Page:Notes of a journey across the Isthmus of Krà.pdf/11

 cook, dangerously wounded, was carried on bamboos to Langsuen, and placed in charge of a native doctor.

Langsuen New Town is a great improvement on the old one, three and a half miles below it. Roads are being made, lined with native and Chinese shops, and brick built houses, &c. The banks of the river are high, and about 400 feet apart. The bed is sandy, and the stream, though shallow, runs with greater velocity to the sea (about nine miles from New Town) than those crossed on the first part of our journey.

Here the Expedition remained four days. The Governor of the Province was absent at Rehnong, but the Yokabat, or third assistant governor, rigged up a spacious tent for us near the tamneap, and went to work with a good will to prepare boats for our journey up the river to Ban Song. During our stay here, solar observations were taken, and atmospheric tide curves observed as before. Up to this time the weather was foggy and cool in the morning, with fresh easterly sea breezes during the day. The evenings were temperate, pleasant, and enjoyable. Two days before leaving. Commander Bellion and his party ascended Kow Keh Say, a thinly wooded hill of moderate elevation on the left bank of the river, to get a view of the country. A ladder and platform were employed as before, on one of the tallest trees; no more satisfaction, however, was met with here than at Ban Naa Po; the same indefinite landscape of mountains and hills, apparently without break or opening, was observed as at the former station

On the morning of the 30th January, ten light-built swift canoes, with crews of four, five, and six men each were in readiness. These were not sufficient for our large party, so Messrs. Delaplanche and Delport, with two or three subordinates, were left behind to follow with more luggage by the return boats. At 8 a.m, we pushed off from the Governor's landing place and poled up the river at a good pace by means of light bamboos. Over the falls, or elevated parts of the river's bed, which occur at almost regular distances from each other, these tiny craft bounded right bravely, without a mishap through the whole journey. After seven and a half hours toiling up this