The foundation of Luang Prabang appears to date only from the early part of the eighteenth century. No reference to it occurs in the careful account of Siam compiled by the Jesuit missionary La Loubère in 1687-88. Its distance from the theatre of the wars which desolated Indo-China in the eighteenth century, greatly contributed to assure its prosperity, and was probably one of the principal causes which led to its foundation. Its government skilfully contrived to obtain the nominal protection of China, by sending an envoy once every eight years with a couple of elephants, as a sign of homage; and it has secured the goodwill of the Annamite empire, by consenting to pay a small triennial tribute. The mountainous country to be traversed before an army can reach Luang Prabang, and the energy which its population owes to the admixture of numerous savage and warlike tribes inhabiting the borders of Tonquin and Laos, invest this province with exceptional means for resisting aggression on the part of Siam. * * * * * But we have exhausted our space; and, after leading the reader into territories which have before them a splendid future, and following with him the course of the great Cambodian river into regions almost unknown to Europeans--regions the resources of which are immense, but need the science and energy of Europe for their development--we must bring our narrative to a close. We have accompanied Mouhot to Luang Prabang. Thence he returned to Pak Lay, where, he says, he had the pleasure of again seeing the beautiful stream which he had come to regard as an old friend. “I have so long drunk of its waters,” he writes; “it has so long either cradled me on its bosom or tried my patience,--at one time flowing majestically among the mountains, at another muddy and yellow as the Arno at Florence.” ~DEATH OF MOUHOT.~ Revisiting Luang Prabang on the 25th of July, he left it again on the 9th of August. A few months later his adventurous career, as we have already stated, was terminated by an attack of jungle fever. Hitherto, it has been to the research and adventure of French travellers that geographers have principally owed their knowledge of the Mekong. Let us hope that before long some Englishmen will follow in their steps! THE END. “_Better suited to the wants of the TEACHER than any other Series._”--=S. S. TIMES.= “_The most PURE and FAULTLESS of all Editions of the BIBLE._”--=N. W. ADVOCATE.= THE FAC-SIMILE SERIES OF “Oxford” Teachers’ Bibles WITH 50,000 REFERENCES has received the universal approbation of the MINISTRY, the PRESS, and the PUBLIC, and is conceded by ALL to be the very Best “TEACHERS’ BIBLE” in the market. From the “SUNDAY SCHOOL TIMES.”