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 and visited some lead mines situated in the valley of the Ban Haten.

De Lagrée, on his return, found Garnier at Hutien with the precious passports in his possession, and on the mor- row the journey up the Mekong was resumed. At San- laburi, at the mouth of the Sum Kam, the boats of the expedition were changed, and by March 16th the explorers found themselves once more passing through forest country, though four days later Bun Kang, “a large and beautiful town," was reached, and the surround- ing district was found to be richer and more civilised than lower Laos. The Mekong River, which had been flow- ing from the west since above Lakon, was now discovered to be running definitely from that direction, and its wind- ings so enormously increased the distance from point to point that cart-tracks were used by the natives in prefer- ence to boats, though a few monster rafts continued from time to time to loaf down-stream. On March 23rd, a more thickly populated country was entered, and Nong Kun, opposite to the important tributary, the Se Ngum, was reached. This river is navigable for six days' journey from its junction with the Mekong, but time prevented its exploration by the expedition.

At Pon Pisai, on March 24th, boats were once more changed, and a day and a half brought the party to Nong Kai, near which is situated the ruined city of Vien Chan, once the capital of a united Laos. The river to this point had frequently been difficult of navigation, but the rapids of Hang Hong are the only very formidable obstacles, necessitating a complete cessation of traffic for