FROM TONKIN TO INDIA 



years had given me an insight into the character and sterhng 

 worth of my future comrade, and we were in complete accord both 

 as to the end to be achieved and the means for its attainment. 

 As soon as I expressed my intention of starting on this fresh 

 voyage of discovery, Roux at once decided to apply for leave 

 of absence to accompany me. This was granted by the Minister 

 of Marine for one year, and when we now met for the first 

 time it was as old friends. 



Thus it came about that we three found ourselves, full of 

 youth and high spirits, fired with the same enterprise and zeal 

 for our country, chatting over our maps on board the Saghalien, 

 eastward bound. 



My original idea had been to complete my knowledge of 

 French Indo-China, and especially the mountainous districts of 

 Annam. But these were now almost familiar. The network of 

 such recent journeys as those of the Pavie Mission, of MM. 

 Bonnin, Grill, and Odenthal, and the prospective one of 

 Lieutenant Debay, left but small tracts on the map to be traversed. 

 We turned our eyes farther north, where lay the hitherto 

 unknown course of the Mekong in China. We felt that the 

 work initiated by Lagree and Francis Garnier ought to be 

 continued by Frenchmen. Moreover, our explorations in China 

 outside our own possessions would enable us to gather informa- 

 tion that should be of profit to the peaceful commercial expansion 

 of our colonies. Once up there, it would be idle to retrace our 

 steps. When we should have ascended the valley of the Mekong 

 as far as the point where the French missionaries had established 

 themselves on the Thibetan-Chinese frontier, we should only have 

 to turn to the left and reach India. Map travel is ever easy. 

 The idea of a return through absolutely new countries took my 



