LAO 



586, 



LAO 



i.aos-I.to. died at Laon of the wounds he received in the cam- 

 * ""Y"' paign of 1814. A small and simple marble monument 

 has been erected to his memory. The theatre of Laon 

 i< n neat building, with an end front finely sculptured. 

 The public hospital is situated out of the town, on the 

 road to La Fere. Population 6691. For the prece- 

 ding article, we have been endebted to the MS. journal 

 of a gentleman who recently visited the town. 



LAOS-LAO, or MUONG-LAO, a country of Asia, is 

 situated in the peninsula of India, beyond the Ganges, 

 between the 12th and 18th degrees of North Lati- 

 tude. It is bounded on the south by Cambodia ; by Co- 

 chinchina and Tonquin on the east ; by Tonquin and 

 Lac-tho on the north ; and on the west by the king- 

 dom of Siam; and extends about 400 miles from, 

 north to south, and between 100 and 150 from west 

 to east. It is almost entirely enclosed by lofty moun- 

 tains covered with forests. lit the interior are also 

 several mountains of considerable height, which divide 

 it into rich and fertile vallies. Many of these moun- 

 tains are so peaked, that the ascent is very difficult, 

 and even dangerous ; and the tops of some of them 

 cannot be approached without taking a winding and 

 circuitous direction. There are very few rivers, and 

 no canals in this country, which forms an almost in- 

 surmountable obstacle to the exportation of its produc- 

 tions, and its communications with the neighbouring 

 states. The principal rivers is the Mecen, which is of 

 difficult access, owing to its channel being so much im- 

 peded by rocks and cataracts. This river, which has 

 been supposed by some to be a branch of the Ganges, 

 takes its rise in the mountains of Tartary, and direct- 

 ing its course southward, discharges itself into the sea 

 in Lat. 10 north. This country yields a great abun- 

 dance of rice, and timber of the finest quality, both for 

 building and joiner's work. It produces also aloes 

 wood, and other precious woods, and a tree, from 

 which is extracted a varnish not inferior to that of Ja- 

 pan ; but as the inhabitants are entirely ignorant of the 

 art of preparing it, it is all carried to China. Scarcely a 

 tenth part of the land here is under cultivation, and 



that is employed chiefly in the production of rice, I,;-. 

 which is preferred to that of other oriental countries. * "V" 

 The mountains of Laos contain several rich mines of 

 copper, iron, tin, and lead ; and the precious metals are 

 explored in the sands of the rivers. Tfiere are also 

 mines of rubies and beautiful emeralds. No country 

 furnishes ivory in such quantities, and of such a supe- 

 rior quality ; and this, with gum-lac, opium, and me- 

 dicinal plants, form its principal articles of commerce. 

 It exports also elephants, wax, a great variety of bam. 

 boos, and some cotton stuffs. 



This country was formerly an independent king, 

 dom ; but it now forms a part of the empire of Ton- 

 quin. The manners and customs of its civilized inha. 

 bitants are in many respects similar to those of Ton- 

 quin, for which see that article ; but the more bar- 

 barous part of the population live entirely secluded 

 from strangers, and are scarcely removed from the most 

 savage tribes. They are formed into wandering hordes, 

 which have very little communication with each other ; 

 so much so, indeed, that the language of one horde is 

 scarcely intelligible to another. They are entirely un- 

 acquainted with commerce, or the cultivation of the 

 soil. They live upon the natural produce of the earth, 

 and engage in no kind of labours but what is absolute- 

 ly necessary for the supply of their most indispensable 

 wants. There are whole families in this country, who 

 for several generations have been employed in the ca- 

 pacity of beasts of burden. They carry bales of mer- 

 chandise from Laos to Tonquin, and sometimes from 

 Tonquin to Laos. Men, women, and children, as soon 

 as they are able to endure the fatigue of the journey, 

 are engaged in this work. They form a distinct class 

 of the community, and there is scarcely an instance of 

 any of the children renouncing the profession of its 

 parents. 



The capital of this country, which is called by the 

 Chinese Mohangheng, stands on both sides of theMccen, 

 and is a large city enclosed with palisades. See Ex- 

 post Slatisliqiie du Tunkin, Sfc. London, 1811. 



LAPLAND. 



Laplaml. i-JAPLAND, the most northerly country of Europe, ex- 

 "- y""* 1 tends from north to south about 500 English miles, and 

 Situation, about 300 from west to east. Its limits are not very 

 precisely ascertained ; but it may be said to be inclu- 

 ded between the fit" of North Latitude and the North- 

 ern Ocean, and between the North Cape and the White 

 Sea. It consists of three distinct divisions, Russian, Nor- 

 wegian, and Swedish Lapland. Russian Lapland com- 

 Divisions, prehends all that part of the country, which is situated 

 to the east of the river Torneo, (which falls into the 

 Gulf of Bothnia, about 65 40' North Latitude, after 

 holding a course nearly due south) ; and is subdivided 

 into three districts, one stretching along the north coast, 

 another bordering on the White Sea, and a third inland, 

 adjoining to the lake Enarak. Norwegian Lapland, the 

 smallest division, is a narrow strip along the west and 

 north coast, divided into three portions, named Nor- 

 land, West Finmark, and East Finmark. Swedish Lap. 

 land, which is the largest and most southerly division, 

 occupies the interior part of the country, on the west of 

 the river Torneo: and is divided into four provinces, 



namely, Umea Lapmark, to the south ; Pitea Lapmark, Lapland 

 in the centre; Lulea Lapmark, and Torneo Lapmark, x< v 

 towards the north. The city of Torneo was doubtless Mountain: 

 originally reckoned within the boundaries of Lapland ; 

 but as the Laplanders have been gradually driven 

 northward, Merononiska, a town about 110 miles dis- 

 tant from Torneo, is now generally considered as the 

 boundary between Westrobothnia, and Lapland proper- 

 ly so called. Lapland has been divided by \Vahlen- 

 berg into five zones, concentric with the Gulf of Both- 

 nia, and differing from each other in climate and pro- 

 ductions. The first, extending obliquely round the 

 Gulf of Bothnia, from North Latitude 64 to nearly 69, 

 and forming a zone generally 80 miles in breadth, is 

 covered with forests of the spruce and Scotch fir, and 

 named woody Lapland. The second, higher and cold- 

 er than the first, extending from latitude 65 to nearly 

 70, and generally only 6' or 8 miles in breadth, con- 

 tains the Scotch fir, and is denominated subwoody Lap- 

 land. The third, higher than any of the preceding, 

 stretches, like the second, from 65 to 70" of North La 



