Travels in the Central Parts of Indo-China (Siam), Cambodia, and Laos (Vol. 1 of 2): During the Years 1858, 1859, and 1860Mouhot, Henri
History
Travels in the Central Parts of Indo-China (Siam), Cambodia, and Laos (Vol. 1 of 2): During the Years 1858, 1859, and 1860
Mouhot, Henri
Cambodia -- Description and travel; Khmer language; Natural history -- Indochina; Thailand -- Description and travel
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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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