FROM TONKIN TO INDIA 



but not being engaged to give a history or geography lecture to 

 the people of Khamti, and as we were chiefly concerned to gain 

 their furtherance for our departure, we refrained from puzzling 

 their Oriental brains. In the end the general impression left was, 

 I fancy, that M. Carnot and some generals in a picture I showed 

 were the principal men in Tonkin, and Napoleon in., whose head 

 was on the louis d'or I distributed, was its great chief A sign 

 of dismissal being given, we withdrew with much pleasure. We 

 had had about enough of social amenities for one day. 



Under the palace we observed some men at work forging 

 sword-blades ; the fire was in a sunk trench, and for bellows a 

 man seated on a trestle worked two pistons in bamboo tubes 

 pump-wise. We had fondly hoped for some amelioration of our 

 diet on comine to Moam. So far we had not succeeded. When 

 we asked for victuals they replied by telling us to slay here three 

 days longer, and not to bother about porters — an invitation cap- 

 able of more than one interpretation. As we returned to our 

 camp we met an elephant which belonged to the king. Our 

 men were highly amused at their first meeting with such an 

 animal. It came from Assam. Ikit notwithstanding this and 

 other surprises, they were quite ready to quit Khamti, where 

 their reception had not equalled expectation. Seran-Seli de- 

 livered himself of his astonishment that the king, who reminded 

 him of an old monkey, should have been perched on a seat while 

 we were on the floor ; and as for Nam. he regarded all the in- 

 habitants as pigs. 



We turned our enforced delay to account by visiting the suburbs 

 and studying the population. There was a pagoda in a grove near 

 the village, wherein was placed a row of gilded Buddhas with 

 conical head-dress, and some smaller ones of marble, painted or 



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