106 



Land Magnetic Observations, 1911-13 



of the villages. The people were very hospitable and no difficulty was found in securing 

 food as well as shelter, although the hamlets were very small and not very numerous. 



From Songkhon, which was reached on the evening of December 29, we proceeded on 

 foot northwesterly to Ravannakhet, arriving there on the morning of January 1, 1912. 

 Thence, through the courtesy of the French Resident Commissioner, we were enabled to 

 ascend the Mekong by small steamer to Vientiane, the capital of French Laos, which was 

 reached on .January 9, and, through the courtesy of the Resident Superieur, who granted 

 transportation and subsistence on account of the government, we descended the Mekong 

 to Stungtreng, in Cambodia, arriving there on January 20. From Stungtreng we con- 

 tinued to descend the Mekong on our own account to Pnompenh and from there by 

 chartering a small launch were enabled to make a round trip northwesterly to Siemreap and 

 Angkor-Vat. On return to Pnompenh we left for Saigon, in Cochin-China, and from 

 there, after making a round trip by rail to Phantiet, we proceeded by sea to Bangkok, in 

 Siam, occupying eii route the station Hongchong, on the northwest coast of Cochin-China. 



Arriving at Bangkok on February 13, we were enabled, through the good offices of 

 the American minister, to secure the cooperation of the Siamese government, and under 

 their auspices spent the rest of the month in occupying stations along all the railroad lines 

 in operation, proceeding northward as far as Mehphuak, in Siamese-Laos, and to Korat, 

 northeast from Bangkok, and southward to Huahin, on the east coast of the Malay Penin- 

 sula. Leaving Bangkok by steamer on March 1, I returned to Canton by sea, arriving 

 there on the 11th, and after 2 days spent on computation and correspondence, devoted 

 myself from then on to my duties in connection with the Canton Christian College. On 

 April 8, 1 left Canton for America by way of the trans-Siberian Railway, and reached New 

 York on May 25, the Department bearing a proportionate part of the necessary homeward 

 expenses. 



The instruments and the field equipment were left at Canton to be available on my 

 return, while the chronometers were brought with me to America. The following stations 

 were occupied : 



31 



21. Savannakhet, Laos (reoccupied between 23 and 24). 



So far as I know, these stations in China and in French Indo-China are new. Station 

 A in Hanoi, which was located in the Ecole Professionelle, was found to be affected by its 

 proximity to buildings and, consequently, a new station, located in the midst of the large 

 open tract in front of the governor-general's residence, was occupied. In Siam the 



