgrims ring
on arriving, to inform the good genii of their presence and bespeak a
favourable hearing to their prayers. The mount is isolated, and about
450 feet in height; its formation is similar to that of Phrabat, but,
although its appearance is equally grand, it presents distinct points
of variation. Here are not to be seen those masses of rock, piled one
upon another, as if hurled by the giants in a combat like that fabled
of old. Patawi seems to be composed of one enormous rock, which rises
almost perpendicularly like a wall, excepting the centre portion, which
towards the south hangs over like a roof, projecting eighteen or twenty
feet. At the first glance might be recognised the action of water upon
a soil originally clay.
[Illustration:
Drawn By M. Catenacci, from a sketch by M. Mouhot.
VIEW OF THE MOUNTAINS OF KORAT, TAKEN FROM PATAWI.]
VISIT TO PATAWI.
There are many footprints similar to those of Phrabat, and in several
places are to be seen entire trunks of trees in a state of petrifaction
lying close to growing individuals of the same species. They have all
the appearance of having been just felled, and it is only on testing
their hardness with a hammer that one feels sure of not being mistaken.
An ascent of several large stone steps leads, on the left hand, to
the pagoda, and, on the right, to the residence of the Talapoins, or
priests, who are three in number,--a superior and two assistants,
appointed to watch and pay reverence to the precious “rays” of
Somanakodom. Were the authors who have written about Buddhism ignorant
of the signification of the word “ray” employed by the Buddhists? Now,
in the Siamese language, the same word which means “ray” signifies
also shadow, and it is through respect for their deity that the first
meaning is applied.
The priests were much surprised to see a “farang” (foreigner) in their
pagoda, but some trifling gifts soon established me in their good
graces. The superior was particularly charmed with a magnet which I
gave him, and amused himself with it for a long time, uttering cries of
delighted admiration as he saw it attract and pick up all the little
pieces of metal which he placed near it.
I went to the extreme north of the mount, where some generous being has
kindly had constructed, for the shelter of travellers, a hall, such as
is found in many places near pagodas. The view here is indescribably
splendid, and I cannot pretend to do justice either with pen or pencil
to the grand scenes which here and elsewhere were displayed before
my eyes. I can but seize the general effect and some of the details;
all I can promise to do is to introduce nothing which I have not
seen. Hitherto all the views I had seen in Siam had been limited in
extent, but here the beauty of the country is exhibited in all its
splendour. Beneath my feet was a rich and velvety carpet of brilliant
and varied colours; an immense tract of forest, amidst which the fields
of rice and the unwooded spots appeared like little streaks of green;
beyond, the ground, rising gradually, swells into hills of different
elevations; farther still to the north and east, in the form of a
semicircle, is the mountain-chain of Phrabat and that of the kingdom
of Muang-Lôm; and in the extreme distance those of Korat, fully sixty
miles distant. All these join one another, and are, in fact, but a
single range. But how describe the varieties of form among all these
peaks! In one place they seem to melt into the vapoury rose-tints of
the horizon, while nearer at hand the peculiar structure and colour
of the rocks bring out more strongly the richness of the vegetation;
there, again are deep shadows vying with the deep blue of the heaven
above; everywhere those brilliant sunny lights, those delicate hues,
those warm tones, which make the _tout ensemble_ perfectly enchanting.
The spectacle is one which the eye of a painter can seize and revel in,
but which his brush, however skilful, can transfer most imperfectly to
his canvas.
At the sight of this unexpected panorama a cry of admiration burst
simultaneously from all mouths. Even my poor companions, generally
insensible to the beauties of nature, experienced a moment of ecstacy
at the sublimity of the scene. “Oh! _di, di_” (beautiful), cried my
young Laotian guide; and when I asked Küe what he thought of it,
“Oh! master,” he replied, in his mixed jargon of Latin, English, and
Siamese, “the Siamese see Buddha on a stone, and do not see God in
these grand things. I am pleased to have been to Patawi.”
On the opposite side, viz. the south, the picture is different. Here
is a vast plain, which extends from the base of Patawi and the other
mountains beyond Ayuthia, whose high towers are visible in the
distance, 120 miles off. At the first glance one distinguishes what was
formerly the bed of the sea, this great plain having taken the place of
an ancient gulf: proof of which is afforded by numerous marine shells,
many of which I collected in a perfect state of preservation; while the
rocks, with their footprints and fossil shells, are indicative of some
great change at a still earlier period.
[Illustration: LAOTIAN.]
THE LAOTIANS.
Every evening some of the good Laotian mountaineers came to see the
“farang.” These Laotians differ slightly from the Siamese: they are
more slender, have the cheek-bones more prominent, and have also darker
complexions. They wear their hair long, while the Siamese shave half
of the head, leaving the hair to grow only on the top. They deserve
praise for their intrepidity as hunters, if they have not that of
warriors. Armed with a cutlass or bow--with which latter weapon they
adroitly launch, to a distance of one hundred feet, balls of clay
hardened in the sun, they wander about their vast forests, undismayed
by the jaguars and tigers infesting them. The chase is their principal
amusement, and, when they can procure a gun and a little Chinese
powder, they track the wild boar, or, lying in wait for the tiger or
the deer, perch themselves on a tree or in a little hut raised on
bamboo stakes.
Their poverty borders on misery, but it mainly results from excessive
indolence, for they will only cultivate just sufficient rice for their
support; this done, they pass the rest of their time in sleep, lounging
about the woods, or making excursions from one village to another,
paying visits to their friends on the way.
ACCOUNT OF KORAT.
At Patawi I heard much of Korat, which is the capital of the province
of the same name, situated five days’ journey north-east of Pakpriau,
that is about 120 miles; and I determined, if possible, to visit it by
and by. It appears to be a rich country, producing, especially, silk
of good quality. Caoutchouc-trees abound, but are neglected by the
inhabitants, who are probably ignorant of their value. I brought back a
magnificent specimen of the gum, which was much admired by the English
merchants at Bangkok. Living, according to report, is fabulously cheap:
six fowls may be purchased for a _fuang_ (37 centimes), 100 eggs for
the same sum, and all other things in proportion. But to get there one
has to cross the famous forest of “the King of the Fire,” which is
visible from the top of Patawi, and it is only in the dry season that
it is safe to attempt this; during the rains both the water and the
atmosphere are fatally pestilential. The superstitious Siamese do not
dare to use fire-arms there, from fear of attracting evil spirits who
would kill them.
During all the time I spent on the top of the mountain the chief priest
was unremitting in his attentions to me. He had my luggage carried into
his own room, gave me up his mats to add to mine, and in other ways
practised self-denial to make me as comfortable as was in his power.
The priests complain much of the cold in the rainy season, and of the
torrents which then rush from the summit of the mountain; they are
also greatly disturbed by the tigers, which, driven from the plains
by the inundations, take refuge on the high ground, and carry away
their dogs and fowls out of the very houses. But their visits are not
confined to that period of the year. About ten o’clock on the second
night of my stay the dogs suddenly began to utter plaintive howls. “A
tiger! a tiger!” cried my Laotian, who was lying near me. I started up,
seized my gun, and half-opened the door; but the profound darkness made
it impossible to see anything, or to go out without uselessly exposing
myself. I therefore contented myself with firing off my gun to frighten
the creature. The next morning we found one of our dogs gone.
RETURN TO BANGKOK.
We scoured the neighbourhood for about a week, and then set off once
more by water for Bangkok, as I wished to put my collections in order
and send them off.
The places which two months previously had been deep in water were
now dry; and everywhere, around their dwellings, the people were
digging their gardens and beginning to plant vegetables. The horrible
mosquitoes had reappeared in greater swarms than ever, and I pitied my
poor servants, who, after rowing all day, could obtain no rest at night.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Bocourt, from a Photograph.
SIAMESE NURSE AND BABY.]
During the day, especially in the neighbourhood of Pakpriau, the heat
was intense, the thermometer being ordinarily at 90° Fahrenheit (28°
Reaumur) in the shade, and 140° Fahrenheit (49° Reaumur) in the sun.
Luckily, we had no longer to contend with the current, and our boat,
though heavily laden, proceeded rapidly. We were about three hours’
sail from Bangkok, when I perceived a couple of European boats, and in
a room built for travellers near a pagoda I recognised three English
captains of my acquaintance, one of whom had brought me to Singapore.
They were, with their wives, enjoying a picnic, and, on seeing me,
insisted on my joining them and partaking of the repast.
I reached Bangkok the same day, and was still uncertain as to a
lodging, when M. Wilson, the courteous Danish Consul, came to me, and
kindly offered the hospitality of his magnificent house.
SANITARY CONDITION OF THE COUNTRY.
I consider the part of the country which I had just passed through,
extremely healthy, except, perhaps, during the rains. It appears
that in this season the water, flowing down from the mountains and
passing over a quantity of poisonous detritus, becomes impregnated
with mineral substances, gives out pestilential miasmata, and causes
the terrible jungle-fever, which, if it does not at once carry off
the victim, leaves behind it years of suffering. My journey, as has
been seen, took place at the end of the rainy season and when the
floods were subsiding; some deleterious exhalations, doubtless, still
escaped, and I saw several natives attacked with intermittent fever,
but I had not had an hour’s illness. Ought I to attribute this immunity
to the regimen I observed and which had been strongly recommended to
me--abstinence, all but total, from wine and spirits, and drinking
only tea, never cold water? I think so; and I believe by such a course
one is in no great danger.[10]
[10] See the obituary notice.
VOYAGE TO CHANTABOUN.
A FATAL ACCIDENT.
My intention now was to visit Cambodia, but for this purpose my little
river-boat was of no use. The only way of going to Chantaboun was
by embarking in one of the small Chinese junks or fishing-vessels,
which I accordingly did on the 28th December, taking with me a new
servant called Nion, a native of Annam, and who, having been brought
up at the college of the Catholic priests at Bangkok, knew French
well enough to be very useful to me as an interpreter. The boat was
inconveniently small, and we were far from comfortable; for, besides
myself and servant, there were on board two men, and two children
about thirteen. I was much pleased with the picturesque aspect of all
the little islands in the gulf; but our voyage was far longer than we
expected, three days being its usual duration, while owing to a strong
head-wind it occupied us for eight. We met with an accident which was
fatal to one of our party, and might have been so to all of us. On the
night of the 31st December our boat was making rapid way under the
influence of a violent wind. I was seated on the little roof of leaves
and interlaced bamboos which formed a sort of protection to me against
the rain and cold night-air, bidding adieu to the departing year and
welcoming in the new one; praying that it might be a fortunate one for
me, and, above all, that it might be full of blessings for all those
dear to me. The night was dark; we were but two miles from land, and
the mountains loomed black in the distance. The sea alone was brilliant
with that phosphoric light so familiar to all voyagers on the deep.
For a couple of hours we had been followed by two sharks, who left
behind them a luminous and waving track. All was silent in our boat;
nothing was to be heard but the wind whistling among the rigging and
the rushing of the waves; and I felt at that midnight hour--alone, and
far from all I loved--a sadness which I vainly tried to shake off, and
a disquietude which I could not account for. Suddenly we felt a violent
shock, immediately followed by a second, and then the vessel remained
stationary. Every one cried out in alarm; the sailors rushed forward;
in a moment the sail was furled and torches lighted, but, sad to say,
one of our number did not answer to his name. One of the young boys,
who had been asleep on deck, had been thrown into the sea by the shock.
Uselessly we looked for the poor lad, whose body doubtless became the
prey of the sharks. Fortunately for us, only one side of the boat had
touched the rock, and it had then run aground on the sand; so that
after getting it off we were able to anchor not far from the shore.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Sabatier, from a Sketch by M. Mouhot
PORT OF CHANTABOUN.]
THE LION ROCK.
On the 3rd January, 1859, after having crossed the little gulf of
Chantaboun, the sea being at the time very rough, we came in sight of
the famous Lion rock, which stands out like the extremity of a cape
at the entrance of this port. From a distance it resembles a lion
couchant, and it is difficult to believe that Nature unassisted has
formed this singular Colossus. The Siamese--a superstitious race--hold
this stone in great veneration, as they do everything that appears to
them extraordinary or marvellous. It is said that the captain of an
English ship, once anchored in the port, seeing the lion, proposed to
buy it, and that, on the governor of the place refusing the offer,
he pitilessly fired all his guns at _the poor animal_. This has been
recorded in Siamese verse, with a touching complaint against the
cruelty of the Western barbarians.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Sabatier, from a Sketch by M Mouhot.
THE LION ROCK AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE PORT OF CHANTABOUN.]
CHAPTER IV.
CHANTABOUN--ITS PRODUCTS AND COMMERCE--APPEARANCE OF THE COUNTRY--THE
ISLES OF KO-MAN--ISLES OF PATATES--THE ISLAND OF KO KRAM--PAKNAM
VEN--MANNER IN WHICH THE APES PLAY WITH THE CROCODILES.
On the 4th January, at eight o’clock in the morning, we arrived at
the town of Chantaboun, which stands on the bank of the river, six
or seven miles from the mountain range. The Christian Annamites
form nearly a third of the population, the remainder being composed
of Chinese merchants, and some heathen Annamites and Siamese. The
Annamites are all fishers, who originally came from Cochin China
to fish in the northern part of the Gulf of Siam, and settled at
Chantaboun. Every day, while the cold weather lasts and the sea is not
too rough, they cast their nets in the little bays on the coast, or in
the sheltered water among the islands.
EAGLE-WOOD.
The commerce of this province is inconsiderable, compared with what
it might be from its situation; but the numerous taxes, the grinding
exactions of the chiefs, and the usury of the mandarins, added to the
hateful system of slavery, keep the bulk of the people in a ruinous
state of prostration. However, in spite of a scanty population, they
manage to export to Bangkok a great quantity of pepper, chiefly
cultivated by the Chinese at the foot of the mountains; a little
sugar and coffee of superior quality; mats made of rushes, which meet
with a ready sale in China; tobacco, great quantities of salted and
dried fish, dried leeches, and tortoiseshell. Every Siamese subject,
on attaining a certain height, has to pay to Government an impost
or annual tribute equivalent to six ticals (eighteen francs). The
Annamites of Chantaboun pay this in eagle-wood, and the Siamese in
gamboge; the Chinese in gum-lac, every four years, and their tribute
amounts to four ticals. At the close of the rainy season the Annamite
Christians unite in parties of fifteen or twenty, and set out under the
conduct of an experienced man, who heads the expedition, and indicates
to the others the trees which contain the eagle-wood; for all are not
equally skilled in distinguishing those which produce it; a degree of
experience is requisite for this, which can only be acquired by time,
and thus much useless and painful labour is avoided. Some remain in
the mountains, others visit the large islands of Ko-Xang or Ko-Khut,
situated south-east of Chantaboun. The eagle-wood is hard and speckled,
and diffuses a powerful aromatic odour when burnt. It is used at the
incremation of the bodies of princes and high dignitaries, which are
previously kept in the coffins for a twelvemonth. The Siamese also
employ it as a medicine. The wood of the tree which yields it--the
_Aquilaria Agallocha_ of Roxburgh--is white, and very soft; and the
trunk must be cut down, or split in two, to find the eagle-wood,
which is in the interior. The Annamites make a kind of secret of
the indications by which they fix upon the right trees, but the few
instructions given me put me on the right track. I had several cut
down, and the result of my observations was, that this substance is
formed in the cavities of the trees, and that as they grow older it
increases in quantity. Its presence may be pretty surely ascertained by
the peculiar odour emitted, and the hollow sound given out on striking
the trunk.
THE ANNAMITES.
Most of the Chinese merchants are addicted to gambling, and to the
use of opium; but the Annamite Christians are better conducted. The
nature of these Annamites is very different from that of the Siamese,
who are an effeminate and indolent race, but liberal and hospitable,
simple-minded, and without pride. The Annamites are short in stature,
and thin, lively, and active; they are choleric and vindictive, and
extremely proud; even among relations there is continual strife and
jealousy. The poor and the wretched meet with no commiseration, but
great respect is accorded to wealth. However, the attachment of the
Christians to their priests and missionaries is very great, and they
do not hesitate to expose themselves to any dangers in their behalf. I
must likewise own that, in all my dealings with the pagan Annamites,
whose reverence for their ancestors induces them to hold fast their
idolatry, I experienced generosity and kindness from them, both at
Chantaboun and in the islands.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Sabatier, from a Sketch by M. Mouhot.
CHAPEL OF THE MISSION, CHANTABOUN.]
The missionaries at Bangkok having given me a letter of introduction
to their fellow-labourer at Chantaboun, I had the pleasure of
making acquaintance with the worthy man, who received me with great
cordiality, and placed at my disposal a room in his modest habitation.
The good Father has resided for more than twenty years at Chantaboun,
with the Annamites whom he has baptized, content and happy amidst
indigence and solitude. I found him, on my arrival, at the height of
felicity: a new brick chapel, which had been for some time in course
of construction, and the funds required for which had been saved out
of his modest income, was rapidly progressing, and promised soon to
replace the wooden building in which he then officiated. I passed
sixteen days, very agreeably, with him, sometimes hunting on Mount
Sabab, at other times making excursions on the rivers and canals. The
country greatly resembles the province of Pakpriau, the plain being,
perhaps, still more desert and uncultivated; but at the foot of the
mountains, and in some of the delightful valleys, pepper is grown in
some quantity by the Chinese.
ISLANDS OF THE GULF.
I bought, for twenty-five ticals, a small boat to enable me to visit
the isles of the gulf. The first I landed at was named Konam-sao; it
is in the form of a cone, and nearly 250 metres[11] in height, but
only two miles in circumference. Like all the other islands in this
part of the gulf, it is of volcanic origin. The rocks which surround
it make the access difficult; but the effect produced by the richness
and bright green of the vegetation is charming. The dry season, so
agreeable for European travelling, from the freshness of the nights and
mornings, is in Siam a time of stagnation and death for all nature;
the birds fly to the neighbourhood of houses, or to the banks of the
rivers, which furnish them with nourishment; rarely does their song
come to enchant the listener; and the fishing-eagle alone utters
his hoarse and piercing cry every time the wind changes. Ants swarm
everywhere, and appear to be, with the mosquitoes and crickets, the
only insects that have escaped destruction.
[11] A metre is equivalent to 3 feet 3⅓ inches.
Nowhere did I find in these islands the slightest trace of path or
stream; and it was extremely difficult to advance at all through the
masses of wild vine and interwoven branches. I was forced to make my
way, hatchet in hand, and returned at night exhausted with the heat and
fatigue.
The greater portion of the rocks in the elevated parts of these islands
is elementary, and preserves traces of their ancient deposit beneath
the waters. They have, however, undergone considerable volcanic
changes, and contain a number of veins and irregular deposits of the
class known as contact deposits that are formed near the junction of
stratified rocks with intruded igneous masses.
KO-MAN ISLANDS.
On the 26th we set sail for the first of the Ko-Man islands, for there
are three, situated close together, bearing this name. The largest is
only twelve miles from the coast. Some fishing-eagles, a few black
doves, and a kind of white pigeon were the only winged creatures I
saw. Iguanas are numerous, and when in the evening they come out of
their retreats, they make such a noise in walking heavily over the dead
leaves and branches, that one might suppose it caused by animals of a
much larger size.
Toward evening, the tide having fallen, I allowed my boat to ground
on the mud, which I had remarked during the day to be like a peat-bog
impregnated with volcanic matter; and during the whole night so strong
a sulphureous odour escaped from it, that I imagined myself to be over
a submarine volcano.
On the 28th we passed on to the second island, which is higher and
more picturesque than the other. The rocks which surround it give it
a magnificent effect, especially in a bright sunlight, when the tide
is low. The isles of the Patates owe their name to the numerous wild
tubers found there.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Sabatier, from a Sketch by M. Mouhot.
VIEW OF PAKNAM ON THE MENAM.]
I passed several days at Cape Liaut, part of the time being occupied
in exploring the many adjacent islands. It is the most exquisite part
of the gulf, and will bear comparison, for its beauty, with the strait
of Sunda, near the coast of Java. Two years ago, when the king visited
Chantaboun, they built for him on the shore, at the extremity of the
cape, a house and kiosk, and, in memory of the event, they also erected
on the top of the mountain a small tower, from which a very extensive
view may be enjoyed.
SUBMARINE VOLCANO.
I also made acquaintance with Ko-Kram, the most beautiful and the
largest of all the islands north of the gulf between Bangkok and
Chantaboun. The whole island consists of a wooded mountain-range,
easy of access, and containing much oligist iron. On the morning of
the 29th, at sunrise, the breeze lessened, and when we were about
three miles from the strait which separates the isle of Arec from
that of the “Cerfs,” it ceased altogether. For the last half-hour we
were indebted solely to our oars for the little progress made, being
exposed to all the glare of a burning sun; and the atmosphere was
heavy and suffocating. All of a sudden, to my great astonishment, the
water began to be agitated, and our light boat was tossed about by the
waves. I knew not what to think, and was seriously alarmed, when our
pilot called out, “Look how the sea boils!” Turning in the direction
indicated, I beheld the sea really in a state of ebullition, and very
shortly afterwards an immense jet of water and steam, which lasted for
several minutes, was thrown into the air. I had never before witnessed
such a phenomenon, and was now no longer astonished at the powerful
smell of sulphur which had nearly overpowered me in Ko-Man. It was
really a submarine volcano, which burst out more than a mile from the
place where we had anchored three days before.
On March 1st we reached Ven-Ven, at Paknam-Ven, the name of the place
where the branches of the river unite. This river, whose width at
the mouth is above three miles, is formed by the union of several
streams flowing from the mountains, as well as by an auxiliary of the
Chantaboun river, which, serving as a canal, unites these two places.
Ascending the stream for fourteen or fifteen miles, a large village
is reached, called Bandiana, but Paknam-Ven is only inhabited by five
families of Chinese fishermen.
THE CROCODILE AND THE APES.
Crocodiles are more numerous in the river at Paknam-Yen than in that
of Chantaboun. I continually saw them throw themselves from the banks
into the water; and it has frequently happened that careless fishers,
or persons who have imprudently fallen asleep on the shore, have become
their prey, or have afterwards died of the wounds inflicted by them.
This latter has happened twice during my stay here. It is amusing,
however--for one is interested in observing the habits of animals all
over the world--to see the manner in which these creatures catch the
apes, which sometimes take a fancy to play with them. Close to the bank
lies the crocodile, his body in the water, and only his capacious mouth
above the surface, ready to seize anything that may come within reach.
A troop of apes catch sight of him, seem to consult together, approach
little by little, and commence their frolics, by turns actors and
spectators. One of the most active or most impudent jumps from branch
to branch till within a respectful distance of the crocodile, when,
hanging by one claw, and with the dexterity peculiar to these animals,
he advances and retires, now giving his enemy a blow with his paw, at
another time only pretending to do so. The other apes, enjoying the
fun, evidently wish to take a part in it; but the other branches being
too high, they form a sort of chain by laying hold of each other’s
paws, and thus swing backwards and forwards, while any one of them who
comes within reach of the crocodile torments him to the best of his
ability. Sometimes the terrible jaws suddenly close, but not upon the
audacious ape, who just escapes; then there are cries of exultation
from the tormentors, who gambol about joyfully. Occasionally, however,
the claw is entrapped, and the victim dragged with the rapidity of
lightning beneath the water, when the whole troop disperse, groaning
and shrieking. The misadventure does not, however, prevent their
recommencing the game a few days afterwards.
RETURN TO CHANTABOUN.
COLLECTION OF SHELLS.
On the 4th I returned to Chantaboun from my excursions in the gulf,
and resumed charge of my collections, which, during my absence, I had
left at the Custom-house, and which, to my great satisfaction, had been
taken good care of. The tide was low, and we could not go up to the
town. The sea here is steadily receding from the coast, and, if some
remedy be not found, in a few years the river will not be navigable
even for boats. Already the junks have some trouble in reaching
Chantaboun even at high water. The inhabitants were fishing for crabs
and mussels on the sand-banks close to the Custom-house, the _employés_
in which were occupied in the same pursuit. The chief official, who,
probably hoping for some small present, had come out to meet me, heard
me promise a supply of pins and needles to those who would bring me
shells, and encouraged his men to look for them. In consequence, a
large number were brought me, which, to obtain otherwise, would have
cost much time and trouble.
CHAPTER V.
LIFE IN THE HILL-COUNTRY--MOUNT SABAT--HUNTING--TIGERS--SERPENTS--RICH
VEGETATION OF CHANTABURI.
Here I am, once more installed in the house of a good old Chinese, a
pepper-planter, whose hospitality I enjoyed on my first visit to the
place, two months ago. His name is Ihié-How, but in Siamese he is
called Apait, which means _uncle_. He is a widower with two sons, the
eldest eighteen, a good young man, lively, hardworking, brave, and
persevering. He is already much attached to me, and is desirous of
accompanying me to Cambodia. Born amidst the mountains, and naturally
intelligent, there are none of the quadrupeds and few of the feathered
tribes found in the district with whose habits he is not familiar.
He fears neither tiger nor elephant. All this, added to his amiable
disposition, made Phrai (that is his name) a real treasure to me.
Apait has also two brothers who have become Catholics, and have settled
at Chantaboun in order to be near a Christian place of worship. He
himself has never had any desire to change his religion, because
he says if he did he must forget his deceased parents, for whom he
frequently offers sacrifices. He is badly off, having incurred a debt
of fifty ticals, for which he has to pay ten as yearly interest, the
rate in Siam being always twenty or thirty per cent. Besides this
he has various taxes to pay--twelve ticals for his two sons, four
for his house, one for his furnace, one for his pig. The tax on the
pepper-field is eight ticals, one on his areca-trees, one on the betel
cultivated by him, and two _sellungs_ for a cocoa-tree; altogether
thirty-nine ticals. His land brings him in forty after all expenses
are paid; what can he do with the one remaining tical? The unlucky
agriculturists of this kind, and they are many, live on vegetables, and
on the rice which they obtain from the Siamese in exchange for areca.
LIFE IN THE HILL-COUNTRY.
On my return from the islands, I had been detained nearly ten days at
Chantaboun, unable to walk; I had cut my heel in climbing the rocks
on the shore at Ko-Man, and, as I was constantly barefooted in the
salt water, the wound soon closed. But afterwards I began to suffer
from it; my foot swelled, and I was obliged to re-open the wound to
extract a piece of shell which had remained in it. As soon as I could
leave Chantaboun I hired a carriage and two buffaloes to take me to
the mountain. I experienced much gratification in finding myself again
amongst these quiet scenes, at once so lovely and so full of grandeur.
Here are valleys intersected by streams of pure and limpid water;
there, small plains, over which are scattered the modest dwellings
of the laborious Chinese; while, a little in the distance, rises the
mountain, with its imposing rocks, its grand trees, its torrents and
waterfalls.
NOCTURNAL PESTS.
We have already had some storms, for the rainy season is approaching,
vegetation is fresh, and nature animated; the song of birds and the hum
of insects are heard all around. Apait has resigned to me his bed, if
that can be so styled, which consists merely of a few laths of areca
placed upon four stakes. I have extended my mat upon this framework,
and should enjoy uninterrupted sleep all night were it not for the
swarms of ants which frequently disturb me by passing over my body,
getting under my clothes and into my beard, and, I almost fancy, would
end by dragging me out, if I did not from time to time shake them off.
Occasionally great spiders and other disgusting creatures, crawling
about under the roof, would startle me by dropping suddenly on my face.
The heat now is quite endurable, the thermometer generally marking
80° Fahr. in the morning, and 90° in the middle of the day. The water
of the streams is so cool and refreshing, that a good morning and
evening ablution makes me comfortable for several hours, as well as
contributing to keep me in health.
A CHINAMAN’S SACRIFICE.
Last evening Phrai, having gone along with my man Niou to Chantaboun
to buy provisions, brought back to his father some Chinese bonbons,
for which he had paid half a fuang. The poor old man was delighted
with them, and this morning at daybreak he dressed himself in his best
clothes, on which I asked him what was going to happen. He immediately
began to clean a plank which was fitted into the wall to serve as a
sort of table or altar. Above this was a drawing of a man dancing and
putting out his tongue, with claws on his feet and hands, and with the
tail of an ape, intended to represent his father. He then filled three
small cups with tea, put the bonbons in a fourth, and placed the whole
upon the simple altar; finally, lighting two pieces of odoriferous
wood, he began his devotions. It was a sacrifice to the manes of his
parents, performed with the hope that their souls would come and taste
the good things set before them.
At the entrance of Apait’s garden, in front of his house, I had made
a kind of shed with stakes and branches of trees, covered with a roof
of leaves, where I dried and prepared my large specimens, such as
the long-armed apes, kids, and horn-bills, as also my collections of
insects. All this has attracted a crowd of inquisitive Siamese and
Chinamen, who come to see the “farang” and admire his curiosities. We
have just passed the Chinese New Year’s-day, and, as there has been a
fête for three days, all those living at any distance have profited by
the opportunity to visit us. At times Apait’s house and garden have
been crowded with people in their holiday dresses, many of whom, seeing
my instruments, my naturalist’s case, and different preparations, took
me for a great doctor, and begged for medicines.
Alas! my pretensions are not so high; however, I treat them on the
“Raspail” system; and a little box of pomade or phial of sedative water
will perhaps be represented in some European museum by an insect or
shell brought to me by these worthy people in return for the good I
would gladly do them.
It is very agreeable, after a fatiguing day’s chase over hills and
amongst dense forests, through which one must cut one’s way axe in
hand, to repose in the evening on the good Chinaman’s bench in front of
his house, shaded by bananas, cocoanut, and other trees. For the last
four days a violent north wind, fresh in spite of the season, has been
blowing without intermission, breaking asunder and tearing up by the
roots some of the trees on the higher grounds. This is its farewell
visit, for the south-east wind will now blow for many months.
This evening everything appeared to me more beautiful and agreeable
than usual; the stars shone brightly in the sky, the moon was clear.
Sitting by Apait while his son played to me some Chinese airs on the
bamboo flute, I thought to what a height of prosperity this province,
even now one of the most interesting and flourishing in the country,
might attain, were it wisely and intelligently governed, or if European
colonists were to settle and develop its resources. Proximity to the
sea, facility of communication, a rich soil, a healthy and propitious
climate; nothing is wanting to ensure success to an industrious and
enterprising agriculturist.
A CHINESE SERVANT ENGAGED.
The worthy old Apait has at last consented to allow his son to enter
my service, provided I pay him thirty ticals, half a year’s wages,
in advance. This will enable him, if he can sell his house and
pepper-field, to clear off his debt and retire to another part of the
mountain. Phrai is delighted to attend me, and to run about the woods
all day, and I am not less pleased with our bargain, for his knowledge
of the country, his activity, his intelligence, and attachment to me,
are invaluable.
VISIT TO A WATERFALL.
The heat becomes greater and greater, the thermometer having risen to
102° Fahr. in the shade; thus hunting is now a painful, and sometimes
impossible, exertion, anywhere except in the woods. A few days ago I
took advantage of a short spell of cloudy, and consequently cooler
weather, to visit a waterfall I had heard of in the almost desert
district of Prion, twelve miles from Kombau. After reaching the
last-named place, our course lay for about an hour and a half along
a charming valley, nearly as smooth as a lawn, and as ornamental
as a park. By and by entering a forest, we kept by the banks of a
stream, which, shut in between two mountains and studded with blocks
of granite, increases in size as you approach its source. Before long
we arrived at the fall, which must be a fine spectacle in the rainy
season. It then pours down from immense perpendicular rocks, forming as
it were a circular peaked wall, nearly thirty metres in diameter, and
twenty metres in height. The force of the torrent having been broken
by the rocky bed into which it descends, there is another fall of ten
feet; and, lower down, after a third fall of fifteen feet, it passes
into an ample basin, which, like a mirror, reflects the trees and
cliffs around. Even during the dry season the spring, then running from
beneath enormous blocks of granite, flows in such abundance as to feed
several streams.
I was astonished to see my two servants, heated by their long walk,
bathe in the cold water, and on my advising them to wait for a little,
they replied that the natives were always accustomed to bathe when hot.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Bocourt, from a Sketch by M. Mouhot.
MONKEYS PLAYING WITH A CROCODILE.]
We all turned stone-cutters, that is to say, we set to work to detach
the impression of an unknown animal from the surface of an immense mass
of granite rising up out of one of the mountain torrents. A Chinese had
in January demanded so exorbitant a sum for this, that I had abandoned
the idea, intending to content myself with an impression in wax, but
Phrai proposed to me to undertake the work, and by our joint labour it
was soon accomplished. The Siamese do not much like my meddling with
their rocks, and their superstition is also somewhat startled when
I happen to kill a white ape, although when the animal is dead and
skinned they are glad to obtain a cutlet or steak from it, for they
attribute to the flesh of this creature great medicinal virtues.
ATTACKS OF INSECTS.
The rainy season is drawing near, storms become more and more frequent,
and the growling of the thunder is frightful. Insects are in greater
numbers, and the ants, which are now looking out for a shelter, invade
the dwellings, and are a perfect pest to my collections, not to speak
of myself and my clothes. Several of my books and maps have been
almost devoured in one night. Fortunately there are no mosquitoes, but
to make up for this there is a small species of leech, which when it
rains quits the streams and infests the woods, rendering an excursion
there, if not impracticable, at all events very disagreeable. You have
constantly to be pulling them off you by dozens, but, as some always
escape observation, you are sure to return home covered with blood;
often my white trousers are dyed as red as those of a French soldier.
WILD ANIMALS.
The animals have now become scarcer, which in different ways is a
great disappointment to all, for Phrai and Niou feasted sumptuously
on the flesh of the apes, and made a profit by selling their gall to
the Chinese doctors in Chantaboun. Hornbills also have turned wild,
so we can find nothing to replenish our larder but an occasional kid.
Large stags feed on the mountain, but one requires to watch all night
to get within range of them. There are not many birds to be seen,
neither quails, partridges, nor pheasants; and the few wild fowl which
occasionally make their appearance are so difficult to shoot that it is
waste both of time and ammunition to make the attempt.
In this part of the country the Siamese declare they cannot cultivate
bananas on account of the elephants, which at certain times come down
from the mountains and devour the leaves, of which they are very fond.
The royal and other tigers abound here; every night they prowl about in
the vicinity of the houses, and in the mornings we can see the print
of their large claws in the sand and in the clay near streams. By day
they retire to the mountain, where they lurk in close and inaccessible
thickets. Now and then you may get near enough to one to have a shot
at him, but generally, unless suffering from hunger, they fly at the
approach of man. A few days ago I saw a young Chinese who had nineteen
wounds on his body made by one of these animals; he was looking out
from a tree about nine feet high, when the cries of a young kid, tied
to another tree at a short distance, attracted a large tiger. The young
man fired at it, but, though mortally wounded, the creature, collecting
all his strength for a final spring, leaped on his enemy, seized him
and pulled him down, tearing his flesh frightfully with teeth and claws
as they rolled on the ground. Luckily for the unfortunate Chinese, it
was a dying effort, and in a few moments more the tiger relaxed its
hold and breathed its last.
MOUNTAIN OF PRECIOUS STONES.
In the mountains of Chantaboun, and not far from my present abode,
precious stones of fine water occur. There is even at the east of the
town an eminence, which they call “the mountain of precious stones;”
and it would appear from the account of Mgr. Pallegoix that at one
time they were abundant in that locality, since in about half an hour
he picked up a handful, which is as much as now can be found in a
twelvemonth, nor can they be purchased at any price.
It seems that I have seriously offended the poor Thaï[12] of Kombau
by carrying away the footprints. I have met several natives who tell
me they have broken arms, that they can no longer work, and will
always henceforth be in poverty; and I find that I am considered to be
answerable for this because I irritated the genius of the mountain.
Henceforth they will have a good excuse for idleness.
[12] The Siamese were formerly called Thaï.
The Chinese have equally amused me. They imagine that some treasure
ought to be found beneath the footprints, and that the block which I
have carried away must possess great medicinal virtues; so Apait and
his friends have been rubbing the under part of the stone every morning
against another piece of granite, and, collecting carefully the dust
that fell from it, have mixed it with water and drunk it fasting, fully
persuaded that it is a remedy against all ills. Here they say that it
is faith which cures; and it is certain that pills are often enough
administered in the civilized West which have no more virtue than the
granite powder swallowed by old Apait.
FURNISHED APARTMENTS.
His uncle Thié-ou has disposed of his property for him for sixty
ticals, so that, after paying off his debts, he will have left,
including the sum I gave him for his son’s services, forty ticals. Here
that is enough to make a man think himself rich to the end of his days:
he can at times regale the souls of his parents with tea and bonbons,
and live himself like a true country mandarin. Before leaving Kombau
the old man secured me another lodging, for which I had to pay two
ticals (six francs) a month, and I lost nothing in point of comfort
by the change. For “furnished apartments” I think the charge not
unreasonable. The list of furniture is as follows:--in the dining-room
_nothing_, in the bed-room an old mat on a camp-bed. However, this
house is cleaner and larger than the other, and better protected from
the weather: in the first the water came in in all directions. Then
the camp-bed, which is a large one, affords a pleasant lounge after
my hunting expeditions. Besides which advantages, my new landlord
furnishes me with bananas and vegetables, for which I pay in game when
the chase has been successful.
THE DURIAN.
The fruit here is exquisite, particularly the mango, the mangusteen,
the pine-apple, so fragrant and melting in the mouth, and, what is
superior to anything I ever imagined or tasted, the famous “durian”
or “dourion,” which justly merits the title of king of fruits. But to
enjoy it thoroughly one must have time to overcome the disgust at first
inspired by its smell, which is so strong that I could not stay in the
same place with it. On first tasting it I thought it like the flesh of
some animal in a state of putrefaction, but after four or five trials
I found the aroma exquisite. The _durian_ is about two-thirds the size
of a jacca, and like it is encased in a thick and prickly rind, which
protects it from the teeth of squirrels and other nibblers; on opening
it there are to be found ten cells, each containing a kernel larger
than a date, and surrounded by a sort of white, or sometimes yellowish
cream, which is most delicious. By an odd freak of nature, not only
is there the first repugnance to it to overcome, but if you eat it
often, though with ever so great moderation, you find yourself next
day covered with blotches, as if attacked with measles, so heating is
its nature. A _durian_ picked is never good, for when fully ripe it
falls of itself; when cut open it must be eaten at once, as it quickly
spoils, but otherwise it will keep for three days. At Bangkok one of
them costs one _sellung_; at Chantaboun nine may be obtained for the
same sum.
VISIT OF A PANTHER.
I had come to the conclusion that there was little danger in traversing
the woods here, and in our search for butterflies and other insects we
often took no other arms than a hatchet and hunting-knife, while Niou
had become so confident as to go by night with Phrai to lie in wait
for stags. Our sense of security was, however, rudely shaken when one
evening a panther rushed upon one of the dogs close to my door. The
poor animal uttered a heartrending cry, which brought us all out, as
well as our neighbours, each torch in hand. Finding themselves face to
face with a panther, they in their turn raised their voices in loud
screams; but it was too late for me to get my gun, for in a moment the
beast was out of reach.
In a few weeks I must say farewell to these beautiful mountains, never,
in all probability, to see them again, and I think of this with regret;
I have been so happy here, and have so much enjoyed my hunting and
my solitary walks in this comparatively temperate climate, after my
sufferings from the heat and mosquitoes in my journey northwards.
Thanks to my nearness to the sea on the one side, and to the mountain
region on the other, the period of the greatest heat passed away
without my perceiving it; and I was much surprised at receiving a few
days ago a letter from Bangkok which stated that it had been hotter
weather there than had been known for more than thirty years. Many of
the European residents had been ill; yet I do not think the climate of
Bangkok more unhealthy than that of other towns of Eastern Asia within
the tropics. But no doubt the want of exercise, which is there almost
impossible, induces illness in many cases.
A BOA SHOT.
A few days ago I made up my mind to penetrate into a grotto on Mount
Sabab, half-way between Chantaboun and Kombau, so deep, I am told, that
it extends to the top of the mountain. I set out, accompanied by Phrai
and Niou, furnished with all that was necessary for our excursion. On
reaching the entrance of the grotto we lighted our torches, and, after
scaling a number of blocks of granite, began our march. Thousands
of bats, roused by the lights, commenced flying round and round us,
flapping our faces with their wings, and extinguishing our torches
every minute. Phrai walked first, trying the ground with a lance which
he held; but we had scarcely proceeded a hundred paces when he threw
himself back upon me with every mark of terror, crying out, “A serpent!
go back!” As he spoke I perceived an enormous boa about fifteen feet
off, with erect head and open mouth, ready to dart upon him. My gun
being loaded, one barrel with two bullets, the other with shot, I took
aim and fired off both at once. We were immediately enveloped in a
thick cloud of smoke, and could see nothing, but prudently beat an
instant retreat. We waited anxiously for some time at the entrance of
the grotto, prepared to do battle with our enemy should he present
himself; but he did not appear. My guide now boldly lighted a torch,
and, furnished with my gun reloaded and a long rope, went in again
alone. We held one end of the rope, that at the least signal we might
fly to his assistance. For some minutes, which appeared terribly
long, our anxiety was extreme, but equally great were our relief and
gratification when we saw him approach, drawing after him the rope, to
which was attached an immense boa. The head of the reptile had been
shattered by my fire, and his death had been instantaneous, but we
sought to penetrate no farther into the grotto.
SIAMESE FÊTE.
I had been told that the Siamese were about to celebrate a grand fête
at a pagoda about three miles off, in honour of a superior priest who
died last year, and whose remains were now to be burned according
to the custom of the country. I went to see this singular ceremony,
hoping to gain some information respecting the amusements of this
people, and arrived at the place about eight in the morning, the
time for breakfast, or “Kinkao” (rice-eating). Nearly two thousand
Siamese of both sexes from Chantaboun and the surrounding villages,
some in carriages and some on foot, were scattered over the ground in
the neighbourhood of the pagoda. All wore new sashes and dresses of
brilliant colours, and the effect of the various motley groups was most
striking.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Bocourt, from a Photograph.
SIAMESE ACTORS.]
FUNERAL RITES.
TROUBLESOME CURIOSITY.
Under a vast roof of planks supported by columns, forming a kind
of shed, bordered by pieces of stuff covered with grotesque paintings
representing men and animals in the most extraordinary attitudes, was
constructed an imitation rock of coloured pasteboard, on which was
placed a catafalque lavishly decorated with gilding and carved work,
and containing an urn in which were the precious remains of the priest.
Here and there were arranged pieces of paper and stuff in the form of
flags. Outside the building was prepared the funeral pile, and at some
distance off a platform was erected for the accommodation of a band
of musicians, who played upon different instruments of the country.
Farther away some women had established a market for the sale of fruit,
bonbons, and arrack, while in another quarter some Chinamen and Siamese
were performing, in a little theatre run up for the occasion, scenes
something in the style of those exhibited by our strolling actors at
fairs. This fête, which lasted for three days, had nothing at all in it
of a funereal character. I had gone there hoping to witness something
new and remarkable, for these peculiar rites are only celebrated in
honour of sovereigns, nobles, and other persons of high standing; but
I had omitted to take into consideration the likelihood of my being
myself an object of curiosity to the crowd. Scarcely, however, had
I appeared in the pagoda, followed by Phrai and Niou, when on all
sides I heard the exclamation, “Farang! come and see the farang!” and
immediately both Siamese and Chinamen left their bowls of rice and
pressed about me. I hoped that, once their curiosity was gratified,
they would leave me in peace, but instead of that the crowd grew
thicker and thicker, and followed me wherever I went, so that at last
it became almost unbearable, and all the more so as most of them were
already drunk either with opium or arrack, many, indeed, with both. I
quitted the pagoda and was glad to get into the fresh air again, but
the respite was of short duration. Passing the entrance of a large hut
temporarily built of planks, I saw some chiefs of provinces sitting at
breakfast. The senior of the party advanced straight towards me, shook
me by the hand, and begged me in a cordial and polite manner to enter;
and I was glad to avail myself of his kind offer, and take refuge
from the troublesome people. My hosts overwhelmed me with attentions,
and forced upon me pastry, fruit, and bonbons; but the crowd who had
followed me forced their way into the building, and hemmed us in on all
sides; even the roof was covered with gazers. All of a sudden we heard
the walls crack, and the whole of the back of the hut, yielding under
the pressure, fell in, and people, priests, and chiefs tumbling one
upon another, the scene of confusion was irresistibly comic. I profited
by the opportunity to escape, swearing--though rather late in the
day--that they should not catch me again.
I know not to what it is to be attributed, unless it be the pure air
of the mountains and a more active life, but the mountaineers of
Chantaboun appear a much finer race than the Siamese of the plain,
more robust, and of a darker complexion. Their features, also, are
more regular, and I should imagine that they sprang rather from the
Arian than from the Mongolian race. They remind me of the Siamese and
Laotians whom I met with in the mountains of Pakpriau.
Will the present movement of the nations of Europe towards the East
result in good by introducing into these lands the blessings of our
civilization--or shall we, as blind instruments of boundless ambition,
come hither as a scourge, to add to their present miseries? Here are
millions of unhappy creatures in great poverty in the midst of the
richest and most fertile region imaginable; bowing shamefully under a
servile yoke made viler by despotism and the most barbarous customs;
living and dying in utter ignorance of the only true God!
DEPARTURE FROM THE MOUNTAINS.
I quitted with regret these beautiful mountains, where I had passed
so many happy hours with the poor but hospitable inhabitants. On the
evening before and the morning of my departure, all the people of the
neighbourhood, Chinese and Siamese, came to say adieu, and offer me
presents of fruits, dried fish, fowls, tobacco, and rice cooked in
various ways with brown sugar, all in greater quantities than I could
possibly carry away. The farewells of these good mountaineers were
touching; they kissed my hands and feet, and I confess that my eyes
were not dry. They accompanied me to a great distance, begging me not
to forget them, and to pay them another visit.
CHAPTER VI.
RETURN TO CHANTABOUN--EXCURSION TO BATTAMBONG--THE ISLANDS OF
KOH KONG--ISLAND OF PHU QUOC--BEAUTIFUL PROSPECT IN THE GULF OF
KOMPUT--CAMBODIA--COMMERCE OF THESE COUNTRIES--MISERABLE STATE OF THE
PEOPLE--VISIT TO THE KING OF CAMBODIA.
Immediately on my return to Chantaboun, where I was again received with
open arms by the good Abbé Raufaing, a French missionary associated
as colleague with Father Larmandy, I began to collect information as
to the best route to Battambong, the chief town of a province of the
same name, which, above a century ago, was wrested from Cambodia by
the Siamese. I made an agreement with some pagan Annamite fishermen
to give them thirty ticals for taking me from Chantaboun to Komput, a
province of Cambodia. The Annamite Christians demanded forty ticals,
and provisions both going and returning. After taking leave of the
abbé, who had shown me every possible kindness and attention on each of
my visits, I embarked at noon, in spite of a heavy rain, as I wished to
take advantage of a high tide. We arrived in the harbour at seven in
the evening, and were detained there for two days by a contrary wind,
too violent to allow us to leave without danger.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Sabatier, from a Sketch by M. Mouhot
VIEW OF BATTAMBONG.]
EXCURSION TO BATTAMBONG.
Two days later we reached Ko-Khut, where, again, pouring rain and a
head wind compelled us to anchor about 100 metres from the shore in
a small bay which was far from promising much security to our little
craft. Our position was not agreeable; our frail bark, rudely tossed
by the furious waves, seemed every moment in danger of being dashed
upon the rocks. Our baggage, to which we had assigned the best place
for preservation from wet, occupied three-fourths of the boat, and we
were crowded five of us together in the bows, with no better shelter
than some palm-leaves sewn together, through which the water dripped,
and kept us continually soaked. The rain falling without intermission,
we could not keep the fire alight to cook our rice, and for four days
remained half-lying in the boat, scarcely able to move in the narrow
space left for us, and our clothes clinging to us with wet. At last,
on the fifth day, we had the pleasure of seeing the sky clear up and
the wind change. About two o’clock in the afternoon, foreseeing a
fine night, and having revived the drooping courage of my men by a
stiff dose of arrack, we weighed anchor and left Ko-Khut with a fair
breeze. It was quite a comfort to be able to move and breathe freely,
and I spent a part of the night under my little awning of palm-leaves,
enjoying the beauty of the heavens and the rapid movement of the
vessel. At daybreak we perceived, about ten miles distant, the first
of the islands of Koh-Kong. It is smaller than Koh-Chang, and neither
so imposing in general appearance nor having such a splendid range
of peaked hills. The island is nearly a desert, but it produces the
beautiful cardamom, as also gamboge, collected from the bamboos, which
the natives split open when hard.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Bocourt, from a Sketch by M. Mouhot.
LEECH-FISHERS ON THE ISLE OF SAMET.]
BEAUTIFUL PROSPECT.
I soon forgot the miseries of the first part of our voyage, and was
amply recompensed by the shifting scenes of beauty presented to us by
the group of islands we were passing. At length we reached the advanced
posts of the pirates of Komput, from the heights of which they keep a
look-out, and, as soon as a sail comes in sight, make preparations for
an attack. We had no cause for fear, having no merchandise to tempt
them; and, moreover, we were all well armed. About five in the evening
we cast anchor in a little bay, where we cooked our rice, and my men
lay down to take some repose, having had none the night previous. We
were a day and a half’s sail from Komput, and at midnight we resumed
our voyage, gently rocked by the waves and favoured by a light breeze.
After passing the island of Phu-Quoc, which belongs to Cochin China,
the view became more and more beautiful; land surrounded us on all
sides, and we seemed to be sailing on a lake. The scenery in this gulf
is truly enchanting. Eastward extend the coast and islands of Cochin
China as far as Ita Jienne, and to the north and west are those of
Cambodia, crowned by a mountain 900 metres in height, which is so
like Sabab that Phrai called out to the pilot, “You are taking us
back to Chantaboun; there is Mount Sabab.” We were not, however,
long permitted to enjoy the splendid picture here displayed before
us, for very shortly after our entrance into the gulf large black
clouds, gathering at the summit of the mountain, by degrees hid it
entirely from view, the thunder growled, and a terrific wind arose,
which hurried our boat along at an extraordinary rate. The pilot at
the helm shook all over, and begged for arrack to sustain his strength
and courage. When the storm had lasted half an hour a heavy rain began
to descend, and with it the wind moderated. We had now arrived at the
mouth of the river on which Komput is situated.
It happened to be the day fixed for the King of Cambodia, then in
Komput, to pass in review all the ships lying in the roads; but
for some time he had been detained by the rough weather in a sort
of apartment erected for him on piles, in a place where the water
was shallow. As we passed the Custom-house, we perceived the royal
_cortége_ advancing towards a large junk, which his Majesty was having
built as a trading-vessel for Singapore.
THE KOMPUT RIVER.
The river leading to Komput is about 300 metres in width, but, rising
in the neighbouring mountains, its course is but very limited. The
magnificent tree called by the Siamese Mai-Jakienne, and much prized
by the Chinese for furnishing masts for their junks, is found in great
abundance in the forests bordering its banks. There are frequently six
or seven ships loading at one time in the roads, so that both Chinese
and European vessels may be constantly seen going up and down the
stream.
KOMPUT.
Though Komput is now the only port of Cambodia, it is far from being
as full of life and bustle as Bangkok, for the town boasts only 300
houses at most, and a population scarcely equal to that of Chantaboun.
All its little commerce is supplied by Lower Cochin China, the ports of
which are almost always closed against Europeans, so that rice, which
is imported in a sort of contraband manner, some tons of gamboge, a
little ivory, fish taken in the lake by the Annamites, a small quantity
of cotton, and the valuable wood above mentioned, constitute the whole
of the commerce of the town; and I venture to predict that, when the
ports of Annam are thrown open to Europeans, the Chinese merchants
will abandon Komput altogether. And yet, under a better system of
government, this country might supply a great number of articles, of
which I will speak hereafter. It will not probably be long before what
remains of this unfortunate land will fall under the dominion of some
other power. Possibly, France has her eyes fixed upon it, with the view
of annexing it to her possessions in Lower Cochin China.
The comparative exemption from heavy taxes and duties which the
Cambodians enjoy, when compared with the Siamese, made me imagine
I should be able to live here in comfort and abundance; but I was
disappointed. Almost every vice seemed prevalent at Komput--pride,
insolence, cheating, cowardice, servility, excessive idleness, are
the attributes of this miserable people. It is often remarked that no
one should judge a country through which he is merely a traveller, and
that only those are capable of doing so who have resided in it for some
time. I admit that, in the first case, one is liable to make mistakes;
but I state here what I see, and give my impressions as I receive them,
leaving it to more experienced travellers to correct me where I am in
error. Nevertheless, the first impression often proves ineffaceable,
and I may mention that frequently I have trusted less to my own
judgment than to the experience of others.
CUSTOM-HOUSE BEGGARS.
There are few travellers in Europe, America, or probably anywhere else,
who have not had cause to complain of the offensive manner in which
custom-house officers perform their duties, and often exceed them. In
Europe they earn their daily bread by annoying in every possible way
the unfortunates who are compelled, for the sake of peace, to submit
to their insolence and tyranny: here they gain it by begging; they are
licensed beggars. “A little salt-fish, a little arrack, a little betel,
if you please,”--such are the petitions; and the more you give, the
less strict will the search be.
After having sailed up the pretty river for about a mile, we came in
sight of a house covered with creepers, and surmounted by a cross,
which indicated the residence of the Abbé Hestrest, the head of the
foreign mission here. Reader, have you journeyed in foreign lands?
Have you ever for a time, more or less long, been separated from your
friends and relatives--shut out from civilized society? Have you
been tossed about by tempests or buffeted by your fellow-men? Have
you narrowly escaped some great danger? Have you been unhappy? Have
you lost some one very dear to you? In one word, have you _suffered_?
If you have, you will appreciate the feelings with which the solitary
wanderer welcomes the divine cross, the heart-stirring emblem of his
religion. It is to him a friend, a consoler, a father, a brother; at
sight of it the soul expands, and the more you have suffered the better
you will love it. You kneel down, you pray, you forget your griefs, and
you feel that God is with you. This is what I did.
THE ABBÉ HESTREST.
I had letters to the Abbé Hestrest from several of the missionaries
in Siam. We therefore anchored, and I landed; but the nine days’
inactivity to which I had been forced to submit had so cramped my
limbs, that for a time I had almost lost the use of them, and could
scarcely walk. The abbé received me like a brother, and offered
me accommodation in his humble abode until I could find lodgings
elsewhere. The first piece of news which he imparted to me was, that
France was at war with Austria. I did not even know that there had been
a difference between the two Governments.
INTRODUCED TO THE KING.
Scarcely had I landed when the return of the king from his aquatic
excursion was announced. The Abbé Hestrest conducted me to the banks of
the river; and as soon as his Majesty perceived a stranger by the side
of the priest, he gave orders to his rowers to approach the shore, and,
when within hail, addressed the abbé:
“Who is the stranger with you?”
“Sire, a Frenchman,” replied my companion.
“A Frenchman?” repeated the king, quickly. Then turning to me, “You are
French?”
“Yes, sire,” I answered, in Siamese.
“Monsieur comes from Paris,” said the abbé; “but he has recently
visited Siam.”
“And what does he come to my kingdom for?”
“He has a particular mission, which has nothing to do with politics;
it is merely to see the country. M. Mouhot will soon wait upon your
majesty.”
After a few minutes’ silence, the king, waving his hand, and saying
“_Au revoir_,” passed on.
I was at first afraid that the abbé had made me pass for a less humble
and modest individual than I really was, and I should be forbidden
the kingdom. The very name of France is full of dread to these poor
monarchs; and this present one lived in daily fear of seeing the French
flag waving in the roads. He is about sixty years of age, short and
stout. He wears his hair cut rather close, and his countenance is
good-natured, mild, and intelligent.[13]
[13] Since M. Mouhot’s journey, this king has died, and has been
succeeded by his second son, a revolution in favour of the elder
brother proving unsuccessful.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Pelcoq, from a Sketch by M. Mouhot.
FAVOURITE WIFE OF THE KING OF CAMBODIA.]
THE FAVOURITE WIFE.
The king was reclining on a thick cushion in the stern of his boat,
which was of European build. Four rowers and a dozen young girls were
with him; and among the latter I remarked one, whose features were
delicate and pretty, dressed in the European style, and wearing long
hair. She would have been reckoned a pretty girl anywhere, and was, I
fancy, the favourite, for she was in a richer costume than the others,
and covered with jewels. She also occupied the place nearest the king,
and seemed to pay great attention to her old adorer. The rest were fat,
with bloated faces and vulgar features, and had their teeth blackened
by betel and arrack. Besides a kind of petticoat, the corners of which
are looped up and fastened to the sash behind, some wore a tight
jacket, white or blue, buttoning over the chest; and had a red scarf,
which, according to the custom of the Siamese and Cambodian women, was
passed round the body under the arms, and tied at the bosom.
MUN SUY THE PIRATE.
Behind the king’s boat, in no apparent order, and at long intervals,
followed those of several mandarins, who were not distinguished in any
particular manner. One boat alone, manned by Chinese, and commanded by
a fat man of the same nation, holding in his hand a halberd surmounted
by a crescent, attracted my attention, as it headed the escort. This
man was the famous Mun Suy, chief of the pirates, and a friend of the
king. I was told that, two years before, he had been compelled, owing
to some iniquities not very well known, to fly from Amoy, and had
arrived at Komput with a hundred followers, adventurers and rovers
of the sea like himself. After having remained there for some time,
keeping the whole place in terror, and extorting by menaces all he
could from the market people, he conceived the project of seizing upon
and burning the town, and putting all the inhabitants to the sword,
intending then to retreat with his spoils, if not strong enough to hold
his ground. Fortunately the plot was discovered, and the Cambodians
from the neighbourhood were armed and assembled in readiness to
defend the place. Mun Suy, not liking the aspect of affairs, embarked
with his band in his junk, and fell suddenly on Itatais. The market
was sacked in a minute; but the inhabitants, recovering from their
surprise, repulsed the pirates and drove them back to their vessel
with the loss of several men. Mun Suy then returned to Komput, gained
over by presents first the governor and afterwards the king himself,
and ever since has carried on his piratical acts with impunity,
making his name dreaded by all around. Loud complaints arose from the
neighbouring countries, and the king, either overawed by the pirate, or
for protection against the Annamites, appointed him commander of the
coast-guard. Henceforth, therefore, he became a licensed robber, and
murder and rapine increased to such a degree, that the King of Siam
sent a naval expedition to Komput to capture the malefactor and his
gang. Two only were taken and executed. As for their leader, he was
hidden, they say, in the palace.
MARKET-PLACE OF KOMPUT.
Some days after my arrival I was installed in a house built by the
king’s orders, and at his own expense, for the accommodation of
European merchants, who, however, do not often visit Komput. Abbé
Hestrest conducted me through the city. The market-place, occupied
chiefly by the Chinese, is covered by a number of thatched huts built
of bamboo, in which are exhibited for sale, glass, china, hatchets,
knives, Chinese parasols, and other articles of merchandise, native
and foreign. The dealers in fish and vegetables, and the Chinese
_restaurateurs_, dispute the street with pigs, hungry dogs, and
children of all ages and both sexes, in a state of nature, and dabbling
in the mud. Mingled with these are native women, repulsively ugly,
and effeminate and emaciated Chinamen, with haggard cheeks, dragging
themselves painfully along to the opium-merchant’s, the barber’s,
or some gambling-house, three requisites to the very existence of a
Chinese. All the commerce is in their hands; and you meet ten of them
to one native.
VISIT TO THE KING.
I was introduced by the abbé at several Chinese houses, where we were
most politely received. The king was expecting a visit from me, and
had sent several persons to find out who I was; his idea being, that
I was an officer of the French army in Cochin China, despatched from
thence to gain information about the country. I begged M. Hestrest to
accompany me to see the king; for which purpose we proceeded a mile
and a half up the river to Kompong-Bay, which is the Cambodian part of
the town, and the residence of the governor, and where his Majesty and
suite were encamped.
When we arrived he was holding a kind of levée, in a building
constructed of bamboo with some elegance, and covered with red cloth,
but the interior of which looked more like a theatre than a royal
abode. Finding at the door neither sentinel nor porter, we entered
without being announced. The king was seated on an old European chair,
with two officers on each side of him, who from time to time offered
him, kneeling, a lighted cigarette, or some betel, which they kept
always ready. At a little distance stood his guards, some holding pikes
ornamented at the top with white tufts; others with sheathed sabres in
their hands. The ministers and mandarins knelt a few steps below his
Majesty. On our entrance, chairs similar to the king’s were placed for
us close to him. Like his subjects, he generally wears nothing but the
langouti, the native dress. His was composed of yellow silk, confined
at the waist by a magnificent belt of gold studded with precious
stones. At Cambodia, as at Siam, it is necessary to offer presents, if
one desires to gain the royal favour. I had accordingly brought with
me an English walking-stick gun, as a gift for the king. It at once
attracted his notice.
“Pray show me that cane,” he said, in Cambodian.
I gave it to him.
“Is it loaded?” asked he, seeing it was a fire-arm.
“No, sire.”
He then begged for a cap and snapped it; unscrewed the barrel and
examined it with great attention.
“If it would be agreeable to his Majesty,” I said to M. Hestrest, “I
shall be happy to offer it to the king.”
The abbé interpreted my words.
“What did it cost?” asked the king.
“Sire, I dare not ask M. Mouhot. In Europe no one tells the price of
what he gives.”
The king then begged to look at my watch, and, after inspecting it
attentively, again asked the price. The abbé then alluded to my design
of visiting Udong, the capital of Cambodia, and of journeying through
the country.
“Go to Udong; go about,” said the king, laughing. “Very well.” He
then asked my name, and tried to write it; on which I drew out my
pocket-book and gave him one of my cards. He seemed to wish for the
pocket-book, and I presented him with it.
“Sire,” said M. Hestrest, “as M. Mouhot is going to Udong, perhaps your
Majesty will deign to facilitate his journey.”
“Willingly. How many carriages do you want?”
“Three will be sufficient, sire.”
“And for what day?”
“The day after to-morrow, sire.”
THE AMBASSADOR’S HOTEL.
“Take a note of that, and give orders about it,” said the king to
his secretary. He then rose, and, shaking hands with us, retired. We
returned to our hotel. I say hotel, for it is the only lodging for
strangers; and M. de Montigny, when ambassador at Komput, lived there,
indications of which were afforded by the inscriptions scratched on the
walls by the sailors belonging to the expedition, such as “Hotel of the
king and ambassadors;” “Here is lodging for man, horse, and elephant
gratis pro Deo;” “Good beds, sofas, and dining-tables on the floor;”
“Sea-water bathing--in the river;” “Good table--in the market;” “Good
wine--at Singapore;” “Nothing--for the servants.”
CHAPTER VII.
DETAILS RESPECTING CAMBODIA--UDONG, ITS PRESENT CAPITAL--INTERVIEWS
WITH THE SECOND KING.
All my preparations for departure having been completed, the Abbé
Hestrest came on the morning of the day fixed, to invite me to
breakfast with him; after which he offered to take me in his own boat
to Kompong-Bay, where the promised vehicles were to meet us.
When we arrived there, none were to be seen. We applied to the first
mandarin, who, chewing his betel, displayed his black teeth with a
stupid grin, and I then perceived that I had been duped by these
people, who are always and everywhere false; never yielding but to
force, and holding the very name of a European in detestation. After
various complaints, and remonstrances with the mandarins, we with great
difficulty obtained three carriages, by courtesy so called; but the
dog-cars in use in Holland would have been more serviceable to me; so I
sent back the three wheelbarrows to the king, with my compliments, and
hired other vehicles for myself.
JOURNEY TO UDONG.
Udong, the present capital of Cambodia, is situated north-east of
Komput, and is four miles and a half from that arm of the Mekon which
forms the great lake, lying about 135 miles from Komput as the crow
flies. It is reckoned an eight-days’ journey, travelling with oxen or
buffaloes, and there are eight stations on the way. With elephants you
can accomplish it in half the time; but only the king, the mandarins,
and very wealthy persons can afford to keep these animals. The
conveyances which I had engaged could scarcely hold my baggage, so that
my men were obliged to make the journey on foot.
Perceiving in the shops several necklaces, bracelets, and rings formed
of a material like jet, I inquired from whence it was procured, and
was told that it came from the neighbouring island of Phû Quoc, where
it was to be found in abundance. I afterwards handled a piece of this
substance, and discovered it to be a sort of coal. It would burn well
in a lamp, and greatly resembles the cannel coal of Scotland.
SUFFERINGS FROM HEAT.
After traversing a marshy plain, where we knocked down several aquatic
birds, we entered a beautiful forest, which stretches unbroken to
the very gates of Udong. To cross this marsh I had to put on my
hunting-boots, which I had not worn for some time, and consequently the
leather had hardened so much, that, after two hours’ walking in the
heat of the day, the skin was rubbed off my feet in several places; and
I was forced to take off the boots and continue my journey barefoot.
Luckily, owing to the dry weather and the constant communication
between Komput and the capital, the road was almost everywhere in
good condition. The heat was intense, and our progress excessively
slow; but at length we reached the first station, where I was lodged
in a large hall, thatched and built of bamboo, which had been erected
for the accommodation of the king and his suite. At night, guards
were stationed at my door to protect me from robbery; and, thanks to
the royal letter which I carried, I was respectfully treated. On the
following morning I managed, at the cost of a franc of our money, to
hire an elephant to take me as far as the next station.
From thence I continued my route barefoot, and our sufferings from
the heat exceeded all I had ever imagined of the effect of the sun in
the torrid zone. Its burning rays, falling on the sandy soil, became
intolerable at ten o’clock in the morning, so that even the natives,
the soles of whose feet were much harder than mine, could not bear
contact with the bare ground, but sought for tufts of grass to step
upon. The oxen could scarcely move, and showed every sign of pain and
exhaustion; and, in spite of spurring and blows, often refused to stir.
The water in the ponds was not warm, but literally hot; the whole
atmosphere seemed on fire, and all nature languishing and prostrate. At
ten o’clock we halted until three. We sadly felt the want of drinkable
water, as also did our cattle, which suffered from thirst even more
than ourselves. To make our tea and cook our rice, we had no resource
but the stagnant pools, impregnated with unwholesome matter by the
vomica-nuts which fall from the surrounding trees.
NATURE OF THE ROAD.
The day following I was fortunate enough to obtain another elephant;
but after this there was no more help to be met with, and the greater
part of the ensuing four days’ journey I performed on foot, my
attendants contriving to perch themselves on the corners of one of
the waggons. At this dry season a broad track in the middle of the
road, which altogether is from twenty-five to thirty metres in width,
is beaten hard by the frequent passage of vehicles and elephants, and
the fine thick dust arising from it is very annoying. The remainder
of the road is covered with grass and shrubs, and on either hand is
the forest, with its trees tall, straight, and majestic, surmounted by
immense tufts of leaves. The effect is that of a magnificent avenue;
and from the regularity of the intervals between the trees, one might
almost believe that it had been laid out by the hand of art.
The stations are equidistant from each other, about twelve miles
apart; and at all of them, besides the old caravanserais for the
shelter of ordinary travellers, new ones, much more spacious and
ornamental, have been erected for the accommodation of the king. There
are also intermediate resting-places between every two stations, where
travellers can obtain a welcome shelter from the midday heat.
UDONG.
On leaving Komput a low chain of hills came in sight on our left hand,
but everywhere on our route we met with the same sandy soil, except in
a single spot, which was stony, and contained veins of iron-ore. We
passed through but one village, and there, only, were a few attempts
at cultivation. In no other part of the forest could I distinguish any
traces of its being inhabited. On approaching the capital, the prospect
became more diversified: we passed fields of rice, cottages encircled
by fruit-gardens, and country houses belonging to the Cambodian
aristocracy, who come here in the evening for the sake of breathing
a purer air than they can find in the city. As we drew closer to the
gates I found the place to be protected by a large moat, surmounted by
a parapet, and enclosed by a palisade three metres high. I expected
to enter a fortified town, and, as my countrymen were now engaged in
giving a lesson to the Cochin-Chinese, to be received by a sentinel
with fixed bayonet, and with the startling words, “You cannot pass.”
But seeing no one, I pushed open the gate and entered. It seemed that
I was in the enclosure surrounding the palace of the second king. The
first object that attracted my attention was a sort of cage, something
between a sentry-box and a pigeon-house, with a small window at each
of the four sides, intended for a look-out house and signal-station in
case of invasion. I then found myself in the centre of a large square
surrounded by ramparts, and the access to which is by two gates, one
opening on the market-place, and the other on the country. Within this
walled space is, on one side, the palace of the inferior king, and
opposite are the residence of a younger prince, his brother, and a
pagoda. All these buildings were thatched.
I hoped to find here, as at Komput, an “Hotel for the king and
ambassadors,” but, not seeing any sign hung out, I bent my steps to a
house where many persons were passing in and out. It was the hall of
justice, and the judges were then sitting. I sent my man Niou to ask if
they would give shelter to a traveller, and had not long to wait for
an answer, for both judges and accused came out to see me, and I was
brought into the hall, where I was an object of great curiosity, all
crowding round me and asking me what I sold.
SUMMONED TO THE PALACE.
The news of my arrival soon reached the ears of the king, and two pages
were sent to request me to wait at once on his Majesty; but my luggage
was not yet forthcoming, and I objected that I could not visit him in
my travelling-dress. “Oh, that is nothing; the king has no dress at
all, and he will be delighted to see you,” was the reply. Scarcely had
my waggons arrived when a chamberlain, followed by a page, came to say
that the king was waiting for me. I went, therefore, to the palace,
before the entrance of which were a dozen dismounted cannon, in whose
mouths the sparrows had built their nests. Further off a crowd of
vultures were devouring the remains from the table of the king and his
courtiers. I was ushered into the audience-chamber, which communicates
with his Majesty’s private apartments, and is paved with large Chinese
tiles, the walls being whitened with chalk. A number of Siamese pages,
fine young men from twenty-five to thirty years of age, uniformly
dressed in a langouti of red silk, were standing in groups, or seated
in Oriental fashion, waiting the king’s appearance. A few minutes after
my arrival he entered, and every forehead was bowed to the ground.
I rose, and he advanced towards me, with an air at once easy and
distinguished.
[Illustration:
Drawn, by M. Janet Lange, from a Photograph.
PORTRAIT OF THE SECOND KING OF CAMBODIA
(NOW THE FIRST KING).]
INTERVIEW WITH THE SECOND KING.
“Sire,” said I, “I had the honour of an interview with the first King
at Komput, and of being favoured by him with permission to visit Udong.”
“Are you French or English?” he asked, examining me attentively.
“I am a Frenchman, Sire.”
“You are not a merchant; why do you come to Cambodia?”
“Sire, I came through Siam to see your country, and to hunt here, if
allowed.”
“Very good. You have been in Siam? I also have visited Bangkok. Come
and see me again.”
“As often as my presence will be agreeable to your Majesty.”
After a few more minutes’ conversation, the king held out to me his
hand, which I kissed, and I then retired; but had not proceeded far
when several officials ran after me, exclaiming, “The king is enchanted
with you; he wants to see you often.”
STROLL THROUGH THE CITY.
The following day I devoted to making an investigation of the city. The
houses are built of bamboos or planks, and the market-place, occupied
by the Chinese, is as dirty as all the others of which I have made
mention. The longest street, or rather the only one, is a mile in
length; and in the environs reside the agriculturists, as well as the
mandarins and other Government officers. The entire population numbers
about 12,000 souls.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Sabatier, from a Sketch by M. Mouhot
CAMBODIAN CART.]
The many Cambodians living in the immediate vicinity, and, still more,
the number of chiefs who resort to Udong for business or pleasure, or
are passing through it on their way from one province to another,
contribute to give animation to this capital. Every moment I met
mandarins, either borne in litters or on foot, followed by a crowd of
slaves carrying various articles; some, yellow or scarlet parasols,
more or less large according to the rank of the person; others, boxes
with betel. I also encountered horsemen, mounted on pretty, spirited
little animals, richly caparisoned and covered with bells, ambling
along, while a troop of attendants, covered with dust and sweltering
with heat, ran after them. Light carts, drawn by a couple of small
oxen, trotting along rapidly and noisily, were here and there to be
seen. Occasionally a large elephant passed majestically by. On this
side were numerous processions to the pagoda, marching to the sound
of music; there, again, was a band of ecclesiastics in single file,
seeking alms, draped in their yellow cloaks, and with the holy vessels
on their backs.
SCENE IN THE COURT OF JUSTICE.
The third day after my arrival at Udong the court of justice was
noisily opened at eight o’clock in the morning; and the loud voices
of the judges and advocates were still resounding through the hall
at five in the afternoon, having never for an instant been hushed,
when suddenly two pages came out of the court of the palace, crying
out, “The King!” A thunderbolt falling in the hall could not have
caused a greater sensation than this announcement; there was a general
hurryscurry; judges, advocates, accused, and spectators fled pell-mell,
taking refuge in the corners with their faces to the ground. I laughed
to see the legal functionaries, and the Chinamen with their long
queues, rushing against each other in their eagerness to escape at the
king’s approach. His Majesty, who was on foot, now appeared at the
entrance, followed by his pages. He waved his hand and called me to
him. Immediately two attendants brought chairs and placed them on the
grass opposite to each other. The king offered me one, and then entered
into conversation with me, while the whole escort and every one near us
remained prostrate on the ground; as far as the eye could reach, not a
soul was standing.
CONVERSATION WITH THE SECOND KING.
“How do you like my city?”[14] asked the king.
[14] The word _city_ is here used to signify the royal palace, its
appurtenances and fortifications.
“Sire, it is splendid, and presents an appearance such as I have never
seen elsewhere.”
“All the palaces and pagodas which you see from here have been built
in one year since my return from Siam: in another year all will be
finished. Formerly Cambodia was very extensive; but the Annamites have
deprived us of many provinces.”
“Sire, the time has arrived for you to retake them. The French are
assailing them on one side; do you attack them on the other.” His
Majesty did not reply, but offered me a cigar, and inquired my age.
“I am twenty-three,” he said to me. “I recognise you; you were at Siam
with M. de Montigny.”
“No, sire; your Majesty is mistaken. I have only been in Siam a
twelvemonth.”
I then sent for an elegant small Minié rifle, which the king’s officers
had examined in the morning, and presented it to him, asking him if he
would deign to accept it. He desired me to load it, which I did. “It is
done, sire,” said I.
“Is it possible? Fire, then.”
He chose for a target a post some way off, and pointed out the place he
wished me to hit. I fired, and immediately his Majesty and the pages
went to satisfy themselves that the aim was true.
“When do you wish to leave Udong?”
“Sire, I should like to depart, the day after to-morrow, for Pinhalu
and the other provinces.”
“If you could remain one day longer, it would give me pleasure.
To-morrow you will dine with me; on the day after I will take you to
see the town of the first king, and in the evening we will have a play.”
The play, I thought, will be curious, and therefore I decided to
remain; and, after I had thanked the king for his kindness to me, he
shook hands with me, and we separated. Evidently I was in high favour.
On the following morning messengers came from the king to place horses
at my disposal, should I be inclined to ride; but the heat was too
great. About four in the afternoon he again did me the honour of
sending a horse to bring me to the palace. I wore a white coat, vest,
and trousers; a helmet made of cork,[15] after the fashion of the
ancient Romans, and covered with white muslin, completed my singular
toilet.
[15] A head-dress excessively light and cool, convenient, and shading
the face and neck from the sun. I strongly recommend it to travellers
in hot countries.
VISIT TO THE SECOND KING.
I was introduced by the chamberlain into one of the king’s private
apartments, a pretty room furnished in the European style. His Majesty
sat waiting for me, smoking, near a table covered with refreshments;
and as soon as I entered he rose, and holding out his hand, and
smiling, he begged me to sit down and begin my repast. I perceived that
he intended, after the manner of the country, to do me honour by being
present at the meal without partaking of it himself.
After introducing me, with much courtesy and friendliness, to his
brother, a young man of fifteen, who was kneeling by his side, the king
said, “I have had this fowl and duck cooked in the European fashion;
tell me if they are to your taste.”
All had been really exceedingly well prepared; the fish, particularly,
was capital.
“Good brandy,” said the king, in English (the only words he knew in
that language), as he pointed to a bottle of cognac. “Drink,” continued
he.
The attendants then placed before me jellies and exquisitely preserved
fruits, bananas, and excellent mangoes. Afterwards tea was served, of
which the king also partook, having first offered me a Manilla cigar.
He then wound up a musical-box, and put it on the table. The first air
gave me great pleasure, all the more because I was unprepared to hear
it in a royal palace. It was the _Marseillaise_. The king took my start
and look of astonishment for admiration. “Do you know that air?” he
asked.
“Yes, sire.”
Then followed another scarcely less familiar, the air of the Girondins,
_Mourir pour la patrie_.
“Do you also know that?”
As an answer, I accompanied the air with the words. “Does your Majesty
like this air?” I inquired.
“Not so well as the first.”
“Your Majesty is right; most European sovereigns have the same taste.”
“Napoleon, for instance?”
“Napoleon, particularly.”
My Annamite was with me, and filled the office of interpreter, with
a perfect tact which pleased the king. The young prince now asked
permission to retire, and saluted his brother by bowing to the earth
and raising his clasped hands above his head. The king desired him to
return the next morning, and accompany us to the palace of the first
king; and the prince, passing out into the courtyard, was lifted
astride on the shoulders of an attendant, and carried to his palace.
His Majesty then displayed to me his European furniture, mahogany
tables covered with china vases and other ornaments of a commonplace
description; above all, he pointed out, as worthy of notice, two old
looking-glasses in gilt frames, a sofa, and various similar articles.
“I am but beginning,” said he; “in a few years my palace will be
beautiful.”
He afterwards took me into his garden, where were some rare and curious
plants, and a miniature artificial rock. Then, on returning to the
sitting-room, he conducted me past the inmates of his seraglio, at
least a hundred in number, whom curiosity had brought out to gaze at
the stranger.
“You are the first foreigner who has ever been admitted here,” he said
to me. “In Cambodia, as in Siam, no one but the people on duty can
penetrate into the king’s private apartments.”
THE SECOND KING.
I thanked him for the honour he had done me, and took leave. He told me
to ask for all I wanted, and he would refuse no request. The only thing
I desired was to have my journey facilitated; and to this end I begged
him to furnish me with letters to the chiefs of the different provinces
of his dominions, and one or two elephants. This he promised to do.
This young sovereign is the presumptive heir to the crown. His father,
who owes his throne to the King of Siam, is not permitted by that
monarch to leave his own country; and as a guarantee of his fidelity,
one or two of his sons have always been retained as hostages at the
Siamese Court. It was thus that the young king passed many years at
Bangkok, where, doubtless, he learnt the art of government, and whence
he was not allowed to return to his own kingdom till it was apparent
that he would prove a submissive and obedient tributary. Another
brother, a prince of twenty-one, paid me a visit at night, unknown to
his relatives, hoping to receive a present. He was very childish for
his age, and wanted everything he saw; he was, however, gentle and
amiable, and of superior manners.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Janet Lange, from a Photograph.
A PAGE OF THE KING OF CAMBODIA.]
AGAIN SUMMONED TO THE PALACE.
The next morning the king sent for me at ten o’clock. I found him
seated on a sofa in the reception-hall, giving orders to his pages
about the order of march to be observed in going and returning. When
all was ready, he entered a sedan-chair or palanquin magnificently
carved and painted. His head and feet were bare, his hair cut in the
Siamese fashion, and he wore a superb langouti of yellow silk, with
a girdle of the same material, but of a lighter shade. The palanquin
was borne on the shoulders of four attendants, and another held up an
enormous red parasol with a gilt handle upwards of twelve feet long.
The youngest prince, carrying the king’s sabre, walked beside him; I
was on the other side, and his Majesty often turned towards me to point
out any striking object, and trying to read in my face what I thought
of the effect produced on the people by his appearance. He sat in a
careless attitude, one leg hanging out of the palanquin, and with his
elbow resting on the morocco cushions.
A ROYAL PROCESSION.
At the approach of the procession all the collected population bowed
themselves to the ground. In front marched three lictors, bearing in
their hands bundles of rattans (the emblems of power); behind the
palanquin came, two and two, the chamberlains and pages, numbering
more than thirty, all dressed in red, and bearing on their shoulders
pikes, sabres, or guns in cases. In this order we arrived at the outer
entrance of the palace of the first king.
His Majesty here descended from his palanquin, and, still in the
same order of march, we proceeded along an avenue about half a mile
in length, planted with young trees, and bounded on either side by a
wooden fence. The ground slopes gradually from hence, and is laid out
in gardens and lawns, encircling which are a hundred little cottages
with walls of clay and thatched roofs. “All these houses are inhabited
by my father’s wives; there is not a man in them,” said the young king.
THE PALACE.
Farther on was a lake surrounded with rich and luxuriant verdure. On
its banks, buried in foliage, which is reflected in the clear water,
stands the royal residence, part of which is of bamboo, the rest being
whitewashed. We went through several apartments, in which poor Annamite
women were weaving silk, and, after passing in front of the treasury
and the king’s magazines, finally reached a vast hall which, here, is
peculiarly called the palace. The interior does not come up to what
might be expected from an outside view. It is stocked like a bazaar
with glass bottles, vases filled with artificial flowers and covered
by glass shades, cushions of all colours and sizes, boxes, slippers,
old sofas, looking-glasses, washing-stands, and a variety of European
articles, piled upon tables and shelves, and on the floor. As the
young king was to spend the day at the palace, he now dismissed me,
appointing one of his chamberlains to escort me home.
THE PLAY.
A little after sunset the people collected in crowds to witness the
play which was to be performed on the king’s return, expected at seven
o’clock. The multitude was so dense that not a single inch of ground in
the courtyard was unoccupied, and the walls, even, were all covered. At
these festivities the people are apparently permitted to depart from
the customary posture of humility, for every one was seated in Oriental
fashion. The play was simply a phantasmagoria tolerably well managed,
and accompanied by music more noisy than harmonious; but which appeared
perfectly to satisfy the public.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Bocourt, from a Photograph.
A NATIVE ACTRESS.]
CHAPTER VIII.
DEPARTURE FROM UDONG--TRAIN OF ELEPHANTS--PINHALU--KIND TREATMENT
BY THE MISSIONARIES--THE GREAT LAKE OF CAMBODIA--TOULI SAP--THE
THIÂMES--SPECULATIONS AS TO THEIR ORIGIN--ANCIENT KINGDOM OF
TSIAMPA--ISRAELITE TRADITIONS OF THE THIÂMES OR TSIAMPOIS.
On the 2nd July, having taken our usual morning repast of rice, we
were ready to set off, and were only waiting for the waggons and
elephants promised me by the king. They were not long in arriving, and
we passed through the city amidst an immense crowd of people who had
come from all quarters to witness our departure. We were mounted on our
elephants, and escorted by several of the royal pages as far as the
road to Pinhalú; all the population prostrating themselves as before
the king, doubtless because he had paid me such marked attention.
We proceeded, at the rate of about three miles an hour, on a good road,
which was in some places raised more than ten feet above the level of
the wooded but marshy plain which extends to the great arm of the Mekon.
Now and then we crossed handsome bridges built of stone or wood, which
certainly give a more favourable idea of the state of engineering in
Cambodia than in Siam; for, even at Bangkok, the streams and canals
are spanned by thin, narrow planks, or by trunks of trees thrown
across by the inhabitants, and not by the authorities.
About two kilometres from Udong is a sort of rampart formed of earth,
in the form of a horseshoe. It environs a portion of the town, and was
intended to defend the place in case of an invasion by the Annamites,
an event which is yearly looked for at the time of the floods.
We met many pedestrians laden, probably, with provisions for the
market. The road is bordered with miserable bamboo huts, like
poultry-houses, raised on piles, which serve for dwellings for the
unlucky Thiâmes, who were transported here by the king, a twelvemonth
since, from the plains to the east of the Mekon, as a punishment for an
attempted revolt which they were accused of.
PINHALU.
We arrived early the same day at Pinhalú, a village of some size,
situated on the right bank of the stream, many of the inhabitants of
which are the descendants of Portuguese and Annamite refugees. It is
the residence of a French bishop, Monsignor Miche, Vicar-apostolic of
the mission to Cambodia and Laos. He was absent, but I found three
good and benevolent missionaries, who begged me to wait for his
return, and received me in that cordial and affectionate manner which
is so pleasant to meet with in a strange land, and especially from
fellow-countrymen. M. Fontaine, the eldest of the three, though still
in the prime of life, had been a missionary for nearly twenty years. He
was formerly attached to the mission at Cochin China, and I had seen
him on my visit to Bangkok, where he remained some time before going
to Cambodia. He was then feeble and suffering, but I was glad now to
find him stronger and full of animation. I felt a true respect for this
worthy man; may there be many labourers in the same vocation resembling
him!
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Bocourt, from a Photograph.
SIAMESE OF THE LOWER CLASS.]
FRENCH MISSIONARIES.
The second priest, M. Arnoux, was not only a fellow-countryman, but
our birthplaces were only distant from each other a few leagues. He
was born in the department of Russey, and I in that of Montbéliard
(Doubs), so that I had two reasons for being drawn towards him. He
belongs to the Cochin China mission, and had come from among the savage
Stiêns to renew his stock of provisions; but, having been attacked by
dysentery, owing to the fatigue of the journey, he had been unable
to return. These two valiant soldiers of the Church, with good and
pure hearts, iron wills, and the energy and courage of heroes, or,
rather, of martyrs, had formerly lived together, at a distant station,
among the savage Benous, and had suffered there terribly from fevers,
dysentery, scurvy, and other diseases. Among the fifty Annamites who
were with them in that refuge of Christianity, there frequently was
not a single one able to cook their rice, all being in the hospital.
On hearing these brave and worthy sons of our dear country describe
their past and present misery, I was sometimes as much amused as
affected, with so much liveliness was the narration given; but it is
the characteristic of our dauntless nation that her sons suffer and die
gaily, and with smiles on their lips.
Four days flew by rapidly in the society of these friends, by whom
I was detained till the return of their bishop, whose acquaintance
I much desired to make. I knew that I should find in him a man of
very superior character; but I did not expect to find in this eminent
missionary a simplicity and humility equal to his talents and strength
of mind. Monsignor Miche is short and slight; but under his frail
exterior exist extraordinary energy and endurance. The annals of the
Cochin China mission, as well as of that to Cambodia, must contain
many a page filled with the noble actions of this distinguished
pioneer of Christianity, and with the persecution and captivity he
has suffered. When a simple missionary, he and one of his companions
were imprisoned and beaten with rods--a fearful punishment, which, at
each blow, cut open the flesh and made the blood flow. They were then
conducted to their cells, in order that the torture might be repeated
on the following day, when their wounds were beginning to heal, for the
Annamites are skilled in the refinements of cruelty.
“The suffering is dreadful,” said his companion to M. Miche; “I do not
believe I can bear it a second time.”
“Be easy,” he replied; “I will ask to receive your blows for you.” He
did request this, and actually did receive them.
Here the missionary is everything to the poor Christians, physician
to the body as well as the soul; and every day he passes hours in
listening to their disputes, and acting as peacemaker.
The rule here is, that if a man cannot pay a debt, he and his family
become the slaves of the creditor. “You are my slave,” said a person to
a young girl whom he met.
“How so? I do not know you.”
“Your father owed me money, and never paid me.”
“I never knew my father; he died before I was born.”
“Will you go to law?”
“Yes.”
The man then consulted some mandarin, gave him a present, promised him
others, won his cause, and the unfortunate girl, having no means to
do the same, became a slave. It is the story of Appius and Virginia
reproduced in the East. Corruption and barbarity are general in
Cambodia.
HOME OF THE STIENS.
I now determined to visit the savage tribes living to the east of
the great river, 104° east long. from Paris, and of whom I had heard
M. Arnoux speak; he had promised me a welcome from M. Guilloux, the
missionary there. I sent Niou back to Udong to ask the king for the
letter he had promised. He soon returned with it in due form, and on
the 22nd July I quitted Pinhalú in a small boat with two rowers, which
I hired as far as Pemptiélan, situated on the Mekon river, about forty
miles to the north of Pénom-Peuh.
Ever since I had been in Cambodia my servants had been in a state of
alarm, and it reached its height when I informed them that we were
about to set out on an expedition to the savage tribes. Cambodia is
much dreaded by the Siamese: and the mountains, and, still more, the
forests, inhabited by the Stiêns, have a reputation for unhealthiness,
among both Cambodians and Annamites, equal to that which, in France,
is enjoyed by Cayenne, whither condemned political offenders and
malefactors from the galleys are sent to die. I doubt very much if I
could have met with any other men who would have remained with me.
On descending the great arm of the Mekon, which is here 1200 metres
wide, I was astonished at seeing the current running from south to
north instead of following the course of the river into which it falls.
The banks of this river are peopled by the same race of Thiâmes whom I
saw on my route from Udong to Pinhalú.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Thérond, from a Photograph.
CHINESE MONUMENT AT BANGKOK.]
LAKE OF CAMBODIA.
During more than five months of the year, the great lake of Cambodia,
Touli-Sap, covers an immense space of ground: after that period there
is a diminution in depth owing to the great evaporation, but its width
remains nearly unaltered. Although its waters increase in volume
during the rainy season, these are not swelled by the streams from the
mountains on its western boundary, but by the strength of the current
from the Mekon which pours into it its overflow.
THE THIAMES.
As for the Malays, or Thiâmes, as the Cambodians call them, I made
endeavours to investigate their origin, and also the traces which I
supposed to exist in Cambodia of Israelite migrations. Monsignor Miche
told me that he had never met with any Jews in the country, but that he
had found, in one of the sacred books of the Cambodians, the judgment
of Solomon exactly recorded, and attributed to one of their kings
who had become a god, after having been, according to their ideas of
metempsychosis, an ape, an elephant, &c.
The Thiâmes are the same as the ancient Tsiampois; but these Tsiampois,
whence came they? What is the origin of this strange people, whom the
conquests of the Annamites drove back, doubtless from the south of
Cochin China to Cambodia, but who form alliances with neither of the
races whose country they share, and who preserve their own language,
manners, and religion? On looking over the Life of the Abbé Gagelin,
one of the martyrs in Cochin China, written with talent and eloquence
by the learned Abbé Jacquenet, I found what I had long been in search
of, and I extract the following passage:--
“In the midst of Cochin China properly so called, between the seas
which surround it on all sides except on the west, where it touches
Cambodia, is the ancient kingdom of Tsiampa. The inhabitants are a
singular race; they never ally themselves with the Cochin Chinese,
their character, religion, and language raising insuperable barriers
between them. On submitting to the yoke of the conqueror, the sovereign
simply changed his title from king to mandarin, but the constitution
and ancient laws remained in full vigour in his states, and he
continued to exercise absolute authority over his subjects.[16] It is
difficult for strangers to observe the domestic life of these people;
but it is said that they practise circumcision, observe the Sabbath,
abstain from the flesh of pork, and offer the sacrifice of the red
calf.[17] It is even said that they possess the Pentateuch, but this I
dare not affirm. Strangely, however, all these observances, imitated no
one knows whence, are only vain ceremonies to these men, enigmas to
which they have lost the clue. They have not even retained a distinct
idea of the true God; and their worship, although mixed up with some
of the rites of the Mosaic law, is a real idolatry. One wonders
whence come this people. Are they an ancient colony of Ishmaelites or
Idumeans? Are they an offshoot of Judaism thrown on to these shores?
These questions are worthy of consideration. However it may be, their
care to preserve their traditions pure from all alloy, and their
obstinate persistence in error, render them worthy of a Jewish origin.
The Jews, in the days of their prosperity, did not guard their faith
more religiously than do these people theirs in their new Palestine;
and, in order to avoid intercourse with strangers, and escape the
proselyting efforts of the missionaries, they have relinquished to the
Cochin Chinese all the advantages of the seashore, and retired to the
mountains and the interior of the country.
[16] This appears very doubtful, even to the missionaries in Cochin
China.
[17] M. Mouhot probably here refers to Numb. xix. 2.--_Tr._
“On the eve of the Assumption I bent my steps towards the interior,
to visit the Tsiampois, and find out whether they would still reject
the good news of salvation. After a few days’ walking I arrived, I
dare not say at one of their towns, but at one of their principal
dwelling-places. These singular people have retained none of the power
ascribed to them by ancient tradition, according to which they have
held sway over Cambodia, Cochin China, Tong King, and even Pegu, as far
as the province of Canton. Their governor has to pay a small tribute,
but remains as much ruler over his own people as before the conquest.
“I was anxious to find out the truth about their religion, but could
only obtain scraps of tradition which a Christian could manage to
put into form. One of these traditions teaches that the founder of
their religion was a great man, a famous warrior, who worked marvels
with a rod which is carefully preserved among them. I had the signal
honour of being allowed to see it: it is about ten feet long, and
is covered with a kind of red stuff, studded with yellow stars,
having at one end an iron blade about an inch in length. With this
rod in his hand, the founder of their faith controlled the elements,
divided the waters, and calmed tempests; and it is pretended that
this instrument still preserves its virtue of working miracles. They
have, they say, a precious volume left them by this great chief. Their
religious practices consist in the scrupulous observance of a seventh
day of rest, in abstaining from certain food, especially pork, which
they hold in abhorrence, and in the rite of circumcision which the
male children undergo at the age of fifteen. When the girls arrive
at the same age, the hair over the forehead is cut. They preserve a
remembrance of certain days on which it was not lawful to work, nor
even to leave their houses before sunset. Their prayers end with the
word ‘Amin,’ much the same as the Amen of the Hebrews. They seem to
have lost the idea of a Creator of heaven and earth, but worship the
sky and the stars; there are, however, no idols in their temples. The
priests who officiate there light candles on a table, burn incense,
and, at certain times of the year, as in April and May, pass a month
without going out of doors. Clear away from this account,” says the
Abbé Jacquenet, “the mists of ages, and it is easy to recognise the
traces of an Israelitish origin. Comparing this with other missionary
accounts, and the traces of these people found elsewhere, who will
doubt that the torch of truth, which shone formerly between the great
sea and Jordan, also shed its light over the extreme East? Whether,
to explain these facts, we consider the commercial relations of the
Jews with these countries, particularly when, in the height of their
power, the combined fleets of Solomon and Hiram went to seek the
treasures of Ophir (a generic name used perhaps to designate the two
Indies), or whether we come lower down, to the dispersion of the Ten
Tribes, who, instead of returning from captivity, set out from the
banks of the Euphrates and reached the shores of the ocean--whatever
ground of explanation we resolve upon, the shining of the light of
revelation in the far East is not the less incontestable. Join to
this light, those traditional truths carried with them as a sacred
heritage by the families who were dispersed at Babel; and say what
becomes of the extravagant praises lavished on Eastern wisdom by the
sect of philosophers? Passion and presumptuous ignorance joining hands
tried to oppose wisdom from on high, and have left behind only a faint
reflection of it.”
CHAPTER IX.
THE GREAT BAZAAR OF CAMBODIA, PENOM-PEUH--THE RIVER MEKON--THE ISLAND
KO-SUTIN--PEMPTIÉLAN--PUMP-KA-DAYE, ON THE BORDERS OF CAMBODIA--SOME
FURTHER NOTES ON THE COUNTRY--FATHER GUILLOUX--JOURNEY TO BRELUM AND
THE NEIGHBOURING COUNTRY INHABITED BY THE SAVAGE STIÊNS.
We left Pinhalú at eleven, and by evening had reached the great bazaar
of Cambodia, the distance being about eighteen miles. I had little to
buy, for M. Miche and M. Arnoux had insisted on filling my boat with
rice and dried fish, sufficient to last not only for my voyage but
during the whole period I proposed to remain among the Stiêns.
BAZAAR OF CAMBODIA.
I stopped a whole day to see the city, and make a few purchases of
glass, brass wire, and cotton yarn, articles which would be useful as
barter among the savages. The town is situated at the confluence of
two great streams, and contains about 10,000 inhabitants, almost all
Chinese; but it has a floating population of more than double that
number, composed of Cambodians and Cochin-Chinese, living in their
boats. It was the time when most of the fishermen, returning from the
great lake, stop at Penom-Peuh to sell part of their fish, and when a
crowd of small merchants flock there to buy cotton, which is gathered
in before the rains. Having traversed the city, which was long and
dirty, I arrived at an eminence on which was built a pagoda, possessing
neither beauty nor interest, but from whence there is an extensive view
over a large tract of country.
On one side extend, like two long and wide ribands, across an immense
wooded plain, the Mekon and its tributary; on the other, another plain
and thick forest, bounded on the north-west and south by small chains
of mountains.
Although the missionaries often pass through Penom-Peuh, my presence
excited much curiosity among the people. The war in Cochin-China was
the subject of all conversations, and in every one’s thoughts. The
reports of the Chinese and Annamites who had seen the taking of the
town of Saigou were not flattering to the pride of a Frenchman. I
had not seen the glorious bulletins of our Admiral, but had the pain
of hearing our enemies stigmatise us as barbarians, and, describing
the burning of the market, and the conduct of the soldiery towards
defenceless women, speak of it as “the behaviour of savages.” Thus the
evil deeds of a less civilized ally were visited upon us, and our whole
nation judged of by isolated acts, all but inevitable in time of war,
especially in a country where the soldier suffers from the climate and
privations of all kinds.
The people, perhaps the most corrupted in all the East, expected
to find in us men superior, morally, as well as intellectually and
physically; and I dare to flatter myself that before long they will
learn to distinguish between the characters of the true French soldiers
and their allies, and that in every respect we shall recover our
ancient prestige.
The next day, descending the river toward the southern extremity of the
city, we passed a floating town, composed of more than 500 boats, most
of them of large size. They serve as an entrepôt for some merchants,
and residences for others. All their money and the greater part of
their merchandize is here kept, that, in case of alarm, they may be
ready to take flight at a moment’s warning.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M Sabatier, from a Sketch by M. Mouhot.
THE RIVER MEKON AT PENOM-PEUH.]
THE MEKON.
Shortly afterwards we entered the Mekon, which was only now beginning
to rise, as, throughout the country the drought had been excessive,
lasting much longer than usual. This great river, the name of which
signifies “Mother of Rivers,” recalled to my mind the Menam, north
of Bangkok, but its aspect is less gay; yet there is something very
imposing in this expanse of water running with all the rapidity of
a torrent. A few boats, scarcely distinguishable, toiled along: the
banks, generally about 18 or 20 feet high, seemed almost deserted; and
the forests were indistinctly discernible more than a mile beyond.
In Siam the elegant foliage of the bamboos and palm-trees shows out
strikingly against the blue sky, while the songs of the birds charm the
ear: here, shoals of porpoises sail along with their noses to the wind,
frequently bounding out of the water; pelicans sport on the margins of
the stream, and herons and storks fly silently from among the reeds
at our approach. These are the sole objects of interest.
We passed the great island of Ko-Sutin, which is distant about 40 miles
from Penom-Peuh, after five days’ difficult and laborious travelling.
The current was so strong that at every turn in the stream we were
obliged, in addition to redoubling our efforts at the oars, to hold on
by the reeds to prevent our being carried away.
The farther north we went the more rapidly the stream ran; so that when
the waters are high two miles a day are the usual rate of progress;
and it is a common occurrence for the boatmen to seek fuel for their
evening fire in the same spot where they had cooked their rice in the
morning.
About 25 or 30 leagues north of Ko-Sutin, on the confines of Laos,
commence the rapids and cataracts: it is then necessary to leave the
boats and take to pirogues, which, as well as the luggage, have often
to be carried on men’s backs. I made a halt of only a few hours, in
order to see another voluntary exile, M. Cordier, a priest of great
worth, from the Cambodian mission, who resides here.
M. CORDIER THE MISSIONARY.
I felt great compassion for this good man, on entering the chapel which
he had built, and seeing the poverty and nakedness around. He came to
meet me, and invited me to share his repast. For the last three years
the poor missionary has been suffering from a dysentery, which has
become chronic. However, he complains neither of his bad health nor
of his poverty: the only thing that grieved him was the small number
of converts he was called on to baptize, so deeply are the Cambodians
attached to their idols.
ANTICIPATED PERILS.
“But you,” said he to me; “do you know whither you are going? I am
astonished that they allowed you to leave Pinhalú. Ask the Cambodians
what they think of the forests of the Stiêns, and propose to some of
them to accompany you: you would not find one. The rains have begun,
and you are going to almost certain death, or will at least catch a
fever, which will be followed by years of languor and suffering. I have
had the jungle fever, and it is something terrible: even to the tips of
my nails I felt a heat which I can only call infernal: sometimes an icy
coldness would take its place: generally people sink under it: witness
M. Lafitte, a young missionary, who a short time ago took the same
journey; M. Comte, who died of exhaustion; and many others.”
This account was not reassuring, nevertheless I had determined on my
route: I knew that I should find there land and fresh-water shells
which I could find nowhere else,[18] and that this tribe of almost
unknown savages would afford me a curious and interesting study; and
these considerations were sufficient to determine me to proceed. I
trusted in God, and went on my way, M. Cordier’s last words being, “May
God be with the poor traveller!”
[18] Thence come the beautiful Bulimus Cambogiensis, Ptelin
Cambogiensis, and Ptelin Mouhoti.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Sabatier, from a Sketch by M. Mouhot.
CAMBODIAN HUT AT PEMPTIELAN, ON THE MEKON.]
Twelve miles higher up I left the river, and set off on my land journey
at two o’clock in the afternoon, hoping to arrive the same day at
Pemptiélan, a large village, where lived the mandarin to whom the
king’s letter was addressed. We did not, however, get there till eleven
the next morning, having to pass the night at the foot of a tree, where
we lighted a fire. I waited at once upon the mandarin, who is governor
of the district, and he received me very well, in spite of the small
value of the presents I made him, and immediately gave orders for
waggons to be made ready for me. He then presented me with a quantity
of tobacco and betel. His manners were, for a Cambodian, gentle and
polished; and he questioned me much as to the war in Cochin-China, as
well as about Europe, how long it took to get there, &c.
DIFFICULTIES OF THE JOURNEY.
From the time we left Pemptiélan we had, except at rare intervals, to
pass through dense forests, and at first the ground was so marshy that
our miserable waggons occasionally sank deeply; and it required the
united strength of the oxen and all our men to extricate them. We got
over the latter part of our route more agreeably; for, as we reached a
higher elevation, the ground became dry, and the aspect of the country
more varied.
We had only been able to accomplish 60 miles in five days, and were
still 30 miles from Brelum. I grew tired of the incivility of the
inhabitants from whom I hired the oxen, and of the slowness of these
animals: when we had no shelter for the night, we suffered much from
rain and damp; our clothes were almost always soaked through; and, to
crown our misfortunes, my two servants were attacked with intermittent
fever; the Annamite particularly, who had a tertian fever, lasting for
ten days.
The mode of life of the Cambodians is similar to that of the Siamese:
rice, as with the latter, is the chief part of their food: they eat it
with vegetables, such as pumpkins or gourds, and wild potatoes. Those
in better circumstances add to it fish, but rarely meat; and yet the
country is as fertile as Lower Cochin-China, the soil of which yields
so abundant a return for all that is put in the ground.
The poverty of the inhabitants of these miserable villages engenders
a repulsive dirtiness: a strip of matting or an old filthy cushion
thrown on the ground, and full of vermin, some basins of coarse Chinese
porcelain, a sort of hatchet, and a piece of cotton, intended either
for counterpane, scarf, or cloak, according to the season and time of
day, are the usual contents of a Cambodian hut.[19]
[19] Cambodian is pronounced “Khmer,” in the language of the country.
PUMP-KA-DAYE.
We arrived at Pump-Ka-Daye, on the confines of Cambodia, and inhabited
by about twenty Stiêns, who have approached the boundary in order to
escape slavery in their own tribe. Our waggons halted before a small
caravanserai, open to every wind; and after having carried in our
luggage, our guides disappeared much faster than they had come. The
chief soon presented himself, followed by some men: he had all the
characteristics of a savage in his face, and of a Cambodian in his
nature. I handed him my letter, but he returned it, saying that he
could not read. “These, then,” said I, “are the contents. It is the
king’s order to all chiefs of villages where I shall stop to furnish me
with waggons to continue my journey to Brelum.” “We have no waggons,”
was the answer.
ASSISTANCE FROM M. GUILLOUX.
We made ourselves as comfortable as we could till the next day, when
a second interview with the chief proved to me that I should get no
aid from him. I therefore sent Niou with two Cambodians to carry a
letter to M. Guilloux, and bring me an answer. This arrived on the
evening of the fourth day; and in it M. Guilloux assured me of a
cordial welcome, adding that he was interested in my undertaking, and
had already a great regard for me, without seeing me, for my courage
in coming so far.[20] The good father sent me three waggons from the
mission settlement, and some of his Annamites, as well as two Stiêns,
to help me on my way. This letter completely removed all fear of being
a troublesome and unwelcome guest to the poor hermit, and I set out
with pleasure and confidence. It took us two long days’ journey to
reach Brelum: we encamped one night near a torrent, lying on our mats
beside a good fire, which we lighted to keep off the ferocious denizens
of these forests. The second night we passed in a deserted cabin some
miles from Brelum; and on the 16th August, at nine in the morning, we
came to a clearing of from 250 to 300 metres square. We were betwixt
two hills, at the foot of which was marshy ground. On the slope of
one I saw two long bamboo houses, covered with thatch, and with the
mission-garden attached: higher up was the cross planted two years
before amidst these frightful solitudes by the noble and courageous
French missionaries.
[20] See M. Guilloux’s letter in the Appendix.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Sabatier, from a Sketch by M. Mouhot.
CAMBODIAN HOUSE.]
APPROACH TO BRELUM.
FATHER GUILLOUX.
Scarcely had we appeared when we were saluted by a discharge of
musketry. We replied as well as we could; and while these sounds were
reverberating among the echoes of the forests, poor Father Guilloux,
his legs covered with bad wounds, which had confined him for above
six months to his mattrass, and which he had received on the journeys
undertaken through the promptings of his pious zeal, advanced with
frail steps to meet me along the tree-trunks thrown as a bridge across
the swamp. All honour to thee, noble son of our dear and beautiful
country!--thou who bravest poverty, privations, fatigue, suffering, and
even death, to bring to these savages the blessings of religion and
civilization! May God recompense thee for thy painful and self-denying
labours, for men would be powerless to do so; thy reward is not of this
world. Besides, in these troublous and warlike times, the virtues of
the soldier are more appreciated than thine. But continue thy divine
work; intelligent eyes and hearts watch from afar; and if, in our
day, the military career is more honoured and better recompensed than
any other, there are still, be sure, Christian hearts which feel it
a duty to make known to the world thy virtue and thy sufferings, thy
privations, and the benefits thou conferrest on these unfortunates.
CHAPTER X.
SOJOURN OF THREE MONTHS AMONG THE SAVAGE STIÊNS--MANNERS OF THIS
TRIBE--PRODUCTS OF THE COUNTRY--FAUNA--MANNERS OF THE ANNAMITES.
THE SAVAGE STIENS.
I resided nearly three months among the savage Stiêns. Is this too
short a period to enable me to form an opinion of them? One would think
so, on hearing Father Guilloux repeat often that, although he has lived
here two years, he is yet far from knowing all their superstitions and
_devilries_.
We are surrounded by forests, which are infested with elephants,
buffaloes, rhinoceros, tigers, and wild boars, and the ground all
about the pools is covered with their footprints. We live almost as
in a besieged place, every moment dreading some attack of the enemy,
and keeping our guns constantly loaded. Sometimes they come close to
our quarters, and we cannot go even a few steps into the woods without
hearing them. As a general rule, however, they fly from the approach of
man, and in order to get a shot it is necessary to lie in wait either
amongst the branches of a tree or hidden amid the brushwood near the
spots where they come to drink.
Scorpions, centipedes, and, above all, serpents, were the enemies we
most dreaded, and against which precautions were chiefly requisite;
but the mosquitoes and the leeches, though less dangerous, were the
most troublesome and most inveterate plagues. During the rainy season
you cannot be too much on your guard; going to bed or getting up, you
are ever in peril of putting hand or foot on some venomous snake. I
have killed more than one in my house with a gun or a hatchet. As I
write, I am obliged to be continually on the watch, fearing to see one
reappear on which I trod this evening, but which made his exit without
hurting me. From time to time, also, I stop to listen to the roaring
of a tiger, who is wandering round our dwelling and looking longingly
at the pigs through their fence of planks and bamboos. Again, I hear a
rhinoceros breaking down the bamboos which oppose his progress towards
the brambles encircling our garden, on which he intends to banquet.
The savage Stiêns who inhabit this region have probably the same
origin as those who people the mountains and the table-land which
separate the kingdoms of Siam and Cambodia from that of Annam, and
which extend along the great river from 11° north lat. and between
106° and 108° east long. They form as many separate communities as
there are villages, and seem to be a race distinct from all the people
who surround them. I am myself inclined to believe them to be the
aborigines of the country, and to suppose that they have been driven
back from the sea and the rivers to the districts now occupied by
them by the successive invasions of the Thibetans, who have spread
themselves over Laos, Siam, and Cambodia, and nothing that I can
discover leads to any other supposition.[21]
[21] The drawings of M. Mouhot at first sight recall those of the
Polynesians of the North, and more especially of the Carolinas, as they
are depicted in the works of Gutke, of Duperoy, and of Dumont d’Urville.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Bocourt, from a Sketch by M. Mouhot.
SAVAGE STIEN.]
These savages are so strongly attached to their forests and mountains
that to quit them seems almost like death, and those who are dragged as
slaves to the neighbouring countries languish under captivity and try
every method of escape, frequently with success. Like other savages,
they have appeared formidable to their neighbours, and the fear
inspired by them has occasioned exaggerated reports of their wonderful
skill in shooting with the bow, as well as of the pestilential climate.
However, it is a fact that fever prevails here terribly; numbers of
Annamites and Cambodians have fallen victims to it, and I am assured
that I am the only stranger who has come without suffering from it more
or less. These people love the deep shade of the pathless woods, which
they do not trouble themselves to cut down; but if they cling to their
country, they do not to any particular locality, for if they meet with
any inconvenience in their neighbourhood, or if any of their family
die of fever, they raise their camp, take their children in baskets on
their backs, and set off to make a settlement elsewhere; land is not
wanting, and the forest everywhere alike.
These tribes are nearly independent, although the Cambodians on one
side, and the Laotians and Annamites on the other, levy on the villages
near them a triennial tribute of rice and wax. The King of Cambodia
does not want the will to treat the Stiêns as he did the Thiâmes, in
order to people some of his desert provinces.
The inscription placed--alas! so vainly--on our public edifices is
here, notwithstanding slavery, the motto of the people, and its
sincerity is evidenced in their practice. We use words; they act. If
there is abundance at one house, the whole village shares in it, and
when scarcity prevails, which is often the case, all alike suffer.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Bocourt, from a Sketch by M. Mouhot.
SAVAGE STIEN.]
They work admirably in iron and ivory, and some tribes are noted, as
in Annam, for their hatchets and the beautiful workmanship of their
sabres. Their drinking-vessels are rude, but of their own manufacture,
and the women weave and dye the long fine scarfs which they wear, the
best of which are often valued at the price of an ox. They cultivate
rice, maize, tobacco, various kinds of vegetables, and fruit-trees,
such as bananas, mangoes, and oranges. Every person of any substance
possesses several slaves, and a field, always at some distance from
the village, and very carefully attended to. In these fields, in little
huts raised on piles, the Stiêns pass the whole of the rainy season,
during which they can neither hunt nor fish, both on account of the
inclement weather and the leeches, the immense numbers of which, as in
the forests of Siam, make them a perfect pest.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Bocourt, from a Sketch by M. Mouhot.
SAVAGE STIENS SOWING THEIR RICE.]
RICE CULTIVATION.
IMPROVIDENCE OF THE PEOPLE.
Their manner of preparing a rice-field is very different from the way
in which our agriculturists set about matters. As soon as the first
rains begin to fall, the Stiên chooses his ground, and busies himself
in clearing it. This would be a laborious task for a European; but he,
with his hatchet with cane handle, has in a few days cut down a thicket
of bamboos 100 or 150 mètres square. If he meets with any tree too
large for him to manage, he leaves it standing. After a few days, when
the canes are a little dry, he sets fire to them, and the field is soon
cleared. As for the roots, he cares little about them, as no digging
is required; on this virgin soil everything grows with little labour.
There only remains to sow the seed, and for this purpose he takes two
long bamboos, which he lays in a line on the ground; then, with a stick
in each hand, he makes on each side of this line holes about an inch
or an inch and a half deep at short distances. The man’s work is now
finished, and that of the woman begins: stooping down, she follows the
line traced by her husband, and from a basket carried at her left side
takes a handful of rice, of which she throws a few grains into each
hole with great rapidity, and at the same time so dexterously that it
is rare for any to fall outside. In a few hours the task is finished,
for here there is no need of harrow or plough; kind Nature will soon
send some violent showers, which, washing the soil over the holes,
will cover the seeds. Then the proprietor establishes himself in his
hut, where, as he smokes his cigarette (made of tobacco rolled in some
leaf), he lets fly his arrows at the wild boars, apes, or goats, or
amuses himself by frightening away the doves and parroquets. To this
end, a couple of bamboos are so placed in the middle of the field that,
by pulling a rope made of rattan, they are made to strike against each
other, and the noise scares away the birds, which without some such
contrivance would eat up all the seed. The harvest is reaped at the end
of October. Generally, two months previously poverty and famine begin
to make themselves felt. As long as provisions last they feast without
ever thinking of the morrow; when they are exhausted they are reduced
to eat serpents, toads, and bats, which last are found in great numbers
in the hollows of the old bamboos. Often they have even to content
themselves with the seeds of the maize, young bamboo-shoots, wild
roots, and other spontaneous productions of the ground.
All the domestic animals of the neighbouring countries, such as oxen,
pigs, fowls, and ducks, are found here, but in small numbers. Elephants
are scarce; but farther north, among the tribe of the Benams, it is
said that no village is without them.
When the harvest has been gathered in the Stiêns commence a series
of festivities. The rice having been piled up in oblong stacks, they
take from these every morning as much as suffices for the day’s
consumption. One community sends invitations to another, and the
inhabitants of a wealthy village will often kill as many as ten oxen
for the entertainment; all must be consumed before they separate, and
day and night they eat and drink to the accompaniment of the Chinese
tam-tam and tambourine. This excess, after a long period of privation,
brings on illness, commonly the itch and other cutaneous disorders.
Much of this, however, also proceeds from the want of salt, which they
cannot always procure. For all internal complaints, the general remedy
here, as in Cambodia, is an iron heated in the fire and applied to the
pit of the stomach, and there are few men without scars on this part of
the body.
MANNERS AND CUSTOMS.
They are acquainted with many of the remedies drawn from simples; they
never cover up a wound or sore, but leave it exposed to the air and
sun, and it generally heals. They appear to be exempt from leprosy, so
common among the Chinese; but then they are very cleanly, and bathe in
all weathers, often three times a day.
The Stiêns have no resemblance to either the Cambodian or Annamite
races; like the last, however, they wear the hair long, twisted up, and
fastened by a bamboo comb, in which is often inserted, for ornament,
a piece of brass wire surmounted by the crest of a pheasant. They are
usually above the middle height, are well proportioned and robust;
their features are regular, and the thick eyebrows and beard of the
men, when they do not pull out the hair from the face, give them a
grave appearance. The forehead is well developed, and announces an
intelligence much beyond that of the Annamites. Their manners are
hospitable, and a stranger is always certain of being well received
and feasted. They either kill a pig or fowl, and offer you wine,
which is not drunk out of any sort of vessel, but sucked, through a
bamboo cane, from a large jar; it is made from rice, fermented, but
rarely distilled. To refuse a pipe when offered is considered a great
rudeness, which more than one savage has paid for by a knife-thrust. It
is also etiquette to eat the whole of the food set before you.
Their only dress is the long scarf I have already mentioned, and which,
when worn, appears only about two inches wide. I often surprised them
quite naked in their cabins; but on perceiving me they always covered
themselves.
The greatest liberty is allowed to slaves, and corporal punishment is
never inflicted on any one. For theft, a forfeit is exacted of a pig
or ox, and several jars of wine, of which the whole village partake.
If the fine be not paid, it rapidly increases in amount; the offender
is soon in debt to the community for fifteen or twenty buffaloes, and
finally he is sold as a slave.
SUPERSTITIONS.
The Stiêns have neither priests nor temples, yet they recognise the
existence of a supreme being, to whom they refer everything good or
evil; they call him “Brâ,” and invoke him in all cases. They believe
also in an evil genius, and attribute all diseases to him. If any one
be suffering from illness, they say it is the demon tormenting him;
and, with this idea, make, night and day, an insupportable noise around
the patient, which they keep up until one of the party falls in a kind
of fit, crying out, “He has passed into my body; he is stifling me.”
They then question the new patient, asking him, first, what remedies to
give the sick man, and how the demon can be made to abandon his prey.
Sometimes the sacrifice of a pig or an ox is required, often a human
victim; in this latter case they pitilessly seize upon a slave and
offer him up to the evil genius.
Funerals are solemnly performed, the whole village assisting, with the
exception of the nearest relatives, who generally remain at home. All
those present fill the air with lamentable cries. They bury their dead
near their dwellings, covering the tomb with a little roof of branches,
beneath which they place gourds full of water, and sometimes small bows
and arrows; and every day some member of the family comes and sows a
few grains of rice, that the dead may have something to eat. These
customs resemble those of the Chinese.
Before every meal they take care to spill a little rice to feed the
souls of their ancestors, and in their fields and other places formerly
frequented by them they make similar little offerings to them. At the
end of a long bamboo planted in the ground they suspend plumes of
reeds; lower down are fastened smaller bamboos containing a few drops
of wine or water; and, lastly, on a slight trellis-work raised above
the ground, is laid some earth, in which they stick an arrow, and on
which they throw a few grains of cooked rice, a bone, a little tobacco,
and a leaf.
According to their belief, animals also have souls which wander about
after their death; thus, when they have killed one, fearing lest its
soul should come and torment them, they ask pardon for the evil they
have done to it, and offer sacrifices proportioned to the strength and
size of the animal. For an elephant, the ceremony is conducted with
pomp; the head is ornamented with crowns, and musical performances
on the tam-tam and tambourine, with singing, are continued for seven
consecutive days. The whole village, summoned by sound of trumpet,
assembles to take part in the fête, and every one is entitled to a
portion of the flesh.
The Stiêns smoke the flesh of the animals when they desire to preserve
it for any length of time; but ordinarily, all those taken in the chase
are eaten on the spot, and within a few days; they then merely singe
them whole, without skinning, and afterwards cut them in pieces and
cook them.
It is rare to meet a Stiên without his cross-bow in his hand, his knife
over his shoulder, and a basket on his back, which serves both for
quiver and game-bag. Hunting and fishing occupy all the time not given
to the cultivation of the ground. They are indefatigable in the chase,
and glide amidst the thickest woods with the speed of a deer, seeming
not to feel fatigue. The women appear as robust and strong as the men.
Their cross-bows are very effective weapons, and they are skilful in
the use of them; but rarely shoot from a distance of more than fifty
paces. They use poisoned arrows for the larger animals, the venom being
extremely rapid in its effects; if the beast, whether it be elephant,
tiger, or rhinoceros, have the skin ever so slightly pierced, so that
the poison touches the blood, it is almost certain to be found dead a
few hundred yards from the place where it was struck.
They are very fond of ornaments, particularly beads of brilliant
colours, which they make into bracelets. Glass ornaments and brass wire
pass among them as money; a buffalo or an ox is valued at six armfulls
of thick brass wire; a pig is nearly as dear; but for a small piece of
fine wire or a bead necklace you can purchase a pheasant or a hundred
ears of maize. Men generally wear a bracelet above the elbow and one at
the wrist; but the women cover both arms and legs with these ornaments.
Both sexes have their ears pierced, and widen the hole every year by
inserting pieces of bone or ivory three inches long.
Polygamy is held in honour among the Stiêns, although only the chiefs
are rich enough to allow themselves the luxury of several wives.
ECLIPSE OF THE SUN.
While I was among them there was a total eclipse of the sun, which, if
I remember right, was also visible in England. Like the Cambodians,
on the occurrence of such phenomena, they believe that some being has
swallowed up the sun and moon; and in order to deliver them, they made
a frightful noise, beat the tam-tam, uttered savage cries, and shot
arrows into the air, until the sun reappeared.
One of their favourite amusements is to send up kites, to which they
attach a musical instrument somewhat resembling a bow, and this, when
agitated by the wind, produces sweet and melodious sounds to which they
are fond of listening.
Their memories are bad, and they have great difficulty in learning to
calculate. If a hundred ears of maize are to be offered for sale, they
are arranged in tens, to make sure that the number is correct. Their
notions of geography are very limited; they imagine that white men
inhabit only a few obscure corners of the globe, and, judging of them
by the Catholic missionaries, doubt much if they have any women among
them.
MODE OF WARFARE.
Hostilities between one village and another are not infrequent, but
they are never very serious: they seek to surprise and take one another
prisoners in the fields or pathways, and the captives are sold as
slaves to the Laotians or Cambodians. Their disposition is gentle and
timid, and at the least alarm of an enemy they retire into the forest,
previously placing in the paths sharp-pointed stakes of bamboo, which
often pierce quite through the feet of their pursuers.
The manners of the savages of Brelum and those of the surrounding
villages differ considerably; this is owing to the influence of the
good and courageous missionaries, who, although they do not make many
converts--which is their chief trouble--have at least the consolation
of being able by their presence, good counsel, and example, to soften
and enlighten these poor creatures--in one word, to civilize them.
THE FAUNA.
The Fauna of this country does not differ much from that of the kingdom
of Siam; thus, with the exception of some beautiful new species
of insects and land shells, and a number of interesting birds, I
shall gain by my excursion nothing but the pleasure of having been
able to study the habits of a curious people, and the not inferior
gratification of making them known to the public, should these rough
notes, written hastily, and with no claim to any merit but truth, be
destined to see the light. Whether God reserves for me the happiness of
again seeing my native country, in which event it will be my endeavour
to put them into some sort of readable shape; or whether I fall a
victim to pestilence or ferocious beasts, and some kind person takes
charge of these sheets, scribbled generally by the light of a torch,
and on my knees at the foot of a tree, amidst interruptions of all
sorts, of which the mosquitoes are not the least annoying; in either
case, living or dead, I shall need, I am aware, an indulgence seldom
granted. Most readers prefer being amused to being instructed; while
my sole aim has been to paint faithfully, and to the best of my poor
abilities, what came under my observation.
PRIVATIONS OF MISSIONARIES.
My arrival here was--I may say it without vanity, for I was a stranger
to him--quite an event in the poor missionary’s lonely life; and the
landing--for it did not deserve the name of room--left vacant by the
departure of Father Arnoux, was placed at my disposal. I ask pardon of
the good, brave, and generous priests who have aided, welcomed, and
sheltered me through all my wanderings, if I have spoken too plainly of
their poverty and privations of all kinds; if I have raised the curtain
which, perhaps, they would wish to keep drawn, for, I repeat, they look
not for recompense in this world; but I have done it that the world
may know that their life is one of the hardest and most painful, and
requires self-sacrifice more than any other. Exposed to the influence
of pernicious climates, badly lodged, badly fed, far from their
families and from their country, often ill and dying without help--such
is the lot of these men.
The house of uncle Apait was at least as elegant and well furnished as
that of the humble priest at Brelum: both had the bare ground for a
floor, walls of bamboo canes, and dried grass for thatch. The hut was
divided into four compartments, two being used by the missionaries,
another by their servant, and the fourth served as a chapel. This, like
the others, was far from splendid, and the whole house had been so
undermined by the white ants, that it seemed menaced with approaching
ruin.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. H. Rousseau, from a Photograph.
AMAZON OF THE KING’S FEMALE GUARDS.]
THE ANNAMITES.
Speaking of the Annamite servants, I shall quote what the Abbé Gagelin
says about them, for I can testify to its truth. “All sensibility,”
says he, “appears deadened among them; they are very proud, however,
and great cheats. There is so little affection among them, that the
nearest relations never think of embracing; even a child, returning
to his parents after a ten years’ absence, would not think of such
a thing. Among brothers and sisters it would be considered almost a
scandal. They will not permit us missionaries to caress a child, not
even a baby. This coldness is not confined to their domestic relations;
under an ardent sky, which should warm the imagination, they, in their
stupid _sang froid_, will not tolerate in a preacher the slightest
movement or gesture.” However, to compensate for these defects, the
abbé, who, even in the opinion of several of the other missionaries,
has been guilty of great errors in his letters, might have added that,
at times, they are capable of acts of devotion and self-sacrifice truly
great and courageous.
The French missionaries in Cochin China must have had many proofs of
this, for, hunted as they are like wild beasts, they could not long
escape the vigilant eyes of the mandarins, nor continue, in spite
of the most terrible persecutions, to reside in the country. It is
death for any one to be caught sheltering or assisting a priest; but,
notwithstanding, they and their goods are conveyed in boats from
Singapore, eluding all the spies set to watch for them, and remain
hidden for months and even years. If an alarm is raised, in spite of
the danger of discovery, they are conveyed to another locality, where
they find new friends equally ready to peril their lives for them.
Missions are founded amongst the most savage tribes; and in spite of
the terrible reputation of this climate, in spite of fevers, wild
beasts, and love of home, the missionary has but to speak, and he is
sure to find poor Christians ready to follow him, often without fee or
reward. In what country in the world, among what civilized people of
the West, can you find more than this?
Intelligent, and with a desire for civilization, the only difficulty is
to know how to guide them. From my own experience and that of others, I
believe the Annamite to be lively, adroit, intelligent, and courageous;
but obstinate, vindictive, a dissembler, a liar, and a thief; slow
to get into a passion, but terrible when he does so. His dirtiness
surpasses anything I have ever seen, and his food is abominably nasty.
Rotten fish and dog’s flesh are his favourite diet.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Catenacci, from a sketch by M. Mouhot.
SCENE IN THE JUNGLE BETWEEN BATTAMBONG AND BANGKOK.]
TIGER HUNTING.
The tiger of Annam is terribly savage, and his strength is equal to
his ferocity. Often, however, a couple of men will go alone to attack
one, armed merely with pikes. As soon as they see the animal, the more
powerful or more courageous of the two lowers his pike; the tiger
hesitates a moment, and sometimes, if not pressed by hunger, turns and
disappears with the rapidity of lightning; but at other times he will
make a spring at the hunter, when, if the force of the leap do not
carry him right over the man’s head, he falls upon the pike, which the
hunter then elevates by pressing the handle on the ground. The second
hunter now comes forward, and in his turn pierces him, and uniting
their strength, they both hold him down till he dies. Occasionally
the first man misses his aim, and his pike breaks; then all is over
for one, if not both. The most common method of hunting the tiger has
more actors engaged. There is in every village some experienced
man who leads the attack; and if any one has been carried off by one
of these animals, the tam-tam is sounded to summon people from the
neighbouring villages to follow this leader after the creature. As
he always sleeps near the spot where he has left the remains of his
repast, they are pretty sure of discovering his retreat.
When they have tracked the tiger to his lair, all the hunters form a
circle as large as their number will allow, and sufficiently apart
not to impede each other’s movements. These preparations completed,
the leader makes sure that the animal has no outlet for escape. Some
of the most daring then venture into the centre and cut away the
brushwood, during which operation they are protected by others armed
with pikes. The tiger, pressed on all sides, rolls his eyes, licks his
paws in a convulsive manner, as though preparing for combat, then,
with a frightful howl, he makes his spring. Immediately every pike is
raised, and the animal falls pierced through and through. Accidents not
infrequently happen, and many are often severely hurt; but they have no
choice but to wage war against the tigers, which leave them no rest,
force the enclosures, and carry off domestic animals and even men, not
only from the roads and close vicinity of the houses, but from the
interiors of the buildings. In Annam, the fear inspired by the tigers,
elephants, and other wild animals, makes the people address them with
the greatest respect; they give them the title of “Grandfather” or
“Lord,” fearing that they may be offended, and show resentment by
attacking them.
CLIMATE.
During the three months I passed in Brelum and its environs, my two
poor servants were almost constantly ill with fever. I think myself
very fortunate to have preserved my health, for even in these forests
I have not had a touch of this complaint. In the rainy season the
atmosphere is dreadfully damp and oppressive; in the thickest wood,
where the sun scarcely penetrates, you might fancy yourself in a stove,
and with the slightest exercise you are in a bath of perspiration.
In July and August we experienced violent storms, which burst out every
second or third day; but in September and October it rained without
intermission. At the beginning of November, after a change of wind,
we had some refreshing nights, which made the thermometer fall to 12°
centigrade. From noon to three o’clock there was little variation in
the temperature.
Having paid visits to all the villages in the neighbourhood, and been
visited in return by many of the inhabitants, I announced to my two
excellent friends the missionaries that I must shortly leave them, and
fixed my departure for the 29th November, meaning to return to Pinhalú
and Udong, and from thence to ascend the Mekon as far as the great lake
Touli-Sap.
CHAPTER XI.
RETURN TO PINHALU AND UDONG--THE GREAT LAKE TOULI-SAP--MEETING WITH
NINE ELEPHANTS--RECENT ACTS OF OPPRESSION TOWARDS THE PEOPLE--ON THE
EVENTUAL REGENERATION OF THE PEOPLE--THE PROVINCE OF BATTAMBONG--GRAND
RUINS.
On the 29th I took leave of my amiable fellow-countryman and friend, M.
Arnoux, to, I may venture to affirm, our mutual regret, and set off,
accompanied by Father Guilloux, who had some business at Pinhalú. They
both wished me to remain with them until Cochin China was open, and I
could travel through the country in safety: I should have liked to do
so, could I have foreseen an approaching termination of the war; but in
the then state of affairs that was impossible.
As far as Pump-Ka-Daye, the first village we came to after leaving
Brelum, I had the society and aid of the missionaries, and of the
old chief of the Stiêns, who furnished me with three waggons for my
baggage, while Phrai and M. Guilloux’s Annamite attendants took charge
of my boxes of insects, which, if placed among my other goods, would
have been injured by the jolting.
The rains had ceased for the last three weeks, and I was agreeably
surprised at the improvement in the state of the country since August.
The paths were dry, and we had no longer to flounder through dirty
marshes, nor suffer from the wet nights which we formerly found so
unpleasant. When we reached the station where we were to pass the
first night, our servants lighted a fire to cook their rice, as well
as scare away the wild beasts; but, notwithstanding this, we remarked
that our oxen, dogs, and monkey showed signs of great fear, and, almost
immediately afterwards, we heard a roaring like that of a lion. We
seized our guns, which were loaded, and waited in readiness.
HERD OF ELEPHANTS.
Fresh roarings, proceeding from a very short distance off, completed
the terror of our animals; and we ourselves could not help feeling
uneasy. I proposed to go and meet the enemy, which was agreed to, and
we accordingly plunged into that part of the forest whence the sound
came. Although familiar with these terrible creatures, we felt far
from comfortable; but before long we came upon recent tracks which
were quite unmistakeable, and soon, in a small clearing in the forest,
perceived nine elephants, the leader being a male of enormous size,
standing right in front of us.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Catenacci, from a Sketch by M. Mouhot
HALT OF THE CARAVAN IN THE JUNGLE BETWEEN BATTAMBONG AND BANGKOK.]
On our approach he set up a roar more frightful than ever, and the
whole herd advanced slowly towards us. We remained in a stooping
position, half hidden behind the trees, which were too tall for us to
climb. I was in the act of taking aim at the forehead of the leader,
the only vulnerable part, but an Annamite who stood beside me, and who
was an old hunter, knocked up my rifle, and begged me not to fire;
“for,” said he, “if you kill or wound one of the elephants we are lost;
and even if we should succeed in escaping, the oxen, the waggons, and
all their contents would be overwhelmed by the fury of these animals.
If there were but two or three, we might hope to kill them; but
nine, of whom five are very large, are too many; and it will be more
prudent to retreat.” At this moment, Father Guilloux, who had not much
confidence in his powers of locomotion, fired his gun in the air to
frighten the elephants; and this plan fortunately succeeded: the herd
stopped in astonishment for an instant, then turned round, and marched
into the forest.
EXCHANGE OF PRESENTS.
When we reached Pemptiélan we stopped at the house of the mandarin,
whose authority extends over the neighbouring district, and, contrary
to the usual custom, he offered us hospitality under his own roof.
Scarcely, however, were we installed when he came to me and asked
for the best of my guns, and, on my declining to part with it, he
begged for something else, intimating that we should have begun by
offering a present. Thereupon I gave him a suit of European clothes,
a powder-flask and some powder, a hunting-knife, and some other small
articles. In return he presented me with an ivory trumpet, and placed
at my service two elephants to enable me to continue my route more
comfortably: he likewise sent off our people with a letter to the
chiefs of the Srokkhner.
RECENT ACTS OF OPPRESSION.
We resumed our journey on the following day, the Abbé on one elephant,
reading his breviary, and I upon another, both of us greatly enjoying
the beauty of the landscape. Thus we traversed the beautiful plains,
which, when I formerly travelled this road, were inhabited by the poor
Thiâmes; but now, in place of rich harvest, I was astonished to find
nothing but large trees: the villages were abandoned, and the houses
and enclosures in ruins. It appeared that the mandarin of Pemptiélan,
executing or exceeding the orders of his master the king of Cambodia,
had kept these unfortunate people in such a state of slavery and
oppression that they had even been deprived of their fishing and
agricultural implements, and, being left without money or resources,
experienced such frightful poverty that many of them died of hunger.
The poor wretches, to the number of several thousands, and under the
conduct of a chief on whose head a price had been set, and who had
secretly returned from Annam, rose in revolt. Those from Penom-Peuh
went to Udong to protect their brethren in that place in their flight;
and when all were united in one body, they descended the river, and
passed into Cochin China. Orders were issued by the king to arrest
their departure, but no one remained to execute them; for the whole
Cambodian population, with the mandarins at their head, had fled into
the forests at the first news of the rising.
Besides the interest inspired by the misfortunes of these poor people,
their conduct, when all fled before them, and left Udong, Pinhalú,
and Penom-Peuh defenceless, was so noble as greatly to increase this
feeling. “We have no enmity against the people,” said they, “if they
will but let us pass and respect our property; but we will put to
death whoever opposes our flight.” And, in fact, they never touched one
of the large boats which were moored near the market, and unguarded,
but took to the river in their narrow and miserable pirogues.
In passing opposite the island of Ko-Sutin we stopped to see Father
Cordier. The good missionary was in a sad state: his malady had got
worse; and his debility was such that he could scarcely drag himself
from his bed to a chair. He had no food but rice and dried fish; and
the only persons to care for him, and wait upon him, were two children
of ten years old. We begged him to accompany us to Pinhalú, but he
declined, on account of his weakness. “All I regret,” said he, “is,
that I shall see my poor parents no more; but for that, I should await
death calmly, and almost with joy.” All our solicitations that he would
go with us were unavailing; and we were forced to pursue our journey,
very sad at leaving him in so painful a position, and at our inability
to give him any relief.
On the 21st December we at last reached Pinhalú.
PENOM-PEUH.
Penom-Peuh is about 103° 3′ 50″ long. of Paris, and 11° 37′ 30″
north lat. It is the great market of Cambodia, and only two or three
leagues from the southern frontier of Cochin China: it is situated at
the confluence of the Mekon with its tributary: from this point the
river flows first north-east, and then north-west, as far as China
and the mountains of Thibet. The arm, which has no name, but which,
to distinguish it, it might be well to call Mé-Sap, from the name of
the lake Touli-Sap, flows from its source south-east to the point of
junction. About 12° 25′ north lat. commences the great lake, which
stretches as far as 13° 53′. In shape it might be compared to a violin.
The whole space between it and the Mekon is a vast plain; while on the
opposite side are the great chains of Poursat and its ramifications.
LAKE OF CAMBODIA.
The entrance to the great lake of Cambodia is grand and beautiful.
The river becomes wider and wider, until at last it is four or five
miles in breadth; and then you enter the immense sheet of water called
Touli-Sap, as large and full of motion as a sea. It is more than 120
miles long, and must be at least 400 in circumference.
The shore is low, and thickly covered with trees, which are half
submerged; and in the distance is visible an extensive range of
mountains whose highest peaks seem lost in the clouds. The waves
glitter in the broad sunshine with a brilliancy which the eye can
scarcely support, and, in many parts of the lake, nothing is visible
all around but water. In the centre is planted a tall mast, indicating
the boundary between the kingdoms of Siam and Cambodia. Before crossing
the lake it may, perhaps, be as well to say what remains to be told
respecting the latter country.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Thérond, from a Sketch by M. Mouhot.
TOWER AT BANOME, NEAR BATTAMBONG.]
PRESENT STATE OF CAMBODIA.
The present state of Cambodia is deplorable, and its future
menacing.[22] Formerly, however, it was a powerful and populous
country, as is testified by the splendid ruins which are to be met
with in the provinces of Battambong and Ongcor, and which I intend
visiting; but at present the population is excessively reduced by the
incessant wars carried on against neighbouring states. I do not think
that the country now contains above a million of inhabitants, and,
according to the last census, the number of free men fit to carry
arms is returned at 30,000, the slaves, as in Siam, not being liable
to serve in the army any more than to pay taxes. Besides a number of
Chinese, relatively great, there are many Malays, who have been settled
in the country for centuries, and a floating population of Annamites,
amounting to two or three thousand. As the calculations taken include
only the males fit for active service, no exact figures can be
furnished by the authorities.
[22] This prediction is already in part fulfilled by an insurrection
in favour of the young prince, the king’s brother, shortly after the
departure of M. Mouhot. See the letter of M. Silvestre, 4th Jan. 1862.
European conquest, abolition of slavery, wise and protecting laws, and
experience, fidelity, and scrupulous rectitude in those who administer
them, would alone effect the regeneration of this state. It lies near
to Cochin China, the subjection of which France is now aiming at, and
in which she will doubtless succeed: under her sway it will become a
land of plenty. I wish her to possess this land, which would add a
magnificent jewel to her crown; but it is also my earnest desire that
she may make a judicious choice of governors, and that the name of
France, my dear and beautiful country, may be loved, respected, and
honoured in the extreme East, as it should be everywhere.
PRODUCTIONS.
The chief productions of Cambodia are tobacco, pepper, ginger, sugar,
gamboge, coffee, silk, and cotton. The latter important article of
commerce thrives here admirably; and as, according to report, America
is menaced with civil war, it is a question whether we can henceforth
calculate on that country for the supply it has hitherto furnished. If
that supply were even partially to fail, and thousands of workmen to
be in consequence thrown out of employment, what a vast field might
be opened on the banks of the Mekon and of Touli-Sap for European
activity, industry, and capital!
England, that great nation for colonies, could soon make of Lower
Cochin China and Cambodia a vast cotton plantation; and there is no
doubt that, if she set about it in earnest, with her Australian, East
and West Indian, and New Zealand possessions, she might soon secure to
herself the monopoly, which America now has, of this precious article:
we should in that case be compelled to buy from her. Why should we not
be our own purveyors? The island of Ko-Sutin alone, in which the lands
belonging to the crown are let to the cotton-planters in lots for one
pound per lot, may be adduced in order to give an idea of the profits
realized by the cultivation of this plant. Each lot affords an income
of more than 1200 francs.
The forests situated on the higher grounds abound with
justly-celebrated timber, as also trees yielding resins and gums much
esteemed in commerce, likewise the eagle-wood and several species of
dye-woods.
The mountains contain gold, argentiferous lead, zinc, copper, and
iron, the last two in some abundance. One is astonished to find these
fertile lands furnish so little for exportation; but the sovereigns
and mandarins enrich themselves by spoliation and extortion, and every
abuse which can ruin a country and retard its progress. If these
dominions were ruled wisely and carefully, with probity, and with a
regard to the interests of the working classes, the whole aspect of
affairs would be changed.
TAXES.
The taxes now weigh solely on the cultivator and producer: the more
he raises, the more he has to pay: disposed, therefore, to indolence
by the influence of the climate, he has little inducement to combat
this vice. The beautiful cardamom of Poursat, much sought after by the
Chinese, who pay very highly for it, is entirely monopolized by the
king and his ministers; and it is nearly the same with every valuable
product.
CHAPTER XII.
DESCRIPTION OF THE TEMPLE OF ONGCOR--OBSERVATIONS ON THESE RUINS, AND
ON OTHERS IN THE PROVINCES OF ONGCOR AND BATTAMBONG.
PRELIMINARY REMARKS.
Nokhor, or Ongcor, was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Cambodia,
or Khmer, formerly so famous among the great states of Indo-China, that
almost the only tradition preserved in the country mentions that empire
as having had twenty kings who paid tribute to it, as having kept up
an army of five or six million soldiers, and that the buildings of the
royal treasury occupied a space of more than 300 miles.[23]
[23] Sic in orig.--_Tr._
In the province still bearing the name of Ongcor, which is situated
eastward of the great lake Touli-Sap, towards the 14th degree of north
lat., and 104° long. east of Greenwich, there are, on the banks of the
Mekon, and in the ancient kingdom of Tsiampois (Cochin-China), ruins
of such grandeur, remains of structures which must have been raised at
such an immense cost of labour, that, at the first view, one is filled
with profound admiration, and cannot but ask what has become of this
powerful race, so civilised, so enlightened, the authors of these
gigantic works?
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Guiaud, from a Sketch by M. Mouhot
FAÇADE OF THE TEMPLE OF ONGCOR-WAT.]
PRELIMINARY REMARKS.
One of these temples--a rival to that of Solomon, and erected by some
ancient Michael Angelo--might take an honourable place beside our most
beautiful buildings. It is grander than anything left to us by Greece
or Rome, and presents a sad contrast to the state of barbarism in which
the nation is now plunged.
Unluckily the scourge of war, aided by time, the great destroyer, who
respects nothing, and perhaps also by earthquakes, has fallen heavily
on the greater part of the other monuments; and the work of destruction
and decay continues among those which still remain standing, imposing
and majestic, amidst the masses of ruins all around.
One seeks in vain for any historical souvenirs of the many kings who
must have succeeded one another on the throne of the powerful empire
of Maha-Nocor-Khmer. There exists a tradition of a leprous king, to
whom is attributed the commencement of the great temple, but all else
is totally forgotten. The inscriptions, with which some of the columns
are covered, are illegible; and, if you interrogate the Cambodians as
to the founders of Ongcor-Wat, you invariably receive one of these four
replies: “It is the work of Pra-Eun, the king of the angels;” “It is
the work of the giants;” “It was built by the leprous king;” or else,
“It made itself.”
The work of giants! The expression would be very just, if used
figuratively, in speaking of these prodigious works, of which no
one who has not seen them can form any adequate idea; and in the
construction of which patience, strength, and genius appear to have
done their utmost in order to leave to future generations proofs of
their power and civilisation.
It is remarkable that none of these monuments were intended
for habitations; all were temples of Buddhism. The statues and
bas-reliefs, however, curiously enough, represent entirely secular
subjects--monarchs surrounded by their wives, their heads and arms
loaded with ornaments such as bracelets and necklaces, the body
being covered with a narrow _langouti_. On a sort of esplanade is a
statue, said to be that of the leprous king. It is a little above
the middle height, and the prince is seated in a noble and dignified
attitude. The head, particularly, is a _chef-d’œuvre_, the features
perfectly regular, and possessing a manly beauty of a description seen
now in very rare instances, and only amongst Cambodians of unmixed
race, living in seclusion at the foot of the mountains, where the
unhealthiness of the climate condemns them to a solitary existence; or
among the savage mountaineers who occupy the border country separating
Siam and Cambodia from the kingdom of Annam.
This place was probably chosen for the capital on account of its
central position. It is situated fifteen miles from the great lake, in
an arid and sandy plain, although the banks of the river would appear
to have been a preferable site, more fertile, and offering greater
facilities for communication.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Thérond, from a Sketch by M Mouhot
STATUE OF THE LEPROUS KING.]
Although making no pretension whatever either to architectural or
archæological acquirements, I will endeavour to describe what I saw,
for the benefit of others interested in these sciences, and, as well
as I can, to draw the attention of Eastern _savans_ to a new scene.
I shall commence with the temple of Ongcor, the most beautiful and
best preserved of all the remains, and which is also the first which
presents itself to the eye of the traveller, making him forget all the
fatigues of the journey, filling him with admiration and delight, such
as would be experienced on finding a verdant oasis in the sandy desert.
Suddenly, and as if by enchantment, he seems to be transported from
barbarism to civilisation, from profound darkness to light.
But, ere I proceed with my description, I must express my gratitude
to the excellent missionary of Battambong, the Abbé E. Silvestre,
who, with exceeding courtesy and indefatigable energy, accompanied me
everywhere, guided me through the thick forest which covers a portion
of the site of the original building, and by whose assistance I was
enabled to accomplish so much in a limited time.
THE TEMPLE OF ONGCOR.
TEMPLE OF ONGCOR.
Before arriving at Ongcor from Battambong, having previously crossed
the great lake from the mouth of either of the currents which traverse
both those localities, you come upon a stream, which, in the dry
season, you ascend for a couple of miles, and reach a spot where it
becomes somewhat larger, forming a small natural basin, which serves
the purpose of a kind of harbour. From this place a raised causeway,
still passable at the present day, and extending as far as the limit
which the waters attain at the period of the inundations, that is to
say, over a space of three miles, leads to New Ongcor, an insignificant
little town, the capital of the province, and situated fifteen miles
to the N.N.W. of the shores of the lake.
If, starting from this point, you follow for about a couple of hours in
the same direction a dusty sandy path passing through a dense forest
of stunted trees; and having also frequently crossed the river, which
is exceedingly sinuous in its course, you will arrive at an esplanade
about 9 metres wide by 27 long, parallel to the building. At each
angle, at the extremity of the two longer sides, are two enormous
lions, sculptured out of the rock, and forming, with the pedestals,
only a single block. Four large flights of steps lead to the platform.
From the north staircase, which faces the principal entrance, you
skirt, in order to reach the latter, a causeway 230 metres in length by
9 in width, covered or paved with large slabs of stone, and supported
by walls of great thickness. This causeway crosses a ditch 220 metres
wide, which surrounds the building; the revetment, 3 metres high by 1
metre thick, is formed of ferruginous stone, with the exception of the
top row, which is of freestone, each block being of the same thickness
as the wall.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Guiaud, from a Sketch by M. Mouhot
PRINCIPAL ENTRANCE OF THE GREAT TEMPLE OF ONGCOR WAT.]
_Principal Entrance._--The edifice forms a long gallery with a central
tower, and two others, of rather less altitude, about 30 metres distant
from the former. The portico of each tower is formed of four projecting
columns, with a staircase. At each extremity are similar porticoes,
beyond which, but immediately contiguous thereto, is a high door or
gateway, on the same level, which serves for the passage of vehicles.
From constant use the wheels have worn two deep ruts in the massive
flagstones with which the ground is paved.
Upon the west side the gallery is supported by two rows of square
columns; on the east, blank windows have been let into the wall, with
stone railings or balconies of twisted columns 14 centimetres in
diameter. The whole of this side, within one metre of the ground, and
half a metre of the cornice, is covered with sculptures executed with
marvellously artistic skill.
The roof--and in this respect it resembles all the other buildings--is
a double one, constructed externally of sculptured stone, the blocks in
the interior being plain; they were formerly hidden by a ceiling, also
sculptured, of which some remains may still be remarked. The edifice
divides the wall into two equal parts; upon the other sides, and facing
the monument, are three pavilions, 33 metres in length.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Guiaud, from a Sketch by M. Mouhot.
TEMPLE OF ONGCOR WAT, NORTH SIDE.]
This imposing colonnade, which, from its great length and beautiful
proportions, attracts the attention from a distance, forms a fitting
entrance to the great monument.
_The Temple._--Commencing from the building which forms the principal
entrance, is a second causeway, 9 metres wide by 342 metres in length;
it is raised 1 metre from the level of the ground. It is covered with
huge blocks of stone, carefully joined together throughout its entire
length, and is surrounded by a balustrade, partially in ruins, about 10
centimetres high, composed of long stones, with bevelled edges, very
massive, and covered with sculptures. On each side are six platforms
of earth, ascended by several steps, upon each of which is a serpent
with seven heads, some erect, others thrown back.
In the centre of the causeway are two elegant pavilions, one on each
side, having at each extremity a portico 33 metres 66 centimetres in
length. At the end of the causeway, and at the foot of the terrace,
are, on each side of the latter, two ponds or sheets of water. A
balustrade, like that of the causeway, and resting like it upon a
sculptured basement, springs from the foot of the terrace, and runs all
round the monument. At certain intervals there are large staircases of
several steps each.
_The Terrace._--The terrace is 2 metres 30 centimetres in height, and
is surrounded by 112 fluted columns, surmounted by capitals, formed
in each case of one single block of stone. The basement, like that
of the whole building, is ornamented with very beautiful sculptured
cornices, varied in style, and entirely covered with delicate carvings
representing roses and arabesques, worked with the chisel, with a taste
and skill equally wonderful.
This terrace forms a cross, each arm of which is 122 metres in length,
and 12 metres 16 centimetres wide. There are three flights of steps,
upon each of which are four lions reclining upon their pedestals.
_The Portico._--This is 6 metres in length, and is supported by six
columns, four of which are detached from the monument.
The temple is formed of three distinct parts raised in the form of
terraces one above the other.
_The Galleries._--The galleries form a rectangle, the façade of which
is 180 metres in length; the sides 216 metres 16 centimetres by 4
metres 16 centimetres.
The vaulted ceilings of the galleries are raised 6 metres from the
ground; those of the second roof are 4 metres 30 centimetres high. The
two roofs are supported by a double row of columns, the first being
3 metres 18 centimetres and the second 2 metres 25 centimetres high
by 48 centimetres broad. The columns are square, and, like all other
buildings in the province, are formed of single blocks.
There are five staircases on the west side, the same number on the
east, and three on each of the remaining sides.
The basement is 3 metres 90 centimetres in height, the length
externally forming a terrace of 1 metre 67 centimetres.
Each portico is composed of three roofs raised one above the other,
which contribute materially to give to the architecture of these long
galleries a monumental appearance, producing a singularly beautiful
effect.
The opposite side of the wall to the double colonnade is, from the
lowest row of cornices to one metre above its base, covered inside with
bas-reliefs, having externally blank windows with balustrades.
[Illustration: CARVINGS OF ARMS, UTENSILS, AND ORNAMENTS, AT ONGCOR-WAT]
There are two rows of cornices, the first part immediately above the
columns; and the space, to the extent of nearly one metre, which lies
between them, is filled up by roses and other sculptured designs.
BAS-RELIEFS.
The bas-reliefs represent the combat of the king of the apes with the
king of the angels:[24] in the centre is the king of the angels, drawn
by two griffins; he has seven heads and twenty arms, with a sabre in
each hand. Some of the chiefs are seated in cars drawn by fabulous
animals, while others are mounted on elephants. The soldiers are armed
with bows, javelins, or sabres, but the apes have generally no weapons
except their formidable claws: a few of them have clubs, sabres, or
branches of trees.
[24] These sculptures probably represent the story of the Hindu
Ramdyana, of great reputation among Buddhist nations. The _angel_ is
Ramana, Tyrant of Ceylon; and the King of the Monkeys, Hanuman, Rama’s
General.
_Peristyle No. 1._--Here is represented the march of warriors mounted
on birds, horses, tigers, and fabulous animals; the horses of the
chiefs are led by the bridle. On the right the soldiers are advancing
towards the scene of combat in the centre; but here there are no
fantastic animals.
_Peristyle No. 2._--The bas-reliefs of this peristyle represent the
combat between the king of the apes and the king of the angels, and the
death of the former. Close by is a boat filled with rowers, all with
long beards, and some of them attired in the Chinese fashion: the group
is admirable for the natural positions and for the expression given to
the faces. A cock-fight, and women at play with their children, are
also represented. It is in these bas-reliefs that the highest degree of
skill is shown. Other subjects follow, the meaning of which I could
not discover.
On the south side, to the left hand, is a military procession--bodies
of soldiers headed by chiefs, some mounted on elephants, others on
horseback, and each corps carrying different arms, lances, halberds,
javelins, sabres, and bows. On the right are two series, one
representing the Hindu Paradise Swarga, the other the Hindu infernal
regions Naralma. A crowd of persons are entering Paradise, and are
received in palanquins: they have with them banners, fans, parasols,
and boxes for holding betel, without which even Paradise would not be
perfect happiness to a Cambodian.
A triumphal march. Paradise.--The elect seated on a magnificent dais,
surrounded by a great number of women, with caskets and fans in their
hands, while the men are holding flowers and have children on their
knees. These appear to be all the joys of Paradise.
The punishments of the infernal regions, on the contrary, are varied
and numerous; and while the elect, who are enjoying themselves in
Paradise, are all fat and plump, the poor condemned beings are so lean
that their bones show through their skin, and the expression of their
faces is pitiful and full of a most comic seriousness. Some are being
pounded in mortars, while others hold them by the feet and hands;
some are being sawn asunder; others are led along, like buffaloes,
with ropes through their noses. In other places the _comphubal_
(executioners) are cutting men to pieces with sabres; while a crowd
of poor wretches are being transfixed by the tusks of elephants, or
on the horns of rhinoceros. Fabulous animals are busy devouring some;
others are in irons, and have had their eyes put out.
In the centre sits the judge with his ministers, all sabre in hand, and
the guilty are dragged before them by the hair or feet. In the distance
is visible a furnace and another crowd of people under punishment,
being tortured in divers ways--impaled, roasted on spits, tied to trees
and pierced with arrows, suspended with heavy weights attached to their
hands and feet, devoured by dogs or vultures, or crucified with nails
through their bodies.
These bas-reliefs are perfect; the rest are inferior in workmanship and
expression.
On the east side, a number of men, divided into two equal groups, are
represented as attempting to drag in contrary directions the great
serpent or dragon with seven heads, while, in the centre, an angel
stands looking on. Many angels are seen floating in the sky above,
while fishes, aquatic animals, and marine monsters swim about in a sea
visible beneath. The angel is seated on the celebrated mountain of
Thibet, Pra Soumer, and in different places angels with several heads
give assistance to those pulling the serpent. The king of the apes,
Sdach Soa, appears also here.
To the right is a military procession and a combat, the chiefs being
mounted on elephants, unicorns, griffins, eagles with peacocks’ tails,
and other fantastic animals, while winged dragons draw the cars.
On the northern side is portrayed a combat, and procession, with drums,
flutes, trumpets, tam-tams, and organs said to be Chinese; a king,
mounted on the shoulders of a hideous giant, who holds in each hand
by the foot a fighting giant. All the chiefs take part in the combat,
standing, some on tigers, others in cars.
Near the central peristyle is a figure of the king, with a long beard;
on each side are courtiers with clasped hands.
To the right appears a military procession, a combat, griffins, eagles
with peacocks’ tails, a dragon with seven heads and a tower on his
back--the king letting fly an arrow, standing on the back of a giant
with tail, claws, and beak.
_Second Story._--The first gallery on the west side is connected with
the second by two other smaller galleries, 40 metres long, and which
are themselves connected by two colonnades in the form of a cross, and
supporting two vaulted roofs.
Four rows of square columns, each hewn out of a single block of stone,
those in the inside row being 4 metres 14 centimetres high and 45
centimetres thick; those on the outside being 3 metres 10 centimetres
high, and rather smaller at the top than at the base. The little
gallery on the right is filled with statues representing persons in the
act of worshipping idols, some of these being of wood, others of stone.
Many of the statues are 4 metres in height, and the greater number of
them must be of great age, to judge from their state of dilapidation,
in spite of the hardness of the stone. In the centre is a statue of the
famous leprous king, and by his side, in a posture of adoration, are
two statues of priests, with faces full of expression. These are real
chefs-d’œuvre. At no great distance is a small statue of his queen.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Thérond, from a Sketch by M. Mouhot.
PAVILION IN THE INTERIOR OF THE TEMPLE OF ONGCOR-WAT.]
Here are found two pavilions of extremely elegant architecture, with
porticoes and staircases at each end.
There is a second gallery, with four towers at each end and three
porticoes and staircases on each side. This gallery is raised on a base
5 metres 10 centimetres high, the ledge of which forms a terrace 74
centimetres broad.
There are neither columns nor bas-reliefs here, but the walls have
imitation windows with twisted bars; the gallery is half dark,
receiving very little light except through the doors. There are idols,
both of stone and bronze, on pedestals, with their hands held out to
receive gifts from their worshippers.
_Central part._--A raised terrace leads to the foot of the great
staircase, and forms a cross, the arms of which lead to two small
pavilions with four porticoes and staircases. The base of this part
is admirably executed, both as to general effect and in detail. There
are twelve staircases, the four in the middle being 6 metres wide, and
having 39 steps.
The building forms a square, each side of which is 56 metres 60
centimetres, and at each angle is a tower. A central tower, larger
and higher, is connected with the lateral galleries by colonnades
covered, like the galleries, with a double roof; and both galleries
and colonnades are supported on a base one metre from the floor of the
interior courts.
Opposite each of the twelve staircases is a small portico with four
columns, 4 metres 50 centimetres high, and 47 centimetres in diameter.
Windows, similar in form and dimension to those of the other galleries,
are on each side, and have twisted bars carved in stone.
In front of each colonnade, with an entrance in the tower, is a dark
and narrow chapel, to which there is an ascent of eight steps. These
four chapels do not communicate with each other. Each contains an idol
4 metres in height, sculptured in the solid wall, at whose feet is
another nearly 2 metres long, representing Samanakodom sleeping. The
central tower is 33 metres high from the pavement of the gallery, and
50 from the basement of the building.
What strikes the observer with not less admiration than the grandeur,
regularity, and beauty of these majestic buildings, is the immense
size and prodigious number of the blocks of stone of which they are
constructed. In this temple alone are as many as 1532 columns. What
means of transport, what a multitude of workmen, must this have
required, seeing that the mountain out of which the stone was hewn
is thirty miles distant! In each block are to be seen holes 2-1/2
centimetres in diameter and 3 in depth, the number varying with the
size of the blocks; but the columns and the sculptured portions of
the building bear no traces of them. According to a Cambodian legend,
these are the prints of the fingers of a giant, who, after kneading
an enormous quantity of clay, had cut it into blocks and carved it,
turning it into a hard and, at the same time, light stone by pouring
over it some marvellous liquid.
RUINS IN ONGCOR.
All the mouldings, sculptures, and bas-reliefs appear to have been
executed after the erection of the building. The stones are everywhere
fitted together in so perfect a manner that you can scarcely see where
are the joinings; there is neither sign of mortar nor mark of the
chisel, the surface being as polished as marble. Was this incomparable
edifice the work of a single genius, who conceived the idea, and
watched over the execution of it? One is tempted to think so; for no
part of it is deficient, faulty, or inconsistent. To what epoch does
it owe its origin? As before remarked, neither tradition nor written
inscriptions furnish any certain information upon this point; or
rather, I should say, these latter are as a sealed book for want of an
interpreter; and they may, perchance, throw light on the subject when
some European savant shall succeed in deciphering them.
RUINS IN THE PROVINCE OF ONGCOR. MOUNT BAKHÊNG.
RUINS IN ONGCOR.
A temple, about 100 metres in height, built of limestone has been
erected on the top of Mount Bakhêng, which is situated two miles and a
half north of Ongcor-Wat, on the road leading to the town. At the foot
of the mountain are to be seen, among the trees, two magnificent lions,
20 centimetres in height, and each formed, with the pedestals, out of a
single block. Steps, partly destroyed, lead to the top of the mountain,
whence is to be enjoyed a view so beautiful and extensive, that it is
not surprising that these people, who have shown so much taste in
their buildings, should have chosen it for a site.
On the one side you gaze upon the wooded plain and the pyramidal temple
of Ongcor, with its rich colonnades, the mountain of Crome, which is
beyond the new city, the view losing itself in the waters of the great
lake on the horizon. On the opposite side stretches the long chain of
mountains whose quarries, they say, furnished the beautiful stone used
for the temples; and amidst thick forests, which extend along the base,
is a pretty, small lake, which looks like a blue ribbon on a carpet of
verdure. All this region is now as lonely and deserted as formerly it
must have been full of life and cheerfulness; and the howling of wild
animals, and the cries of a few birds, alone disturb the solitude.
Sad fragility of human things! How many centuries and thousands of
generations have passed away, of which history, probably, will never
tell us anything: what riches and treasures of art will remain for
ever buried beneath these ruins; how many distinguished men--artists,
sovereigns, and warriors--whose names were worthy of immortality, are
now forgotten, laid to rest under the thick dust which covers these
tombs!
The whole summit of the mountain is covered with a coating of lime,
forming a vast smooth surface. At regular intervals are four rows of
deep holes, in some of which still stand the columns that formerly
supported two roofs, and formed a gallery leading from the staircase
to the principal part of the building, and the transverse branches of
which were connected with four towers, built partly of stone, partly
of brick. Judging from the details of the work, and the state of the
stone, which in many places crumbles at a touch, this building belongs
to a period much anterior to that of many of the other monuments. Art,
like science, was then in its infancy; difficulties were surmounted,
but not without great efforts of labour and intelligence; taste was
of a grand description, but genius was not in proportion; in a word,
the temple of Mount Bakhêng appears to have been the prelude to
civilization, while that of Ongcor-Wat was probably its climax.
In the two towers, which are least dilapidated, and which the modern
worshippers have covered with a thatched roof, the old one having
fallen in, are large idols rudely fashioned, and bearing marks of great
age. In one of the other towers is a large stone, the inscription on
which is still visible; and on the exterior wall is carved the figure
of a king with a long beard, the only portion of bas-relief remaining.
A wall surrounds the top of the mountain. Bakhêng has also its Phrâbat,
but it is a facsimile of recent origin. The building is quadrangular,
and composed of five stories, each 3 metres high. That at the base is
68 metres square. They form so many terraces, which serve as bases to
seventy-two small but elegant pavilions; and they are enriched with
mouldings, colonnades, and cornices, but no sculpture. The work is
perfect; and from its good state of preservation would seem to be of
a more recent date than the towers. It is evident that each of these
little pavilions formerly contained an idol.
Each side of the square has a staircase 2 metres wide, with nine steps
to each story, and lions on each terrace. The centre of the terrace
formed by the last story is only a confused mass of ruins from the
fallen towers. Near the staircase are two gigantic blocks of very fine
stone, as polished as marble, and shaped like pedestals for statues.
END OF VOL. I.
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Transcriber's Note
Page headers have been converted to headings.
The following apparent errors have been corrected:
p. 119 "blackene" changed to "blackened"
p. 122 "disagreeeble" changed to "disagreeable"
p. 293 (note) "Hanuman" changed to "Hanuman,"
p. 298 "colums" changed to "columns"
Advertisement p. 15 "8vo" changed to "8vo."
Other variant spellings and inconsistent punctuation have been left as
printed.
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