2 Fast 2 Furious Sub Indo
Gabriel Litke
I trust that the members of those scientific societies who kindlysupported and encouraged my brother in his travels and labours,will receive favourably the documents collected by the family ofthe intrepid traveller, whom death carried off in the flower of hisage, in the midst of his discoveries.
Had he been able to accomplish fully the end at which heaimed, it would certainly have been to you that he would haveoffered the fruits of his travels: he would have felt it his firstduty to testify his gratitude and esteem to the worthy representativesof science in that great, free, and generous Englishnation 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 encouragementhe anticipated, and it was on the hospitable soil of Englandthat he met with that aid and support, which not only herscientific men, but the whole nation, delight in affording toexplorations in unknown countries, ever attended by perils andhardships. The journal of the unfortunate traveller shows hisfeelings of affection for the two countries which he lovedequally, and his devotion to science, art, and the progress ofcivilization.
I therefore feel it an imperative duty to express to you and to[8]the whole English nation the sentiments of gratitude to whichthis good and loyal Frenchman so often gave utterance, whileengaged in the work to which he spontaneously devotedhimself, and in which he was sustained by your counsels andassistance.
The family of M. Mouhot were divided inopinion as to the course to be adopted with regardto these varied materials. Should they be keptin a portfolio as a sacred but barren deposit, orshould they be arranged in the best manner possibleand laid before the public?
Let me give a short sketch of the work for[13]which we claim the indulgence of the public. Ihave first, preserving the chronological order,divided the journal into chapters, inserting intheir appropriate places such portions of the privateletters as served to throw light on the subject.This forms the body of the work.
The engravings from his drawings will impartinterest to the descriptions of the ruins and vastbuildings which he discovered in the interior ofSiam and Cambodia, testifying to an advancedstate of civilization in former times, and which, Iventure to think, deserve to be brought into notice.They will also familiarize the reader with themanners, customs, and appearance of the country.My aim has been to be useful to those whodeign to read these pages; and, if fidelity bemerit in a book, I trust the reader will besatisfied.
The Memoir which follows was written by afriend in Holland. The historical notice whichI have thus introduced, appeared to me useful,in order to give a clearer idea of the countrywhich my brother has contributed to make betterknown, and where he sealed with his death hisdevotion to travel and scientific pursuits.
Let me add, in conclusion, that the family ofM. Mouhot gladly embrace the opportunity ofthanking publicly all those who have given aidto the traveller, and have testified their friendshipfor him; several are mentioned in the course ofthe book by my brother himself, but others, fromwhom he received equal kindness and support[16]before embarking on his perilous journey intounknown regions, have not perhaps been noticedas they deserved. It was neither forgetfulnessnor ingratitude on his part; his death is hisexcuse.
The war which broke out in the East induced him toleave Russia, although, doubtless, owing to his numerousfriends, he might safely have awaited there the return ofa time more propitious to the cultivation of art and science;but his feelings as a Frenchman revolted from this, andhe also felt that the gravity of the events about to takeplace would turn every mind from all but warlikesubjects.
His intellectual and moral qualities did not seem lessto promise success; both a savant and an artist, he wasalso an indefatigable hunter, and had a degree of kindnessmingled with his courage which was sure to gain the good-willof the uncivilized people among whom he had to live.In all these respects M. Mouhot fulfilled the expectationsof the savans of England and of his numerous friends, asis evident by the rich collections made by him in so shorta time, by the cordial welcome which he met with throughouthis travels, by the respect paid to him by all learnedmen, 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 Catholicmissionaries in Siam and the other countries he visitedfrom 1858 to 1861, friendships which are clearly shownin his journal and letters.
We shall not say much about his travels; they form thesubject of this work, which, even in its unfinished state,we trust will present much important information to the[24]geographer and archologist, to the naturalist and linguist.Many capable of judging have already hastened to paytheir tribute of praise to the traveller who has enrichedsuch various branches of science, and displayed to theworld the riches of the extreme East.
M. Mouhot dedicated the last four years of his life toexploring the interior of Siam; he first travelled throughthat country, then through Cambodia, and afterwards re-ascendedthe Mekong as far as the frontiers of Laos;visited one of the savage and independent tribes inhabitingthe district between those two countries and CochinChina; then, after having crossed the great lake Touli-Sap,he explored the provinces of Ongcor and Battambong,where he discovered splendid ruins, especially the Templeof Ongcor the Great, which is nearly perfect, and perhapsunparalleled in the world.
All that we know of his last days and his lamentableend, was learned from his two native servants, who werestrongly attached to him; and through Sir R. Schomburgh,the English Consul at Bangkok, and Dr. Campbell, SurgeonR.N., who was attached to the British consulate,and who returned shortly afterwards to England, whenhe placed all the papers, notes, and drawings left by M.Mouhot in the hands of his widow and of M. CharlesMouhot, whose task it has been to arrange this legacy asmethodically as possible, considering the great difficultyof finding the connecting links of his various descriptions.
I can add nothing to these touching testimonies, whichpaint faithfully the man as I knew him in Holland. Theaffectionate heart of Henri Mouhot awakened in othersan affection which the tomb does not destroy, but whichgrows stronger with time.
On the 27th April, 1858, I embarked at London, in asailing ship of very modest pretensions, in order to putin execution my long-cherished project of exploring thekingdoms of Siam, Cambodia, and Laos, and visitingthe tribes who occupy the banks of the great riverMekon.
I spare the reader the details of the voyage and of mylife on board ship, and shall merely state that there wereannoyances in plenty, both as regards the accommodationfor the passengers and the conduct of the captain, whosesobriety was more than doubtful.
There are in the island 13 schools, 70 temples orpagodas, 13 hotels and taverns, 26 pawnbrokers, 87 spirit-merchants,144 houses licensed for opium-smoking, and11 houses for the sale of a peculiar spirit unknown inFrance, but which is extracted from rice, and known underthe name of arrack. The fishing-boats number 750.Facilities for locomotion and traffic are provided by 589public carriages, 1180 passenger-boats, and 600 carts forthe transport of merchandise.
This formality over, I hastened to visit the forts, whichare of brick and battlemented, the markets, and some ofthe streets. Paknam is the Sebastopol or Cronstadt of theKings of Siam; nevertheless, I fancied that a Europeansquadron could easily master it, and that the commander,after breakfasting there, might dine the same day atBangkok.
On a little island in the middle of the river rises afamous and rather remarkable pagoda, containing, I wastold, the bodies of their last kings. The effect of thispyramidal structure reflected in the deep and limpidwater, with its background of tropical verdure, was moststriking. As for the town, all that I saw of it was disgustinglydirty.
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 fourhundred thousand inhabitants. Owing to its semi-aquaticsite, we had reached the centre of the city while Ibelieved myself still in the country; I was only undeceivedby the sight of various European buildings, and thesteamers which plough this majestic river, whose marginsare studded with floating houses and shops.
Bangkok is the Venice of the East, and whether benton business or pleasure you must go by water. In placeof the noise of carriages and horses, nothing is heard butthe dip of oars, the songs of sailors, or the cries of theCipayes (Siamese rowers). The river is the high streetand the boulevard, while the canals are the cross streets,along which you glide, lying luxuriously at the bottom ofyour canoe.
We cast anchor in front of the cathedral of theFrench Mission and of the modest palace of MonseigneurPallegoix, the worthy archbishop, who, for nearly thirtyyears, without any assistance but that of missionaries asdevoted as himself, has made the revered emblem ofChristianity and the name of France respected in thesedistant regions.
The sight of the Cross in foreign lands speaks to theheart like meeting with an old friend; one feels comfortedand 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, itwould be ungrateful not to render them the gratitudewhich is their just due.
For some time past, particularly since the wars inChina and Cochin-China, Siam has been much talked ofin Europe; and, relying on the faith of treaties of peaceand commerce, several French and English houses ofbusiness have been established there. Unfortunately,there was much deception on the part of the native authorities,which has given rise to general and well-foundedcomplaints from the merchants. The fact is, that theyhave dangerous competitors in the mandarins and evenin the princes, who monopolise the greater part of thetrade 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 changewhich had taken place in the laws, and had scarcely cultivatedmore than enough for home consumption; add[46]to this that the population is far from numerous, and,the Siamese being an indolent race, most of the agriculturefalls into the hands of the Chinese, who flock toSingapore, Australia, and California.
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