Page:Further India; (IA furtherindia00clif).pdf/431

 attempt the navigation of the Mekong as far as Luang Prabang. A start was made from Khon, and after a short halt at Bassak, Simon and Le Vay reached Vien Chan in 15 days with the Ham Luong and the Massie, arriving at the ancient capital of Laos on November 27th. Two years later, in August and September, 1895, Simon took the La Grandière up-stream to Luang Prabang with- out mishap, and thence proceeded as far as Keng Hoi. This rapid fairly beat him, and he was forced to return to Luang Prabang, but on October 15th he returned to the charge, and after five days of incessant struggle suc- ceeded in reaching Chieng Khong, having counted no fewer than forty-seven rapids on the way, many of which he describes as exceedingly dangerous. From Chieng Khong he pushed on to Chieng Hsen, above which point he found the stream shallow, but much easier to navigate, and on October 25th he arrived at Tang- Ho, which is distant one day's march from Chieng Lap. In 1898 Ensign Mazeran explored the reaches above. Tang-Ho for a distance of about five and thirty miles, and it appears to be probable that launches may yet be conveyed up-stream as far as Chieng Hong, the highest point on the river attained by McLeod and by the De Lagrée-Garnier expedition. Up to the present time, the distance up-stream which steam-launches have been taken by French officers—from the mouth of the Me- kong to a point five and thirty miles above Tang-Ho—is 1,600 miles. The fact should not be lost sight of, however, that this is a feat that cannot be regarded as of much practical utility. Even below Luang Pra- bang the navigation of the river is fraught with immense