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.