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 CHAPTER VI

FRANCIS GARNIER, THE MAN

N the preceding chapters the knowledge gained by Europeans of the lands of southeastern Asia has been traced from its earliest beginnings, in the im- aginary island of Chryse, the Golden, until by the seven- teenth century the coast-lines of the whole of the vast Indo-Chinese peninsula had become familiarly known to the geographers and merchants of the West. Similarly we have followed the growth of knowledge of this part of the world, and the events which contributed to it, until in the nineteenth century the spread of European influ- ence in Burma, in Malaya and in Cochin-China and Kam- bodia opened the gates to enquiry and made the scientific exploration of the Hinterland a possibility. The work lay now ready to the hand, and of all the men who took a share in it and succeeded in writing their names large upon the maps of these regions, Francis Garnier, the Frenchman, the naval officer, colonial ad- ministrator, explorer, cartographer, man of letters and dreamer of dreams, is perhaps the most arresting figure,

It is no part of my present plan to attempt a biography of Francis Garnier; our concern is with his achievement rather than with his character. Yet in order that a true appreciation of the former may be arrived at, something must be known of the latter. Its keynote is to be